33 Capitol protesters seek jury trials after arrests

[hue]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/33-capitol-protesters-seek-jury-trials-after-arrests-b9973470z1-219180141.html

Madison — More than 40 protesters arrested by Capitol Police during a crackdown on a daily sing-along conducted without permits have pleaded not guilty, and 33 have requested jury trials.

Police have issued 223 citations or recommended charges in the last two weeks against people participating in the noontime Solidarity Sing-along, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Some people have received more than one citation, which are mostly for conducting a demonstration without a permit. Seven arrests were for disorderly conduct or obstructing or resisting arrest.

The protesters have gathered almost every day for the last two years to sing against Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Police began arresting them last month after a federal judge ruled that officers can require groups of more than 20 to get a permit to gather in the building.

The protesters refuse to apply for permits, saying they shouldn't need the government's permission to protest the government. They say the First Amendment protects their rights to free speech and assembly, and they also say that because they're not an organized group no one can assume responsibility for any damages to the building, as a permit would require.

The most recent court cases came Friday when 32 people entered not-guilty pleas. They were scheduled for initial appearances, and 29 requested jury trials, said clerk of courts Carlo Esqueda.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Everyone arrested ought to demand jury trials.

First, Dane County juries just may decide not to convict people. Pretty hard to seat a jury from Madison with no members who participated in the 2011 Uprising.

Second, it just plugs up the system & dramatically raises the cost to the state of messing with people. The Dane Co. DA could blow his entire budget on this nonsense.

There is a jury fee the defendants must pay, but it is small & many of ys would pony up a few bucks to cover the fees for any hardship cases.

[dragonlady]

7. Dane County probably is not in favor of these arrests

but its court system will have to deal with them anyway. I seem to remember that the prosecutors in these cases were from the state attorney general's office, but someone could correct me. That at least would put some of the burden on Scott Walker's budget, not that he cares.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Yes, the State AG's office is carrying the load for prosecution.

I had a discussion with one of the Asst AG's who was assigned to prosecute these cases as part of his workload. It was during the course of a trial on an entirely different matter in which I was testifying as an expert.

[midnight]

11. I wonder how many will be going through the public defender's office where his former

Milwaukee County Executive top aid Cindy Archer just landed a lucrative job..

http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/walker-loyalist-cindy-archer-starts-high-paying-job-monday-b9972329z1-

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. They Need About 10,000 Flash Singing Protesters To Show Up Without Warning

And they need a battalion of vets. Where is the VFW and American Legion or are they sitting drunk in their bars?.

[HelenWheels]

4. VFW and Legion are righties. nt

[TheMastersNemesis]

5. I Know That Is Why I Won't Have Anything To Do With The Bastards As A Vet

[Jackpine Radical]

9. a) They are sitting drunk in their bars

telling each other old war stories for the thousandth time.

b) They are righties.

My impression of them (as a VN vet who went the Vets for Peace way) is that their respective wars were the high point of their lives, that a relatively small number of them ever served in combat, and they are just generally stuck in a time warp.

That said, I do recall a few exceptions, like the VFW post in Madison, WI that that passed a resolution in opposition to the VN War and got itself kicked out of the National Org. They reconstituted themselves as Peace Post # 1.

I've sometimes thought that a few of us troublemaker-type vets oughtta go down & join en masse, then take over the show & start doing things our way.

[Scuba]

3. I've never been arrested. Maybe it's time.

[midnight]

6. Good response to this permit request....

[Lefta Dissenter]

10. Yes,

DOJ is prosecuting the civil forfeiture cases (eg, "no permit&quot . DA's office still handles any misdemeanor charges, of which there have been several. These include "resisting arrest," "obstructing," or, the most surprising charge in this public building during open hours - "Trespassing!"

We are well over 200 citations now, in this latest crackdown. On August 23 will be the next round of 60+ initial appearances in court. We still have 80 or 90 open cases from the pre-crackdown citations.

Those who want to donate can do so at http://solidaritysingalong.org Every penny goes to the court costs, starting with the jury fees.

And YES, PLEASE JOIN US! Every weekday from noon to 1:00, except Fridays are outside, which is really fun, too, but with low risk of arrest. If there is a permit for an event in the rotunda over the noon hour, then the Sing Along moves outside.

[Big Tent]

12. Pray

A group should start to pray in the capitol. Getting arrested for praying is a win in the court of public opinion. Arrests for praying will divide Walker's base instead of bringing it together when he is laying the smack-down on the hippies.

[mojowork_n]

13. Singing prayers, maybe... Thinking of praying as a non-audible activity.

That's not likely to draw an arrest, I don't think.
But I wouldn't want to put anything past the Capitol Po-Po.

Maybe Singing, Praying and Dancing, all at the same time. I just saw this article -- dancing is a crime in Japan.

http://www.tofugu.com/2012/05/16/is-dancing-illegal-in-japan/

The point of the article is that Japanese police aren't saying why they're choosing to make arrests of people dancing in public. They just are, they continue to choose to do so, and people are supposed to be on guard. "Choose when and where you dance wisely," the message seems to be.

That's just so f'd up on soooo many levels.

...But getting back to your point, yes, maybe it would be a good idea to push the envelope a little.

Different people may naturally have more or less interest in singing (I always have more fun moving to a rhythm and beatz, myself and I'm a t e r r i b l e singer) and others might be more drawn to public prayer groups.

Make protest a multiple choice option, not one-size-fits-all.

Edit to add link:

For instance, at this nuclear weapons base in Germany, there were many separate, distinct interest-groups: Poetry, Inter-Religious, Rhythm, Women's, a 'Happening' group... it was "complicated" but it worked.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/08/15/german-bomber-base-shut-down-by-ambitious-rhythm-beats-bombs-blockaders/