Lawyers have raised questions in recently-filed court documents about whether U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman was acting in an official capacity, and if he knew statements were false, when he posted them on Facebook after a controversial arrest last summer in Rock Hill.
Travis Price has filed a defamation lawsuit against the city of Rock Hill and Norman in connection with statements made after the incident. The arrest of Price and his brother, who are Black, prompted race-related protests and called into question the police department’s use of force.
Norman’s lawyers have denied the congressman knew any statements were false, and said Norman relied on information from the Rock Hill police.
Also, a federal magistrate judge has agreed with Norman’s lawyers and recommended that the federal government should replace Norman as a defendant in the lawsuit. Norman’s lawyers argue that the U.S. Congressman was acting in his official capacity when he posted comments on Facebook. If Norman is replaced in the lawsuit by the U.S. government, that would dismiss him from the case because of rules against suing the federal government.
However, a higher judge will have the final say on that.
Travis Price’s lawyers want Norman to remain a defendant. Price filed the lawsuit after prosecutors said Price was wrongly arrested by Rock Hill Police Department officers in a June 2021 incident.
A video of the arrest was posted on Facebook and went viral.
Price’s...
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