[Peace] Report of Lori Serb's trial on ucimc

[Ricky Baldwin]

Sorry, Doug, but your bias is showing again.

Lori does admit that her actions toward the woman who
took her picture were wrong.  She has done so numerous
times to large numbers of folks.  Just because it
isn't mentioned in the article you read, you shouldn't
assume it isn't so.

We have also stated many times at AWARE meetings and
at the demonstrations on Prospect that a person has no
right not to photographed on a public street at a
public demonstration.  It actually came up a week
before Lori's mistake, because several pro-war
demonstrators had threatened a student journalist with
no connection to us, who was taking their pictures. 
At that time, by the way, another officer told the
journalist to stop harassing the demonstrators or he
could have her arrested.  

But Lori NOT charged with what she did wrong.  She's
charged with "resisting arrest," which she didn't. 
The cop ran up from behind and tackled her without
warning or identification.  She never saw him coming. 
She had no idea he was a cop.  She had no idea she was
under arrest.  Therefore she could not have resisted
arrest.  It's really very simple logic.  That's why
she calmly tried to get up.  She thought some pro-war
looney had pounced on her and she was keeping her cool
admirably in the way she should have just a few
minutes before that.

The officer claims she refused to give him her arm. 
It was pinned under her.  The other officer, sticking
up for his fellow 'peace officer', says the tackler
was never on top of her.  That is a lie.  I saw that
much firsthand.  The tackler says he grabbed her arm
and they fell.  Everyone who witnessed the events will
testify that that is a lie.  He tackled her.

In my opinion there are huge problems with policing,
systematic problems that go beyond individual
officers.  But there are also good and bad police
officers, and everyone makes mistakes - sometimes bad
ones.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a tendency
among police officers and their supporters to never
admit that a cop is wrong, which allows bad cops and
bad cop-mistakes to proliferate in the system
unabated.  That's why so many people don't trust cops
any more.  It's ironic, but the lesson is clear: if
you really support cops and what they do, then support
efforts to correct mistakes and get rid of bad cops.

This officer was flat wrong.  He knew it and his
buddies knew it.  When the woman Lori assaulted
decided not to press charges, that should have been
the end - except that the cops knew they had to do
something to cover their butts.  So they picked a
charge with a very low burden of proof, which they
know is almost never thrown out (this from legal
authorities, not my imagination) - and then backed one
another up like convicts in a "nobody rats" prison
culture.  (More irony?)

Anyway, we shall see what justice is left in the
system.

Ricky  


--- Dlind49 at aol.com wrote:
> I would like to comment on the information provided
> in this story written by 
> Kim regarding Lori Serb's trial. 
> 
> "According to Ms. Serb, she attempted to take the
> disposable camera away from 
> the picture taker. A struggle ensued and Ms. Serb
> eventually pulled the 
> camera from the woman's hand, threw it to the ground
> and stomped on it. " 
> 
> Let's get something clear. Lori's actions were flat
> wrong and illegal! Even 
> if Lori does not desire to have her picture taken
> she was in public involved in 
> a  public demonstration and can not prevent a photo
> from being taken. The 
> other person had the freedom to take Lori's picture
> and Lori can not say or do 
> anything to stop her. If Lori did not like the fact
> that her picture was taken 
> she should have asked the police officers who were
> on duty for assistance but 
> the woman still had the right to take Lori's
> picture.  Lori had absolutely no 
> right to act as described above, She was flat  wrong
> and she willfully violated 
> criminal laws! Her action cannot be justified at
> all. The simple fact is Lori 
> actually assaulted the woman, picture taker, when
> Lori started a physical 
> struggle with the end result as stated "Ms. Serb
> eventually pulled the camera 
> from the woman's hand, threw it to the ground and
> stomped on it". Lori can not 
> under any circumstances take some else's property by
> use of force and destroy 
> it. 
> 
> As to the police officers actions, he was in
> uniform, and probably tasked to 
> protect all participants. When Lori initiated a
> struggle she was committing a 
> crime thus the police officer had the duty to act.
> HE WAS RIGHT!!!  I for one 
> applaud his actions. He did his job. If he did not
> act he would have been 
> wrong. So I suggest that Lori get over it and pay
> the fine and never do this 
> again. I suggest that everyone learn form this.
> Simply, I am surprised that more 
> charges were not filed.  They should have been. Lori
> Serb; as acknowledged per 
> her own comments as reported in this news story;
> took personal property, a 
> camera, my force during a physical struggle and
> destroyed the camera. 
> 
> Anyone who wants to demonstrate must comply with all
> laws and Lori's actions 
> just because she did not want her picture taken
> during her participation in a 
> public demonstration were WRONG!  I suggest that
> Lori acknowledge her actions 
> as wrong. I suggest that Lori apologize to the
> woman, the police officer, and 
> the court. She has wasted valuable time of this
> police officer, other 
> officers, and the court trying to defend her own
> illegal actions as she admits 
> occured:   "According to Ms. Serb, she attempted to
> take the disposable camera away 
> from the picture taker. A struggle ensued and Ms.
> Serb eventually pulled the 
> camera from the woman's hand, threw it to the ground
> and stomped on it. " 
> 
> doug rokke
> 
>      
> 
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> 


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