from the St.-Louis-still-misses-you,-Baton-Bob dept.
"Baton Bob" (wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baton_Bob) is a street performer in Atlanta, Georgia. In June 2013, Atlanta police arrested Baton Bob during the middle of a street performance, after a verbal altercation Bob had with mall security guards.
Baton Bob has now filed a
federal lawsuit accusing Atlanta police of violating his constitutional rights, assault, discrimination, privacy violations and identify theft.
What makes this SoylentNews-worthy is that Atlanta Police forced Baton Bob to post a pro-police statement on his Facebook page before officers would allow Bob to be released on bond. According to the lawsuit:
At approximately 3:40 p.m., while Plaintiff sat handcuffed and without an attorney, he was told to dictate a public statement to Officer Davis, who then typed and posted the message to the Baton Bob Facebook account. The message read:
First of all, the atl police officer that responded to the incident thru security has been very respectful and gracious to me even in handcuffs. So, the situation escalated from a complaint from a security officer in the area and for some reason she rolled up on me like she didn't know who I was and like I had not been there before. For them to call police to come to intervene was not necessary. So, out of it, because of my fury, the Atlanta police officer did not understand the elements of the situation, so he was trying to do his job, respectfully and arrested my ass!!!!!!!!! I'll be out tomorrow so look out for my show at 14th and Peachtree. So now I'm waiting to be transported so I can sign my own bond and get the hell out of here. I want to verify, that the Atlanta police was respectful to me considering the circumstances. See you when I see you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As promised, Plaintiff was then given a signature bond and released from jail.
Related Stories
From http://rt.com/news/169660-facebook-criminal-damage-page/:-
An Irish man has avoided serving jail time after pleading guilty to posting an offensive status update on his ex-girlfriend's Facebook page. The landmark case represents the first criminal prosecution for damages done to a social media account.
The 30-year-old man, hailing from the town of Donegal, was charged under the Criminal Damage Act 1991, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a €10,000 fine.
The Defendant, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was acquitted by a jury last month of raping and falsely imprisoning the same woman in her home on the same date her Facebook page was defaced.
He received a 2,000 Euro (US$2,735) fine. Potentially, a large number of people would be guilty of Fraping. Overall, the prosecution of criminal damage/computer misuse/fraudulent advertising/false utterances may be very expensive. In addition to this, there is the lawful and unlawful manipulation of social media accounts by police and courts:-
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @07:33AM
Dear family, life here in the concentration camp is wonderful. They let me keep all my teeth, and I'm not even slightly dead.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by davester666 on Tuesday July 01 2014, @08:22AM
Hey, we're working on the new border fences as fast as we can.
I wonder how they'll separate the riff raff from the citizens once they are done? Just living in gated communities isn't enough, because the fences aren't high enough. Maybe they all move to Manhattan and blow the bridges?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @08:32AM
Hell yes we need to secure the border or those goddamn Canadians might get in and bring their freedom with them.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Friday July 04 2014, @01:20AM
Screw freedom. They might bring donuts, beer, poutine, and chicks that can take a punch in a fight. It's all over once that happens, eh?
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 3, Funny) by VLM on Tuesday July 01 2014, @11:53AM
"Maybe they all move to Manhattan and blow the bridges?"
Well, given the vibrant farming and ranching community Manhattan is famous for, the problem would solve itself in a couple months. Even some sort of "Berlin Airlift" scenario just doesn't seem logistically possible even with unlimited supplies unless the census is something ridiculous low like 100 people.
I'm a little fuzzy if Manhattan has a local fresh water supply and electricity... I think they do, although not much? If not, the problem would solve itself much quicker, like one week.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday July 01 2014, @02:33PM
They managed to keep it going for 10.5 months, until the Soviets lifted the blockade. According to Wikipedia, it sounds like they were airlifting enough in day-to-day to keep the city supplied indefinitely.
Granted, it was Cold War dickwaving so they didn't really care about the costs.
#ohwaityouwerejustkiddingright
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday July 01 2014, @03:11PM
I'm assuming Manhattan has no airport, seeing as the entire island is smaller than just DFW airport, or rephrased you could drop the entire island within the boundaries of the DFW airport.
I'm not sure how/why Berlin has/had a regular airport in its boundaries. I was under the impression they landed regular cargo aircraft in Berlin, not just airdrops. Its a bit before my time.
