Man Who Allegedly Distributed Anti-Semitic Fliers Makes First Court Appearance

Copied!
Jeffrey A. Kidder (57) of Kenosha In Kenosha Municipal Court on September 9, 2022
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

A Kenosha man with ties to California and Indiana was arrested on August 10, 2022 after a months-long investigation into anti-Semitic flyers being distributed around the Kenosha area. The reports began in December of 2021. The flyers attacked Jewish people and were distributed in baggies with pebbles in them, on windshields, driveways, and walkways. The Kenosha Police Department consulted with the Kenosha District Attorney’s office and it was decided that the flyers themselves, although disturbing, are protected under the first amendment.

Paid Advertisement

Instead, Kidder was cited under Kenosha’s non-criminal ordinance 11.02U which states:

Paid Advertisement

Littering. Throw, place or deposit any paper, glass, bottle, cans, containers, grass clippings, rubbish, waste, filth or other debris upon private property without consent of the owner or occupant, or upon the streets, alleys, highways, sidewalks, parks, or beaches, or into any pond, stream, river or lake.

Paid Advertisement

Bidder received 23 citations in total and if convicted of all counts, could be facing a fine of more than $4,300.

Paid Advertisement
Kenosha Municipal Judge Michael Easton
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

First Court Appearance

Paid Advertisement

Kidder appeared today in Kenosha Municipal Court with Judge Michael Easton presiding. For the City, prosecutor Attorney Bryan Charbogian appeared. Kidder had filed a motion to dismiss stating that the ordinance, as applied to him, was unconstitutional and violated his free speech. He brought with him some fliers that appeared on his door, from politicians and other advertisers. Judge Easton entered a not guilty plea on Kidder’s behalf. There will likely be several more hearings in this case. Kidder, interviewed after court by KCE and another news agency said he planned to take this case to trial and even said he would be appealing the case “all the way up.” Although Kidder wouldn’t admit to distributing the fliers, he all but told us he did. He plans to use an affirmative defense that he believes will get the non-criminal citations thrown out. He showed KCE all of the fliers that were distributed and sent KCE about a half-dozen emails with similar content. Most of the materials appeared to be anti-Semitic. Kidder says he is not a violent person and wasn’t advocating for violence. When asked by another journalist why he distributed these fliers at night he responded sharply, “When do you have free time!?”

If Kidder is found guilty in Municipal Court. He has the right to appeal the Judges Decision to the Circuit Court. A successful local defense attorney told us that although Kidder’s alleged actions may have violated the letter of the law, he might have an affirmative defense. Kidder could argue selective prosecution. It would however, switch the burden to the defendant, when normally the City has the burden. The burden in Municipal court, however is lower. The City prosecutor need only show the defendant is guilty by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning, more likely than not – not beyond a reasonable doubt, like in criminal trials.

City, prosecutor Attorney Bryan Charbogian in Court on September 9, 2022
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)

Author

Copied!
LATEST NEWS

Kenosha Murder Trial: Defendant to Represent Himself in Court

Kenosha, Wis. — “The man who represents himself has a fool for a client.” – Abraham Lincoln. A high-profile murder trial is set to begin later this year, with 35-year-old Tiron M. Washington opting to represent himself despite facing life in prison. Washington is accused of orchestrating the December 10, 2021, assassination of 35-year-old Maximmillion A. Moore in what prosecutors describe as a hit-style execution. A Murder Linked to Federal Gun Investigation According to investigators, Moore

Read More »

KUSD To Host 62nd Orchestra Festival

Kenosha, Wis. – Kenosha Unified School District’s 62nd annual Orchestra Festival will be presented on Saturday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Indian Trail High School and Academy, 6800 60th St. This event will showcase nearly 1,400 elementary, middle, high and charter school orchestra students. Tickets are available at kusd.edu/tickets. Field house seating is $10 (a maximum of 3). Tickets will not be available at the door and field house seating may sell out in advance. The

Read More »
MORE TOP STORIES

City of Kenosha Employee Charged with Misdemeanor Theft From Taxpayers

Kenosha, Wis. – A City of Kenosha employee has been charged with one count of misdemeanor theft, according to court records. Jamie D. Watkins, a 54-year-old arborist employed by the city, is accused of stealing Menards rebate checks meant for the Parks Department. Watkins is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on February 27, 2025. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of nine months in jail, a $10,000 fine, and possible restitution. City Administrator

Read More »

Casey Family Options Funeral Home Accused of Predatory Practices, Families Speak Out

Kenosha, Wis. – A Kenosha-based funeral home, Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, is facing public scrutiny after a family accused its directors of predatory behavior, price gouging, and a lack of compassion during their times of grief. Allegations from Grieving Sisters Two women, Alexis Quirk and Kiki Nicole, recently took to social media and Google reviews to share their troubling experiences with the funeral home. Their accounts describe an ordeal that exacerbated their grief as

Read More »

