Cops to Pay Amy Goodman $100K for Wrongfully Arresting Her

[midnight]

Source: Gawker

Here's a video of normal-sized middle-aged female journalist Amy Goodman being arrested by multiple hulking stick-wielding riot police dressed in full body armor at the Republican National Convention in 2008. Sometimes you just have to laugh at the police state. Hey guy, are there enough of you there, you think? What if she scratches your eyeballs?!

The moral of the story is, if you are the police state, just let reporters do their jobs, or else you'll look stupid on video, and then three years later you'll be ordered to pay $100,000 to the journalists you manhandled, because of that whole "First Amendment" thing. Just stand back looking menacing, police state members! Be satisfied with getting to hold those cool sticks.

Tune in three years from now to find out how much all the Occupy Wall Street police misconduct lawsuits are settled for!


Read more: http://gawker.com/5846234/cops-to-pay-amy-goodman-100k-for-wrongfully-arresting-her

[Vidar]

1. Thanks for the posting. Too often, the bastards get away with it.

[rhett o rick]

31. They always get away with it. THey dont pay the settlement, the taxpayers do.nm

[L. Coyote]

38. Insurance company will pay, no doubt.

RNC had to have coverage to do the event there, I bet.

[rhett o rick]

42. Tax payer buy the insurance for them and the insurance rate payers foot the bill. nm

[coalition_unwilling]

2. Misleading headline. Actually, taxpayers will pay for the

misdeeds of the cops, either paying the funds directly out of General Funds or paying higher liability insurance premiums downstream as a result of liability payouts for this.

Sort of like this asshole Tony Baloney in New York City. I'll bet he never has to cough up a single penny in damages for his egregious behavior during the OWS protests. Instead, New York City taxpayers will be on the hook and deservedly so.

[midnight]

7. Appleannie1 posted additional info... Her link sites an insurance policy

having been taken out to cover damages... "That part of the settlement was paid by an insurance policy taken out by the Twin Cities convention host committee before the convention began." I hope this does not burden the tax payer either, because I get what you mean.... and agree.... the tax payer is paying for these illegal acts...

[Lasher]

12. No punishment that I can see for the guilty cops or their supervisors.

A hollow victory, and no deterrent against perpetuation of this behavior.

[midnight]

17. They are suppose to receive training?

[Lasher]

46. I read that part. Sounds really brutal, huh?

I'd like to train them by going Tony Baloney on them so they can see what it feels like.

[LiberalFighter]

29. They should had been fired IMO. I'm sick of police abusing their powers.

The feds also need to stop giving the police departments fancy tools that are more military than local police. It is possible that the heads of local police swell up when they start using fancy tools.

[rhett o rick]

34. The common folks pay either as taxpayers or rate payers. If the police dont pay personally

we pay.

[DCKit]

24. The taxpayers need to stand up and ask what degree of facist tactics they're willing to pay for. nt

[appleannie1]

3. More on the settlement

St. Paul, Minn. — A New York-based radio talk show host and two of her producers arrested during the 2008 Republican National Convention have won a settlement against Twin Cities police.

Amy Goodman sued St. Paul, Minneapolis and the Secret Service after her arrest on the opening day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Her producers were detained while filming street demonstrations — some of which had turned violent. Goodman was arrested when she came to the aid of her colleagues.

Goodman announced the settlement on her show this morning. Her colleagues Nicole Salazar and Sharif Kouddous were arrested amid the protests at the convention, Sept. 1, 2008. Goodman approached police to ask for their release and was herself detained. Much of the incident was recorded on video.

The suit was filed in federal court in May 2010 by Baher Asmy, attorney and legal director for the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, which represented Goodman.

"We reached a settlement," Asmy said. "All three plaintiffs that are journalists with Democracy Now reached a final settlement with the city of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the United States Secret Service, that will resolve the claims that they had against them from unlawful and quite violent arrests."

The settlement includes $100,000 in compensation and a promise of police training.

Other defendants include the Minneapolis Police and the U.S. Secret Service.

