The Supreme Court has instructed a federal appeals court to reevaluate a lawsuit initiated by Priscilla Villarreal, a Texas online citizen journalist, who claims she was unjustly arrested. This incident has garnered substantial interest from national media entities and advocates for freedom of speech.

The Supreme Court set aside the previous decision made by a split federal appeals court, which ruled that Villarreal, also recognized as La Gordiloca, could not take legal action against law enforcement and other officials regarding her arrest. The justices specifically directed the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revisit Villarreal’s case, considering a precedent established by the Supreme Court in June concerning another Texas case.

In that earlier case, Sylvia Gonzalez, a former city council member from Castle Hills, Texas, argued that her arrest was a retaliatory act linked to political strife with a rival. This ruling opened the door for her to pursue legal action for her wrongful arrest.

The Texas state judge who previously dismissed the criminal charges against Villarreal cited the unconstitutionality of the law under which she was arrested in 2017. Following this dismissal, Villarreal sought damages from the officials involved. However, the full 5th Circuit Court ruled in a narrow decision, 9-7, affirming that the officials in Laredo and Webb County had a right to legal immunity in this matter.

Villarreal’s situation arose after she requested and received sensitive information from a police officer regarding individuals involved in a tragic incident, which included a suicide and a fatal car crash. She later shared this information on her Facebook page, and the arrest affidavit suggested that her motive was to increase her follower count on social media.