Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Teamster Jeff

(1,598 posts)
Thu Sep 27, 2012, 06:51 PM Sep 2012

Court declares 92 Occupy Chicago arrests unconstitutional

Thursday, September 27, 2012 15:25 EDT

A judge in Cook County, Illinois on Thursday dismissed over 90 cases against Occupy Chicago activists on the grounds that they violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Judge Thomas Donnelly declared that the city’s park curfew law that was used to arrest activists in Grant Park last October was “unconstitutional both on its face and as applied and all complaints in this case are dismissed with prejudice,” according to the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG).

“The Occupy Chicago demonstrators were subject to constantly changing rules and regulations that ended in a directive that they had to be constantly moving in order to protest,” the judge explained in his 37-page opinion (PDF). “Viewed in isolation the rules and regulations appear reasonable, but viewed in the larger context of the Occupy movement’s presence in Chicago, they give rise to the inference that the City was attempting to discourage this particular protest.”

“The police would promulgate a rule; when the protesters would comply, the police would change the rule,” he added. “These facts, together with the clear pattern of selective enforcement of the Curfew, support a finding that the city intended to discriminate against the Defendants based on their views.”


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/27/court-declares-92-occupy-chicago-arrests-unconstitutional/
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Court declares 92 Occupy Chicago arrests unconstitutional (Original Post) Teamster Jeff Sep 2012 OP
K & R AWSOME newz. Thanks. ~nt 99th_Monkey Sep 2012 #1
Wish the judge in our county had felt the same way nichomachus Sep 2012 #2
I'm sorry. :( Fire Walk With Me Sep 2012 #5
Turning an ocean liner takes a bit of time Demeter Sep 2012 #3
I agree! Teamster Jeff Sep 2012 #4
The police promulgated the rules? ArcticFox Sep 2012 #6
They were winging it. What ever it took to suppress protests Teamster Jeff Sep 2012 #7

Teamster Jeff

(1,598 posts)
4. I agree!
Thu Sep 27, 2012, 09:09 PM
Sep 2012

When people in the streets protesting or people on strike picketing is seen as being a normal every day thing it will be a sign that the ocean liner has begun to turn.

Teamster Jeff

(1,598 posts)
7. They were winging it. What ever it took to suppress protests
Fri Sep 28, 2012, 01:43 PM
Sep 2012

but Rahm and the police got a slap down from the court. Bad month for Rahm

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Occupy Underground»Court declares 92 Occupy ...