John A. Leidecker

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Charge:	Stalking
Sentence:	$100 fine
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	2010
Year Convicted:	2011
Year Cleared:	2014
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Rhode Island
County or Region of Crime:	Bristol
City of Crime:	Bristol
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"John A. Leidecker was wrongly convicted in 2011 of the misdemeanor Internet stalking of a Rhode Island Rep. Douglas W. Gablinske on November 30, 2010 during the state electoral campaign. Bristol, Rhode Island police initially charged Leidecker with knowingly transmitting false information about Gablinske over the Internet Nov. 30, 2010. Lt. Steven Contente wrote in the affidavit supporting the search warrant that Leidecker had impersonated Gablinske, a union foe who called for pension reform, in emails that misstated his political positions. The charge was later changed to one count of cyberstalking. During Leidecker's District Court bench trial the prosecutoin alleged that Leidecker seriously alarmed or bothered Gablinske for no legitimate purpose. Leidecker asserted that the emails he sent were meant as parody based on Gablinske’s politics and the lack of respect he displayed toward unions by calling them pigs. Leidecker created an email account for a fictional person named Walter Flatus, a canine character in a popular children’s book who passes gas. He also set up an email account for a Doug Gablinski. Leidecker then created a chain of email communications between the characters. After Leidecker was convicted he was fined $100. Leidecker appealed. On July 30, 2014 Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl acquitted Leidecker."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"Leidecker appealed his misdemeanor conviction and on July 30, 2014 Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl acquitted Leidecker."
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Was Perpetrator Identified?
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Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Judge, citing First Amendment, overturns R.I. union official’s cyberstalking conviction, By By Katie Mulvaney (Staff writer), Providence Journal, July 30, 2014"
Information Location 1:	http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140730-judge-citing-first-amendment-overturns-r.i.-union-officials-cyberstalking-conviction.ece
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John A. Leidecker

Charge:

Stalking

Sentence:

$100 fine

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2010

Year Convicted:

2011

Year Cleared:

2014

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Rhode Island

County or Region of Crime:

Bristol

City of Crime:

Bristol

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"Leidecker appealed his misdemeanor conviction and on July 30, 2014 Superior Court Judge Susan E. McGuirl acquitted Leidecker."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Judge, citing First Amendment, overturns R.I. union official’s cyberstalking conviction, By By Katie Mulvaney (Staff writer), Providence Journal, July 30, 2014"

Information Location 1:

http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140730-judge-citing-first-amendment-overturns-r.i.-union-officials-cyberstalking-conviction.ece

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Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: