Did everyone catch that local businessman Keith Marquar was arrested back on the 24th by the Hancock County Sheriff’s office? When I was told about it I immediately checked the Echo’s website but had no luck because, online at least, the story was buried. Luckily a good Samaritan sent me the link to the most popular story on the Sea Coast Echo’s website and that despite the fact it never appeared on the front page of the website that I could tell.
Even more interesting is the social media chatter locally, with public opinion seemingly split with a healthy percentage of those commenting thinking the arrest is retaliation against Marquar for filing a 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 lawsuit against the City of Bay St Louis, Mayor Mike Favre and former Councilman Lonnie Falgout. Such is a reasonable conclusion from reading Stacey Cato’s story because about two thirds of it rehashes Marquar’s civil suit against the City, which was filed last month in Federal court. The story also did not name the person who swore the complaint against Marquar, ostensibly because Don Bass of HCSO refused to name the lady, whose name did appear on Facebook.
Let’s imagine for a second that the Echo’s story were limited to Marquar’s arrest and included the name of his alleged victim. Continue reading “Retaliation or Bad Work? Local businessman arrested, charged with False Pretense”