Hey, there! Log in / Register
Total of 51 arrested during Ferguson protests last night; one trooper bitten
By adamg on Wed, 11/26/2014 - 9:40am
State Police report 51 people were arrested at three locations during last night's wending Ferguson protest march, which made its way from one highway ramp to another in what turned out to be vain attempts to block a highway.
Some 33 people were arrested on or near the Mass. Ave. Connector, where protesters first tried to walk onto I-93 south; 17 in Dewey Square; and 1 person on a ramp down to the O'Neill Tunnel at Purchase Street, State Police say.
All are scheduled to be arraigned today in either Roxbury Municipal Court (Mass. Ave. Connector) or Boston Municipal Court on disorderly-person charges. The person arrested on the tunnel ramp also faces a charge of trespassing on turnpike property.
State Police say one protester bit a trooper on the wrist. The trooper was treated by Boston EMS.
State Police say they kept their eye on protesters both in person and online:
Our Commonwealth Fusion Center monitored social media and other open-source information sources throughout yesterday and last night and provided critical intelligence about protesters' plans to try to disrupt traffic on state highways.
They add:
We will maintain an increased presence around potential demonstration sites in Boston throughout the next few days.
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Kudos to the young people for
Kudos to the young people for demonstrating peacefully. Shows a great deal respect for the Brown family's wishes.
51 Arrests
That doesn't sound peaceful to me.
Not violent, either
Except for the biter, which means there were as many biters in this group of protestors are there were in the Uruguayan World Cup squad last summer.
Most of the charges were probably the civil disobedience kinds, which will most likely result in continuances if that.
Thanks for the Suarez reminder
I didn't need to be reminded of that with Liverpool going to get their hat handed to them today in Bulgaria without him.
Not just Suarez' fault
Sturridge is injured and the summer transfers haven't been integrated yet.
They'll win today. Then it is Europa League time!
51 out of an estimated 1,400.
51 out of an estimated 1,400. Was there widespread violence and destruction? No. I would say especially compared to other protests across the country, Boston was definitely peaceful.
(I know the answer is no)
You know there's myriad non-violent activities for which one can be arrested, right?
Proportionally, there are
Proportionally, there are probably more arrests at a Patriots home game than there were last night. Also probably more disorderly conduct.
But less biting.
But less biting.
Bad Math
I understand your point, but your math is bad. Gillette Stadium capacity is 68,756. There would have to be over 2600 arrested in that crowd to equal the percentage. I'm pretty sure there have never been 2600 people arrested at a Pats game :-)
OK, I'm off-line now. Happy Thanksgiving!
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Not that many are arrested at Gillette anyway....
1 or 2 PCs a game from what I hear.
I think
Your definition of "peacefully" is a little bizarre!
Kudos? The idea alone of
Kudos? The idea alone of attempting to block the highway on the busiest travel week of the year is moronic. What does it prove? Did they not think that it could have delayed response times for emergency vehicles? More people should have been arrested. Here's an idea, how about respecting authority and not acting in a threatening manner. I guarantee cops will leave you alone.
I think the problem is that
I think the problem is that "authority" has proven itself to be unworthy of respect.
Also, a bunch of people walking is hardly "threatening".
Yeah! Respect authority!
If only the signers of that damn Declaration of Independence had followed your advice, everything would have turned out differently.
You're comparing police
You're comparing police authority to what colonists experienced under King George? I don't think this comment box is big enough to explain how wrong you are. Please read a history book
Agreed, King George would
Agreed, King George would blush at some of the things police can get away with
What good would
a protest do if it had no impact on anyone, just a bunch of people yelling in a park not affecting those around you? Dont go into PR or marketing I dont think you have a concept of how to sell a point.
And Fuck Authority - why should I respect authority - Authority murders people on the regular and then hides behind the badge. Authority deserves no respect because they havent earned it. The new militarized police force is state sponsored terrorism and a racketeering scheme directed against its own citizens. You might not see it now, memories of officer friendly blinding you, but you'll wake up one day.
Also it should be noted I have never once seen a protest that hasn't dispersed because of an ambulance, but i have seen them disperse many times, temporarily to let ambulances through.
Fuck authority?
Care to tell us about all those alleged murderous cops prowing the streets, shooting innocent folks who are not shooting at them, beating them or trying to take their service pistols? Also, who are you going to call when you're in trouble assuming you're too busy yelling fuck the authority? Ghostbusters? And lastly, have you decided where you're going to ride your $5000 NJS-certified fixie so you can protest some more? That $600 Arc'Teryx coat and $1000 Black Diamond tent you bought for Occupy Boston (thanks rich daddy) are begging for some more use, though I must admit all those expensive climbing jackets looked a little funny when coupled with $300+ designer skinny jeans from Riccardi last time Occutards were in town.
