Friday, October 28, 2011
Politics Dem Party Chair: 'Haslam Overstepped Bounds Dramatically'
Posted by Jeff Woods on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 2:54 PM
It's not Governor Haslam's right to decide which protesters are welcome on public property and which ones are not. Whether it's Occupy Nashville or the Tea Party, the public has a constitutional right to address their feelings to the government on public land, which is the Legislative Plaza. This is uncharted territory and it's very slippery territory given our fundamental right to express our grievances, whatever they may be, to our government. Governor Haslam overstepped his bounds dramatically. It's heartening to know a sensible judge understands the constitution and dismissed the charges as irrelevant.
Forrester is referring to Metro Night Court Judge Tom Nelson, who has become something of a hero with the Occupy Nashville movement after dressing down the highway patrol for suddenly imposing the Capitol curfew and hauling the protesters to jail this morning. Nelson told the trooper in charge:
I am not criticizing the highway patrol. But you have no lawful basis to arrest or charge those people. For three weeks, they've sat up there and protested under no admonition whatsoever that they were violating state policy with regard to camping out on Legislative Plaza or that they were committing a crime. When the state issued its memorandum today, imposing a curfew and changing the rules right in the middle of a protest, they can do that, but they have to give them adequate opportunity to comply with the rules.
Comments (9)
Showing 1-9 of 9
Got to love how straightforward and no BS the commissioner was: no minor technicality here but just straight-up to the State Police:
"YOU HAD NO LAWFUL BASIS TO ARREST OR CHARGE THOSE PEOPLE"
like
dislike
Bill Haslam can spend his dirty money to plant around the clock 4-6ft signs everywhere in TN when he runs for governor, but when you want to express yourself with your own two feet, he deems it appropriate to arrest you and haul you off to jail at 3am. Pure cowardice.
I believe the good judge knows the law much better than the one claiming he's "enforcing the law." Then again, the good judge Nelson was hired for and keeps his job because of his knowledge.
Pity we can't say that about the governor of Tennessee.
it's been growing for a long time.....and will get worse..much worse.......no right to jail these people is right....but then the prisons are full of people that the representatives of law-enforcement had no right to imprison. yeah, I know.....everyone in prison is innocent!!!!!you had better start looking around....and try to make changes.
The people that were arrested, weren't they still charged with misdemeanor violations? Doesn't that mean they have to pay fines, court costs? I am just asking. More money for the state even though they were let go?
The Gov would send roses and hamburgers to the people if it was a Tea Party protest. Lt. Gov Ramsey also must have something to do with this. Anytime you want to stomp of the rights of the the citizens, call on old Ron Ramsey, he'll be happy to violate human rights, civil rights or constitutional rights. Ron was stomping on the poor, elderly and huddled masses before the huddling ever began.
It doesn't take those in the government very long to forget the lessons of the past.
I for one think Tom Nelson (Night Commissioner) should be praised for upholding the constitution of these United States of America.
The Nashville government and police department should be ashamed of what they're doing; because they're tramping on the 1st amendment rights of these citizens. Martin Luther King Jr and many others fought for civil rights, they were needlessly arrested by police, and look what happened. They won. In the end the Nashville government will only look like the bad guys, much like with civil rights. Wasn't 8th Ave renamed Rosa Parks Ave?
To all the foolish people commenting on this claiming that the protesters are uninformed or misguided: How are you going to tell your children that this is the greatest country in the world or that capitalism works when we're in debt to china (a communist country). Did any of you get a bail out?
These people are out here protesting because the "leaders" in our government take their commands from the corporations that are paying them and it's time to end big government and stop this vicious cycle of debt and corruption. They're fighting for the same things that the tea party and other Americans are fighting for. You and I have no rights anymore.
Magistrate Tom Nelson said, "I have reviewed the regulations of the state of Tennessee, and I can find no authority anywhere for anyone to authorize a curfew anywhere on Legislative Plaza...Maybe Governor Haslam, Tom Nelson is a little smarter about the laws of this nation the you are and he was attentive in class when he learned about Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville, (1972). Where the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that "[t]he right to walk the streets, or to meet publicly with one's friends for a noble purpose or for no purpose at all—and to do so whenever one pleases—is an integral component of life in a free and ordered society”. You arrogant SOB, The First Amendment is OUR permit !!!!
