Ron Paul supporter arrested in Arkansas
Posted February 3rd, 2008 by edismang
output
Our meet-up group in Little Rock, AR had a nice sign waving outside of a local mall by the interstate. We had around twenty people all together; the police showed up and told us we we had to leave. One man peacefully refused to leave the sidewalk by the mall, the cops called back-up and proceeded to handcuff and put the man in a cop car. Half of us across the street just stood there in complete disbelief.
It was ridiculous, it took 5 cops to arrest one peaceful Ron Paul supporter. After about an hour of acting like complete dur-tards, the "posse" finally sent a cop to approach those of us across the street. He accused us of trying to aggravate the police to make a political statement and draw attention to our agenda. We told them that was silly and that we just were Ron Paul supporters who were passionate about a message and wanted to share it. The cop "decided" to let us stay on the other side of the street, as long as we promised not to pass out slim-jims.
Wow, my tax dollars at work... I hope they feel good inside knowing they protected and secured the safety of the mall from the extremely dangerous, smiling and waving Ron Paul supporters.
***To answer those who said I didn't provide enough info***
The cops didn't really explain much to us across the street. But this is all I know:
- "Were you on private property and asked to leave?"
We assumed we were on public property since there was a cross walk and sidewalk. We also assumed that it was okay to be there since we did the same thing in the same place last Tuesday when the Granny Warriors were in town. We actually had a cop come out last time who said it was okay to be there as long as we didn't jaywalk through traffic to hand out slim-jims.
-" Were your signs obstructing traffic?"
We were on the sides of the streets, well out of the way of obstructing traffic, and the cops did not say that was a problem.
- "Were people unable to pass on the sidewalk?"
There were very few people passing us on the sidewalk, the few who did, actually were really nice and wanted slim-jims.
- "What reason did the police give to ask you to move?"
The police originally stated that we could not be on either side of the street. After they arrested the first man, they sat in the mall parking lot for about an hour. Thats when the whole posse showed up. I assume they were trying to figure out- A. if arresting the man was legal- and B. if they could force the rest of us to move. They told the man that the mall property was private and he couldn't stand there, which is confusing since they had no problem on Tuesday that we were there.
- "What did the man who was arrested do before he was arrested?"
The man who was arrested literally did nothing. He just stood there. They asked him to leave and he said he didn't want to leave. At that point, most of the other people with him just left and came across the street with us. They said that he couldn't just say no to them, they gave him the choice of either leaving or getting arrested. They also did not read him his miranda warning. He very calmly let them arrest him.
As for your last question: - "If he was so peaceful, why did it take 5 police to arrest him?" Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they were bored and had nothing else to do? There definitely was no need for 5 cops. The man just said he wasn't going to leave the sidewalk. When he was arrested, there was just one cop, I believe. Then all of a sudden, there were cop cars all around. I assume maybe they originally thought the rest of us might "revolt" against them? ;) When I spoke to the cop who crossed the street, I asked him why they arrested our friend. He replied something to the effect, that "we asked him to leave and he refused. He can't just say no to a cop. Some people need to learn their lesson, besides he was on private mall property."
Granted, the man probably could have avoided this by agreeing to leave, but I guess he wanted to make his point. In any event, I don't believe that there was need for such a big drama fest. And actually, as soon as his elderly mother paid the $50.00 bail, they both came back out to stand with us on the other side of the street.
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Man can no longer date online without saying he was arrested
According to the outrageous new IMBRA law that John McCain and that feminized creep Obama passed, the man that got arrested can no longer say hello to a foreign woman online without her first seeing that he was arrested and signing approval that he may contact her.
Download and save EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF!!!
Download and save every single documentary or youtube video or webpage you deem appropriate NOW! I cannot stress this enough!
THIS is the America We will....
soon be accustomed to- NO public sign of disent or protest of the current status quo. Can you imagine, even the thought anymore, of out-right civil disobedience? Even that last statement will soon render myself under investigation as an "domestic terrorist". As soon as the bill in congress passes the senate in a couple of weeks, mark my words, even internet freedoms will be stiffled and silenced.
Real Cops With Mall Cop Attitude! Scary thought. Dumb w/Gun.
Ron Paul 2008, Join or Die!
DONT TREAD ON ME
AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN - WASHINGTON'S CRUISERS
Everyone needs to understand
Everyone needs to understand that there are statutes in every municipality that determine the specific legality of political action on public property.
You'd be wise to go online, or call your local municipal clerk, and find out if it's legal to organize in the spot you plan on organizing at.
They don't have to read
They don't have to read Miranda when they see you commit the crime. The Miranda is only for when you are a suspect..
Um...no.That's wrong. You
Um...no.
That's wrong. You are ALWAYS a suspect until you are proven guilty in court. A cop could stand there and physically watch a person shoot another person, and that shooter is still innocent until they're proven guilty, and still have their Miranda rights during arrest.
