Former Sheriff Clarke to face trial for Facebook taunts

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff and prominent President Trump supporter David Clarke Jr. will face trial for taunting a man on Facebook, USA Today reported.

Clarke is set to stand trial on Jan. 22 after he called Daniel Black a “snowflake” on Facebook. Black said that Clarke abused his authority to harass him after an encounter on an airplane on Jan. 15, 2017. 

No criminal charges were filed in the case, but Black also filed a civil rights lawsuit against Clarke. A judge on Friday dismissed many of the charges, but said a jury should decide whether Clarke’s Facebook posts were threats or retaliation against Black. 

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“Cheer up, snowflake … if Sheriff Clarke were to really harass you, you wouldn’t be around to whine about it,” one post from Clarke said. 

Clarke allegedly ordered six sheriff’s deputies to take Black aside and question him upon arrival in Milwaukee, Wis., after Black showed disapproval of Clarke on a plane.

“While Clarke’s actions reflect poor judgment, they do not shock the conscience,” U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller said.