A 24-year-old Maine resident has filed a lawsuit against law enforcement, alleging a violation of his First Amendment rights following his arrest during a protest outside the residence of conservative legal figure Leonard Leo. Eli Durand-McDonnell asserts that he was unfairly targeted among a group of demonstrators and arrested for disorderly conduct, charges that were subsequently dismissed.
The incident occurred last summer outside Leo's Northeast Harbor home, following the Supreme Court's overturning of the national right to abortion. Durand-McDonnell claims that Leo, co-chair of the conservative legal organization The Federalist Society, personally identified him to police, leading to his arrest. The lawsuit alleges that Leo, who played a significant role in shaping former President Trump's judicial appointments, specifically pointed out Durand-McDonnell for purportedly directing offensive language towards him and his family earlier that day, prompting the arrest.
A recording from a police officer's microphone appears to document a conversation where Leo acknowledges that the protesters were not on his property but still requests that charges be pressed against Durand-McDonnell. The lawsuit specifically names two officers involved in the arrest and alleges they violated Maine law, which requires an officer to personally witness the alleged misconduct for a misdemeanor arrest.
Durand-McDonnell maintains he was exercising his right to free speech and assembly. While Leo is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, it focuses on the actions of the two officers. Attempts to reach the officers for comment were not immediately successful.
