This story isn't too surprising, but good news is always appreciated when it comes to the first amendment. Reverend Billy (a.k.a. Bill Talen) has been so outspoken in New York that the police here do not like to see such expressions of freedom. They provoked and arrested him for nothing, drawing up false charges and making criminals out of themselves (a crooked cop in New York? Never!). Instead of dropping it there, the city had the D.A. try to prosecute the Reverend, but apparently they could never get their act together.
From The Gothamist:
Hallelujah! Yesterday the judge presiding over the Reverend Billy case dropped the charges that claimed he harassed public officials. The Rev was arrested in June while reciting the First Amendment in Union Square during a Critical Mass ride which coincided with the protest of the proposed MOFTB rules.Turns out the prosecutors didn't meet their deadline to file papers explaining the arrest and its justification. The Reverend's (whose real name is Bill Talen) lawyer, Earl Ward, said they likely let the deadline pass in order to end the case. The video from that day does a good job of showing that he was just reciting, you know, the amendment stating our rights to free speech and free assembly -- albeit in the vicinity of power-tripping police officers.
The NY Times reports that Civil Rights lawyer Norman Siegel "said the dismissal was not the end of the road for Reverend Billy. He said he would file a federal lawsuit against the city and the Police Department charging false arrest, malicious prosecution and violation of Mr. Talen’s free-speech rights." Did the NYPD really think they could send Reverend Billy to the Tombs and expect him to just roll over?
Time to teach the NYPD a lesson. If anyone can back up Reverend Billy, its Norman Siegel.
|