Yep, here you go
Cops murder Kelly Thomas, a gentle homeless man with schizophrenia, because they didn't want him sitting in that area and threatened to “f--- him up” before killing him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KU0Imk2Bstg
Cops threw flashbang into baby's crib (with children's toys all around the yard of the house and with no police work to justify the warrant). http://www.salon.com/2014/06/24/a_swat_team_blew_a_hole_in_my_2_year_old... http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/05/30/drug-task-for...
Cops shoot and kill a 7 year old girl who was asleep during a midnight home raid (while film crews were filming for TV): http://countercurrentnews.com/2014/11/aiyana-stanley-jones/#
Cop kills unarmed man holding baby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMDIK4bOpwk
Cop shoot elderly man reaching for cane: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/03/14/mxp-sot-deputy-sho...
Cops shoot to kill without even identifying the target: http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/04/11/john-winkler-shot-dead-police-mi...
Cop shoots and kills homeless Albuquerque man for no reason: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/10/albuquerque-ordered-pay-6m-...
Cop kills innocent, unarmed father in a stairwell because he claimed the stairwell was dark: http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/21/us/new-york-police-shooting/index.html?hpt...
Cop’s record cleared for accidentally shooting boy in head: http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=44700
Cop shoots boy in chest when he answered the door, mistaking a Wii controller for a gun: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/attorney-teen-was-shot-having-wii-c...
Cops beat delusional man to death as citizens watch: http://atlasleft.org/washington-man-cries-for-help-as-hes-beaten-to-deat...
Cops unleash attack dog on innocent college kid already being restrained on ground by numerous officers, no punishment to officers at all: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/02/us/police-beating-video/
Cops shoot and kill elderly man in his own garage at night while checking out the wrong address: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/27/police-shoot-dead-grandfather...
Cops shoot at man in streets in NY, hit bystanders: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/justice/times-square-police-shooting/index...
Cops lied to obtain a no-knock warrant and shot and killed a grandma in her own home, then planted drugs to cover up the crime: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston_shooting
Cops shoots and kills honors student at college campus: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2519842/Valedictorian-honors-stu...
Cops shoot and wound man getting cigarettes from his own car at his own house for no reason at all: http://gawker.com/unarmed-man-shot-by-deputies-inside-his-own-car-outsid...
Cops kill man by compressing him while arresting him while he was distraught: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/justice/oklahoma-arrest-death-video/index....
Police shoot diabetic man after his wife called for medical help, they claim he picked up a knife: http://reason.com/blog/2013/10/07/woman-says-she-called-911-for-an-ambulan
Cops shoot man holding a toy gun in walmart with no warning and lied in their report. http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/special-grand-jury-selected-john...
Covert officers assault girls for buying bottled water, cops thought it was alcohol: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/07/02/198047492/felony-arrest-o...
Cops kill man with garden hose using a shotgun and no warning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6S7LRrCru8
Florida man survives 13 shots by officers while sitting in his car: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/21/us/florida-shot-by-mistake/index.html
Cops almost shoot and kill a hospital-worker in her own home with a warrant for an entire apartment complex and screaming at her door: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130718/COLUMNIST/130719612/2256/N...
Cops raiding small friendly poker games with militarized tactics, accidentally killing people-- “Why did you shoot me, I was reading a book.”: http://www.salon.com/2013/07/07/%E2%80%9Cwhy_did_you_shoot_me_i_was_read...
Cop beats handcuffed teen and is acquitted because video ‘should only be used to protect cops, not prosecute them.’ http://intellihub.com/2013/07/05/judge-finds-cop-not-guilty-of-assault-a...
Cop purposely holds onto door handle so he would have the right to shoot and kill a Sunday school teacher who was driving away from the cops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BSPhC916GQM
Cop shoots man in back several times, then stands over him and shoots again to kill him—questionable whether the man actually was armed or not—conflicting evidence given. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=159PM7ZKcv0
It's not true that people in parks don't affect other people.
I just don't think that protestors have the right to trample the rights of people who are simply going on with their daily lives and pleasures, etc., and cause hardships.
