Ohio Blogger Convicted Over Shrek Image Sent to Senator

An Ohio jury convicted political blogger D.J. Byrnes of misdemeanor telecommunications harassment on October 9, after a two-day trial over messages and an explicit image he sent to state Sen. Jerry Cirino. The court imposed a $200 fine and court costs, with no additional jail time. The verdict came in Willoughby Municipal Court. Byrnes, who publishes the political blog The Rooster, had faced a possible sentence of up to six months in jail. The court also issued a warning, according to post-verdict reporting. The messages followed Cirino’s May 6 withdrawal from the contest to become president of the Ohio Senate. Court records describe a text mocking Cirino’s departure and calling him “Young Mussolini,” followed by a reference to the Patriots Caucus and a digitally altered image of the animated character Shrek depicted nude. Cirino contacted police two days later, describing the communication as harassing and asking them to pursue charges, according to those records. Byrnes pleaded not guilty and argued that the messages were political expression protected by the First Amendment.