St. Paul City Attorney Sara Grewing said the settlement included $90,000 on behalf of the cities who had sent police to handle security during the RNC. That part of the settlement was paid by an insurance policy taken out by the Twin Cities convention host committee before the convention began.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/10/03/radio-host-wins-settlement-against-twin-cities-police/

[midnight]

6. That is an interesting settlement- Police training?

I hope this will be retraining to teach about what are constitutional rights that they need to protect....

[1776Forever]

4. I remember this and wondered at the time who these "police" were -

Does anyone know if they were Private Blackwater types? I always thought they acted like that.

[Eric J in MN]

11. They were Minneapolis cops, working in St. Paul.

The county line concept of police jurisdiction wasn't followed during the 2008 RNC.

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, midnight.

[lib2DaBone]

8. Good news. Too bad it was only $100K...

[avaistheone1]

30. I agree. This is only a slap on the hand for the police.

[SoapBox]

9. Police are looking...and acting...more and more like Star Wars Stormtroopers...

The police really creep me out.

Talk about your "private" little world and organization...the ultimate place for power freaks to hide out.

[Shipwack]

10. Unfortunately, the only "moral" that will be learned is ...

First, arrest the guy with the camera.

*sigh*

Well, at least the good guys won one, for a change. Good for Ms Goodman and her colleagues.

[Dawson Leery]

13. Until "qualified immunity" is scrapped, there will be no personal

responsibility on behalf of leo's.

[saras]

14. They did get away with it. Three years, chump change that WE pay, and they're still cops

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. Cops or taxpayers?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. Insurance policy that the RNC took out for the city.

[femrap]

16. I would prefer

that Amy got more. I remember her arrest in '08. Made me sick.

[midnight]

19. I don't remember the details but wasn't she dragged?

[femrap]

21. I just remember her screaming..

'We're Journalists. We're the Press.'

Fooking neo-cons.

[itsallhappening]

20. Does that make her rich?

Uh oh.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. Counting the days...

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Scurrilous]

22. K & R

:thumbsup:

[No Elephants]

23. Good for Goodman!

[Douglas Carpenter]

25. good!!

[The Wizard]

27. But But But

They hate us for our freedoms. Yeah right.

[DeSwiss]

28. K&R n/t

[G_j]

32. K&R

[Vinca]

33. Good for Amy! Bravo!

[izquierdista]

35. Cops are always yammering about 'your record'.

"You don't want an arrest on your record."

Well, a record needs to be made of each miscreant act by a cop that later ends up as a court settlement. Unless and until it results in a reduction in pension for said cop, you will see their behavior continue. Tony Baloney should be looking at multiple whacks to his pension so that he will be lucky if his pension check covers the light bill.

[pam4water]

36. The number really needs another ZERO if the City & police are going to learn anything form suit.

[L. Coyote]

37. Happy to give this news a BIG REC

Just in time to give NYC a clue!

[L. Coyote]

39. VIDEO 2008.09.04: Interview with Amy Goodman RE Arrested at the RNC

Deja DU: TheRealNews: Interview, Amy Goodman Arrested at the RNC

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x181885

Amy: "They have to be held accountable."

[Logical]

40. The cops need to be fired. That Very seldom happens!

[JDPriestly]

41. If they can get a judge who is not corrupt, the people arrested on the

Brooklyn Bridge or at least some of them may also be suing for false arrest. I saw a video on YouTube that showed the police leading the marchers onto the street portion of the bridge. Protestors were walking down the pedestrian walkway above the bridge and were diverted when the police appeared to be directing the march down the street portion of the bridge. They then kettled the protestors and arrested them. Great excuse for I'Ding the protestors.

[truedelphi]

44. Glad to see people are still psoting that the protesters were LED ON

The bridge and then arrested for being there!

[countryjake]

43. Kick & Rec. n/t

!

[cascadiance]

45. Makes me feel that much better helping youtube publicity of this event then!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=179707

Great that at least it is now on record that these b*st*rds were in the wrong when they did this crap! One of the poster's wishes from back then on that thread just became fully realized!