Green candidate for Michigan State House faces free speech, search and seizure rights violations

DETROIT — The Green Party of Michigan’s nominated candidate for the 9^th State House District on Detroit’s east side, Jahdante Smith, is facing a coordinated campaign of intimidation from City Hall and the Detroit Police Department after posting photos of Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield on social media.

Smith, 30, has said he posted the photos to encourage those victimized by people in power, or in proximity to power, to speak out.

“If you’ve ever been victimized by anybody, if you’ve ever been afraid to speak out because of…this person having powerful connections,” Smith told FOX 2 Detroit, “it’s important for people to be able to lead the way for people to be able to speak their truths, to be able to come forward.”

An outspoken community activist, Smith has resisted the Maroun family’s acquisition and destruction of over 160 lots in historically Black Cadillac Heights. The Maroun’s real estate firm, Crown Heights Enterprises, entered lucrative deals with the city to take ownership of residential properties, convert them to an industrial concrete-mixing site, and avoid fines for polluting residential neighborhoods with dust, as reported by Planet Detroit and others.

In late July, Smith posted photos of Sheffield with Detroit businessman Marvin Walker, a landlord with a criminal history of forgery and larceny and allegations of criminal sexual conduct. Walker disclosed to Detroit journalist Charlie LeDuff records that show exchanges of significant sums of money between Sheffield and Walker.

Sheffield denies impropriety but in a public statement admitted that “during the course of our relationship, I personally loaned him tens of thousands of dollars. Any funds he provided me was repayment for money he owed me.”

While Walker was in an interview with LeDuff, Detroit Chief of Police Todd Bettison called Walker to request that he remove photos of Sheffield and Walker together from social media.

Bettison called Smith Aug. 5 with similar requests. The city’s community relations director and Sheffield’s father contacted him too. Smith refused.

Two weeks later, Detroit police detained and handcuffed Smith, and seized his phone without providing a warrant. Smith was walking with his seven-year-old child.

“They snatched him up very violently. I was powerless—I was being detained illegally, a violation of my 4th Amendment right,” Smith told FOX 2. “I was not at home; I was downtown. I believe facial recognition was used.”

Smith and his child were outside Coleman A. Young Municipal Center when officers suddenly converged.

“It seemed like this was orchestrated, it was a tactical response. There was two officers, then there were four all of a sudden and my child was removed,” he said.

Police say the seizure was based on a warrant for a matter unrelated to Smith’s posting photos of Sheffield. The warrant was issued one week after Smith’s conversation with Bettison. No charges have been brought against him.

“As a poor black father who’s 30 years old,” he said, “this hurt me in so many ways.”

The Green Party of Michigan stands in solidarity with Smith and supports him as he pursues a legal response to these violations of his rights. Smith’s willingness to stand up to the most powerful forces in Detroit and speak truth to power are in great part why GPMI nominated him for the 9^th District State House seat.

He believes these recent attacks are related to his political campaign.

“The timing is too convenient,” Smith said.

If elected, Smith pledged to carry is advocacy and fighting spirit to the state capitol.

“I stand with working class people, don’t take money from any political action committees [PACs], stand with Green Party values and I plan to fight in Lansing for working class people and all people,” he said.