supposed offense was to criticize Meridian Police Officer Richard Brockbank by name, demand the dismissal of an equally spurious "resisting and obstructing" charge filed by the officer, and to promise a "non-violent and legal shame campaign" employing "peaceful but … annoying" tactics in the event that charge wasn't dropped.

The trial, which will be a Soviet-style exercise in seeking the imprisonment of a political dissident, will begin on January 19.

Townsend, who is active in the police accountability movement, was arrested without cause on February 2, 2015 after he chose to end a conversation with Officer Brockbank. At the time, Townsend was conducting an anti-tax protest while garbed in the attire of the Grim Reaper. Pretending that there was evidence of jaywalking on Townsend's part (although the conduct described in his incident report doesn't meet the statutory definition of that violation), Brockbank inflicted himself on Townsend to "educate" him, which in practical terms meant trying to browbeat him into admitting to a chargeable act.