Fezmid Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Awesome- you would've had a sweet photo in the subway station to commemorate your trip to the DC jail if the cop didn't know better and was in a bad mood. Which is why I printed out all of the relevant laws -- and if I would've been arrested because of it, so be it. I was willing to do that to establish my rights as a US citizen. Generally the police end up paying quite a lot of money to the wrongfully arrested folks - not that it seems to be a deterrent for them. I'm really surprised by the number of people saying, "She should've just done what she was told to do." Since when did we as a society just concede all of our liberties...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 He might face stiffer punishment but she looked pretty foolish too. I would say there's Clearly more to the story as I don't see her insisting on filming a random traffic stop otherwise. I watched the video but didn't read the whole article- what was her reason for coming out in the first place? I tend not to run outside for traffic stops. Awesome- you would've had a sweet photo in the subway station to commemorate your trip to the DC jail if the cop didn't know better and was in a bad mood. She could've walked back 20 feet, sat her butt on the front porch and filmed- clearly they were both looking to "win" the fight instead of showing common sense. Just cause it's her right doesn't mean she can't use better judgement. She got what she was looking for. My biggest question is what went on before to make her so insistent. And now the taxpayers of Rochester will be paying this lady a rather large sum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Which is why I printed out all of the relevant laws -- and if I would've been arrested because of it, so be it. I was willing to do that to establish my rights as a US citizen. Generally the police end up paying quite a lot of money to the wrongfully arrested folks - not that it seems to be a deterrent for them. I'm really surprised by the number of people saying, "She should've just done what she was told to do." Since when did we as a society just concede all of our liberties...? What is odd about it is that there are tons of conservative types who are okay with the idea. That actually shocks me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) Which is why I printed out all of the relevant laws -- and if I would've been arrested because of it, so be it. I was willing to do that to establish my rights as a US citizen. Generally the police end up paying quite a lot of money to the wrongfully arrested folks - not that it seems to be a deterrent for them. I'm really surprised by the number of people saying, "She should've just done what she was told to do." Since when did we as a society just concede all of our liberties...? Sometimes there's a middle ground. Take ten steps back and report the incident.... That's "giving up your liberties?" Just cause you have the right to do something doesn't mean you have to force the point in any interaction that threatens that right for a brief moment. Unless she was willing to go to jail, she probably should've complied, even if only a little bit. In that sense, yes you should do what your told if you don't want to deal with the obvious consequence. Edited June 24, 2011 by NoSaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Sometimes there's a middle ground. Take ten steps back and report the incident.... That's "giving up your liberties?" Just cause you have the right to do something doesn't mean you have to force the point in any interaction that threatens that right for a brief moment. Unless she was willing to go to jail, she probably should've complied, even if only a little bit. In that sense, yes you should do what your told if you don't want to deal with the obvious consequence. The obvious consequences being an unlawful arrest and a large cash settlement from the city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB27 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 The obvious consequences being an unlawful arrest and a large cash settlement from the city? I guess we will just have to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Sometimes there's a middle ground. Take ten steps back and report the incident.... That's "giving up your liberties?" Just cause you have the right to do something doesn't mean you have to force the point in any interaction that threatens that right for a brief moment. Unless she was willing to go to jail, she probably should've complied, even if only a little bit. In that sense, yes you should do what your told if you don't want to deal with the obvious consequence. She did obey - she was told not to be on the sidewalk, so she took a few steps back onto her own property. The officer continued to harass her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantankerous Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) Stupid lying ignorant pigs who don't even know the law. The officer should be fired IMO. EDIT...I forgot to add "lying" The police report of the arrest contains another apparent discrepancy from what appears on the video: Masic writes that the traffic stop targeted three individuals who "were all chalkem south gang members." "This gang is known for drugs guns and violence," Masic notes, underscoring the danger of the situation. The video, while dark, appears to only show one man led out of the car. Good's public defender says that as far as she has been able to determine, only one man was pulled over. The Rochester Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Edited June 24, 2011 by cantankerous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) This is what happens when you video tape the police. They retaliate. Police harassment anyone? http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/24/rochester-police-use.html