TRUMANN, Ark. — The City of Trumann is facing a federal lawsuit that accuses several of its top officials of orchestrating a scheme to obtain search warrants under false pretenses to identify and silence critics of city leadership. However, Trumann officials say they’ve done nothing wrong.
Jackie Sanders is a Trumann resident who runs a satirical Facebook page that has been critical of Trumann’s leadership. On June 26, 2024, he filed a complaint in Federal court that alleges widespread constitutional violations, abuse of process, and retaliation for using his First Amendment rights.
City officials named in the lawsuit include Mayor Jay Paul Woods, former Police Chief John Redman, Assistant Chief Lenny Becker, Fire Chief Revis Kemper, and current and former city council members Tammie Slinkard and Linda Smith, along with the City of Trumann itself.
“I know I can say without a doubt, 100 percent, we’ve done nothing wrong,” Woods told NEA Report. “I don’t feel like our police officers have done anything wrong. I don’t think there’s an issue on it.”
Sanders is represented by Sutter and Gillham, PLLC out of Little Rock. The Arkansas Municipal League represents the city.
Trumann Police Begin Investigation into Critics on Facebook
The central allegation of the lawsuit is that Sanders exercised his First Amendment rights and was punished for it by city officials who abused city and police resources.
In Feb. 2023, Trumann officials launched the investigation after complaints by the fire chief and his wife, Beth Kemper, who claimed that the owner of the unofficial “City of Trumann” Facebook page accused her of having a fake profile and telling her husband to fire employees.
“The page has depicted me as a Nazi,” Beth Kemper wrote.
Beth claimed she “heard” her neighbors were harassed and that people had been convinced to go to her home to take pictures of it in order to “defame.” She claimed she had to run one supporter out of her yard.
“I believe he was there taking pictures, but I am unsure,” Kemper wrote in her witness statement form. “It made me very uncomfortable.”
The fire chief also signed a letter claiming he felt he was the target of not just harassment, but stalking, as defined by an act that would knowingly “place a reasonable person in the victim’s position under emotional distress and in fear for his or her safety…”
The fire chief claims that he was being followed and photographed. He then states that, because a suspect shot at the police chief several years ago, it made him fearful for his family’s safety.
But the affidavit packet submitted to the Trumann Police Department depicts citizens criticizing their local government.
Captain Lenny Becker was assigned the case in Feb. 2023, according to the extensive probable cause affidavit. While most PC affidavits last one or two pages at most, this affidavit was four pages, with two more pages attached from the fire chief. The charges requested were misdemeanor cyberbullying and misdemeanor harassment.
SEE MORE: Sanders Probable Cause Affidavit 7.21.23
Becker obtained several search warrants for the Facebook pages and anonymous accounts.
Warrants Contain Inaccurate References to Child Sexual Abuse Material
The most alarming allegation is that Trumann officials obtained some of the search warrants by falsely portraying an investigation as involving child pornography and a potential homicide.
According to the complaint, Becker submitted an affidavit seeking warrants that referenced those serious crimes, despite having no evidence tying Sanders or the Facebook page to such activity.
This section appears without explanation in the search warrant affidavits, suggesting a far darker crime has been committed than harassment.See More: Search Warrant for City of Trumann Just for Fun
Despite that admitted mistake, the warrants, according to the filing, allowed authorities to obtain private, personal data from Facebook, including:
-
Private messages
-
User identities and contact information
-
Location data and activity logs
-
Financial and account information
-
Photos and videos, some personal, including “nudes.”
The lawsuit says the warrants were obtained by phone, despite being lengthy (about 20 pages) and lacking exigent circumstances. It is also alleged that the targets were not notified in a timely manner.
After city officials obtained the private data, the complaint alleges it was given out to certain parties, including the fire chief. City officials are alleged to have shared confidential information, while the case was still an active investigation, with people who had no law enforcement status.
Using that information, the fire chief’s personal attorney sent a cease and desist letter to some of those searched, the complaint says.
Police Commander Acknowledges “Template” Error in Warrant Language
Testimony obtained in the case shows that then-Police Operations Commander Lenny Becker acknowledged that references to child pornography included in search warrant materials were not accurate and should not have been included.
