Depends on what you mean by “has to accept”. He’s free to block phone numbers, etc. He’s free to assert to (Maryland) police that the person is merely contacting him to “alarm, harass, annoy” and has no legal purpose for contacting him. If some dolt police officer chooses to take the complaint, typical protocol will be to call the accused and ensure that the person receives the “reasonable” request/demand to stop contact. Should the cop not care or know whether someone has a legal purpose to call (as in legitimate, v. it involving a “legal matter” such as debt collection), the cop can go to a district court commissioner and seek a statement of charges, which will doubtless be granted (the commissioners don’t particularly care about what the law indicates in terms of probable cause any more than the police). Then the local SAO will, if it chooses to proceed with prosecution, need to establish that the person doesn’t have a legal purpose for the (attempted) communication and did so with the specific intent to annoy, harass or alarm.
Depending on the county, a father can for instance be prosecuted for “harassing” a daughter about X-Y-Z if he continues to contact or write her after he’s been asked/told to stop.
Do you care to provide a link to the article where she originally “twisted and downright lied” about him? Or perhaps some evidence, other than his word (politicians being known for always being straightforward and forthright) that she “twisted and downright lied” about him? Or that her report that he is concerned about parking availability for elected officials is her continuing to"twist and lie"?
She has certainly twisted and lied since the article.
He told that one specific journalist that she specifically must not write about him without permission. She twisted and lied about that, claiming that he has forbidden everyone from even mentioning his name.
I’m inclined to believe him. I have no doubt, given her proven lack of integrity, that her original statement was a distortion.
And once again, here in the United States, no reporter has to get permission from any public official before putting their name in an article. Even if a person specifically demands that a particular reporter never mention their name or write it again, the reporter is under no legal requirement to respect that. Delauter himself has admitted he was wrong to do so.
Delauter Quote:
Of course, as I am an elected official, the Frederick News-Post has the right to use my name in any article related to the running of the county – that comes with the job. So yes, my statement to the Frederick News-Post regarding the use of my name was wrong and inappropriate. I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong.
Hilarious that the dude believes this situation has a single damn thing to do with his being an elected official.
To clarify, the freedom to (a) contact someone*, or (b) refer to someone (publicly or privately) has nothing to do with whether the person is a public official.
(unless there is an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction saying otherwise)