Edited June 24, 2011 by Fingon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stl Bills Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 This is what happens when you video tape the police. They retaliate. Police harassment anyone? http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/24/rochester-police-use.html That's insane. What a bunch of jackasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 She did obey - she was told not to be on the sidewalk, so she took a few steps back onto her own property. The officer continued to harass her. And she continued to harrass the officer. The officer's an idiot for taking things to the extreme he did...but the lady's an idiot for thinking that merely standing on her lawn offers her some sort of right to disobey a lawful order, and that the police can't and won't detain her from her own lawn, citing "exigent circumstances" in that she was distracting them from legal law enforcement duties. Really, everyone's an idiot in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 some sort of right to disobey a lawful order I guess that's what the courts are going to have to decide - if it was a lawful order. I would maintain that it isn't -- she was legally on her own property, legally recording a routine traffic stop. The officer had no legal basis to tell her to do anything. I'm obviously not a lawyer, but based on previous similar situations I've read about, it seems like the Rochester PD will not win this fight (although their apparent intimidation tactics may silence a bunch of people in the future, which is probably what they want anyway). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I guess that's what the courts are going to have to decide - if it was a lawful order. I would maintain that it isn't -- she was legally on her own property, legally recording a routine traffic stop. The officer had no legal basis to tell her to do anything. I'm obviously not a lawyer, but based on previous similar situations I've read about, it seems like the Rochester PD will not win this fight (although their apparent intimidation tactics may silence a bunch of people in the future, which is probably what they want anyway). The flip-side is that, in a law enforcement situation, an officer has a legal right (arguably, a responsibility) to control the area, and personal property lines don't have to enter in to that. If the cop can argue he was unreasonably distracted from his duty, causing what he felt was a potentially unsafe situation, he had probably cause. Basically, while you should have a right to film police officers, you don't have a right to stand three feet away from them and do it, even if "three feet away" is on your own property. (Note that I don't know how far the woman filming was away from the cop...that's not the point. The point is, you don't have an unfettered right to do what you want in a law enforcement situation, and it's the cop's right to make that determination - and responsibility to not be a dick about it, and justify it to the courts afterwards). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) I guess that's what the courts are going to have to decide - if it was a lawful order. I would maintain that it isn't -- she was legally on her own property, legally recording a routine traffic stop. The officer had no legal basis to tell her to do anything. I'm obviously not a lawyer, but based on previous similar situations I've read about, it seems like the Rochester PD will not win this fight (although their apparent intimidation tactics may silence a bunch of people in the future, which is probably what they want anyway). Regardless of if she's right or wrong by the letter of the law - what did she really hope to accomplish by choosing that moment to make her stand? It's silly. Do you really see her as a heroic defender of justice in her actions? I see a stubborn schmuck that was just trying to be a pain and didn't think anything would happen... Edited June 24, 2011 by NoSaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantankerous Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Regardless of if she's right or wrong by the letter of the law - what did she really hope to accomplish by choosing that moment to make her stand? It's silly. Do you really see her as a heroic defender of justice in her actions? I see a stubborn schmuck that was just trying to be a pain and didn't think anything would happen... And the cop saying he felt threatened by her standing there? Give me a break...ego trip anyone? The police are for the most part, p.o.s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 And the cop saying he felt threatened by her standing there? Give me a break...ego trip anyone? The police are for the most part, p.o.s. Then the cops go and harass the people who are supporting her. They literally brought rulers and measured how far people were away from the curb, and then gave them tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxHPW-l88f0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 And the cop saying he felt threatened by her standing there? Give me a break...ego trip anyone? The police are for the most part, p.o.s. Certainly not sticking up for him but I will say outside of the occasional bad apple- you normally only get the attention your asking for with cops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 youtube.com/watch?v=WxHPW-l88f0 I would say the percentage of bad cops is fairly low. However, there are bad groups and with this, it is starting to look bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I would say the percentage of bad cops is fairly low. However, there are bad groups and with this, it is starting to look bad. Definitely agree with the low percentage comment -- but it makes the entire profession look bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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