Kevin Lindke — The Client
Identity
| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Kevin Lindke | Court records |
| Location | St. Clair County, Michigan | Court records |
| Facebook Group | “Through My Eyes” — ~21,000 members | Times Herald |
| Attorney | Philip L. Ellison, Outside Legal Counsel PLC | PACER, Saginaw County docket |
| Supreme Court Case | Lindke v. Freed — social media/First Amendment | SCOTUS |
Criminal History
Conviction: Using Computers to Commit a Crime
| Event | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2020 – Feb 2021 | Posted the phone numbers of two women — Ami Miner (mother of his daughter) and Renee Burkhart (Miner’s mother) — to “Through My Eyes” Facebook page | Times Herald, Nov 29, 2021 |
| Result | Both women received harassing and threatening messages from strangers who found their numbers on the page | Same |
| Charges | Attempted assault/resisting/obstructing a police officer; using computers to commit a crime (both one-year misdemeanors) | Same |
| Plea | Guilty to both counts | Same |
| Sentence | 272 days in jail (credit for time served) | Same |
| Dismissed counts | Assaulting/resisting/obstructing an officer; breaking and entering — illegal entry; unlawful posting of a message; additional computer crime count | Same |
| Judge | Hon. Dan Damman, St. Clair County Circuit Court | Same |
| Judge’s comment | Case is “a byproduct of [Lindke’s] long history of litigation with the victims” | Same |
Aggravated Stalking Charges
| Event | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | Posted PPO petition — including personal contact information for Miner — to “Through My Eyes” | Times Herald, Mar 24, 2021 |
| Result | Miner “belittled by followers of the page”; Burkhart’s phone number posted online | Same |
| Bound over | Judge John Monaghan found two specific posts “were clearly designed to encourage his followers to harass the victims” | Same |
| Aggravated stalking | Bound over on aggravated stalking + unlawful posting + computer crime | Same |
PPO Violations and Contempt
| Event | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PPOs obtained | From multiple counties — including Macomb County (Judge Rancilio) | Clutch Justice |
| 105 days | Served in St. Clair County for contempt during PPO violation arraignment | Same |
| March 3, 2021 | Arrested on warrants including three counts each for failure to appear and contempt | Times Herald |
The “Through My Eyes” Platform
“Through My Eyes” is a Facebook group with approximately 21,000 members at its peak. Lindke used it to:
- Post victims’ phone numbers — leading to harassing calls from strangers
- Post PPO petitions with personal contact information
- Coordinate follow-up harassment — Judge Monaghan found posts were “clearly designed to encourage his followers to harass the victims”
- Make false accusations — accused Miner of allowing their daughter contact with a convicted sex offender (court found accusations “were false and [he] knew them to be false”)
- Target followers against specific people — City Manager James Freed was targeted; Freed testified Lindke “harassed people, lots of PPOs”
Philip L. Ellison has been a member of Through My Eyes since July 6, 2020 — the same group Lindke used for the conduct that resulted in criminal conviction.
Source: Clutch Justice, May 11, 2026
The SLAPP Suit Connection
Ellison filed the SLAPP suit (25-2441-CZ) against Rita Williams two months after she published reporting about Lindke’s documented conduct toward her and her family:
| Documented Conduct Toward Rita Williams | Source |
|---|---|
| Registered internet domains in Rita’s name AND her minor daughter’s name | Domain Registration Campaign |
| Death threats, doxxing, posting children’s photographs to 21,000-member network | Clutch Justice |
| 7 AM Saturday phone call: “I will make you and your children homeless” | Same |
| NCMEC CyberTipline report filed Nov 18, 2025 (referred to Michigan ICAC Task Force) | Same |
| Process servers sent to Rita’s home after dark, multiple nights, broadcast as entertainment | Same |
| False police reports filed by Lindke’s network members against Rita | Same |
At the August 3, 2026 hearing before Judge Gafkay, Ellison stated on the record that his client asked him for filings and records about Rita, that his client “was interested,” and that he was “very positive” the same client created the domains targeting Rita and her minor child.
Source: Clutch Justice, Aug 3, 2026
The Federal Cases
Lindke v. Freed (US Supreme Court)
Lindke sued Port Huron City Manager James Freed after Freed deleted Lindke’s comments from his personal Facebook page and blocked him. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court on the question of when a public official’s social media page becomes a public forum.
The Supreme Court ruled in Lindke’s favor — holding that a public official’s social media page can be a public forum subject to First Amendment protections. This is a legitimately important First Amendment decision.
The irony: The same person who won a Supreme Court case about being blocked on social media was convicted of using social media to coordinate harassment. He fought for the right to comment on a public official’s page while using his own page to post victims’ phone numbers.
Lindke v. King (Federal PPO challenge)
Ellison filed federal § 1983 challenges to the PPO statute on Lindke’s behalf. Ellison withdrew from these cases on April 23, 2026 — the same day Lindke was booked in St. Clair County. The case was dismissed with prejudice on May 6, 2026.
The Financial Architecture
Per Clutch Justice, May 11, 2026:
The federal PPO challenges pursued § 1983 claims that could generate § 1988 attorney’s fees for Ellison if successful. The SLAPP suit silences the journalist who documented the conduct underlying the PPOs → which undermines the PPOs → which supports the federal challenge → which generates fees.
The structure collapsed when Ellison withdrew and the federal case was dismissed with prejudice.
Cross-Reference
- Philip L. Ellison — Actor Profile — the attorney
- Domain Registration Campaign — 3 domains in 30 minutes
- The SLAPP Suit — OLC v. Williams
- The UPEPA Contradiction — anti-SLAPP weaponized
Sources
- Times Herald: Sentenced Nov 2021 · Bound over Mar 2021
- Clutch Justice: Litigation Scheme May 11 · Borrello Discovery May 9 · Show Cause Retaliation May 13 · He Said His Client “Was Interested” Aug 3
- Lindke v. Lane (E.D. Mich.): Court filings