Lawyer Arrested for Wearing a 'Peace' T-Shirt (AT THE MALL)

reuters ^ | 3/4/2003 | reuters

[TLBSHOW]

Lawyer Arrested for Wearing a 'Peace' T-Shirt

— NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawyer was arrested late Monday and charged with trespassing at a public mall in the state of New York after refusing to take off a T-shirt advocating peace that he had just purchased at the mall.

According to the criminal complaint filed on Monday, Stephen Downs was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "Give Peace A Chance" that he had just purchased from a vendor inside the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, near Albany.

"I was in the food court with my son when I was confronted by two security guards and ordered to either take off the T-shirt or leave the mall," said Downs.

When Downs refused the security officers' orders, police from the town of Guilderland were called and he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs, charged with trespassing "in that he knowingly enter(ed) or remain(ed) unlawfully upon premises," the complaint read.

Downs said police tried to convince him he was wrong in his actions by refusing to remove the T-shirt because the mall "was like a private house and that I was acting poorly.

"I told them the analogy was not good and I was then hauled off to night court where I was arraigned after pleading not guilty and released on my own recognizance," Downs told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Downs is the director of the Albany Office of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints of misconduct against judges and can admonish, censure or remove judges found to have engaged in misconduct.

Calls to the Guilderland police and district attorney, Anthony Cardona and to officials at the mall were not returned for comment.

Downs is due back in court for a hearing on March 17.

He could face up to a year in prison if convicted.

[TLBSHOW]

I missed your post what did they say on O'Reilly?

[TLBSHOW]

GUILDERLAND, N.Y., March 5 - The management at Crossgates Mall Wednesday asked the Guilderland Police Department to drop the trespassing charges against a Selkirk man. This came after about 100 protestors descended on Crossgates Mall that afternoon. Their "Mall Walk for Peace" protested the arrest of 60-year-old Stephen Downs, who was charged with trespassing Monday night when he wouldn't leave the mall after he refused to remove his T-shirt bearing a peace message.

http://www.msnbc.com/local/wnyt/m276307.asp?0ct=-302

[Chummy]

The son was not arrested. Did he choose to leave or remove the shirt? I have not heard.

According to published reports, the 31-year old son removed his shirt as requested. The 61-year old father refused, and said something instead to the effect of, "Arrest me."

[Illbay]

They simply made it look like they were innocently walking around with these nifty t-shirts and the mean ol' mall cops oppressed 'em.

O'Reilly reacted much as I did upon first hearing the story. If there is really more to it, then it'd be great if you would bring O'Reilly up to date.

oreilly@foxnews.com

"Name and town, if you wish to opine."

[Illbay]

So this might be the end of the matter. I'll bet it wasn't the 100 protestors, but the overall negative publicity.

The O'Reilly story surely didn't help.

[decimon]

Post a sign outside your restaurant that says "Whites Only," and then get back to us on that.

That would be a great sign for some black entrepeneurs opening a linen shop. If they managed to live they could have a thriving business.

[TLBSHOW]

its disgusting really, I will send Bill an email thanks!

[Illbay]

No, thank YOU.

[TLBSHOW]

He said his father would wait to see how the mall handles the case before deciding whether to sue.


http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030305_2723.html

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Private property rights....sorry dude! A mall is all private property....and if it is the Mall's policy to support our troops, then I say good for them! If I lived there, I would shop for everything in that mall!

It's private property alright. But the rights of commercial property owners which allow the general public to enter do not have the same rights as a homeowner or club. The most extreme example I can think of is that Southern states used to keep blacks out of their business, now that is illegal. But it is still your right to keep them out of your home.

[Shethink13]

You're right - I did hear that later. Still doesn't change the fact that I don't think we're getting all the scoop.