Category Archives: Law

Boston catches up with Atlanta: you can video police

Poilce are public employees, and the public has a right to video them doing their duty; so says a federal appeals court.

Pace Lattin wrote for Technorati,

Federal Courts Rule it is Not Illegal to Film Police
John S. Quarterman



The First Court of Appeals has reached a decision that would allow the
general public to video-tape police officers while they are working. This
decision comes right after several well-known public cases have come to
light involving citizens being arrested for video-taping police.

This specific case in question was Simon Glik vs.The City of Boston
(and several police officers), in which a teenage Simon Gilk was arrested
after videotaping Boston Police abusing a homeless man. While Mr. Gilk was
not interfering with the police, he was arrested on wiretapping charges.

The ACLU had sued on his behalf, even when the charges were dropped,
noting that there was a growing epidemic of citizens in the United States
being arrested by police for videotaping, even when documenting police
brutality and abuse.

The First Court Agreed with the ACLU that this should be legal, and wrote
that: “The filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a
public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities,
fits comfortably within these principles [of protected First Amendment
activity].



The Atlanta Police Department already avoided this problem

by settling a previous case and making a policy that citizens can video police.
This appeals court ruling
now says anybody can, nationwide, because of the First Amendment.

Why has this become an issue lately?

Continue reading →

CCA really doesn’t like community opposition, so apparently it works

Private prison company CCA, which in conjunction with ALEC promotes laws in dozens of states and nationally that lock up more people for CCA’s private profit at taxpayer expense, really doesn’t like
community opposition to siting private prisons in their communities.
Hm, why would CCA hate community opposition so much, unless it works?

Not quite rolling his eyes when she mentions visiting communities,
CCA’s video pair disparage

community opposition to private prisons
on their own web page,

When Corrections Meets Communities:



Question:
There are Web sites and blogs that are adamantly opposed to your company
and industry, and they provide negative information about you. Why?

Hm, you mean like some of the material on this blog?

Answer:
CCA and all corrections companies recognize the ongoing efforts
of local, loosely formed grassroots groups and national, well-funded
associations that jointly oppose the establishment of partnership
prisons, many for self-serving reasons. Such groups go to great lengths
to attack, criticize and misrepresent the entire industry. They make false
allegations and often rely on hearsay and unreliable sources. Regrettably,
these biased groups often resort to misinformation and inflammatory
rhetoric to turn isolated incidents into broad generalizations about
the corrections industry as a whole.

Well-funded? Har! OK, not this blog.
That plus we provide evidence, like

Continue reading →

5.a. Legal issues —Attorney Talley and others @ VCC 25 August 2011



Council Carroll noted that council was merely voting on putting
a referendum on the ballot.


Attorney Talley said he hadn’t looked at soem of the legal possibilities,
and talked about several specific pairs of counties consolidating schools.

Council White asked for further clarification.

Manager Hanson used an analogy of annexation (for which he said there
were at least four legal methods) to indicate that proponents could
pick whichever one they liked.
He said someone could choose to challenge it in court.
I believe he also said council could vote against holding the referendum.

Here’s

the video:




5.a. Legal issues –Attorney Talley and others @ VCC 25 August 2011

petition, education, referendum,

Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. The process has not been followed. —James Wright @ VCC 25 August 2011



Council Wright again said proper legal process had not been followed.

The local school boards that are responsible for this burden
should have sent a motion to the state board of education
asking for it [a feasibility study on consolidation].
That has not happened.

He called the state board of education and the Valdosta Board of Education
and no feasibility has been done.

The process has not been followed.

…

This is the law.

…

This is in black and white.

Here’s

the video:

Continue reading →

Wal-Mart Workers Need Help Now From American Government Elected Officials! —George Rhynes

Received yesterday. -jsq


The following video shows Mr. Charles Judge!




“First off, you have to know what your job is.”

—Charles Judge

He was one of the
several employees I supervised as Sporting Goods Department Manger at
Wal-Mart Store #2615 in Valdosta, Georgia. On March 20, 2008, I was
wrongfully terminated for “INABILITY TO PERFORM JOB” without
training.




Video by George Boston Rhynes.

It has been 3 1/2 years since my wrongful termination and I have
written Wal-Mart Stores Inc. thirty letters, thirteen videos, 34 pages
of documented proof that I was never trained; nor entered into Wal-Mart
Stores Inc. four week mandatory training program as other employees.
Moreover, it should be a shame and disgrace that several former and
current President Mike Duke has all ignored me as if I was a worker in
the Republic of China or in some other third world nation!

