Jim Brownlow
MUSKEGO, Wis. - A Muskego man, who was fined after he wrote a message in chalk outside a post office, was found not guilty on Friday.
In court:
A municipal court judge determined the city "failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence" that Jim Brownlow engaged in disorderly conduct.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Brownlow said he was initially arrested for criminal damage to property. The charge was amended to disorderly conduct, and he was issued a $565 fine. He represented himself in the municipal court case and argued his message was an expression of free speech.
"This is a dangerous thing that has happened to me, and I’m taking it as far as I need to just to say I have a right to express myself," he said.
The backstory:
Brownlow said he went to the U.S. Post Office on Janesville Road and Parkland Drive on Jan. 6, 2025. He was seen on surveillance cameras bending down by the entrance and admitted he scribbled "Jan 6" on the sidewalk. However, there were other words in chalk that he said he did not write.
"There was already a bunch of writing in front of the post office. I don’t know who wrote it," he said.
The message "January 6th we almost lost our democracy" was written in a type of industrial chalk that cost hundreds of dollars to erase and remained visible on the sidewalk for weeks, the city said.
The city also argued that the sidewalk was on private property because the post office leased its storefront.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced the municipal judge's ruling and prior coverage of the case.