Vote No On February 18 To Give KUSD $115 Million Dollars: Opinion

Do not miss your chance! You have between now and February 18th to VOTE NO on KUSD’s $115 Million property tax increase. Last week, newly reported national NAEP test scores – also known as the Nation’s Report Card – revealed that 69% of Wisconsin K-12 students cannot READ at grade level. The math scores were nearly just as abysmal. Wisconsin ranks dead last in teaching black students to read, and the opportunity gaps in math are

Read More »

Follow The Money on KUSD Referendum Campaign

Wondering where all of the KUSD referendum propaganda is coming from? Not surprisingly, this aggressive effort to tax you out of your homes is coming from the teachers’ union. People are still struggling to afford gas and groceries, but the teachers’ union believes they deserve more of your hard earned money than you already contribute. It’s in your mailbox, on your social media, and you can’t scroll YouTube without seeing their constant ads. Quite a hefty

Read More »

Florida Man Faces Higher Bail After Missing Court in Serious Child Sexual Assault Case

Kenosha, Wis. – A Florida man accused of repeated sexual assault of a child appeared in a Kenosha County courtroom on Friday after skipping a prior hearing earlier this month. Frank A. Sadewater, 60, of Clearwater, FL, had initially been out on a $15,000 bail, but after failing to appear in court on February 3, Judge Anthony Milisauskas ordered the bail forfeited. In Todays hearing, Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner William Michel II set Sadewater’s new

Read More »

Kenosha Man Charged In Attempted Homicide, Drug, and Gun Crimes

Kenosha, Wis. – Irvin R. Torrecilla, 19, of Kenosha, faces multiple charges, including attempted first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety, following a violent December 2024 shooting. Torrecilla was also charged today with a slew of serious offenses, including possession with intent to deliver cocaine, THC, and narcotic drugs, as well as five counts of felon in possession of a firearm. The combined charges carry a potential sentence of over 100 years in prison if

Read More »

Kenosha Homicide Suspect Has Long Criminal History, Lenient Treatment

Kenosha County Eye took a dive into the criminal past of homicide suspect Justin L. Tercek, 41, of Kenosha. Tercek has been charged in the February 3 brutal stabbing of Andrew D. Pfannkuche. This isn’t Tercek’s first run-in with the law. He’s a convicted felon that has had very lenient treatment from past judges and prosecutors. Past Offenses and Legal History Tercek’s legal troubles date back more than a decade. On November 19, 2007, Tercek was

Read More »

Kenosha Police Seek Community’s Help in Unsolved 2024 Homicide

Kenosha, Wis. – The Kenosha Police Department held a press conference today seeking public assistance in solving the June 14, 2024, homicide of Kenneth “Kenny” Davidson. The 32-year-old Kenosha resident was fatally shot in the 4700 block of 36th Avenue at approximately 9:20 p.m. Police officials, joined by members of Davidson’s family, gathered at the Kenosha Police Department to renew their plea for information. Lieutenant Joshua Hecker, the department’s public information officer, addressed the media, emphasizing

Read More »

Milwaukee County Man Sues Wisconsin Attorney General Over Concealed Carry License Denial

Milwaukee County, Wis. – A Milwaukee County resident has filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, alleging that the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) unlawfully denied his concealed carry license renewal. The plaintiff, Kenneth Karwacki, contends that Wisconsin’s firearms possession law is unconstitutional as applied to him. Karwacki, represented by attorney William Sulton of Sulton Law, argues that Wisconsin’s statute prohibiting firearm possession for those convicted of a crime elsewhere that would be a

Read More »

AI-Powered Flock Cameras Assist Kenosha Police In Criminal Investigations

Kenosha, Wis. – Kenosha County police agencies have recently implemented a network of advanced surveillance devices known as Flock cameras. These devices, mounted on black poles throughout the county, function as stationary artificial intelligence (AI) “police officers,” monitoring entry and exit points across the city. Currently, about 25 of these cameras are operational within the city limits, costing approximately $3,000 annually per unit to lease. Flock cameras utilize AI to capture and analyze still images of

Read More »
Categories
Archives
Authors

7 Responses

  1. He hurt my feeling with a flyer.. Arrest him brown shirts, and now. We can’t have someone in public expressing themselves like this. Unless of course they’re burning down a building. Then…. We back off and watch the city burn. As for the selective prosecution defense, that’s almost every case in Kenosha. They pick and choose which one will get them the favorable headline with the local rag. Poor babies in tough ass Kenosha were hurt by a piece of paper.

  2. Two years ago, the City was burning, but today, the City’s Prosecutor focuses on the misdeeds on a feeble minded anti-Semite distributing distasteful literature. How many rioters have been brought to justice for Larceny & Arson?

    2
    2
  3. I have problems with the Kenosha DAs office. However, I hope this piece of human scum gets fined or even serves jail time (even if this is unrealistic).

    1. Jewish Bolsheviks murdered 66 million White Christian in Russia and Eastern Europe ,wheres your outrage over this ? ahhh i see your last name spells it all !!

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories
Archives
Authors

Subscribe to updates

Get notified of new articles. We'll never share your email address.