Becker, who now serves as assistant police chief, made the statements during a deposition in the case.
During questioning, the issue was addressed directly:
“All right. And these search warrants, in the — I mean, some of the stuff that was in here was talking about there being child pornography?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay. Of course, that’s not accurate, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
The questioning continued, focusing on whether the language should have appeared in the affidavit:
“So, it shouldn’t have been in the affidavit for search warrant; correct?”
“Not that part. That is a template, and I missed taking it out.”
“And, of course — I mean, the Judge relies on what you put in these affidavits; correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
Our reporter asked former Police Chief Jon Redman, now a police instructor at Black River Technical College’s Law Enforcement Training Academy, if it was true he and his department “falsified a search warrant for CSAM, who ran a satirical Facebook page that was critical of the city.”
Redman replied, “Not true at all.”
But based on Becker’s own testimony, the search warrants contained false information substantially different from what was being investigated.
Lawsuit Claims No Probable Cause – Even for Harassment
Attorney Lucien Gillham, representing Sanders, said the complaint alleges that no specific conduct was identified to support probable cause, even for harassment or cyberbullying.
“The purpose of this criminal proceeding was not to investigate any actual crime of murder, child abuse, stalking, harassment, or anything else, because nothing like that happened,” the complaint says. “Rather. It was to find out who ran the “Just for Fun” page, find out who was posting on it, and deter, stop, and chill the free speech, association, and petition activities happening on it.”
Prosecutors ultimately declined to pursue the case.
During the deposition of City Attorney Jimmy Gazaway, he testified that he had relationships with some of those involved, and due to that, he had a conflict. However, he also testified that he cautioned Trumann officials about a free speech issue.
“…I had some concern or that they should give some thought to the fact that some of the allegations that were contained in the affidavit appeared to be some — the exercise of political speech, and that political speech enjoys heightened protection under the law, and that, essentially, they should consider that as they move forward. But I wasn’t going to take any action on the affidavit.”
– May 29, 2025 deposition of DPA Jimmy Gazaway.
“The depositions, particularly of the police chief, I asked him what the probable cause was here,” Gillham said. “What’s the stalking? There was nothing there with probable cause.”
Focus of Investigation: A Parody Page Critical of City Government
Sanders alleges the real reason for the investigation was not criminal enforcement, but identifying who operated a local Facebook page that criticized city leadership.
The page is described as having gained significant traction, at one point reaching more than 100,000 viewers.
According to the lawsuit, topics on the page included issues such as water fees, missed trash pickup, delayed infrastructure improvements, and fire department conditions following tornado damage.
“These pages were related to the goings on in Trumann and how the city government was running,” Gillham said. “First Amendment protected activities.”
After the city limited public commenting on its official social media page, the parody page gained traction, the lawsuit says.
Fire Department Controversy and Escalation
One of the regular topics on the page was related to the Trumann Fire Department following a 2021 tornado that destroyed its main facility.
Sanders alleges the department was relocated to a temporary industrial site while firefighters lived in FEMA trailers, while at the same time, the department purchased Fire Chief Kemper a new Jeep.
The situation escalated further after a 2022 altercation involving Kemper, which was recorded and circulated online, including on the parody page.
The complaint also alleges police leadership discouraged witnesses from pursuing charges in that incident.
The harassment investigation began shortly thereafter.
Alleged Coordinated Effort by City Leadership
The lawsuit claims the investigation into Sanders and others was not isolated, but rather the result of coordinated action among city leadership.
According to the complaint, the fire chief raised concerns about online criticism during a city council meeting. Council members expressed support for taking action, and search warrants were pursued the next day.
The complaint also alleges a “secret, unpublished meeting” occurred involving city officials aimed at encouraging prosecutors to bring charges, which ultimately did not occur.
Sanders alleges the city’s actions violated multiple constitutional rights. Sanders claims the actions caused emotional distress, fear of arrest, and made him reluctant to engage in public life.
The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages. It also asks for specifics, including:
-
A public apology
-
Public acknowledgment of the case at city council meetings
-
Policy changes governing searches and data handling
-
Destruction of all materials obtained through the warrants
-
Notification to third parties who received the information
-
Injunctive relief to prevent similar actions in the future
Sanders has also requested a jury trial.
