Stickers and chalk drawings seen in front of Moscow City Hall and Friendship Square were created March 4 to mimic stickers posted around town that say “Soviet Moscow – enforced because we care.”
A group of roughly 5-10 people participated, according to the Moscow Police Department’s daily activity logs. The drawings have since been washed away.
A press statement recently released by Nathan Wilson was published on the Moscow Report’s website and Doug Wilson’s blog. It detailed old charges against Nathan Wilson and his two sons for posting anti-government stickers on street poles in October.
The stickers were created after Christ Church’s “psalm sing” protests in retaliation of the city’s face covering and social distancing order.
Rory Wilson, 18, and his 14-year-old brother were arrested by MPD Oct. 6 for allegedly placing the vinyl stickers on street poles around the city.
The charges brought against the brothers are 13 violations of the Moscow City Code, which states “No person shall post, paint, tack, tape or otherwise attach or cause to be attached any notice, sign, announcement, or other advertising matter to any telephone or electric pole within the city.”
As a misdemeanor in the state of Idaho, the offense is punishable by up to a one thousand dollar fine, six months in jail or both.
Nathan Wilson was charged with the same misdemeanor as Rory Wilson, according to Idaho’s court portal. He pleaded not guilty.
In the press statement published by Moscow Report, Nathan Wilson lambasted the city for the arrests that took place months prior. Nathan Wilson is the son of Doug Wilson, a pastor at Christ Church and faculty member at New Saint Andrews College.
The Moscow Report is a self-described local news source created by New Saint Andrews alumnus Daniel Foucachon in 2017 to keep residents “informed on important civic issues.”
While the website has no clear ties to Christ Church, Foucachon has participated in Christ Church related events over the last several years, documented on his personal blog. His father, Francis Foucachon, is a parish elder at the church.
Following the press release, several dozen of the vinyl stickers were placed around Main Street, according to MPD’s daily activity logs. On March 2, an officer responded to a report of the stickers being placed in front of Champions Bar. Moscow Police Department said it could not comment on the case.
Back in September, a “psalm sing” protest of the city’s mask and social distancing ordinance resulted in the arrests of five people. One of the people cited was Gabriel Rench, a former county commissioner candidate who lost to incumbent Tom Lamar.
Rench was also arrested by police officers for allegedly refusing to identify himself. The city has since asked for the charges to be dropped. The event made national news when former President Donald Trump retweeted footage of the arrests. Both Wilson and Rench point to this being the origin of the stickers in the press statement, with them producing over 650 stickers since then.
“The city of Moscow to date has spent tens of thousands of dollars in pursuit of Justice,” Doug Wilson stated in a recent blog post. “As they understand it, which is, as I understand it, threatening our people with up to six years in jail for affixing stickers to poles that were already covered with stickers.”
Moscow Prosecuting Attorney Liz Warner said she could not discuss the facts of the cases as it is ongoing.
Nathan Wilson said the police were unusually harsh to his children and violated their rights, according to the press statement.
“It wasn’t until I got my boys home that I learned that two officers had actually handcuffed Rory and put him down on the concrete to interrogate him,” Nathan Wilson stated. “And no, they didn’t read him his rights.”
According to University of Idaho law professor Samuel Newton, first time offenders most often receive fines or probation.
“That sounds like Miranda to me, but without looking at the documents, it’s hard to say what they’re claiming,” Newton said.
The status conference to determine the date of trial will be held on March 22.
Cory Summers can be reached at [email protected]
Correction: This article has been updated due to instances of similar wording from other news sources.
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Great to see the artistic representation of free expression
Regnar
I find it very hypocritical of the city of Moscow to allow BLM chalk display to be created and left on the sidewalk until the elements naturally washed away the artistic demonstration. But when this artistic demonstration was created the city was very quick at getting it erased and cleaned up. I though this city was inclusive to all people? Oh that is right the city only approves of people that will agree with what they say. Anyone else is considered hateful or in this case criminal. Never in the history of the law of posting stickers or signs in Moscow has anyone been arrested or charged and sent to jail. I don't know how many stickers, posters, flyers you name it are around town. You can't tell me that every sticker and flyer had the approval from the city to be placed around town. There are some very offensive stickers from what I have seen but no one is in trouble for those. Only these people who stand up against the government are the ones who the government is trying to throw in jail. I wish this paper would do some real journaling and get all sides and view points of a story instead of what they want people to read, which is communist, liberal, lies. This paper is a horrible reflection of the university.
Finn McCool
The story is neutral. It presents the facts and has quotes from both sides. There is no way "Regnar" could know that no one has ever been prosecuted for posting anything. This story is an example of competent journalism. Thank you for your work, and do not be discouraged by comment like Regnar's.
Tom von Alten
Leaving unanswered the question of what has happened to basic civic decency? Perhaps my one-time UI classmate Pastor Wilson could preach a sermon on the subject.