Detained for Facebook: Court hears Marine vet's appeal

RICHMOND, Va. — A lawyer has urged a federal appeals court to reinstate a lawsuit by a Chesterfield County man who was detained in a psychiatric hospital after posting anti-government messages on Facebook.

Brandon Raub's lawsuit blames county mental health worker Michael Campbell for his August 2012 detention. The Marine veteran claims the detention violated his constitutional rights.

Raub's attorney told a federal appeals court Wednesday that a jury should be allowed to consider the claims. A deputy county attorney argued that a judge made the right decision when he ruled that Campbell acted reasonably in recommending that Raub be held for evaluation.

Raub was detained after being questioned about Facebook posts that alluded to violence and spoke of a pending revolution. One message said: "Sharpen my axe; I'm here to sever heads."

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