Roger Shuler Named Only Journalist Behind Bars in U.S. by the Committee to Protect Journalists

This is Carol, Roger's wife. Legal Schnauzer publisher Roger Shuler has made the list of jailed journalists this Christmas. This list is compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists each December. According to the CPJ's article, "CPJ’s list is a snapshot of those incarcerated at 12:01 a.m. on December 1, 2013. It does not include the many journalists imprisoned and released throughout the year; accounts of those cases can be found at www.cpj.org. Journalists remain on CPJ’s list until the organization determines with reasonable certainty that they have been released or have died in custody."

In a census that is normally about jailed journalists in oppressive countries such as Turkey, Iran, China and Vietnam, the unlawful detention of Roger Shuler in the United States is truly mindblowing and shows just have far we have sunk as a nation. Shuler has made the list as an American journalist having been imprisoned for speaking out about corruption in America and Alabama at the highest levels. All because he exercised his free speech rights in America against the Riley and Rove Dynasty in Alabama. This is worldwide news because it is very uncommon for an American to make this list. 

According to a CPJ special report by Elana Beiser, "Turkey, Iran, and China accounted for more than half of all journalists imprisoned around the world in 2013, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. In its annual census, CPJ identified 211 journalists jailed for their work, the second worst year on record after 2012, when 232 journalists were behind bars."

Ms. Breiser writes about Legal Schnauzer Roger Shuler:

"The single journalist behind bars in the Americas was in the United States. Roger Shuler, an independent blogger specializing in allegations of corruption and scandal in Republican circles in Alabama, was being held on contempt of court for refusing to comply with an injunction regarding content ruled defamatory. In recent years, journalist jailings in the Americas have become increasingly rare, with one Cuban documented in prison in 2012 and none throughout the region in 2011."

Roger Shuler made a statement in response to being on the CPJ's 2013 list of jailed journalists around the world. It is as follows:

"This recent report from the Committee to Protect Journalists is the most damning information yet about Alabama Republican political figure Rob Riley and corrupt Circuit Judge Claud Neilson who have ramrodded this case against me and it’s the reason I’m in jail and basically I’m in prison. This is really a high security prison here in Shelby County, Alabama, so we might as well not even call it a jail. But aside from that, this story outlines journalists who are incarcerated around the world and I’m told that there’s one of them in the United States and that’s me right here in Alabama and that should sicken and I repeat—sicken--everybody in this state and everybody who cares about any of the states in the United States that there’s a journalist in this country in prison for writing an article that’s a totally civil matter. And there’s law going back to 1780 that predates the Lewis and Clark expedition that says that this cannot be done. And the thing that dumbfounds me maybe most of all is that there have been no journalists even though my story has received quite a bit of coverage and I appreciate it and I also appreciate the calls and support from readers, but nobody has called apparently Rob Riley or Judge Neilson and grilled them about their unlawful actions. My understanding is that a reporter from Channel 42 had tried to contact them, but they would not take questions, they only issued statements which is typical because they can’t answer questions. I beg people to pay attention and make sure that these people are grilled. They’re taking public taxpayer dollars to abuse the courts and have me unlawfully in jail for two months. This an absolute disgrace. From what I understand the other journalists are in places like Iran, Syria and Libya and basically third world countries for the most part. And we’re here in Alabama with a journalist sitting in jail for two months and I’m about to miss Christmas with my family so Rob Riley can play little con games with our court system. And I appreciate the opportunity to speak to our readers. Obviously I’m not happy, but I am pleased that this committee has recognized what I’m going through and has brought attention to it."

Here is the link to Ms. Beiser's article: Second Worst Year on Record for Jailed Journalists

Per the CPJ website, "Elana Beiser is editorial director of the Committee to Protect Journalists. She previously worked as an editor for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal in New York, London, Brussels, Singapore, and Hong Kong."

Here is a link to the CPJ list: CPJ 2013 Prison Census. Per the CPJ website, "The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide."