Local radio host Dominic Salvia is suing three officers from the Capitol Police force for civil rights violations, according to a statement from The Devil’s Advocates Radio Show.
Salvia, who hosts a show on The Mic 92.1, announced he was filing in the federal suit in a press conference Monday.
While attempting to observe and photograph the Solidarity Singers protests taking place at the Capitol building July 24, 2013, Salvia was arrested five minutes after arriving at the scene, although he reportedly informed the officers he was a member of the media.
The case is being prosecuted by Madison Civil Rights Attorney Jeff Scott Olson, who will seek monetary compensation for what Salvia claims was an unconstitutional arrest.
Since protests began in 2011 as a reaction to Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining law, Dane County Judge John Markson has thrown out 29 citations issued at the Capitol, saying they violate First Amendment rights.
The Department of Justice recently stated the benefits of maintaining order in the Capitol far outweigh the costs, indicating strict enforcement of public protest regulations will likely continue.
[Photo from Flickr user Richard Hurd]
