Gaston’s letter, appropriately headlined “Facts First,” appeared in the Bee on July 31.

The Republican response was swift and a little baffling. Ryan Knapp went on Facebook to accuse Gaston of legalistic spin and again defended the Republican-backed ordinance aimed at regulating protests in town.

We have no idea if Knapp will also send his statement to the Bee for publication. But apparently he just couldn’t wait a week to be publicly outraged.

If he can’t wait, neither can we. Here is Jim Gaston’s response to the above-referenced Facebook post:

Ryan Knapp’s response to my Letter to the Editor once more demonstrates he doesn’t have a clue as to law, wants to charge people for exercising their First Amendment rights, and pulls the ultimate MAGA by claiming Facts are not Facts, but spin.
Knapp wants to charge people for exercising their First Amendment right to assemble even on their own property. I find it the ultimate hypocrisy that he decries people objecting to a huge oversized development on his own family’s property that negatively effects traffic and the neighborhood community, but is happy to tell Main Street residents they can’t do what they want with their property unless they get a random Assembly permit and pay for police security.

Knapp argues that the First Amendment right of Free Speech and Assembly is too expensive. Where was he when parades of MAGA vehicles clogged Main Street before the national election? Crickets. Knapp’s “Pay to Play” Firstt Amendment Rights is the tail wagging the dog. The people’s rights do not serve the police. The police serve the people’s rights. Taking Ryan Knapp’s logic to the next step … why don’t we simply limit people’s rights such that persons living in even numbered addresses can leave their homes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and those in odd number addresses Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Sundays are open for everyone. We could cut the police budget by 80 percent. Ludicrous? Of course, same with the Assembly Ordinance. First Amendment Rights and person’s property rights are not for sale to local government.

Now, the law. Knapp cited a Supreme Court case that was totally irrelevant to the Assembly ordinance issue. He doesn’t even try to defend it. I doubt he even read it. He clearly didn’t understand it. In Knapp’s response he addresses me as “the consummate litigator” in the “spin zone.” Firstly, I understand why he uses the word “litigator.” Litigator is a term he and corporate America use for lawyers who represent billion-dollar corporations. I’m a “trial lawyer.” That means I represent people. Unlike “litigators” who are happy to have tried five cases to completion in their career, I have more than 100 jury verdicts.

Next, in a jury trial, spin doesn’t work. Juries decide cases based on facts. Jurors are “the finders of fact.” And “facts” require evidence. Knapp’s allegation of Spin to avoid Facts … so MAGA.

Finally, as for Rock this Democracy suing Danbury as to their Parade and Assembly ordinance, Ryan Knapp might be so presumptuous as to tell other town folks what to do, but I’m not. There are plenty of lawyers in Danbury to challenge the Danbury ordinance. Newtowners will challenge book banning, First Amendment Assembly and property right restrictions in Newtown. If we need help, we will ask. No one in Danbury has asked for help. Second, to bring a lawsuit you need to have a legal entity. Rock this Democracy is not a legal entity, thus has no “standing!” Finally, Rock this Democracy is assembling in Newtown, not Danbury. Consequently, there is no “aggrievement.” Without a legal entity, standing, and aggrievement, there is no cause of action. The simplest of research would have revealed such necessary elements.

Jim Gaston
18 Main Street