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"police" t-shirts & protected speech

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
Man Sues After "POLICE" t-shirt arrest
A Belleville Police officer arrested a St. Charles man for wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word "POLICE."

Now, Adam C. Weinstein, of St. Charles, has sued the department for what he calls a violation of his constitutional rights.

According to police documents, Weinstein was arrested in 2006 outside a bar in Belleville for "impersonating officers." He was wearing a black t-shirt with the word police striped across the front and back under a sweater. The t-shirt became exposed when he removed the sweater because he was hot.

"Those t-shirts are a sign of solidarity," said Howard A. Shalowitz, an attorney representing Weinstein. "How many people wear NYPD caps? Are they impersonating police?"

According to the lawsuit, a waitress told Weinstein that some police officers wanted to speak with him outside the bar. Weinstein went outside, he said, and was greeted by Belleville Police Officer Jeff Vernatti.

Vernatti, Weinstein alleges, asked him for his police credentials. Weinstein says he told the officer he didn’t have any credentials because he wasn’t a police officer.

That’s when, according to Weinstein, the police officer started screaming curse words and became physically and verbally abusive. Weinstein says he was cuffed and later released by the officer, but made to take the t-shirt off while standing in the cold.

Weinstein was ticketed for impersonating a police officer, but it was later dismissed. The ticket only alleges Weinstein wore the t-shirt.

"I’m afraid to go to Belleville," Weinstein said in an interview. According to the lawsuit, Weinstein is a firefighter.

Weinstein said he bought two of the shirts--one for him, one for his wife--at Leon’s Uniform Company in St. Louis while buying supplies for firefighting.

The lawsuit was filed last week in St. Clair County. Vernatti and the city of Bellevile are named as defendents.

In 2005, Vernatti and the city of Belleville were sued for allegedly tasering a man. That case was later settled before going to trial.

Belleville Mayor Mark W. Eckert declined to comment through an aide. A spokesperson for the Belleville Police also declined to comment. Vernatti couldn’t be reached for comment.

Steven Beckett, professor and director of trial advocacy at the University of Illinois’ law school, said the arrest may be a violation of Weinstein’s First Amendment rights.

"A t-shirt alone isn’t enough to arrest someone," Beckett said. "There must be some overt act."

Beckett added: "The police complaint on its face is inconsistent with the First Amendment."
i guess he should have had "FVCK THE" before "POLICE", so he'd be guaranteed to go unbothered
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
wow...that must be a boring town for that cop to take offense from a shirt; especially with a firefighter wearing it. police/firefighter = same professional courtesy, imo.

what a douche, i mean...what cop is going to wear a "police" shirt under his sweater and display the shirt without being on duty and/or armed? now had the complainant been soliciting information or trying to perform law enforcement duties, that would be different...but just wearing a shirt that anyone can buy at the screen print store in the mall? i hope he gets fired.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
just b/c fisherman suck at what they do doesn't make the job more dangerous. take these same shiftless alcoholics and observe their drop out rate in the academy.
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,452
1,980
Front Range, dude...
Neither police or firefighters are in the top ten. A fisherman is ten times more likely to die in the line of duty compared to a police officer and they make an average of less than 20K/yr.

http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-777-Changing-Jobs-Worlds-Most-Dangerous-Jobs/
Its not an issue of environmental dangers and screw ups made by idiots on the job claiming lives, its an issue of the sacrifices made IN YOUR NAME by those in the public safety world. Commercial fishermen sacrifice so rich folks can eat lobster and we can fish sticks...and 20k? Own a boat and make 10x that much, if you work your and your crews asses off.
:rant::rant:
Cops and firefighters sacrifice so that you can live safely and free from fear, and so that when the unimaginable happens, you can hopefully live through it then comment from the sidelines on how they should have done it, based on your immense experience in the field.
:rant::rant:
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Point is everyone must be processed equally whether they are police, firefighters, or military.

The people in the top ten most dangerous careers/industries are more likely to die and in many cases doing things that let everyone get on with their day to day life too. Most people eat fish, use wood and other natural resources, fly airlines, live in buildings made by construction workers and other tradesmans, use utilities, eat food grown on the farm, put garbage at the curb etc... They are at greater risk and just as worthy of praise...
 
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JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,452
1,980
Front Range, dude...
When your time comes, there isnt much you can do about it, other then sing your death song and go well...no matter what you are doing at the time.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,698
1,749
chez moi
That's pretty astounding... +1 to Manimal. Who has the time to make this into a criminal matter?? And what state/local law is so screwed up that you can be prosecuted without materially representing yourself as a LEO???

When I was working federal criminal investigations for the .gov, we had a guy with a near-perfect counterfeit of our badge (bought off the 'net), wearing all-black pseudo-cop tactical clothes with a police scanner in his car, a .44 redhawk, and a meth habit who told his whole family he was a fed agent with us. We had one concrete example among a lot of other nebulous stuff where he tried to use the badge to get his car out of impound (material representation). And they wouldn't touch that for prosecution, even as a misdemeanor. But that's fed for you, not local, where it's a more anything-goes atmosphere in my experience.

It was a great interview, though. Lotta fun.

Several people tried to use our badge to carry guns onto aircraft, too...since no one knows us, it's not a bad way to go about it.
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
I've seen people with 'STAFF' written on their t-shirts.

I don't think they are even staff!

The world these days eh....

:crazy: