Police in Louisiana are using an obscure law nobody has heard about to arrest a woman for posting a video of two teen boys fighting on school grounds.
Maegan Adkins-Barras, 32, was charged with unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail, according to the Advocate.
She was arrested earlier today. She remains in jail without a bond at this time.
However, the law, introduced in 2008, only applies to “a person who is either a principal or accessory to a crime,” neither which applies to her.
It appears as if the Adkins-Barras may have been critical of police and school administrators in her Facebook post, which is likely the real reason she was arrested because “her friends said she was concerned about what was going on at her school and was questioning the response from officials,” according to Heavy.
It is believed her son may have recorded the video at Acadia High School and passed it on to her.
Scott Police Chief Chad Leger said Adkins-Barras should have contacted police about the fight instead of posting the video, which shows he has a different interpretation of the law, posting the following on his Facebook page.
“Parents who receive information concerning criminal activity on school campuses are urged to contact their local police department or school administration. Posting videos and photos of illegal activity on social media is against the law in the State of Louisiana. Violators of the law could be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.”
Under that interpretation, police would be guilty as well because they are always posting videos of illegal activity to help track down the criminals, which is a good thing.
The fight took place Tuesday at Arcadia High School in the LaFayette Unified School District.
The video she recorded is included in the above news clips. The names of the boys have not been released but they will be expelled.
The boy in the video who shoved the other boy, causing him to hit his head on concrete, was charged with second-degree battery. The other boy was charged with disturbing the peace.
He was diagnosed at a hospital and determined to have suffered no trauma.
Attorneys and law professors interviewed by the Advocate said the arrest of Adkins-Barras reeks of desperation. We agree.
