WTF?!!-----She Was Jailed for Basic Journalism. A Federal Court Isn't Sure if That's Unconstitutional.

She Was Jailed for Basic Journalism. A Federal Court Isn't Sure if That's Unconstitutional.

"...That journalist is Priscilla Villarreal, whose presence in Laredo, Texas, is associated with her profanity-laced commentary on law enforcement and who police jailed for the crime of asking the government questions, getting answers, and publishing those responses.

That would appear to be a fairly cut-and-dry infringement on her First Amendment rights. 

Yet, it's a question that has stumped the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in a case that could have far-reaching implications for anyone engaged in journalism, regardless of their political bent.
In 2017, Villarreal found herself in a jail cell after publishing two stories on her popular Facebook page, Lagordiloca, which as of this writing has attracted 202,000 followers. 

• The first story pertained to a Border Patrol agent who committed suicide; 
• the second revealed the identity of a family involved in a deadly vehicle accident. 

The stories were standard. 

• But Villarreal had already drawn the ire of the local police department with her reporting, which has included, among other things, a livestream of an officer choking someone at a traffic stop and heavy criticism levied at a local prosecutor...