(Anti-war) Spray-Painting Politician Convicted

[DoYouEverWonder]

July 20, 2006

TOLEDO, Ohio -- A former councilman and one-time mayoral candidate was convicted of spray-painting anti-war slogans on highway overpasses.

Mike Ferner was found guilty of felony vandalism and possession of criminal tools. He faces up to two years in prison.

Ferner, 55, could have agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and avoided trial. But he said he saw the trial as another opportunity to make his case against the war in Iraq.

He was arrested in January along Interstate 475 and U.S. 23. The State Highway Patrol said Ferner painted the slogan "Troops Out Now" on several overpasses.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-brf-ex-councilman-convicted,0,5068508.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines


Gee, I'm so glad the world is safe from one more freeway blogger. :sarcasm:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. They could make him paint GOP signs.... that would really

hurt. Ouch.

[IndyBob]

2. I'm sure some will disagree,

but its vandalism. A city crew of 2, with a truck, costs $250/hr or more to clean this up. That's money not available for other needs.

He made his point, and now faces the consequences.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Then charge him for the crew and the clean up

but 2 years in jail does seem a bit much for a nonviolent crime.

[IndyBob]

5. Agreed

Two years would be too long. This is the max, I imagine he could very well get less. He could have plead the misdemeanor.

[MagickMuffin]

6. Well at least he wasn't phone jamming his opponents

he would have received a lighter sentence.

Phone jammers only receive a few months in jail. Disenfranchising hundreds of people is way cooler, than spraying an anti war slogan "Bring the Troops Home!" :sarcasm:

[leesa]

10. They should leave it there since so many dunderheads in this country

can't seem to get past their bloodlust, we'll need to be bringing troops home from somewhere at all times.

[Earth_First]

3. Chalk. I've had several run-ins with law enforcement freeway blogging...

I've talked my way out of it twice where I explained that it was no different from a child marking on the sidewalk in front of their home; YOU simply don't like the message.

One of my messages is still there on an underpass plain as day, 2.5 years later.

[annabanana]

7. We would Love a pic of it!. . . . . . n/t

[crim son]

8. Ann Coulter can send fake anthrax to the NYT

with no consequence, and this fellow might get two years in prison? Unbelievable.

[DainBramaged]

9. He left us the toolbox

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