I've seen protests where it's been tougher for cops to move demonstrators aside. Every second of every minute of every hour counts when a person is being transferred to the hospital due to illness or serious injury, is the victim of a robbery or assault, or there's a fire someplace that emergency vehicles have to get to quickly.
"trample" is a pretty big word...
...to use in reference to a traffic delay. Also "hardship". Just sayin'.
Either way...
...protesters have NO right to interfere with my rights. My rights are equal to theirs. If I have the right, through proper licensing (my driver's license) to use a public thoroughfare, do they have the right to block it?
An old saying, "Your right to swing your fist ends before the tip of my nose."
If an injured person is in an ambulance, do they have a 'right' to be transported to a hospital?
If a black hairdresser has a salon, does a Social Justice Warrior have the right to loot it then burn it down because Social Justice?
Good point
If protesters blocked a bike path nobody would care.
Shut up, you coward...
You are probably a whiny, entitled brat. You've never understood what it is to serve. Most men and women in law enforcement would step in front of danger for imgou without a second thought. You ought to appreciate that more and quit crying.
No one ever claimed
No one ever claimed protestors were reasonable or that their opinions made any sense. What else was that ferguson cop suppose to do? Get strangled ?
Blocking highways, and any
Blocking highways, and any roadway for that matter, as well as access for hospitals is asinine. In total agreement with you on that.
I want my money back. You
I want my money back. You have been proven so incredibly wrong so many times. I wish it was possible to neg you here.
"Burn this bitch down!"
How is that peaceful?!
Trooper bitten? So much for
Trooper bitten? So much for peaceful protests
One person out of over a
One person out of over a thousand was an idiot and did something bad so let's paint all with a broad brush yayyyy
Sounds like at least 51 were
Sounds like at least 51 were idiots, and given Evans' statements today, it was a lot more than that. BPD simply let many get away with pushing/shoving officers.
Sounds like 51 got arrested.
And of course, nobody in these United States ever got arrested for a bullshit reason.
Unfortunately, all too often,
All it takes for one or two idiots to ruin things for everybody else, and give everybody a bad name. Blocking or attempting to block a major highway, especially around the holiday time, really is beyond stupid, and way out of line, imho. The people attempting to block I-93 deserved to get arrested, as far as I'm concerned.
Cops are needed around, whether people like them or not. Otherwise, there'd be total anarchy around.
One or two idiots can only
One or two idiots can only "give a bad name" to a multitude or a movement in the eyes of simpletons who are eager for any flimsy excuse to discredit the movement in question. And the necessity of police does not mean they should have carte blanche to commit violence, which is the de facto situation in America today.
I stand by what I've said, lbb.
I'm not backing off from my positions on this subject!
Your problem, mplo...
...is that you are a simpleton that is eager to discredit the movement in question.
As I am. As anybody is that disagrees with the above commenter.
There is no movement, per se. There is a dead kid and the cop that put him there. A grand jury found no bill. They released a pile of documentation. So, I guess justice was served, technically, but not to the satisfaction of those that have an agenda.
He then goes on to quote an aljazeera.com article, because when you need impartial, you need AL Jazeera.
I'm beginning to think he's just a friggin (or f*cking, if you prefer) troll.
You're calling ME a simpleton, dmcboston?
You've got a lot of nerve there, buster. Or, are you just being snarky here?
Read the comment you responded to.
I'm trying to actually back you. Reading comprehension...not snark.
okay...thanks for the heads up, dmcboston.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Very very large point missed.
The protests are about so much more than Michael Brown. I can't believe someone has to type this for you.
The US did not break out into protest because of Ferguson alone. It was the latest example of how poorly black people are regarded in this country by some whites and the police and the judicial system.
It was also for the young black woman who was shot in the head asking for help after a car accident.
It was also for the young black man who was killed because someone thought he was playing his music too loud.
It was also for the young black man who was killed by police in Walmart for playing with a toy gun when Walmart seems to be the go-to place for gun carrying white people.
It was the young man who was killed by the police after a car accident.
The boy was killed - legit or not, we'll never know. But did his body really have to lay in the street for hours? Did the prosecutor really botch the case due to lack of concern? Did the police really need to wear "I support Darren Wilson" bands to work under agitated conditions?
Yup
You summed it up well.
We need cops around, whether people want them or not.
I don't feel that I'm making flimsy excuses, nor do I consider these present protests part of a real honest-to-goodness movement against anything, either. The anti-war protests that took place back in the 1960's and early to mid-1970's against the U. S. Government's involvement with Indo-China were all part of a genuine movement. This protest is clearly not, because they pretty much came out rather disorganized, and spontaneously.
