Comments on: Charges dropped against Code Pink protester struck by cop with baton http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/ It's a First Amendment Right Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:23:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=8894 By: jimmy http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-18718 jimmy Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:13:46 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-18718 Jones your an idiot and your probably one of those pigs. This is outrageous police misconduct. She did not ask for it. Nobody asks to get beat down by a police officer. A very ignorant police officer. I have no pitty on that officer. There needs to be severe severe severe punishment for that officer. He has a gun and a badge and has been given alot of authority. If this happened to your sister "JONES" I dont think you would say that she ask for it. It would not suprise me if you were a PIG cop yourself. Jones your an idiot and your probably one of those pigs. This is outrageous police misconduct. She did not ask for it. Nobody asks to get beat down by a police officer. A very ignorant police officer. I have no pitty on that officer. There needs to be severe severe severe punishment for that officer. He has a gun and a badge and has been given alot of authority. If this happened to your sister “JONES” I dont think you would say that she ask for it. It would not suprise me if you were a PIG cop yourself.

]]> By: LaFajita http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6418 LaFajita Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:59:07 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6418 Thank you for your reply. I no longer have to bug Recht and Kornfeld for information that they are under no obligation to provide me. Thank you for your reply. I no longer have to bug Recht and Kornfeld for information that they are under no obligation to provide me.

]]> By: Carlos Miller http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6416 Carlos Miller Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:42:04 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6416 LaFajita, This is what I have: <em>Charges Dismissed Against Code Pink DNC Protestor Who Was Struck With Baton By Cop PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Issued by Daniel Recht and David Beller, ACLU cooperating attorneys for Code Pink Protestor Alicia Forrest March 18, 2009 Press Conference Today, March 18, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. 1600 Stout Street, Suite 1000, Denver, CO Dan Recht issued the following statement: This morning, the Denver City Attorney dismissed criminal charges against DNC peace activist and Code Pink member, Alicia Forrest. Ms. Forrest was charged with interfering with a police officer after a video captured Denver Police Officer Scott Stewart violently strike Ms. Forrest with his baton and yell, "back it up bitch." The arrest occurred after Ms. Forrest was helped off the ground and began telling members of the media what had occurred. She faced up to one year in jail if convicted of the offense. If the First Amendment stands for anything, it stands for the right to peacefully protest without being bashed violently with a baton by a police officer. Click on the following links to see the video of the officer striking Ms. Forrest with his baton and knocking her to the ground. The Rocky Mountain New link is without the photographer's commentary and you can hear the officer yell "back it up bitch". The youtube.com link has commentary from the Rocky Mountain News photographer. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/videos/detail/police-use-force/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzrBYF99QKI&feature=related The City Attorney is to be applauded for evaluating this case in a reasonable and fair manner and concluding that the charges never should have been filed. It is sadly ironic that a peace activist was the victim of violence at the hands of the Denver Police. In protecting their own, the Denver District Attorney's Office declined to file charges against the officer. Yet Ms. Forrest, who did absolutely nothing wrong, was subjected to arrest, detainment, and eight months of legal limbo. Fortunately, and despite the humiliation, her First Amendment rights stood strong against a thuggish police officer. Everyone's precious First Amendment rights were compromised when this 5'2" protestor, wearing a pink tiara with the word "peace" glittered on it, was beaten and arrested. The public should be outraged and offended by the actions of this police officer. Such police misconduct should never be tolerated. Ms. Forrest is seriously considering a lawsuit, but a final decision has not been made. Counsel representing Alicia Forrest in cooperation with the ACLU of Colorado: Daniel N. Recht David M. Beller Recht & Kornfeld, P.C. 1600 Stout Street, Suite 1000 Denver, CO 80202 303-573-1900 dan@rechtkornfeld.com david@rechtkornfeld.com</em> LaFajita,

This is what I have:

Charges Dismissed Against Code Pink DNC Protestor Who Was Struck With Baton By Cop

PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Issued by Daniel Recht and David Beller, ACLU cooperating attorneys for Code Pink Protestor Alicia Forrest
March 18, 2009

Press Conference Today, March 18, 2009, at 3:00 p.m.
1600 Stout Street, Suite 1000, Denver, CO

Dan Recht issued the following statement:

This morning, the Denver City Attorney dismissed criminal charges against DNC peace activist and Code Pink member, Alicia Forrest.

Ms. Forrest was charged with interfering with a police officer after a video captured Denver Police Officer Scott Stewart violently strike Ms. Forrest with his baton and yell, “back it up bitch.” The arrest occurred after Ms. Forrest was helped off the ground and began telling members of the media what had occurred. She faced up to one year in jail if convicted of the offense.

If the First Amendment stands for anything, it stands for the right to peacefully protest without being bashed violently with a baton by a police officer.

Click on the following links to see the video of the officer striking Ms. Forrest with his baton and knocking her to the ground. The Rocky Mountain New link is without the photographer’s commentary and you can hear the officer yell “back it up bitch”. The youtube.com link has commentary from the Rocky Mountain News photographer.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/videos/detail/police-use-force/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzrBYF99QKI&feature=related

The City Attorney is to be applauded for evaluating this case in a reasonable and fair manner and concluding that the charges never should have been filed.

It is sadly ironic that a peace activist was the victim of violence at the hands of the Denver Police.

In protecting their own, the Denver District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against the officer. Yet Ms. Forrest, who did absolutely nothing wrong, was subjected to arrest, detainment, and eight months of legal limbo. Fortunately, and despite the humiliation, her First Amendment rights stood strong against a thuggish police officer.