So I was on the assumption you'd have to downgrade from fixed wing cargo aircraft in the Berlin example to mere helicopters in Manhattan.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by isostatic on Tuesday July 01 2014, @03:55PM
Sure, Manhattan Regional Airport. Not very handy for fifth avenue though [google.com]
It does have heliports though, and there is a proposal for an airport [manhattanairport.org], but more importantly it has docks
Berlin is a big place, about 20 times bigger than Manhattan. Yes Templehof (and later Tegal) were both in West Berlin, and scheduled passenger services ran for decades.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Tuesday July 01 2014, @10:17PM
JFYI, It's Tegel, but close enough. (And lots of people hope it will stay.)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 02 2014, @09:35AM
I just call it TXL, and certainly do hope it stays. 30 seconds from leaving the plane to getting in a taxi, 15 minutes to the office.
Sadly on the way back to LHR it can take 15 minutes just to get to immigration - and that's not even when it melts down.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mechanicjay on Tuesday July 01 2014, @05:13PM
A lot of NYC's water comes from big reservoirs in Southern NY state -- it wouldn't be hard to cut them off.
Electric comes from big regional plants around, though Manhattan does have a bunch of local NatGas co-gen plants scattered through-out the city.
My VMS box beat up your Windows box.
(Score: 2) by Sir Garlon on Tuesday July 01 2014, @12:18PM
You tease! Now I will be daydreaming all day about the 1% setting up their "meritocracy" on Manhattan Island. Just like in that movie with Kurt Russell. [imdb.com]
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
(Score: 2) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday July 01 2014, @01:34PM
I was thinking of the movie with Will Smith. [imdb.com]
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday July 01 2014, @08:48AM
It's not often you earn a +1 Godwin. Congratulations.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @08:00AM
Wow, cruel and unusual.
(Score: 2) by TheLink on Tuesday July 01 2014, @10:23AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @12:05PM
14th and Peachtree, eh? But ... pretty much every road in Atlanta is called "Peachtree" something or other. That doens't seem like a very helpful set of directions.
(Score: 2) by egcagrac0 on Tuesday July 01 2014, @01:05PM
How many of those intersect the relatively short 14th street? From what I can see on this handy map [goo.gl], 14th street is only about 23 blocks long.
(Score: 1) by Lemming on Tuesday July 01 2014, @08:49AM
So he had to post this text, and then he was released. He should have edited the Facebook post immediately afterwards, saying he was forced to post the previous text. Maybe he did, it's clear in the article if he corrected the post immediately or if he posted about it later on. This would definitely have backfired for the police department, I think.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday July 01 2014, @09:24AM
As soon as the police saw the updated post, you can bet they'd find an excuse to haul him in again and make him miserable. Now he's lawyered up and gone public they'd be idiots (that is, even more idiotic than usual) to try to intimidate him now.
Besides, if you really want to vent your righteous outrage and see the wicked punished and humiliated, a courtroom has far more potential for satisfaction (not to mention cash) than a crappy boo-hoo post on your farcebook page.
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Tuesday July 01 2014, @09:31AM
FTFY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday July 01 2014, @10:20AM
Better than mine, thanks.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday July 01 2014, @10:36AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday July 01 2014, @02:35PM
As far as I know you can't edit a post directly on your profile after you submit it, although you can edit comments on it. You can however delete it.
(yes yes I'm a facebook user shun shun etc.)
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1) by Lemming on Tuesday July 01 2014, @03:13PM
Yes, you can edit your posts after you posted. If you click on the down arrow in the upper right corner of one of your posts, you get a pop-up menu including an "Edit..." option. Afterwards, your post will have an indicator "Edited" next to the post timestamp, which anyone can click to see the editing history.
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Tuesday July 01 2014, @04:35PM
Mister, I shun you for one reason and one reason only. That uid is brain-itchingly short of a good number.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @04:39PM
So, 668 would float your boat better?
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Tuesday July 01 2014, @04:52PM
... You little smartass AC >:|
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 08 2014, @08:31PM
667 - Neighbor of the Beast
(Score: 2) by hubie on Tuesday July 01 2014, @05:08PM
Is it considered a Streisand effect if you are doing it to purposely get attention drawn to you?
