Freedom of The Press ILLEGAL in Washington DC

[jasetaro]

You're completely ignoring the politics for the sake of a technical argument. This isn't a disorderly conduct charge between a cop and some innocuous guy on a quiet street which can be brushed off. This is a cop doing his duty in a place where other powerful people reign. If you don't follow their orders and someone notices (and in this case they would), you can bet someone will hear about it and there will be repercussions.

I'm well aware of the politics, I've been there, I've had to hall some poor SOB out of city council or board of education meeting because he asked the wrong question or whatever... That doesn't change the fact it was bullsh*t arrest (or that journalists have a bit of a pack mentality when something like this happens... You can bet they're are going to be asking a lot of inconvenient questions of the public officials involved in this.

Like I said, I suspect the charges will ultimately be dismissed because those same powerful people want this whole mess to go away... quickly.

 

[TheLaw]

I'm well aware of the politics, I've been there, I've had to hall some poor SOB out of city council or board of education meeting because he asked the wrong question or whatever... That doesn't change the fact it was bullsh*t arrest (or that journalists have a bit of a pack mentality when something like this happens... You can bet they're are going to be asking a lot of inconvenient questions of the public officials involved in this.

Like I said, I suspect the charges will ultimately be dismissed because those same powerful people want this whole mess to go away... quickly.

Agreed but take a look at the article. It suggests a lack of innocence -- at least one of the journalists either knew or should have known about the video issue. One of the journalists arrested apparently wrote an article about the video banning rule prior to the speech so it goes without saying that at least one of these guys deliberately tried to take video in order to incite some action. In truth the entire issue is absurd and you're right about what the public officials will be dealing with...

 

[jasetaro]

Agreed but take a look at the article. It suggests a lack of innocence -- at least one of the journalists either knew or should have known about the video issue. One of the journalists arrested apparently wrote an article about the video banning rule prior to the speech so it goes without saying that at least one of these guys deliberately tried to take video in order to incite some action. In truth the entire issue is absurd and you're right about what the public officials will be dealing with...

I did, I read several articles about the incident... I agree one of them appears have a persistent thorn in the side the taxi commission. I'm not convinced he intended to provoke an incident, I think he just his luck a little to far. Regardless I'm a little more concerned about the detention and arrest of Mr. Epstein, read his account of the incident:

A few minutes later, as I was attempting to leave the building, I overheard the female officer who had arrested Tucker promise a woman, who I presumed to be an employee of the Taxi Commission, that she would confiscate my phone. Reason intern Kyle Blaine, overheard her say, "Do you want his phone? I can get his phone."​

(The woman who was given assurances by the officer that she could have my phone can be seen at the end of the video telling me, "You do not have permission to record this!")​

Assuming for the sake argument his account is accurate, it raises some troubling issues for me... Not the least which are 4th amendment concerns.