Can A 16 Year Old Boy Undo The Patriot Act?

The P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act was cobbled together shortly after 9/11. Fear and hysteria gripped the nation and the Congress responded with a severe curtailment of individual rights under the guise of protecting people from terrorism. While there might be a few good things in there, much of it violates the Constitution. That was certainly the case for young Ashton Lundeby, and now his story might be the way to repeal or at least have the bill rewritten so that it respects our Constitutional rights. Regardless, it still needs to be repealed or rewritten.



Update: The answer is no unfortunately, Wired Magazine explains it here.

Critical Mass Bicyclists Want Their Day In Court

Well it is about time that the NYPD get some justice of their own. Bicyclists that have participated in the Critical Mass rides have been mentally tortured by cops on scooters and many individual crimes against the riders that have serious implications if they can win over judge and jury. The damages they are seeking are hefty as well, $5 million each for fifteen cyclists. The only times that the judiciary has been involved was when the city tried to go after the riders, only to fail every single time. Now it is time to turn those proverbial tables around.

From OnNYTurf:

After years of on the street and legal harassment by the City of New York, Critical Mass cyclists are fighting back. Several cyclists who participated in the September, October, and November 2004 Critical Mass bike rides are back suing the city. 15 plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $5 Million Dollars EACH for violations of several constitutional rights including denial of free speech, false arrest, and denial of due process. The briefing filed with the court today contains bizzarro play by plays of slow speed chases between cyclists and impish cops on scooters. But make no mistake, the charges against the NYPD are serious and if proven damning:

Defendants created false information against plaintiffs.

Defendants forwarded false information to prosecutors in the Office of the District Attorney of New York County.

Defendants misled the prosecutors and/or the Court by providing false information and/or testimony in initiating and throughout the criminal proceedings.

Defendants failed to turn over exculpatory evidence and other materials to the prosecutor despite proper demands and/or requests for the same.

Defendants lacked probable cause to continue criminal proceedings against plaintiffs.

Defendants acted with malice in continuing criminal proceedings against plaintiffs.

Defendants’ selective enforcement of the parade permitting scheme, the New York State disorderly conduct statute, VTL § 1234, and/or their powers to retain plaintiffs’ bicycles against plaintiffs violated plaintiffs’ constitutional rights under the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

And here is the PDF of their lawsuit.

The bikers deserve their day in court. The harassment endured from the NYPD has gone on long enough. Now it is the cops' turn to sweat it out.