Miranda rights are required during any arrest. There's no exception to that. It's only a right to remain silent. You can still hire a lawyer, and fight the charge, because you are innocent until proven guilty. Hence the right, and NEED, to remain silent during arrest.
Obviously you'd have a tough time beating the rap in that situation, but you still have the same rights as an American citizen.
Uh No
Miranda applies to custodial interrogation only. Your statement that a Miranda warning is "required during any arrest" is incorrect. A person can be arrested and convicted of a crime without a Miranda warning ever being given. If the officer observes illegal conduct and does not interrogate the arrestee while he is in custody, there is no need for a Miranda warning. Since the officer has first hand knowledge of the illegal conduct, the officer is free to testify to what he saw and his testimony will be admissible at trial. Only (and only means only) when a police officer questions a person who is in police custody does Miranda come into play. If the police officer fails to give a Miranda warning and questions a person who is in police custody, then whatever answers that person gives will be inadmissible at trial. However, other evidence tending to point to the person's guilt may still be allowed in depending on how that evidence was obtained.
Miranda not required -- they just can't use what you say
It's perfectly legal to arrest somebody without reading Miranda.
If the cops arrest somebody without reading their Miranda rights, and then the suspect confesses, the prosecutor might not be able to use the statement in court.
All Miranda does is make it so that if you confess to the cops then they can use your confession in court against you.
Not exactly right
A spontaneous confession that is not in response to police questions would still be admissible even in the absence of a Miranda warning. The trigger for Miranda is police interrogation while a person is in custody. A spontaneous confession of "I did it" in the absence of police questions is admissible even if no Miranda warning is given.
Arrested guy
You all should have marched down to the Gestapo station and bailed him out. The man had the guts to make a stand! Did anyone get video? Did you guys report it to the local paper?
Jacksonville, Florida Sherriff's Office
I have to give our JSO credit. We had numerous sign wavings and events in front of several of the malls. Mall security came out and told us we had to leave. We knew were were on county property. When the JSO was called they always knew where the mall property ended and county property began.
The JSO or county never harrassed or gave us a hard time.
They properly informed mall secutiry that we had every right to be there and informed us that we could pass out literature at intersections as long as we did not impede traffic. We have a great sherriff and police force.
Sounds like you need to address this directly with the sherriff in the Arkansas county. If he does not correct it, it is time to fire the bumb.
Constitutional Violation
The description of this incident sounds like the local police violated this Ron Paul's supporter's First Amendment rights to speech and assembly. This supporter should probably seek out an attorney who is experienced in the area of civil rights violations.
One thing should be clarified from the original post, however. Miranda warnings only apply to police interrogation while the defendant is in police custody. The answers to any questions the police ask a defendant who is in police custody at the time of the questioning will be held inadmissible in a court of law if the questioning began before the Miranda warning was given. So it may not mean much that no Miranda warning was given at the scene. If the police didn't ask any questions, the lack of a Miranda warning won't matter.
Nevertheless, the supporter should seek qualified legal counsel to file a civil rights claim.
Sounds like Bubba and the Huckster
still have those police trained pretty well down there in AK.
I saw my first MITT bumper sticker today.. Let's count:
MITT: 1
RP: Too many to remember!
Name of Mall ?
What was the mall's name?
Funny enough...
McCain Mall
That is funny!
===========>
"You know how people are. They only recognize greatness when some authority confirms it." Calvin & Hobbes
Don't McCain me, bro!
Don't McCain me, bro!
Don't you mean...
McPain?
The Law
Tell your man's lawyer to start with the US Supreme Court decision I cited here 7 weeks ago in a similar situation.
See the topmost reply at
http://www.dailypaul.com/...
Even though that case is primarily against requiring a permit for religious and political speech, it touches on and references several points that seem to apply here as well.
-0-
LawfulGov.Org
Your Nexus to the Freedom Movement
http://youtube.com/watch?v=U9ukh_sDj6M
http://youtube.com/watch?...
The one and only...
question that needs to be asked is:
Did the Mall management call the police and request that the group be asked to leave the property.
If they say yes, you need to get a copy of the call to the police. Malls and police record EVERY phone call (malls even record calls from their pay phones).
You need to find out which member of the mall MANAGEMENT called.
Only mall management can request the removal. NOT someone who merely works at the mall.
Well, just because there is
Well, just because there is a sidewalk, it doesn't mean that it's a public sidewalk. If it's on mall property, then it's probably their sidewalk.
Civil Disobedience To Fight Tyranny
Good for him for not fighting back, just refusing to do something that they said was illegal, when it was perfectly legal. He did not fight, he let them be the idiots. That is how you make a statement, not with retaliation or violence. I have wonder many times what I would do in that situation, and I hope I would be brave enough to do that, refuse peacefully.
The Stark County Stip Search
I was going to post to the Strip Search video but I see someone else has it two comments below.
_____
eted says "Go Ron Paul!"
http://RonPaulPainting.co...
