Never mind!

[talkjim]

Since I realize that no one in the right-wing contingent that posts here could be counted on to inform us of this development...which relates to a thread below...I'll just have to do the job myself:

The Ramsey County Attorney in Minnesota has issued the following statement in regard to the arrests of Sharif Kouddous and Nicole Salazar--both producers for Amy Goodman's Democracy Nownewsgathering organization:

"Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar were arrested for probable cause riot and later released pending further investigation. The St. Paul Police Department has stated those cases will not be presented to the County Attorney's Office for consideration of possible felony charges. Instead, the Police Department will submit the cases to the St. Paul City Attorney's Office for consideration of possible non-felony charges."

Still pending are misdemeanor charges of "obstruction of legal process" and "interference with a peace officer" charges against Amy Goodman. She was arrested for doing what she does frequently and well--speaking truth to power: in this case, questioning police about the unlawful detention of Sharif and Nicole on the first day of the convention.

We'll see what happens from here. But we already know one thing for sure: in spite of the whining and tantrums thrown on this board about the actions of Amy and others in St. Paul--NO FELONY CHARGES!!!

My prediction: all charges eventually dropped, with the city of St. Paul paying out millions of dollars to settle civil rights lawsuits.

Never happen you say? The massive effort by New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his men in blue to stifle freedom of speech at the Republican convention in 2004 has so far cost the city of New York 8.2 million dollars...a figure that is certain to increase since only a fraction of the claims have been settled.

May the cash registers continue to ring in New York and may the ringing be loud and frequent in St. Paul. DEMOCRACY NOW!!!

 

[The Beave]

Hey Jim,

I'm 250 miles west of you. I fully agree on the charges being dropped and a revolving door lawsuit. The perplexing issue remains no felony charges??? ??? It appears the St. Paul authorities have a debacle on their hands, and the media is NOT done with this in no certain way.

Some here at the station I work for have predicted as to when this blows up in their faces. It's about as dumb as the OJ Simpson deal.

 

[talkjim]

I really try not to engage too frequently in the practice of breaking my arm by patting myself on the back, but it looks as though the prediction that I made above is coming true more quickly than even I believed:

"The St. Paul City Attorney's office announced Friday it will not prosecute Democracy Now! journalists Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman also issued a statement Friday that "the city will decline to prosecute misdemeanor charges for presence at an unlawful assembly for journalists arrested during the Republican National Convention."

Both announcements come two weeks after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention where over 40 journalists were arrested while reporting on protests taking place outside the convention center."

So all that's left now (no pun intended) is a big pay-day for the journalists and other demonstrators whose rights were stomped on. Let the lawsuits begin--they are entitled to it, and maybe if enough victims keep suing, these yokel city officials will get the message that the constitution can't be suspended simply because a national political convention comes to town.