As Noah Petersen saw it, he was exercising his freedom of speech when he criticized the Newton, Iowa, police department during the public comment period at a city council meeting. But according to Mayor Michael Hansen and Police Chief Rob Burdess, who handcuffed Petersen and sent him to jail, his comments made him guilty of disorderly conduct.
Undeterred, Petersen spoke again at a city council meeting three weeks later, describing Hansen and Burdess as "fascists" based on his personal experience with their intolerance of dissent. Seemingly eager to confirm that critique, Hansen ordered Petersen to stop talking and leave the meeting. On his way out the door, Petersen was arrested again on the same bogus charge.