True-blue movements that took place during that above-mentioned period were, for the most part, peaceful, although some of them turned violent, also.
I'll also add that, during the recent Boston protests over the debacle in Ferguson, MO police officer's shooting of an unarmed young black man, there were a great deal more than just afew idiots. They had no business blocking a highway and preventing/impeding other people's right to get home, especially during the holiday time.
Wha?
Rosa Parks was not part of some well planned out national protest movement; she was just a tired lady who wanted to sit down. And yet look what happened.
You may not like what happened the other night, but you do realize that protests movements don't just spring out of the ocean like some Venus, no?
The Civil Rights Movement was a whole different thing back then.
Rosa Parks wanted to sit down, but her protest wasn't the only thing that got the Civil Rights movement going. It was a whole host of things, like a de-jure segregated south, where blacks couldn't even sit down to eat in restaurants, or patronize businesses in general, that were owned by whites. Blacks also had to use "Coloreds Only" toilets and water fountains, and could only sit in the back of the bus. It was all the sit-ins, etc., that finally eliminated this really virulent vestige of racism in the south.
Those protests last night were mostly done by young college kids, most of them white and middle-upper classed kids, not working-class kids. Working-class families only joined in the anti-war movement during our Indo-China involvement in the end, when they got sick and tired of seeing their own kids come home dead or maimed as a result of our wrong-headed war in Indo-China.
:) No shit!
I have a right to say, however, that I think that protestors have used some rather stupid, unnecessary and off-putting tactics that, imho, don't help their cause(s)....at all!
Actually Rosa Parks was part
Actually Rosa Parks was part of an organized campaign. Not that that makes what she did any more or less important.
Rabies test?
Was the cop and/or protester tested? Might be suffering from mental imbalance like Logan streaker.
Hands up, don't bite!
Hands up, don't bite!
when interviewed
the suspect said, "braaaaaaiiiins".
Why can't the protesters just
Why can't the protesters just go through the normal public channels to express their anger at being shut out of the normal public channels!? Also, get a job hippy, etc., etc....
Right On
If they don't want their votes suppressed they should vote for someone else.
Someone should tell them we live in a democracy where every person has a right to pay to have their voice heard.
Evans: BPD officers "showed tremendous restraint"
At a press conference this morning, Commissioner William Evans said "there was a lot of name calling, a lot of pushing and shoving," even some officers pushed to the ground, but that his officers "stood tall" and didn't raise their batons and handled the protests peacefully.
Evans said the vast majority of protesters were peaceful.
He said BPD was determined to keep protesters off highways to avoid "panic" there. Imagine a young mother in a car with kids in the back - she might panic in a situation like that, he said.
"If they got on the Expressway, there would be panic," he said.
Evans said he wants people to know Boston Police are not Ferguson Police - they respect people's right to protest.
Oh, Evans also said he recognized some of the protesters are people he got to know during Occupy Boston - said they're generally good people, he even wrote college recommendations for some of them.
Well done, Commissioner and
Well done, Commissioner and BPD.
Kudos to Comm. Billy Evans!
He seems like such a decent fellow and has the best Boston accent evah!
Let's take a moment
Let's take a moment to reflect on the differences between Boston and Ferguson, and to appreciate the fact that the Boston Police Department is, basically, a classy, professional outfit.
Well said.
Now if only the local media could remember that this is Boston and not Ferguson.
Yeah
Not like that one city that shot a girl in the face with a "non-lethal" round killing her.
Or that other one that used facial recognition software to catalog every member of the public at Boston Calling.
Or the one where all the cops keep harassing people for recording them even though it's legal.
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/10/16/boston-police-phone-r...
I like Evans. I like that last night's protests went down without major incidents or police misconduct. I just don't think we should be so quick to hug it out without a better track record first.
Video recording harassment?
Happened in Arlington MA at a public meeting of the Cemetery Commission! When a resident tried recording the meeting, the chair, told him he could not, and called three armed police officers to intimidate him. BTW, this was over his complaint that police officers (and others) were using the cemetery as a parking lot for their personal vehicles and the fire department was parking fire engines there and on graves when attending meetings in the community safety building (aka police station). The commission has yet to enforce state law against non-cemetery uses, and Selectmen have not changed members of this appointed board.
Corrections
Aren't you a sweet little pumpkin
That poorly trained officer was trained by BPD, acting on behalf of BPD, was handed that weapon by BPD, and his intentions are irrelevant.
