(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/27/2025) An appeals panel affirmed the conviction and sentence of a Battle Creek mother who cyberbullied a 19-year-old in 2020. 

The Michigan Court of Appeals panel rejected Shannon Marie Dingee's arguments that the trial court abused its discretion by allowing the prosecutor to admit Facebook business records and that the statute, MCL 750.411s, which makes it illegal to post unlawful messages, was unconstitutional, according to the panel's published per curiam opinion.  

The panel, Judges Michael F. Gadola, Kirsten Frank Kelly and James Robert Redford, also rejected Dingee's argument that her trial attorney was ineffective for mishandling a First Amendment violation argument. 

Dingee was convicted of unlawful posting of a message for posting messages between August 2020 and October 2020 that intentionally intimidated and threatened the victim, who had received more than 800 messages. 

Dingee was subsequently sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was suspended, and she was ordered to serve three years on probation. 

Dingee was accused of creating a website through which she accused the victim of lying. On that website, Dingee attacked the victim's reputation and posted images of the victim, whom Dingee claimed falsely accused her child of sexual assault. 

Dingee also created TikTok videos about the victim, who began receiving threats and comments from third parties on her social media accounts. 

The victim testified that she quit school and work, and moved back home for her safety.