OMG I couldnt stop crying when I watched that
It made me physically ill, because you could see in the faces of the cops, that they had absolutely ZERO compassion for the plight of this woman. That is what scares me the most, that the police have been numbed to their fellow citizens.
Also, the fact that MEN participated in stripping the woman naked MADE ME SICK.
Then the fact that WOMEN were there, and didnt give a SHIT about another woman being treated that way as they continued to remove all her clothes in front of the Male officers was just about the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.
See? This is just an inkling of what a POlice State is going to look like. WAKE THE HELL UP PEOPLE - Cast your vote to where it will COUNT for something!
Previously known as DCALIFANO
at some point every RP
at some pont every RP suppoter will probally do some jail time, lol
Woman Forcibly Strip Searched by Deputies
He's lucky this didn't happen to him
http://www.wkyc.com/video...
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent" Thomas Jefferson
Outrageous!
This is obscene and outrageous!! When did this happen? Can someone put this on YouTube! I am so freaking pissed off!!!
OMG!
I can't believe this is going on in America. Don't people have an obligation to defend our citizens from criminals, even if they are acting under the color af law? How can this be happening here?
Disgusting!
Oh my...
.
your group should get
your group should get together and file a law suit, you have all the witnesses. check out this site it details his suit.
http://www.williamduff.co...
Florida arrest
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
http://www.leeclerk.org/C...
http://www.aele.org/law/2...
This is wrong on several levels...
First - if you're standing on a sidewalk, you're standing on public property regardless of if there's a mall behind you. Sidewalks are a public access area - and as long as you're not impeding anyone's ability to pass, you're on solid legal ground (pun sort of intended).
Some local laws prohibit giving out handbills, usually under a non-litter law, but generally speaking, this shouldn't be an issue either.
I'm with the ACLU guy - usually not my faves either, but this is the kind of stuff they do... and they're free.
This reminds me of a quote I read from Henry David Thoreau: "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison."
I tip my hat to the guy who had the cajones to stay put and not back down. Wow - don't know if I'd have the same amount of guts!!!
cops
So many cops have this power problem. Personally, I am all for obeying authority. But I know the feelings of not wanting to do that.
Talk to a lawyer to make
Talk to a lawyer to make sure EVERYTHING you were doing was legit. If it is legit then go back tomorrow with a video camera and do the same thing. Video evidence is what you need. They court will always side with the cop if it comes down to he said/she said. I am not always a fan of the ACLU but they may be the best to help in this situation.
Call your sheriff, and your local TV stations.
Those officers broke the law, and it's their commanders' job to see to it that it doesn't happen again.
-jcr
And, bring a lawyer with you.
If your meetup group has any lawyers in it, bring them with you when you go to visit the sheriff.
-jcr
We actually had a lawyer...
with us this past Tuesday when we were at the same spot. The mall security guard tried to make us leave. Our lawyer buddy started spouting law to him and the security guard ended up letting us stay. A cop eventually came out that time as well, but he said we were okay to be there as long as we didn't jaywalk through traffic. Hence the reason we were so confused today, when they tried to make us leave.
This is the result of a total unprepared campaign
Leave it to unprofessional efforts, and this is what you get.
What are you drinking?
That was a long list of mixed up thoughts.
Deleted
.
Yeah...
how unprofessional of us to think we could go stand on a public street corner with a sign to smile and wave. Your right, we should of rehearsed and prepared more for such an event. Leave it to the stupid grassroots to screw everything up! We should of just stayed home and let Ron Paul's "professional" team come out to Arkansas and stand on the street corner.
WHAAAT?!?!?!
Did you really just say that?
Imagine the same thing happening to a "professional" group of Hitlery or Hucklebee supporters, and then get back to us with your vision of the outcome.
**************************************
How to support RP's cause every day:
1. Don't use credit cards
2. Stamp your cash with RP stamp before spending
3. Take cash out of ATM, stamp, put back in bank
4. Explain to teller why you did #3
5. Repeat
stamping money at bank
Stamped "defaced" Federal Reserve Notes that are put into the bank are supposted to be sent to the local fed and shreaded. They circulate around up till that point.
Congrats, you are officially
Congrats, you are officially the oldest DailyPaul troll. 34+ weeks, that's quite an accomplishment!
The words of a genius!!
NOT! lol!!!!
Do you have a citizens police oversight commitee....
in your town? If not start one. I would also write letters to the editor of your local paper to make all your neighbors aware of this unaceptable behavior and make sure that you go to the city council meetings and complain about this until they do something about it such as warning the police force that litigation will be your next step if this happens and I would find a good civil rights attorney and put him on retainer.
90% of Washington should be Impeached.
*** God bless Ron Paul ***
* Ron Paul For President *
You've left out a lot of important details
- Were you on private property and asked to leave?
- Were your signs obstructing traffic?
- Were people unable to pass on the sidewalk?
- What reason did the police give to ask you to move?
- What did the man who was arrested do before he was arrested?
- If he was so peaceful, why did it take 5 police to arrest him?
Fill in the details, please.