From the looks of things, the ACLU will be showing up any minute right? I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist the truly absurd.

Can you just imagine if a white officer had said and done anything remotley like that during Bush’s days? Or for that matter a white officer had done that, period, to a minority?

I certainly hope that the individual in the video filed a complaint to that officer’s Internal Affairs Unit.

I would also be curious to know exactly what kind of America he thinks it is. Or is it turning into another country entirely? Or maybe he’s just mad that he’s still paying for his gas and mortgage even though he voted for BHO.

By BCB on 08.31.09 6:02 pm

For anyone that wishes to contact Fairfax County regarding this officer, here is the link:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/contact/MailForm.aspx?agId=2066

I asked for the complete story just in case there are any municipal codes or other factors that came into play. Barring that, I expressed a wish that he be investigated for Civil Rights violations even though I have no standing in the case.

By BCB on 08.31.09 6:34 pm

Cheeks is not a Fairfax County police officer. Cheeks is a member of the Fairfax County Public Schools trained School Security Officer team. He is a security guard. And probably cost Fairfax country schools(taxpayers) some cash.

Maybe he needs to enroll in the school he’s protecting and take refresher courses in early American history and civics.

Mr. Cheeks can get a job in the Obama administration if he loses his job. He can become director of the national civilian security force. But that won’t happen. He will be given paid leave while the heat from the story dies down.

By Pogo on 09.01.09 9:37 am

Would you have put the sign down?

As for me, no friggin way!!!

By Pogo on 09.01.09 9:39 am

“Maybe he needs to enroll in the school he’s protecting and take refresher courses in early American history and civics.”

I’m pretty sure he has the version they teach in school now. Same as the white guy that believes after-hours public school grounds “have very different 1st amendment rights”.

They must be in the constitution from that number two “America” John Edwards kept talking about.

By Eric Holcombe on 09.01.09 11:22 am

Right Eric. Forgot civics no longer in the curriculae and the revisionist history books have omitted the first hundred years of U.S. history.

He would have to go to a private school.

By Pogo on 09.01.09 1:35 pm

Damn. I would have let the guy arrest me and then sued the crap out of the police dept.

By Ty on 09.01.09 2:51 pm

Actually, you will find many different sets of rules when dealing with school grounds. If it is in session, they deal with one set fo rules in conection with “in loco parentis” rules to safeguard kids. At night or during after hours civic events, they deal with the same Constitution as the rest of us.

If the school was REALLY all that much different, could they hold a “town hall” and not call it a politicl rally and have to deal with a whole different set of rules? If it’s not an open event, then it’s a campaign event and wouldn’t that subject them to some sort of equal time rules? Could they even hold it there on school grounds? I thought that the government was supposed to stay out of the election arena and not show sides.

So, again I say if it’s a town hall, they violated his rights. If it’s a campaign rally then they violated other laws.

By BCB on 09.01.09 4:50 pm

I do pro-life work (www.ProLifeOnCampus.com), and we get this occasionally. We have successfully sued the FBI and the LA County Sherrif’s Dept., among others (as described at http://www.abortionno.org).
The best way to handle these situations is this: (1) Always videotape your encounters. People lie, including some police officers. (2) Tell the officer that you intend to comply, but could he please tell you what law compels him to force you to take down your sign. (3) Comply. You are in a much better position as the plaintiff in a civil rights case than a defendant in a tresspassing case. (4) Sue for damages. There are several public-interest law firms that would potentially consider this case, including ADF, ACLJ, Thomas More Law Center, and many others.
You never know really what is motivating the police officer who is giving you a hard time. Could be some guy that just likes to throw his weight around. and his badge gives him the chance to do that. Very few officers are like that, but there are some. Could be some guy confused on your rights and how he should respond. Could be some guy who agrees with you but is under orders from his bosses. But if you have video tape evidence and a good lawyer, you can have a lot of fun with it. BTW, we find it useful to notify the authorities ahead of time when we intend to display our abortion photos. Our legal memorandum (available on request) outlines our rights to display the photos, and it gives the bosses a chance to tell the street officers to leave us alone.

By Fletcher Armstrong on 09.02.09 9:38 am

I understand the different rules on public property, schools and whatnot. This particular video is different. Regardless of what was considered legal, the cop clearly stated that there were different rules for different people as evidenced when the camera guy pointed out other’s with signs.
This is clearly a free speech issue. Unlike all the idiots on the left that complain about free speech when it doesn’t apply; this one clearly applies as the police officer is a govt. employee selectively considering whom and whom does not have the right to hold the sign.

By Ty on 09.02.09 12:01 pm

Fletcher, do you likewise oppose the death penalty? Just curious.

By SemiPundit on 09.02.09 1:40 pm

Don’t try to equate abortion with execution. I don’t think there would be a big question if you could convict an unborn child of murder, then do it. What I think is so “bass ackwards” is that the very people that scream to keep cop killers and mass murderers alive are the ones that claim killing an innocent is a damn right.

By BCB on 09.02.09 3:01 pm

Semi,

Do you believe the unborn is due a jury trial by their peers prior to their conviction and abortion?

By Eric Holcombe on 09.03.09 8:18 am

Dang Eric. Good one.

By Ty on 09.03.09 3:47 pm

Reading this string of comments, I had to ask myself if I’m in Heaven. You guys ROCK!

Now question time for me. If the guy works for the schools, how is he empowered to make arrests? I know our officers are employed by the law enforcement agency (county sheriff dept. or city) and then are paid a salary either by grant coming through the system or by the school system.

How does the arrest threat work out here? I’m just curious about the procedural stuff.

By Terry on 09.03.09 7:04 pm

A more local version. Still a hypocrite though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKieuIPEexE

What a phony. Terry, could you write a post about this Briggs guy and what he is doing?

By Sherry on 09.06.09 11:31 am

I think this is the one that got deleted. I wrote about how Knox County used to hold the bond for the Knox County School Security Guards, but that I think that the state has picked it up. There are some that are certified officers and others that are not which means that some have been through an academy and can carry a gun while others can’t. Those officers generally can’t carry their weapons off campus where they don’t have arrest powers or jurisdiction. I think that was the basis of what I put up that you accidently deleted.

If not, delete it again. haha

By BCB on 09.07.09 5:21 pm