First Amendment Auditor Glenn Cerio called the police on reporter Tella Cline on Tuesday following his devastating loss in small claims court, claiming that Cline was brandishing a weapon outside of the courthouse and that he was fearful for his life.
Cerio had sued Cline for identity theft, fraud and stalking with malicious intent in Snohomish County, Washington, small claims court, essentially stating that Cline’s reporting on Cerio caused his social security number and driver’s license number to be exposed to the internet.
As proof, Cerio had a stack of printouts of YouTube screen shots and an Experian third class mailer that said that his identity could have been among the billions of identities exposed in a data breach.
Upon seeing the proof and hearing from both Cerio and Cline, Judge Matthew D. Baldock ruled that Cerio simply hadn’t proved that Cline had damaged him in any way. Dismissing the charges without prejudice, Baldock warned Cerio that while he can bring the charges against Cline again, he must have significant proof that Cline had damaged him by exposing his information.
After court adjourned, both Cline and Cerio were walking around the courthouse parking lot. Cerio’s father, Glenn Cerio Sr., made his way to his son’s car without incident. His son, upon seeing Cline, began to scream for help and that his life was in danger.
Calling 911, Cerio Jr. reported that Cline was brandishing a weapon and that he was fearful for his life, prompting a response from Lynnwood, Washington, Police.
Cline, upon hearing Cerio’s cries for help, reentered the courthouse and sought out the sheriff, who had been monitoring 911 calls, and who was aware of the situation as she entered his office.
The sheriff searched Cline’s bag, noting that Cline’s bad had already been through security twice without a weapon, and went outside to tell the three Lynnwood police officers who had arrived at the building that Cline was not armed.
After taking Cerio’s statement, Cerio demanded a supervisor on scene and had recorded the incident. Everyone waited for the anti-climactic arrival of the supervisor, who declined to take Cline into custody despite Cerio’s claims that he was in fear of her life.
This was the latest defeat for Cerio, who is suing various members of Washington State’s local police forces, workers and reporters in small claims court to fund his planned multi-million-dollar federal civil rights lawsuits against assorted towns in the state.
Cerio’s next target is Everett police worker Erica Bennett, who Cerio is suing for writing a police bulletin several years ago on Cerio that contained both his social security number and driver’s license number.
That hearing is set for Early December.
