I appreciate he was concerned with the safety of everyone there that day. In the UK terrorism is nothing new. We have grown up under the shadow of the IRA while the threat is something new to most Americans. The degree of over reaction from the officer in you case, however, was not a simple concern for safety but an exhibition of authority.

What happen to you Carlos was simply bullying. The cop had no legal right and his behavior is reprehensible. If we cannot count on the enforcers of the law to uphold the law, then civilized society will descend in to anarchy or fascism.

Your fight is a chance to provide a reality check to those who valiantly choose to defend and protect us. Unfortunately there will always be a few bad apples but when good people stand for what is right. they will not spoil the crop.

Well done, you have my full support.

And having read all the posts here, Jorge and Mad Hatter, you both come across as being dumb. I mean really dumb.

I find what was done to Carlos reprehensible. Many police officers, and indeed other persons in the criminal culture (and anyone who thinks cops aren’t part of the criminal culture are kidding themselves) think they have a right to control who photographs them in public. They are ALL incorrect.

Police officers who have been sucked into that criminal culture mindset (it’s a job hazard) start thinking that everyone is either a cop or a scumbag. This appears to be what happened here. Carlos failed to “RESPECT HIS AUTHORITY” and was to be punished. This is a gang member mentality, not the mentality of a peace officer.

Well done Carlos, and keep up the good fight.

While I disagree with much else that you say here, I will fight for your right to say it.

Oh and thank you LawMule for making the statement that needed to be made. If there was no probable cause for arrest, then there can be no resisting arrest charge. Often prosecutors, and judges screw that up.

You said:“you were being extremely difficult when they were just asking you to cooperate and get out of the way. “

They were ordering me to leave an area where I had every right to be. I was not in “the way”.

You said:“Also, the judge does seem to have a valid point, in that you ARE using this blog to make yourself out to be a hero for resisting an arrest that, by the way, had nothing to do with you taking photos of the officers and everything to do with you refusing to go across the street.”

I was already across the street and you can see that in the above photo. I was arrested after I took that photo so it had EVERYTHING to do with me taking photos.

You said:“Of course, I’m sure you’ll brush me off as another right-wing trying to hold back the valiant liberals, even though I am liberal in every way,”

There are many right-wings conservatives who support me and many liberals who don’t, so this is really not about politics. This is simply about the Constitution.

This is whether or not you believe the police have every right to tell you what to do, regardless if they are violating your civil rights in the process.

It’s obvious where you stand

After reading both your own account and your arrest record, it appears that you were being extremely obstinate with an officer who was concerned with your safety. You were very unhelpful and cooperative and those officers enough on their hands without having to worry about you as well. The judge was quite obviously biased against you, but perhaps you deserved the anger management classes you got, since you were so very quick to lash out at officers who were trying to do their job and keep you and others safe. I’m not saying they had a right to arrest you, but you were being extremely difficult when they were just asking you to cooperate and get out of the way. You sort of deserve what you got just for being a stubborn ass.

Also, the judge does seem to have a valid point, in that you ARE using this blog to make yourself out to be a hero for resisting an arrest that, by the way, had nothing to do with you taking photos of the officers and everything to do with you refusing to go across the street. Your case is in no way similar to that of the unfortunate woman you’ve mentioned today.

Of course, I’m sure you’ll brush me off as another right-wing trying to hold back the valiant liberals, even though I am liberal in every way, but I just felt it had to be said.

Thanks for the support. You are right on.

This remark is address to folks like Jorge.

My family has fought and died in order to ensure that our human and civil rights are respected in this country.

I am thankful for this but unfortunately, these rights are being systematically violated and eliminated all together.

At least Carlos is speaking out about that injustice! In fact, the only reason we have (or did have) such freedoms to begin with was because people like the owner of this blog went to jail, or died while protesting such unlawful behavior by police and other people with “authority” towards individual citizens.

By the way the word “freedom” means the one is free from coercion. This means that if the USA is a free country, you should be aloud to take photographs of police and who ever else you want “without fear of coercion”. otherwise this is NOT A FREE COUNTRY.

So I say to folks like Jorge, “get the hell out of MY country because people like YOU are the ones responsible for screwing things up in the first place”.