BPD acts on behalf of the city. They're not some mythically detached street gang that fights for justice and we're just lucky enough to have them here.
Also, you're right. She was old enough to drink. For almost a full year even. Lucky her. Correcting that really made a difference to the situation.
It's funny that the same
It's funny that the same people who hate the word girl love calling mike brown a teen (and would call him a boy if not for the racist implications).
If this is true
Then Billy Evans is the best police commissioner this city's had in a long time.
Classy
Shows a sign of a class act. Not all cops are out to get you!
Boston Police are not Ferguson Police?
What a really shameless statement by Commissioner Mousey Evans. Barely 10 years after Victoria Snelgrove and you talk down to another department? Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson not only survived a life threatening encounter with a felony suspect but he was later at the mercy of a Grand Jury of his peers and totally exonerated. Maybe someday Evans will triumph over similar adversity. God Bless Officer Wilson and the Indian grocer who was robbed. Shame on Evans for casting a false narrative. If you worked patrol Bill, what would you have done differently?
Along those lines O-FISh
This ferguson incident could have happeend to any cop, or any other human being trying to defend themselves, in any part of the country. If it did happen in Boston, I would bet it would be similar to ferguson, maybe worse.
I dont think so
I don't think so. What really casts the Ferguson PD in a bad light, in the estimation of people who have been paying attention, is not the shooting itself, but the completely ham-fisted handling of the protests afterwards. To most people, that, and not the shooting, is the problem.
Well it might be apples and oranges anyway
The ferguson police probably only has about 100 members, and most of them are probably assigned to patrol functions. If this happened in Boston? With all the hotels that protestors could come and stay in? The police would have had sections blocked off like the DNC. It may have been worse still.
He wasn't referring to the shooting itself
He was referring to the riot gear and the APCs and the tear gas and the arresting reporters and getting the FAA to shut off airspace over the town and just generally making a complete mockery of the First Amendment in the days after the shooting. My apologies for not making that clear. I'm sure even Fox News showed a little bit of that, so maybe even you heard about it.
However, since you bring it up: There was one incident last night that really illustrated the difference between BPD and State Police:
Both departments had just successfully defended the Expressway (and without violence): The protesters had turned around and were walking back down the Connector towards Roxbury.
Everything was peaceful. And then several staties come roaring down the Connector with their blues and sirens going to, you know, ensure the protesters respect their authoritah or something. Just the way to rile people up. A BPD commander (not Evans, but one of his senior people) immediately got on the radio to get his dispatcher to contact State Police and get them to turn those off to keep things calm. They agreed and it worked.
As for Snelgrove, yes, that is a black mark on BPD. It was also ten years ago and done under a different commissioner.
I guess my point is that the protest would be 100x the size....
at least if it happened in Boston. Things may or may not have gone down as peacefully as they did last night.
Not as peacefully based on what?
AFAIK it's been widely agreed that a lot of the public response in Ferguson is based on a history of poor relations between the police and the public -- basically, years and years of bad policy coming home to roost. Do you think Boston has a similar history, and if so, could you cite some instances to support that?
No riot gear during a riot?
How does wearing riot gear during a riot make a mockery of the First Amendment? Evans should have said that Boston Police stand with their brethren in Ferguson and the completely exonerated Officer Wilson, instead of saying Boston Police are somehow different. In the spirit of ditching protective gear, perhaps Evans will eliminate seat belts in the cruisers, rubber gloves to treat the contagious and bullet resistant vests. Toss the blue lights and sirens also. Why provoke anything?
Chicken and egg dilemma
Do things like police wearing riot gear and the deployment of military gear in fact incite people to riot?
In other words, how do you keep people acting civil? Act civilly towards them.
Of course, then you get the biter, but if you've ever been at one of those championship parades we have had to endure practically on an annual basis over the past 15 years, you'd know that there are idiots willing to do stupid things in a crowd all the time.
Well...
That doesn't make it okay, no matter what, imho.
Why provoke anything?
Exactly! The role of the police should be to de-escalate a situation, not escalate.
And, btw, in my work in the BPS, I've seen BPD do it very well many times.
First Amendment mockery
Guess you missed this bit.
Trial by jury?
"he was later at the mercy of a Grand Jury of his peers and totally exonerated"
This statement alone shows that you are confusing a trial by jury and an administrative procedure controlled by the prosecution prior to going to trial.
