Bel Air, MD – All charges have been dropped against the eighteen pro-lifers who were unjustly arrested on August 1, 2008, during the Maryland Face the Truth Tour.
Harford County’s State Attorney Joe Cassilly dismissed the charges earlier this week against eight adults and ten teenagers, who had been arrested without warning during a peaceful public pro-life testimony in Bel Air, Maryland, during the last stop on a tour sponsored by Defend Life.
While none of those taken into custody were told why they were being arrested, they were later charged with loitering, failure to obey a lawful order, and disorderly conduct.
“This decision by the State of Maryland to drop the charges shows that our side of the story was the true story,” said Defend Life Director Jack Ames, who was among those arrested. “There were no traffic jams. There were no people running in and out of traffic. There was no refusal to disperse. They plainly and simply violated our First Amendment rights!”
Legal options are being explored.
“We congratulate the courageous men and women with Defend Life on having their unjust charges dropped. This is a tremendous victory for those arrested in Maryland as well as for the innocent children for which we advocate,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who had attended the Maryland Face the Truth Tour prior to the arrests. “Every now and then we see rogue police officers who think they can inflict their personal biases on the public without regard to the law. This kind of injustice is a type of tyranny that cannot be allowed to stand.”
Read original story about this incident
And if we don’t fight back, the police will continue to behave in this manner knowing the worst thing that could happen is charges will be dropped and the same police will once again be free to wrongly arrest citizens at will.
Correct Bill,
We must fight back. The police are not bothered by civil judgements I don’t think.
Neal Horsley and The Creator’s Rights Party have a great idea–secession.
Another victory for life! I had a recent success too in demanding that the police be held accountable when I reported a violent clinic escort last week. They did not handle it well, so I rattled their cage until they heard me! You can’t take it lying down or they’ll see you as wimps. This is a spiritual battle after all!
Can’t any disciplinary action be taken against the officers who didn’t follow protocol by reading the pro-lifers their miranda rights?
Unfortunately, no. All that means is the person arrested can use that as a defense to get the charges dropped. All the police has to say is “Oh gee, out of all that rukus going on, I must have simply forgotten.” Yea, right. The argument is stronger that the arrested’s 1st Ammendment rights were knowingly violated by overzelous police officers who have a vendetta against pro-lifers.
Re: Rogue Police Officers – The false arrests are all about intimidation. The officers are still driving around during the day … and going to sleep at night with their badges on … badges that have gone to their heads.
If the pro-lifers walk away from their arrests … and shrug their shoulders in a “turn the other cheek” fashion … the other cheek remains available for another arrest.
What talks is a federal lawsuit against the city and police department … to slap their “naughty badges” … not to mess with First Amendment rights.
Stand up for freedom of speech … while Americans can still speak on the streets of America.
(www.thejesusrevolution.webs.com) What a bunch of nonsense, arresting a group of peaceful protesters standing up for the sanctity of human life. We’ve had problems with the police in upstate New York for protesting abortion with the “graphic” signs also. People say things just to get us off the streets, and laws are over-enforced, but the aborted babies are shown in the streets!