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Roger Shuler, the Alabama blogger who was arrested a year ago and spent 5 months in jail for practicing journalism, talks about the price he has paid, and recent events and reports that vindicate his reporting.
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Shuler, who continues to publish important stories on his blog, recounts the horrors of the past year. He was sued by GOP insider Rob Riley for defamation, was not properly served notice for a court appearance, then was beaten up during an arrest inside his garage by a sheriff who had no warrant. Shuler was jailed for contempt by a hand-picked retired judge, and despite the outrageous violations of law and constitutional rights, most journalism and First Amendment groups took no action.
In recent months, a number of key subjects of Shuler’s reporting have made news in ways that vindicate his blog posts. Mark Fuller, the federal judge who railroaded former Gov. Don Siegelman into prison, was arrested in Atlanta and took a plea deal over domestic violence charges. A grand jury is investigating people linked to the Riley political machine, and attorney general Luther Strange is up for re-election.