SC congressman Norman claims immunity, wants dismissal from Rock Hill police lawsuit
A congressman from South Carolina wants to be dropped from a lawsuit over his Facebook comments after the controversial arrest of an African-American man by Rock Hill police.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-SC, claims he has immunity from being sued because he made the Facebook posts as a member of Congress, his lawyers wrote in federal court filings.
Norman is running for re-election to South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District.
“Congressman Norman acted within his official capacity when posting a public statement on his official Member of Congress Facebook page regarding a matter of considerable local and national importance,” his lawyers wrote.
Lawyers for Norman wrote in the filings Wednesday night that Norman posted comments about the arrest of brothers Travis and Ricky Price after the physical arrest of both men in June 2021. The arrest of both African-American men, caught on video released publicly on Facebook, sparked three days of protests in Rock Hill over the treatment of Black people by police.
During the June 23 incident, Travis Price was charged with hindering police. Those charges were later dropped by prosecutors who said Travis Price did nothing wrong. Travis Price filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Rock Hill and Norman. The suit alleges defamation and civil rights violations, among other claims.
The controversial arrest brought into question a Rock Hill police officer’s use of force. That officer, Jonathan Moreno, was fired two weeks after the arrest and faced criminal assault charges. A jury in January found Moreno not guilty. Moreno is now running as a Republican for York County Council.
One judge recommends Norman remain a defendant
In March, a federal magistrate judge recommended that Norman remain a defendant in the lawsuit.
But Norman’s lawyers say that magistrate was wrong and they want a higher judge to dismiss the congressman as a defendant.
A federal district judge will now have to rule on whether Norman remains a defendant, said Justin Bamberg, Travis Price’s lawyer.
No date has been set for U.S. District Court Judge Terry Wooten to decide if Norman remains a defendant in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges Norman pushed the public to believe false statements from the city and police department about Travis Price’s conduct.
In previous case filings, Norman’s lawyers said he relied on information sent out by the city’s police department about the arrests. That information purported that Travis Price was belligerent and pushed police during the incident. Norman’s lawyers have said Norman bore no ill will toward Travis Price.
The city of Rock Hill also remains a defendant in the lawsuit. The city has blamed Travis Price for his part in the incident, court filings show.
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One judge recommends Norman remain a defendant
Statements part of American discussion about police: Judge
