A Boston lawyer suing the city and police officers who arrested him for using his cell phone to record a drug arrest on the Common won a victory today when a federal appeals court said the officers could not claim “qualified immunity” because they were performing their job when they arrested him under a state law that bars audio recordings without the consent of both parties.

This will be an interesting case to watch. Police have used some creative charges to stop citizen journalists from recording their behavior and thus holding them accountable for their interactions with the public. The current trend points toward these citizen recordings being legal as long as the citizen stays far enough away as to not be impeding the arrest or investigation. Read the opinion here: http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/10-1764P-01A.pdf

Mark,

In reference to your story here: http://wtop.com/?nid=109&sid=2514785

I have a quick pop quiz:

1: If you or I were caught in D.C. with an unauthorized, unregistered firearm, what would be the charge?

2: If you or I fired that handgun (in D.C., while drunk 0.15 BAC) into a car with 3 occupants, what would be the charge?

3: Does shooting at transgendered citizens also constitute a “hate crime”?

The answers should be you would be charged with one count Carrying a Pistol Without a License, in violation of D.C. Code § 22-4504(a) (2001); one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, in violation of D.C. Code § 7-2502.01 (2001); one count of Possession of Unregistered Ammunition, in violation of  D.C. Code § 7-2506.01(3) (2001)  and multiple premeditated murder charges, one for every occupant in the vehicle  (in addition to DWI). But, when you are a cop working for the second most corrupt police force in the nation (after Chicago), and you have been specifically told you no longer have authorization to carry a gun in performance of your duties (this includes non-duty hours too) I guess it’s OK to get drunk, drive around town with your gun, and find some transgender folks to shoot at while drunk and standing on the hood of your car (a full 90 minutes after an altercation at CVS, that’s where the “premeditated murder” part comes in, Furr had to be out looking for these folks). You won’t be held fully accountable for your drunken attempted murder spree, at most you’ll be slapped with DWI and assault with a dangerous weapon charge. This is Lanier’s new management plan of “training trumps discipline“. Not being held fully accountable.

Some might say the cop shouldn’t be charged with the firearms charges, but once you lose the special police powers to carry a gun in D.C. you are no longer exempt from the same laws everyone else must follow. If you are not allowed to carry in the performance of your duties then any and all firearms and ammunition you possess outside the home in D.C. would NOT be legal, yes?

Mark, are you planning to follow up with DCMP to ask why this cop is receiving special treatment when you and I both know that someone NOT wearing a badge would also have these charges levied at them if they had done the same crime? Inquiring minds want to know!

Sincerely,

Ian Branson

Vienna, VA

That’s what Chief Wiggums, err, I mean DC Metro POLICE Chief Lanier fetishizes when describing her POLICE department. She thinks her corrupt co-workers are a “paramilitary” force, HA! Let’s get one thing straight Cathy: your cadre of contemptible criminals you call cops (you know, the “Only Ones” in DC good enough and trusted enough to carry a firearm in self-defense) are not some elite seal team force protecting the streets of the capital. I’ve seen more police officers abuse the badge and authority in DC than any other place. That is if you can even get them to do their job when asked or arrest a criminal. Your department is a sad JOKE and you are the leader of this fail train. You even admit you don’t believe in administering discipline when your “paramilitary” coworkers get out of line. Shame on you, you’re a sad excuse for a cop, and an even worse example of a leader. You got your job under Marion Barry’s tenure, didn’t ya?

In the rubble of Japan’s northeast coast, one small village stands as tall as ever after the tsunami. No homes were swept away. In fact, they barely got wet.

Fudai is the village that survived — thanks to a huge wall once deemed a mayor’s expensive folly and now vindicated as the community’s salvation.

The 3,000 residents living between mountains behind a cove owe their lives to a late leader who saw the devastation of an earlier tsunami and made it the priority of his four-decade tenure to defend his people from the next one.

His 51-foot (15.5-meter) floodgate between mountainsides took a dozen years to build and meant spending more than $30 million in today’s dollars.

This story really caught my attention this morning. A now deceased Japanese small town mayor had seen first hand the destruction caused by tsunami’s and felt he had to do something to protect lives and property by building a protective sea wall. Some felt his project was foolish and a waste, but he knew better and persevered to get the work completed. Thankfully he never caved into political pressure to abandon the project. Because of his preparation who knows how many lives were saved, or how many homes are still standing. Let this be a lesson to all: If you feel you are doing the right thing, peer pressure must not influence your actions.

The difference between a leader and a manager can often times be summed up by the decisions they make. Mayor Wamura could have managed the town and been happy in that role. Instead he stepped up and was a leader, making difficult decisions that ultimately paid off and showed his greatness. So, what kind of person are you? Are you a manager, or a leader? This may be a good time to take a moment to reflect on what your have done to contribute to your community and fellow man. Not everyone can contribute at the level Mayor Wamura did but everyone has the ability to make their mark on society in a positive way.

A District of Columbia police officer has pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree attempted burglary and is resigning from the department.

Just think, the police are the Only Ones good enough to carry guns in our nations capitol. It also appears in addition to this elite special privilege, they also moonlight as burglars! Just remember, these are the best of the best, our nations finest defending our seat of government, whose residents have been disarmed by unconstitutional edict for quite some time.  Where do I sign up?