No confusion on Grand Jury v. Trial Jury
There's no confusion here. I've testified many times before both. I'm also cognizant of the maxim, "you can indict a ham sandwich." The fact is the Grand Jurors couldn't find probable cause, a far lesser standard than proof beyond a reasonable doubt. I give the Grand Jurors tremendous credit in weighing the facts despite the overwhelming pressure from the far-left media to indict. Joe Fitzgerald has a nice column in the Herald today, "Cops Can't Win - Unless They're Killed."
limit of evidence
Ordinarily the prosecution would only supply the evidence that leans in favor of moving forward with the case which is why they have such a ridiculously high rate of indictment. In this case the DA handed over absolutely everything which could very well muddy the waters of the process this grand jury was used to. If the DA wanted it to go to trial he could have very easily followed their normal protocol and it would be heading for a public trial right now with a judge and a jury vetted for bias by both sides for this specific case.
The DA can say whatever he wants but I think this was a calculated move to get him off of the hook. "Hey, they had all of the evidence and decided not to indict" was the best possible path and outcome for for him. The next option is to not send it to a grand jury which would spark more outrage. Otherwise he has to send it to trial where he would have the unenviable task of trying to convict a sworn officer where a losing outcome means he'll be accused of presenting a weak case (plus the potential riots) and a conviction means he will have pissed off and earned the distrust of the very people who bring him his cases and supply favorable testimony.
So, back to your statement, there was no verdict of guilt or innocence from them, so when you say that the cop was "totally exonerated" you're spinning a narrative about this proceeding that didn't happen.
I am not making a claim on the guilt or innocence of the cop (or Brown for that matter) but your statements certainly makes it clear that you have.
This just isn't true. It's
This just isn't true. It's not how grand juries work. The prosecutor has an ethical duty to present exculpatory evidence or else run the risk of an indictment being dismissed for misleading the grand jury.
Nope
The Supremes decided they don't have to show exculpatory if they don't want to.
US v Williams
http://www.oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1991/1991_90_1972
Scalia wrote for the majority: "...requiring the prosecutor to present exculpatory as well as inculpatory evidence would alter the grand jury's historical role, transforming it from an accusatory body that sits to assess whether there is adequate basis for bringing a criminal charge into an adjudicatory body that sits to determine guilt or innocence."
The term is grand jury "investigation"
This wasn't a federal grand jury. Since the states can afford the accused greater protections than the minimum set by the federal government, the presentation of exculpatory evidence may or may not be required in Missouri. I'm no expert in Missouri law. Nonetheless, from a tactical standpoint, it would be stupid not to vet a defense in grand jury. It's standard practice for any prosecutor worth their salt.
Yup
Kaz, you must know that states may grant defendants more rights than those available under the US Constitution.
http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/392/392mass445.html
"The indictment was dismissed pursuant to a motion of the defendant which asserted that the evidence before the grand jury was insufficient to support an indictment and that the prosecutor improperly withheld exculpatory evidence from the grand jury."
http://www.mass.gov/courts/case-legal-res/rules-of-court/criminal-proced...
"A prosecutor need not present the grand jury all the evidence available to the Commonwealth, even if some of it is exculpatory. See O'Dell, 392 Mass. at 447 . However, if there is exculpatory evidence that would greatly undermine either the credibility of an important witness or likely affect the grand jury's decision, the prosecutor should inform the grand jury."
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1653213.html
"[T]he judge cited two reasons for his ruling that the [prosecutor's] presentation of Fernanda's false and deceptive testimony was the product of a reckless disregard for the truth: (1) the prosecutor was aware of but omitted any direct reference to Fernanda's prior exculpatory statement that she could not identify the perpetrators; and (2) the prosecutor presented Fernanda's identification without qualification, despite compelling reasons to doubt the credibility of her claim. We conclude that there was no error in the judge's findings and rulings on this factor. "
What both of you keep forgetting is
Missouri has it's own rules of court and case history around grand juries.
What, did you want citations? I barely understand Massachusetts laws. I'm not going to try to understand Missouri laws. I was the one that directed people to the statutes on grand juries, and still no one cared about that.
Blah, blah, blah
So, based on your comment history here, the government is bad if it is a black man and a Democrat running it. Hide your guns, hide your kids, 'cause Obamacare is comin' for you!
But the moment it has to do with shooting a black kid, you totally and completely believe everything the government says.
Seems legit.
The Grand Jury is not the government
The Grand Jury is not the government. Even you could be on a Grand Jury someday. I trust the several black witnesses who bravely testified and confirmed Officer Wilson's story weren't part of the government either. "Facts are stubborn things." -- John Adams (F-Quincy)
How were black witnesses brave?
