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New Jersey prosecutors drop charges over tweeting a cop's photo [Updated]:
Update (~4pm ET): Mid-afternoon on Friday, August 7, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office dropped its cyber harassment charges against all five defendants, the Asbury Park Press reports. These charges stemmed from an incident involving a Tweet attempting to identify a New Jersey police officer. Our original story on the situation appears unchanged below.
A New Jersey man is facing felony charges for a tweet seeking to identify a police officer. Four others are facing felony charges for retweeting the tweet, the Washington Post reports.
[...] The complaint against Sziszak claims that the tweet caused the officer to "fear that harm will come to himself, family, and property."
"As a 20 year old that simply retweeted a tweet to help my friend, I am now at risk of giving up my career, serving time, and having a record," Sziszak wrote.
(Score: 2) by number11 on Sunday August 09 2020, @05:59PM (2 children)
So you're saying police can wear whatever they like as a First Amendment Issue? How about if the mask had said "WHITE SUPREMACY", or "RE-ELECT TRUMP"? I think not.
Second, where did this "so we can throw a Molotov cocktail at his house" thing come from? I think you're lying about that, unless you can provide a cite.
Third, Donnie, aren't you supposed to be sticking to Twitter, or have you gotten blocked again?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 09 2020, @08:55PM (1 child)
Actually, yes, the cop, just like everyone else, has a right to wear pretty much whatever he likes. When I was in uniform, my uniforms were quite personal. I routinely took the gig at personnel inspections for my belt buckle, for instance. It was a regulation belt buckle, circa 1947 - it was no longer regulation in 1976 when I started wearing it. It conformed to standards, but was not actually regulation. No one ever made a real issue of that buckle, they just reminded me at each inspection that it wasn't quite right.
Cop wants to wear a mask bearing the name of his chosen presidential candidate? I don't give a shit. So long as he respects MY RIGHT to wear something similar, for the opposition's candidate.
A white supremacy mask you say? Aren't they all designated as terrorist organizations? Nope - he can't get away with that, and keep his job.
Surely you're not suggesting that cops should be issued one-size-fits-all Kevlar burkhas to ensure that all cops are depersonalized?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by dry on Monday August 10 2020, @02:27AM
Many police forces are professional outfits with a uniform to wear, and like most jobs where you have to wear a uniform, you are supposed to wear the uniform.
Also police generally should not be political when on the job, an impartial police force it is part of having a democracy.