Even more un-American is that Chairman David Glass along with his
entire Wal-Mart Board of Directors has followed the local Wal-Mart
Store Manager at Store #2615 in what is definitely unprofessional
behavior along the lines of respecting workers rights. Wal-Mart
Executives seem to believe that the American People (customers) have
made Wal-Mart Stores Inc. a god beside God and answers to no one.
More videos will follow from real workers and former assistant managers
until you are as sure as I am that Americans need workers Rights in
this NATION for all employees.

As elected officials (government officials) I do hope that you begin to
look at workers rights and my wrongful termination without any recourse
because I am in an “At Will to Work State”, Georgia. This means
any worker can be fired for GOOD cause, BAD cause, or for no cause at
all and like Wal-Mart. They are not required to provide a reason for
you, your spouse, child or neighbor for why they wrongfully terminated
you!

http://walmartstore2615.blogspot.com

We are 100% sure that there is nothing Wal-Mart Executives or Board of
Directors will or can do in my case or cases like mine. Therefore,
as a Retired Military of the United Armed Forces that followed
our “Code of Conduct” in the military need a code of conduct for
(ALL) American Workers.

My wrongful termination has forced me to follow the same “CODE OF
CONDUCT” that all United States Military Veterans had to
follow. Therefore, if I could place my life on the line and face
death for foreigners on foreign battlefields then surely I can stand
up for my own family members and love ones.

Yes, I intend to fight as hard for myself, my own family and fellow
American Workers here in the Home Land! God Bless both the righteous
and the not so righteous. Peace, love and overstanding. We are not
who we claim to be; but who we prove ourselves to be over a given
period of time and after three and one-half years Wal-Mart EXECUTIVES
has proven who they are to the American people and the world.

GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES

Retired United States Armed Forces Military Vietnam

A concerned citizens and brother of all humanity

5.a. First time I’ve heard some of these arguments —Deidra White @ VCC 25 August 2011



Council Deidra White wondered what would be the repercussions
if council took more time to decide this issue, since this was
the first time she had heard some of these arguments.

Attorney Talley said he wasn’t sure what the timeline was to prepare ballots.

Um, maybe he should talk to the Board of Elections.

Manager Hanson said there are different sections of the Constitution
that might apply.

Attorney Talley noted that the Home Rule Act did not apply,
even though it was cited in the petition, since the school system
charter is not in the City of Valdosta charter; it’s a separate pact.

Manager Hanson noted

qualifying for city elections is next week,
so

Continue reading →

5.a. the situation we’ve been placed in —Robert Yost @ VCC 25 August 2011



Council Robert Yost said he didn’t like the position council was in
of almost being required to vote one way to cover their rears from
litigation.



So of course I’ll be voting exactly how I feel it needs to be tonight, litigation or not.

He also seemed to say that he hadn’t heard anybody
say it was about consolidating county and city government.

It’s interesting that Yost seemed to be arguing against the referendum,
since

he has long been on record as for school system consolidation:



“We need one school system in this city and county,” said Yost. “But sadly that isn’t the case.”

That’s from when he was last running for Valdosta City Council back in 2009;
you can watch him say it on video.
At the time he also said the city should annex the whole county,
but claimed that was just a joke.
Has something changed his mind about either of those things?

Here’s

the video from Thursday’s council meeting:

Continue reading →

5.a. We’re not actually going to deny, are we? —Tim Carroll @ VCC 25 August 2011



Rather heated discussion as Tim Carroll seemed incensed that

Sonny Vickers thought consolidation proponents had a hidden agenda.
He mentioned Rusty Griffin, Walter Hopgood, and George Bennett.



It just bothers me when I hear “hoodwinked”.

Carroll repeatedly mentioned the number of citizens who had petitioned
asking to put the referendum on the ballot.
He said there might be issues between CUEE and VBOE, but not
with city council.

Here’s

the video:




5.a. We’re not actually going to deny, are we? —Tim Carroll @ VCC 25 August 2011

petition, education, referendum,

Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. school consolidation not initiated by school system —James Wright @ VCC 25 August 2011



Council James Wright stated concerns that neither citizens nor
the city school board had initiated school consolidation,
and cited several statutes that he said indicated the local


board of education needed first to request a feasibility
study from the state and then to approve it, and that
has not happened in this case.

Here’s

the video:




5.a. school consolidation not initiated by school system —James Wright @ VCC 25 August 2011

petition, education, referendum,

Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. has common sense prevailed over precedent? —Robert Yost @ VCC 25 August 2011



Council Robert Yost wondered could the council have voted down the
city school system’s millage?
The City Attorney said they were required to vote on it but could
have voted it down (I think that’s what he meant).
The mayor noted again that a vote against the petitioned referendum
would probably cost the city more money.
See for yourself.

Here’s

the video:




5.a. has common sense prevailed over precedent? –Robert Yost @ VCC 25 August 2011

Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq