Texas Couple gets $80,000 in arrest for anti-Bush t-shirts

[Catherine Vincent]

Houston Chronicle
Aug. 16, 2007, 9:49PM
Texas couple gets $80,000 in arrest for anti-Bush T-shirts

Nicole and Jeffery Rank of Corpus Christi, Texas, were handcuffed and removed from the July 4, 2004, rally at the state Capitol, where Bush gave a speech. A judge dismissed trespassing charges against them, and an order closing the case was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Charleston.

"This settlement is a real victory not only for our clients but for the First Amendment," said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of West Virginia. "As a result of the Ranks' courageous stand, public officials will think twice before they eject peaceful protesters from public events for exercising their right to dissent."

White House spokesman Blair Jones said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing.

The front of the Ranks' homemade T-shirts bore the international symbol for "no" superimposed over the word "Bush." The back of Nicole Rank's T-shirt said "Love America, Hate Bush." On the back of Jeffery Rank's T-shirt was the message "Regime Change Starts at Home."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5061265.html

[ThomCat]

1. This won't deter anyone in the administration.

They already view the treasury as a bottomless resource they can endlessly tap. $80k in fines in less than pocket change. They'll happily violate everyone's civil rights repeatedly and then let the treasury pay the small tab afterward.

[Kingshakabobo]

2. You are correct.

No policy was changed, no one admitted wrongdoing and no one lost their jobs over this. People that violate civil rights need to be held personally responsible. 80k from the treasury is a drop in the bucket. I would hope the victims would go after the law enforcement officials personal assets so they would think twice before breaking out the cuffs.

[iburl]

3. Good Deal, but...

Too bad they probably went through $30K or more worth of hassle to get the "non-admission of guilt" and the $80K.

[Cha]

4. I first I read this as..

"$80,000" fine for the anti bushit tee shirts stemming from the arrest!

This is much more better! Pays big time to stand up to bushit.

[Booster]

5. Wait until that Phelps guy and his entire family hear about this.

They'll be wearing anti-Bush t-shirts to the funerals they are protesting.

[DeSwiss]

6. The last time I hated cops this much....

...was the 60s and they were beating the crap out of anybody that protested or exercised their civil rights. Fucking assholes! The lot of them....



K&R!!!