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Petty Tyrants with Roger Shuler
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Petty Tyrants with Roger Shuler

Roger Shuler would be called a political prisoner if he were in any other country. In 2014, Shuler was arrested after he refused to obey a judge's order to stop writing about an alleged affair involving Robert Riley Jr., an attorney who is part of Alabama's most prominent political family, and the son of former governor Rob Riley.

Robert Riley and his father.

Think Progress wrote:

An Alabama blogger who continued to write about the alleged extramarital affair of a prominent lawyer despite a court order was arrested and jailed last week. He was still being held without bond as of Tuesday, according to reports.

Roger Shuler, a former local newspaper reporter, writes a blog about Alabama politics, Legal Schnauzer. He wrote a series of posts alleging that Robert Riley, Jr., son of former Alabama governor Bob Riley and a lawyer rumored to be running for Congress, had an affair with lobbyist Liberty Duke.

Riley sued Shuler and his wife, Carol Shuler, last year for alleged defamation. The court issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary and injunction that prohibited Shuler from writing anything about Riley’s alleged extramarital affair, allegations that he had a child out of wedlock, and other related stories, according to documents posted online. When Shuler continued to write about Riley’s alleged affair, police pursued him during a traffic stop and arrested him for contempt.

Roger Shuler explains:

  1. Karl Rove’s First Election Fraud

  2. Railroading Don Seigelman

  3. Tyranny of the Shelby County City Officials

  4. Governor Riley, Neopotism and the State Bar Association

  5. Bradley Foundation and how we lost the VRA in Shelby County

  6. Police Brutality

  7. The Cruelty of Jails

  8. The Catch-22 that Keeps inmates in Jails

  9. Cancer of our mass incarceration system


Roger Shuler is the editor of Legal Schnauzer, where he offers sharp insight on politics of Alabama and the south.

Discussion about this episode

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ZonZon's avatar

also at the end when he talked about not having a trial it reminded me of Rev. Edward Pinkney's case... in which he was imprisoned for a "crime" that literally does not exist in MI. I would love to hear you interview him!!

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Esha's avatar

Do you know how to contact him?

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ZonZon's avatar

This is enough to make a reasonable person want to emigrate. This makes me feel that I can't "fight the power" in the way that I feel obligated too... and should just leave the country for my own safety... or pretend to conform I suppose. Well I'm not gonna do either... so wish me luck! And good luck to you, and thanks for doing this, this podcast is well worth the money! Looking forward to the next segment with Mr. Shuler!

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