I would think white witnesses who testified were the brave ones because they face more personal danger afterwards.
Nice
Agreed. If the protests-turned-riots were over Obamacare do you think O-FISH, Fox News, etc would be jumping to the defense of the police? No, they'd be out there egging the protesters on and claiming this is the correct response to the fascist Obama government.
Hey, now
I'm not sure we never got O-FISH's opinion on the Cliven Bundy situation; maybe he thought they were a bunch of dangerous thungs who needed to be met with maximum force as well.
Look online at videos from other protests
like in Portland (Oregon). They were a lot more violent. There are multiple videos of random people being assaulted by protestors, called homophobic and sexist names by protestors. And most of these protestors in the video certainly appeared to be 'radical' college kids, mostly white. The leaders, judging by those barking out orders, appeared to have been mostly young white females. Make what you will of that.
Then of course there's Ferguson itself, where multiple businesses were burned to the ground, and people were assaulted, some on camera. And again, the liberal use of homophobic and sexist name calling by the protestors.
I have lived through such 'protests' and violence as a youth, and know how quickly things can deteriorate, and how bad and duplicitous people and groups can take over a 'movement'. Hopefully, lets hope we see honest and blunt coverage in media and online blogs this time around, unlike in days prior to the internet, where a lot of violence was covered up.
Love that show Portlandia!
Places like that and Seattle makes one wonder if mental illness is a communicable disease. Possibly passed by tattoos or piercing or skateboards or bicycle seats or flannel or some gluten-free, free range, organic foods. Combination of the above, or such places are magnets for mental illness? Perhaps its the excess of rainy days and not enough sunny ones.
People who live in glass Arlingtons ...
Should perhaps not throw stones.
I don't deny it
Makes for entertainment in this town emancipated from Cambridge and originally named West Cambridge. Now its increasingly losing its identity as being separate from Cambridge. Bike lanes, a Whole Foods joining Trader Joe's, out of step voting for Coakley, more bottle deposits, automatic tax increases, and no casinos, all blur the line. I laugh at some Arlington residents too. Like UHub readers, many are bigots (def: intolerant of different opinions). Yes, I enjoy exposing bigotry.
The best joke about
The best joke about Portlandia is how the people who like it because it makes fun of hipsters are also the butt of the joke
Sons of Liberty
In a city where "violent thugs" poured tea into the harbor 240+ years ago, you'd think people in this town would have a deeper understanding and respect of non-violent protest and civil disobedience.
Imagine what the comments on a UH posting of the Boston Tea Party would be like?
"Because of those scoundrels,
"Because of those scoundrels, I didn't get to enjoy my morning tea! The shipments were all destroyed. I don't understand all this attention on the British anyways, nobody's talking about those natives and their violence."
And I had to ride my horse
down Summer Street instead of down Northern Avenue last night just to avoid those meddlin' kids making a ruckus. Took me ten minutes longer to get home.
This
This. One thousand times this.
That was in response to the Tea Act
Seems like a more direct response to the thing they were protesting.
A grand jury did not indict a cop for shooting an unarmed person in Missouri - so let's shut down the highways in Boston! That makes sense...
Learn your history
Protest takes thought. The Boston Tea Party was a bloody drunken brawl in which the instigator deliberately got people severely plastered and incited them to go out and trash things. They were probably too drunk to spell "tea act" let alone explain why it justified their actions.
There are better ways to protest
Is this a protest against anyone who happens to be driving at the moment? Seems like the only thing they did was try to disrupt traffic. What is the point of that? Just as some people use any excuse to riot or loot, these people are using it as an excuse to disrupt traffic and get on TV - hardly much better. I don't call it a peaceful protest if they are trying to shut down streets and get on the highway - the police should have arrested far more than the 51 that they did.
Definitely
They should peacefully protest in a net cafe over some chamomile where nobody will be bothered by their presence. Hell, the cafe will even benefit from their business. That will surely get the word out that they are angry at the goings-on in the world!
But what if the Westboro Baptist church did this?
I think there would be a different approach in defending their rights to free speech.
So what
Traffic has been stopped for WBC protests and counter-protests before. World keeps turning. I think we are safe.
Highways?
Since when has the WBC ever attempted to shut down highways to protest? There is a difference between working with police and protesting on a city street while traffic is directed around it, and trying to get onto the highway and cause as much disruption as possible.
