Thank J.R. Quinn for the gay celebrations- profile of the Lawrence-Garner arresting officer

Houston Press ^ | July 10, 2003 | Richard Connelly

[weegee]

Back Door to History

Thank J.R. Quinn for the gay celebrations

Gay rights supporters hailed the U.S. Supreme Court's June 26 decision in Lawrence v. Texas as a watershed that will forever change gay and lesbian life in America. Many of the players in the drama have gotten their 15 minutes of fame, from the eagerly sound-biting lawyers to the publicity-shy defendants. But what about Harris County Sheriff's Deputy J.R. Quinn? He's the Frank Wills of this new day for gays ('70s trivia time: Wills was the security guard who discovered the Watergate break-in).

In 1998 Quinn arrested John Lawrence and another man for having anal sex in a Pasadena apartment. He'd been responding to a bogus call about a gun-toting intruder.

"Why on that date law officers decided to enforce a law that was almost never enforced, I'll never know," says attorney Mitchell Katine. He's glad they did -- the arrest of two consenting adults in their bedroom made the perfect case to take on Texas' sodomy law.

Quinn, an 18-year veteran, now works the overnight shift at the jail and is well aware what his actions led to. "As soon as they pled no contest, I knew where they were going with this," he says.

So why the arrest? "It was pretty blatant -- it wasn't 'oops,' where they just got caught doing it," he says. "We had a weapons call, the door was unsecured and we announced our presence and went in and they still refused to stop what they were doing."

He says he predicted the court decision: "It's not illegal for a man and woman to do that, so under the equal protection laws I figured they'd rule like they did," he says.

Quinn also has no big thoughts on being at least a footnote to a landmark decision. "It's just the way it happened, and I was there," he says. -- Richard Connelly

[weegee]

This is from the homosexual friendly Houston Press. They waited until now to cover him.

I've tried to explain to people that they refused to stop the act in the presence of the officer (and that the door was unlocked, not "busted down"). I believe that they were arrested that night (for a crime that only carries a fine) because they refused to stop the act. They were probably booked on non-compliance with the officer (also to make sure that they ended the act). Certainly it made for better press for them.

This article does not mention that the caller was a homosexual roommade of one of the men or that he was assaulted (sexually and physically) by the same man. Nor does it mention that the same man was latered killed in an unsolved assault.

Maybe in 20 years those details will make this paper.

Men whose sodomy case led to Supreme Court ruling keep low profile(Lawrence Garner Texas)

[Support Free Republic]

We Salute Free Republic's Donors! Be one!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[AntiGuv]

Maybe in 20 years those details will make this paper.

In 20 years no one but the fringe will bother with this nonsense sodomy issue..

[MHGinTN]

The article also leaves out the prior effort by (I think) Lawrence to challenge the Georgia marriage statutes. They couldn't egt that case to the court run so they tried this in Texas.

[weegee]

I would hope that in 20 years an abused man who was murdered has his murder solved. Especially since one of the litigants of this case was an abuser.

You must hate homosexuals to not care about one dying of an assault.

[AntiGuv]

I would hope that in 20 years an abused man who was murdered has his murder solved.

Me too, but I won't hold my breath.

Especially since one of the litigants of this case was an abuser.

My hope for the solution of the abused man's death is not any greater or lesser due to the abusive character of one of the litigants in this case.

You must hate homosexuals to not care about one dying of an assault.

People of every sexuality are abused and die of assault every day. My concerns about abuse & assault seem irrespective of sexuality..

[MHGinTN]

Weegee has displayed a 'sexuality' filter on threads at FR of late. You've both shown your focus to be the humanity of the individual, not their sexual proclivities. Nuff said ...