A victory for free speech and pro-Second Amendment advocates came in the form of 14-year-old Jared Marcum, whose criminal charges have now been dropped.
Marcum, who wore a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school in April, refused to change his shirt after a teacher asked him to. Law enforcement was called, and the student was charged with obstructing a police officer. He faced a $500 fine and up to a year in jail.
But Ben White, Marcum’s attorney, said a prosecutor and he agreed the issue wasn’t worth creating a juvenile criminal record for the student.
Marcum’s mother, Tanya Lardieri, was reportedly “overcome with emotion” after the dismissal order was signed and the criminal charges against her son were officially dropped, West Virginia’s WKOK-TV reported.
Allen Lardieri, the boy’s stepfather, said, “It should have come sooner but it’s done and we don’t have to have that concern anymore about him having a criminal record. I’m just glad that it’s over.”
White said he views this case as a victory for common sense. The lawyer also expressed his belief that the dismissal of the case demonstrates that “the justice system and its integrity are alive and well in Logan, West Virginia.”
Lardieri and White have said they are now planning a countersuit against the Logan County School District for violating Marcum’s right to free speech.
As word spread surrounding Marcum’s charges, the court attempted to file a gag order on the case. But last week, Judge Eric O’Briant signed a dismissal of charges before the scheduled July 11 court date.