(Score: 2) by tibman on Tuesday July 01 2014, @01:43PM
"The police, the lawsuit says, soon realized that the arrest was drawing media attention and then demanded Jamerson’s Facebook password and forced him to post positive comments about the police to try assuage outraged fans."
They did what?! Yup, this is bad all around.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Tuesday July 01 2014, @05:06PM
Well, that's the real question, isn't it? What exactly did happen?
We've only got one person's story so far, and that happens to be someone who dresses in a tutu and goes around acting in a - let's face it - not entirely normal way.
But who knows. I mean, obviously, he couldn't be doing it for the money or attention, right?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 4, Insightful) by MrGuy on Tuesday July 01 2014, @02:17PM
Under the CFAA. By holding an individual under duress, they gained access to a system (Bob's Facebook account) they were not authorized to access.
Yeah, yeah, I'm an idealist for expecting the law to work both ways.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by mendax on Tuesday July 01 2014, @04:36PM
I was thinking along more basic grounds. It may be a bit different in Georgia (it would't surprise me) but at least in California, for most crimes, you are entitled to bail if you can pay it or meet whatever obligation the COURT stipulates. The police can hold you for questioning but they cannot withhold your right to bail. So, let's see what has been done here. False imprisonment, of course. Perhaps even federal kidnapping charges if the local U.S. Attorney wants to be creative. Certainly unlawful acts under color of authority. Most certainly there are a few cops in Georgia who are shitting in their pants today because they may find themselves in jail or prison on felony charges. A long prison term may be inappropriate but given the wreckage a felony conviction would do, such as destroying forever their careers, that may be enough.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @09:11PM
The police can hold you for questioning but they cannot withhold your right to bail
"We aren't finished questioning him."
As long as prosecutors remain in cahoots with the cops, the gang wearing blue will get away with this sort of shit.
As long as citizens continue to elect those corrupt D.A.s, nothing will change.
Same deal with the self-professed "Tough on crime" judges (in places where those are elected).
-- gewg_
(Score: 3) by mendax on Tuesday July 01 2014, @10:20PM
Yeah, but access to an attorney can end that quickly in most cases. Most cops don't want to waste their time when they know that the person they arrested is not going to say anything on the advice of his attorney. However, you are right, when the police, the DA, and the judges are in cahoots, all bets are off. It wouldn't surprise me if this is going on in Georgia, and that the cops, the DA, and the judge are all named Bubba and they're all cousins. (Can you tell that my contempt for the Deep South is showing?)
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by quadrox on Wednesday July 02 2014, @06:21AM
Why? The police needst to know that whenever they themselves step away from the law that the hammer will hit them hard, very hard. The guys have power, and with power comes responsibility. If they cannot handle that properly, they should not be in the police force, and they need to know that.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Wednesday July 02 2014, @05:16PM
Why? Because the vast majority of prison sentences handed out by judges in the United States are too long and are not in the interest of society or justice in the long run. Long prison sentences tend to "institutionalize" a prisoner, traumatizing him and creating life-long mental illnesses such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and exasperate existing ones. Once released, these can make it difficult for the prisoners to reintegrate into society. You underestimate, perhaps, the effect a year of incarceration will have on most people. Losing one's freedom is not trivial. Long prison sentences should be reserved only for those who need to be kept out of circulation because they are dangerous.
Our European brethren are far more enlightened than we are on this subject. We should learn to them.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @04:52PM
What would make this even more SoylentNews-worthy is if we knew that it actually happened, or happened the way he said it did. As of now, it is just Slashdot-worthy "police state" bait to cue the predictable foam-at-the-mouth outrage where facts are not really pertinent to the discussion, just the accusation.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @07:09PM
Well, the one piece of evidence that convince me is if the timestamp of the post was in the window between his arrest and his release. Those numbers should be documented, maybe even public record - arrest date/time are commonly found on those mugshot websites. Anyone got links?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 01 2014, @07:29PM
Dates, but not times. Too bad.
http://justice.fultoncountyga.gov/PAJailManager/JailingDetail.aspx?JailingID=618020 [fultoncountyga.gov]
(Score: 2) by marcello_dl on Tuesday July 01 2014, @05:27PM
Did the Police threaten Baton with a police baton? That would be much appropriate.