An Alameda County Superior Court judge has denied a request for a restraining order against political activist Seneca Scott, who is a key figure in the recall effort against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
The request was made by Brandon Harami, a former aide to Thao, who accused Scott of online harassment.
Judge Maria Morga issued her ruling during a hearing held in downtown Oakland on Wednesday, stating that there was no evidence of violence or credible threats from Scott towards Harami.
“After years of targeted harassment, Brandon Harami’s failed attempt to secure a restraining order against me was a textbook case of crybully theatrics—designed not to protect, but to punish,” Scott commented in a statement to The Oaklandside.
In response, Harami expressed disappointment over the ruling, stating, “I can’t express any words how disappointed I am that the judge who oversaw my restraining order case did not grant me a permanent restraining order.”
Harami initially applied for the restraining order on April 9, claiming that Scott had posted homophobic slurs and unfounded accusations labeling him as a pedophile.
Scott has denied these accusations, and there is no evidence substantiating Harami’s claims.
Earlier attempts by Scott to dismiss the restraining order using an anti-SLAPP motion, intended to halt legal actions that suppress free speech, were denied by another judge.
In a separate but related matter, Scott agreed to a settlement regarding a restraining order filed against him by the city of Oakland at Harami’s request. This settlement required Scott to cease posting Harami’s personal information and to refrain from making accusations about his character.
Harami, who was terminated from his role as a city staffer shortly after the recall of Thao, sought the new restraining order as he transitioned out of his city position, citing the need for protection.
A temporary restraining order had been issued against Scott in April, and during the Wednesday hearing, Harami accused Scott of violating that order by continuing to make statements about him on social media platform X.
Additionally, Harami raised concerns that Scott had not provided proof that he had surrendered his firearms, which was a requirement under the temporary restraining order.
“I’ve never threatened him with violence,” Scott defended himself in court, adding that Harami has allegedly harassed him using anonymous accounts on social media and attempted to infringe upon his First and Second Amendment rights.
When questioned about his firearms, Scott claimed they were in Tennessee, where he also resides.
However, the judge reminded Scott that he was still required to submit a form to document how he had handled his firearms in relation to the restraining order.
The judge also probed Scott about his use of the pizza emoji in social media posts referring to Harami, which Harami alleged was intended as a coded reference to a conspiracy theory involving pedophilia.
In response, Scott clarified that he used the emoji in reference to those who support the “minor attracted person” movement, which the judge criticized as a euphemistic way of making serious accusations.
Ultimately, Judge Morga found that Scott’s statements did not amount to credible threats against Harami.
Scott highlighted that Harami continued to speak about him online even after receiving the temporary restraining order, a fact that seemed to diminish Harami’s claims of fearing for his safety in the judge’s eyes.
Scott’s legal troubles are not over, however, as he has been involved in other restraining order requests.
For instance, Sean Sullivan, co-owner of the bar Fluid510, also filed for a restraining order against Scott over alleged comments made on social media.
A judge has already denied Sullivan’s request, and Scott is pursuing attorney fees.
Next week, there is another hearing scheduled regarding a different restraining order sought by Harold Duffey, Oakland’s assistant city administrator, who accused Scott of online harassment and defamation related to allegations of corruption.
Earlier in June, a judge dismissed Duffey’s request for a temporary restraining order, pending a full hearing.
In his statement, Scott characterized all these restraining order requests as attempts to “intimidate, silence, and criminalize dissent.”
image source from：oaklandside
