Colorado Sentenced an Activist to Jail Over a Livestream

本站添加: 2026-05-18

[00:00:01]Okay, this is not the story I expected to see come out of Colorado. It's Colorado who's become a more blue-leaning state, and yet it could be heading towards a fight over the First Amendment. Let's get into it.

[00:00:14]>> activist and frequent police critic is in jail tonight after a Denver judge sentenced her for violating Colorado's anti-doxing law.

[00:00:22]>> Prosecutors say Reagan Benson revealed the home address of a Denver police commander during a live stream, then encouraged her followers to target him.

[00:00:29]Our investigator Brian Moss was in court for today's sentencing.

[00:00:32]>> Brian, some people may hear this case and wonder whether or not jail time is too severe for speech. It's definitely a fair question, and her supporters and lawyer do feel like the judge went too far in this case.

[00:00:45]Okay, so that is the story that has been stirring some people up in Colorado, and after watching the clip, I understand why. Because this is one of those cases where people are instantly split into two camps. One side here, she got jailed over speech. And the other side here, she targeted someone's home. And in my opinion, both sides are only hearing the part of the story that supports their beliefs.

[00:01:10]We have way too much of that in our country, in my opinion. The conversation surrounding ICE, for example.

[00:01:17]Now, supporters of Benson in this Colorado case, including her attorney, are arguing that this was protected political speech, and that the case should fall under the First Amendment.

[00:01:27]Reagan Benson arrived at Denver County Court wearing a shirt that read freedom, something her defense team argues is at the center of this case. I want the police to feel The case stems from this live stream Benson recorded last year outside a Denver police station. During that stream, Benson asked her YouTube followers to identify the home address of a Denver police commander. Viewers provided the address, and Benson repeated it on the stream, while also saying there should be a pig roast at the commander's house. But the thing is, this story falls into a gray area. And right now, I think a lot of people feel conflicted. So, on the one hand, you should not be targeting people at their homes, at least in my opinion. But on the other side of that is the First Amendment, which I think people are flinging around a lot lately, and they don't really understand what it means exactly. Because it is not just a blanket immunity to say whatever you want, especially when that speech crosses into harassment, threats, stalking, targeted intimidation, or it's the malicious sharing of someone's personal information in a way meant to cause them harm.

[00:02:44]But here's the problem.

[00:02:46]Where exactly is that line now, right?

[00:02:50]Because technically, a lot of personal information already exists online somewhere. Addresses, property records, phone numbers. Now, prosecutors are arguing that there's a difference between information existing online and broadcasting it to thousands of followers during a politically charged livestream. And honestly, that distinction is probably what this entire appeal is going to come down to. So, during COVID, especially, lawmakers and institutions became increasingly focused on online threats and targeted harassment.

[00:03:24]>> won't help the Douglas County teachers, but it would protect healthcare workers who have also become political targets during COVID. Our Karen Morfitt at the Capitol tonight. Karen, this would mean the private information of doctors and nurses, much like elected officials, would be sealed from the public.

[00:03:43]That's right, Jim. And already, these protections are in place for public health officials And I find it interesting because this conversation around online harm and doxing in Colorado did not suddenly appear overnight. And that's likely why this case feels so significant now, because once governments begin defining what counts as intimidation in political speech cases, other questions start to rise. People want to know what counts as harassment now. What about political hyperbole? That's going on a lot. What counts as intimidation? And once courts start defining those boundaries, those precedents don't just stay in Colorado.

[00:04:22]And that's why I think this case has national implications, and it's a story I intend to keep following.

[00:04:28]>> The judge said the sentence was also meant to deter both Benson and her roughly 20,000 YouTube followers from similar behavior. So when I heard what the judge said, I knew people were going to get stirred up over this, because when courts start talking about deterrence connected to speech-related conduct, people really get upset. And they start to worry. But prosecutors are arguing that in this case, it crossed the line beyond offensive speech and entered into targeted intimidation directed at somebody's home. And honestly, this is why this appeal is going to become a huge case to watch, in my opinion, because this is bigger than just one activist at this point. This is really about America trying to figure out where the line is between speech and intimidation in the internet era. And Colorado may end up being the place that defines that line. And I'd love opinions on this one, because for me, I see both sides. As as much as I'm a fan of the First Amendment, I'm also very against doxing. And I don't care what side of the aisle you vote on, don't target people like that. To me, it's right up there with all the violent rhetoric that's being spewed in our country right now.

[00:05:40]Anyway, again, let me know your thoughts. I'd love to know them in the comments below. I would like to get a discussion going around this topic.

[00:05:48]And that's it for this one. I hope you enjoyed the video. Please like, subscribe, and comment if you like the content. This is a new channel and it will really help me grow. In the meantime, I hope you have a blessed day.

[00:05:59]This is the Bleeding Heart Maga and I'm out.