8/12/2019 Am 1680 - Press Release Fed Lawsuit
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AM 1680 Q4 Radio1000 North Milwaukee Ave.
www.que4.org
For immediate Release
June 17, 2014
CHICAGO, IL Q4 AM 1680 [QUENNECT 4] Radio Host files Federal
lawsuit against Cook County Sheriffsdepartment, claims harassment
and censorship against reporter.
Gwendolyn Chubb, a reporter for Q4 radio in Chicago, filed a
federal law suit alleging that her first
amendment rights were violated by Cook County Sheriffs officers
in April. Chubb, who reports on issuesrelating to family law and
divorce, alleges that she and co-host, attorney Michael Gerhardt,
faced mounting
harassment for reporting on court proceedings. Ms. Chubb
possesses current and valid media credentials
issued by the Chicago Police Department. Chubb alleges she has
faced greater scrutiny due to the critical
nature of her reporting.
In April, Chubb and Gerhardt were detained and accused of
illegally reporting in a public area of the
courthouse despite clearly demonstrating their credentials and
having previously been escorted into the
building by Chief of Building Security, Ed Carik. Gerhardt, who
suffers a medical condition, was jailed on
contempt charges for several weeks by a judge he and Chubb had
been critical over on their program.
Repeated FOIA inquiries and requests to the office of Chief
Judge Tim Evans requesting both permission to
report from the courthouse and the specific protocol or
procedure that other media outlets followed when
reporting inside the Daley Center have not been responded
to.
On Monday, Chubb filed a federal civil suit alleging First
amendment violations preventing her from
reporting or even speaking freely on her program, which airs
Fridays on a local community nonprofit radiostation Quennect 4.
Quennect 4 is a non-profit low power media outlet dedicated to
activism and local arts.
The case, filed June 16, 2014 in U.S. Northern District Court,
seeks an immediate Injunction.
Station manager W. C. Turck stated, We are deeply disturbed, at
the very least, by the appearance ofretribution and censorship on
the part of authorities. Their responsibility and oath is to uphold
and defend
the constitution not infringe upon it. The ramifications of what
they seem to be attempting resonate far
beyond this case and call into question the ability of a free
and open and independent Press to hold
government and public officials accountable. The fundamental
question is whether the law is what binds us
or if it can be used as a weapon by public officials. That is
very troubling and dangerous to a free society.
For further information contact:
Michael Gerhardt - Attorney
312.546.4176
W.C. Turck
773.341.8919
Q4 AM-1680 Station Manager
www.que4.org
http://www.que4.org/http://www.que4.org/http://www.que4.org/