Defendants Deny Most Allegations, Admit Limited Facts
In their Aug. 12, 2024, answer to the lawsuit, Trumann city officials broadly denied wrongdoing and pushed back on the allegations made by Sanders.
The defendants admitted some basic background facts, including that the Trumann Fire Department’s main building was destroyed in a 2021 tornado, that the city’s Facebook page is locked for comments, that the fire department purchased a vehicle driven by Kemper, and that Kemper was involved in an altercation with a neighbor.
But beyond those limited points, the defendants denied nearly all of the lawsuit’s major allegations, including claims that city leaders retaliated against critics, coordinated an unlawful effort to identify the operators of a parody Facebook page, or violated Sanders’ constitutional rights.
“In my opinion, we’ve done nothing wrong,” said Mayor Jay Paul Woods. “Nothing illegal. Nothing immoral. We were just doing our jobs. On my part of it, personally, I don’t have a whole lot to do with it. They brought it to me that a report had been filed, and I told them to investigate it like they would any other case and investigate it thoroughly.”
City Says Warrants Were Part of an Investigation, Not a Plot Against Sanders
The biggest dispute in the case concerns the search warrants at the heart of the lawsuit.
In their answer, the defendants admitted that then-police Capt. Lenny Becker signed affidavits for warrants in February 2023 as part of an investigation. They also admitted that Becker submitted affidavits tied to a harassment investigation that month.
City officials denied the complaint’s claims that the warrants were fraudulently obtained. They denied that they were used to improperly gather Sanders’ private information or that officials acted with retaliatory motives.
The defendants also denied allegations that city leaders met privately to pressure prosecutors into bringing charges, denied claims that they improperly disclosed information obtained through warrants, and denied that any constitutional violations occurred.
“I can say that I don’t believe it’s a good lawsuit,” Mayor Woods said. “I don’t feel comfortable saying a whole lot.”
Woods was advised by the AML not to speak further about the lawsuit.
Defense Leans on Judge’s Finding of Probable Cause
The city argues in its defense that a “neutral and detached magistrate” found probable cause to issue the warrants.
Sanders’ lawsuit claims the warrants were based on false statements. The defendants’ answer does not concede that point. Instead, it relies in part on the fact that a judge approved the warrants at the time.
The defendants also argued that Becker acted as an “objectively reasonable officer,” with sufficient probable cause, and in accordance with state and federal law.
The filing invokes multiple layers of immunity, including statutory immunity under Arkansas law as well as what it describes as applicable state and federal immunities, including qualified immunity and good-faith immunity.
The defense claims that punitive damages are not recoverable against a municipality and said that punitive damages are not justified against the individual defendants because, in their view, there was no evil motive, intent, or reckless indifference to protected rights.
Sanders’ legal representation disagrees.
Not as bad as the Kansas situation where they raided that newspaper, but it’s similar to what was going on.
– Attorney Lucien Gillham
A federal judge has scheduled the case for trial in 2026, setting a timeline for both sides to prepare their arguments.
According to a second amended final scheduling order entered Sept. 17, 2025, the case is set for a jury trial during the week of Sept. 14, 2026, in Jonesboro before U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller.
Settlement talks have been ongoing.
Full Complaint
SHARE THIS STORY WITH OTHERS:
Discover more from NEA Report
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
How easily PUBLIC SERVANTS forget who they serve after getting elected.
But, it’s easy for the weak minded to become emboldened with unrestrained power when they’ve never read or understood OUR CONSTITUTION and continually see the lack of attendance from the citizens when it comes to the monthly meetings.
Every little city/town has its Peyton Place.
There’s always one or two citizens willing to stir the sewer to get the populace to pay more attention. But until more take interest in holding the torch to the feet of the ones they choose to run their town, it’ll always be a tit for tat and a bogged down toxic environment.
Trumann can never contribute to the strength of Northeast Arkansas until they’re willing to allow outside investors in to break up the generational passing of the baton that continually keeps it at its best which is never more than what it has already been.
The good people of Trumann deserve better than the silliness they endure on a too much regular basis from its city officials. Maybe elections must be taken much more serious?
Prayers to the old home town always.