Everyone’s precious First Amendment rights were compromised when this 5’2″ protestor, wearing a pink tiara with the word “peace” glittered on it, was beaten and arrested. The public should be outraged and offended by the actions of this police officer. Such police misconduct should never be tolerated.

Ms. Forrest is seriously considering a lawsuit, but a final decision has not been made.

Counsel representing Alicia Forrest in cooperation with the ACLU of Colorado:
Daniel N. Recht
David M. Beller
Recht & Kornfeld, P.C.
1600 Stout Street, Suite 1000
Denver, CO 80202
303-573-1900
dan@rechtkornfeld.com
david@rechtkornfeld.com

]]> By: mark baard http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6415 mark baard Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:41:36 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6415 incredible work, carlos, keep fighting the good fight. "dropping the charges" just doesn't cut it anymore--reporters and others, who've done nothing wrong, need to push back by any legal or civil means necessary. incredible work, carlos, keep fighting the good fight. “dropping the charges” just doesn’t cut it anymore–reporters and others, who’ve done nothing wrong, need to push back by any legal or civil means necessary.

]]> By: LaFajita http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6414 LaFajita Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:49:05 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6414 I'm wondering if you've received a press release of any kind from Daniel Recht, the attorney leading Ms. Forrest's defense? The Denver Post made mention of a press conference, but for the most part, they only mention the fact that it happened, with few actual quotes from this press conference. That the Denver city attorney dropped the charge is proof enough that the prosecution's case had little or no merit. I'm wondering if Recht has provided any additional bullet points as to the weakness of this case from the standpoint of the defense. I’m wondering if you’ve received a press release of any kind from Daniel Recht, the attorney leading Ms. Forrest’s defense? The Denver Post made mention of a press conference, but for the most part, they only mention the fact that it happened, with few actual quotes from this press conference.

That the Denver city attorney dropped the charge is proof enough that the prosecution’s case had little or no merit. I’m wondering if Recht has provided any additional bullet points as to the weakness of this case from the standpoint of the defense.

]]> By: Ari http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6406 Ari Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:36:42 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6406 Jones said, '“Fucking do it again!” You can’t say she didn’t ask for it' Yep and if a cop said "fucking do it again" and you hit them, you better believe they would drag you in on assault. The cops aren't above the law. (and why do I feel that Jones is just trolling) Jones said, ‘“Fucking do it again!”
You can’t say she didn’t ask for it’

Yep and if a cop said “fucking do it again” and you hit them, you better believe they would drag you in on assault. The cops aren’t above the law.
(and why do I feel that Jones is just trolling)

]]> By: Carlos Miller http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6398 Carlos Miller Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:45:52 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6398 Damn, Al, you were right there when it happened. Damn, Al, you were right there when it happened.

]]> By: Al Crespo http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6396 Al Crespo Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:29:08 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6396 hi carlos....i don't have much time to devote to this debate, but I've reposted my photographs and comments about what I witnessed with Alicia Forrest. click on the website link, and it's the red button at the bottom. I had provided an affidavit - the first one that I have ever offered in all my years of working as a photojournalist - on this young woman's behalf because I thought that the cop was completely out of line. Therefore I was happy to hear from her attorney that the charges had been dropped. As for the time span between the assault and the arrest, I noticed in both Denver and St Paul - the site of the Republican Convention - that there was often a time lag, and I believe that that was as a result of a conscious legal strategy on the part of both police departments to make these "late" arrests as a way to try and inoculate themselves against lawsuits by the people the police attacked by arresting them and charging them with any kind of crime. The best defense is often to go on the offensive. In any event, this is not the last such incident that will be reported on your blog, and for those who think that protesters in America are "out of line" for standing up against injustices - perceived or real - consider that in many other countries around the world protesters show up with Molotov Cocktails and come prepared to actually fight for what they believe in. al crespo http://www.thephotoworksagency.com/ hi carlos….i don’t have much time to devote to this debate, but I’ve reposted my photographs and comments about what I witnessed with Alicia Forrest. click on the website link, and it’s the red button at the bottom.

I had provided an affidavit – the first one that I have ever offered in all my years of working as a photojournalist – on this young woman’s behalf because I thought that the cop was completely out of line. Therefore I was happy to hear from her attorney that the charges had been dropped.

As for the time span between the assault and the arrest, I noticed in both Denver and St Paul – the site of the Republican Convention – that there was often a time lag, and I believe that that was as a result of a conscious legal strategy on the part of both police departments to make these “late” arrests as a way to try and inoculate themselves against lawsuits by the people the police attacked by arresting them and charging them with any kind of crime. The best defense is often to go on the offensive.

In any event, this is not the last such incident that will be reported on your blog, and for those who think that protesters in America are “out of line” for standing up against injustices – perceived or real – consider that in many other countries around the world protesters show up with Molotov Cocktails and come prepared to actually fight for what they believe in.

al crespo

http://www.thephotoworksagency.com/

]]> By: genewitch http://carlosmiller.com/2009/03/18/charges-dropped-against-code-pink-protester-struck-by-cop-with-baton/#comment-6394 genewitch Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:24:16 +0000 http://carlosmiller.com/?p=5237#comment-6394 In other news, Kanye West got charged with assault for taking a photog's camera and smashing it. Maybe we can get some police charged with the same thing? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7952183.stm In other news, Kanye West got charged with assault for taking a photog’s camera and smashing it.

Maybe we can get some police charged with the same thing?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7952183.stm

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