Lawyers for environmental activist Rose Chilcoat announced Wednesday she is filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against San Juan County and a rancher, alleging she was illegally detained and falsely accused of trying to kill cattle in a 2017 episode that led to felony charges and a two-year legal ordeal for Chilcoat and her husband that concluded only last week.
“Under the Constitution, citizens have the right to express political viewpoints without retaliation by the government. They have the right not to be seized by the government, or persons acting on behalf of the government, without probable cause.