Frankly, I think that activism has its limits
Frankly, I think that activism of any kind definitely has its limits as to how far it can be taken before it begins to disintegrate into total anarchy. Imho, blocking traffic, blocking or attempting to block highways, etc., should be off-limits to protestors. People who wish to organize a protest should be willing to obtain a permit to protest on special routes that consist of streets that're closed off to vehicular traffic for the purpose of protesting, or they should be limited to large public parks.
Have you ever been to this city called Boston?
Have you ever driven in the area? Have you ever been in a traffic jam? Ever get stuck in non-moving traffic for an hour because someone dozed off or spilled their Dunks or changed the CD or got a text? It happens ALL. THE. TIME. And you put up with it day in and day out, but the second, the SECOND, that traffic is disrupted because of people protesting, oh no, THINGS HAVE GONE TOO FAR.
You people are moral weaklings. That's the only name for you.
No matter what the reason for non-moving traffic jams,
they're inexcusable. The reason that these kind of unmoving traffic jams have occurred is because the police haven't handled things very well to begin with.
Here's a suggestion, lbb: Don't go calling people moral weaklings just simply because they're not willing to take stupid risks just for a cause, and/or to take chances with arrest, beatings, jail, or possibly worse. Thanks.!
I've lived in, driven through and been in traffic jams in boston
for most of my life, and I still think that non-moving traffic jams, no matter what they're caused by, are inexcusable, imho. Here's a suggestion, lbb: Don't call me a moral weakling for not wanting to get involved in stupid stuff just for a cause (or anything else, for that matter). Thanks.
Well said Pete Nice.
Not just the Westboro Baptist Church Pete, imagine the reaction if a handful of elderly religious were caught praying outside an abortion mill. The far-left would pass a law against it.
Lies
They SCREAM at and harass pedestrians, that have nothing to do with Planned Parenthood.
BMC, Juvenile Court results
The Suffolk County DA's office reports it moved to have disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace charges against 18 people (two also charged with trespassing) changed to civil infractions. These were then dismissed.
Segun Idowu, 26, of Mattapan, however, declined the offer and requested a trial on the criminal charge. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.
Francis Donald Brooks III, 30, of Randolph, had prior convictions for assault and battery, which meant his disturbing the peace charge could not be changed to a civil infraction. Instead, he was arraigned and then had the criminal charge dismissed, the DA's office reports.
Antonie McKoy, 25, of Dorchester, had an extensive record and an active warrant out of Quincy District Court. However, he skipped out of court before his arraignment, so now he has a new warrant out for his arrest.
The people arrested ranged in age from 19 to 32 - 12 from Boston, the others from Cambridge, Newton, Quincy, and Somerville and Los Angeles.
In Juvenile Court, a Boston resident, 17, was charged with delinquency, to wit, disorderly conduct. Her case was dismissed prior to arraignment on the condition that she perform 10 hours of community service. Another teen will be summonsed in for arraignment at a later date.
Thanks Adam
I've got to doubt the intelligence of Tony McCoy. I mean, you know you have warrants. Just stay with the herd and avoid getting arrested.
A friend who went through this type of civil disobedience a while back was surprised how easy the process goes. He was advised to bring a credit card along for bail.
Abortion protestors used to do this all the time....
Then the judge started making people to go jail for a month for the 2nd offense, and the protests stopped.
The antiabortion protestors were/are stupid, too,
and vicious, to boot.
Good for the judge for making these anti-abortion protesters go to jail for a month after a 2nd offense. Anything that can get such people to stop bullying people in the street who are just asserting their rights to make whatever choice they feel like regarding their bodies, and for reproductive rights.
I think it's a bummer that it
I think it's a bummer that it went down the way it did. I don't know what the answer is, but blocking traffic when people are trying to get home to their loved ones for the holiday doesn't sound like a great way to get people to see your point of view.
It also seems a little bit like preaching to the choir. People who think there was no wrongdoing aren't going to understand why people are protesting. People who see the problem don't need protesters to point it out to them. I get that peaceful protests are a right in this country, but instead of shutting down streets, what if all those protesters had spent a few hours volunteering in their community, or writing a blog post/article about their point of view, or having a discussion with a friend or family member about their concerns for society.
These days there are better ways to make your opinion known, aside from standing in a group and chanting. I also have to wonder if people know how often non-threatening people are killed by law enforcement. While I think it's horrifying, I also think it's weird that some are protest-worthy but most are not. And how about when any murderer isn't charged or is set free? These things are equally upsetting to me. Again, I don't know the answer, but if I protested everything I disagreed with in society, I would be standing in the street every night. There has to be a better way.