You should not have them arrested as it tends to give their case and cause strength.
But don’t tell that to Mayor David Green. He’ll probably have you arrested.
The mayor of Duncanville, Texas had a member of the city council arrested last Tuesday for speaking out against the use of red light cameras during an official meeting. The incident took place during the discussion of whether the city should spend $59,000 to make street repairs. Mayor David Green recognized Councilman Paul Ford to speak on the contract item.
“Thank you,” Ford said. “I want to let you know that earlier this evening during briefing, Mayor Green threatened me that if he told me to stop talking and I didn’t, he’d have me arrested, and I want to let you know what I told Mayor Green.”
Green became outraged and shouted, “Mr Ford, you are out of order. You are not recognized Mr Ford. You need to cease right now.”
While Green yelled, Ford continued his brief statement without stopping.
“Unlike those thousands of people who are getting red light camera tickets, I will have the opportunity for a jury trial. It will be a jury of my peers and I will confidently put my fate in their hands. And now I’m going to discuss agenda item number three. I will vote against it, and here’s why.”
Before he had a chance to explain that the city could find the money for those necessary street repairs by cutting the city manager’s salary from $179,000 to $160,000 and reducing payments to local chambers of commerce by $40,000, Police Chief Robert Brown grabbed Ford. Ford repeated several times the statement: “Chief Brown, I will not leave voluntarily, but if you believe I am violating the law by discussing this agenda item, I will submit to arrest.”
Brown did not respond. Mayor Green had the audio of the city council video tape turned off as Brown dragged the councilman out of the chamber. Ford ended up hospitalized from injuries sustained during the arrest.
Lovely fellow. I’m sure he mother loves him dearly.
And I’m sure that he will burn in whatever hell he believes in.
As an aside, it will soon suck to live in that town, unless they buy their municipal liability insurance from a generous provider (and there are none left).
The Councilman has a tort so huge that it will result in the Mayor and Chief of Police being sued out of the universe.
These folk need to be recalled NOW, so that expenses to the town’s citizens in the future lawsuits can be reduced.
Not to mention that it isn’t nice to have assholes running your town.
Perhaps Texas POST might have a look at this case as well, since the Chief seems to have violated his oath AND ethics by making such an illegal arrest.
Here’s what they do in (formerly) Great Britain to their “gatsos” (speed cameras): http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2b.htm
One would hope that Texans have at least as much testosterone and a whole bunch more creativity in doing the same thing to these tools of Der Stat.