Man faces 13 years in prison for writing in chalk outside bank!

Jeff Olson, the 40-year-old man who is being prosecuted for scrawling anti-megabank messages on sidewalks in water-soluble chalk last year now faces a 13-year jail sentence. A judge has barred his attorney from mentioning freedom of speech during trial. According to the San Diego Reader, which reported on Tuesday that a judge had opted to prevent Olson’s attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial,” Olson must now stand trial for on 13 counts of vandalism.

rt.com...

THIS is madness. The kind of stuff that makes you scared to voice your opinions... We are going to hell in a handbasket.

One bank said they spent $6000 cleaning up the water soluable chalk lol....

reply to post by StrangeTimez


Wait. How does a judge bar your from using freedom of speech in a... fair trial? Times are changing. Chalk. 13 years. You get less then that for your first bank robbery...

That is true. If its a first time offense 5-10 is your sentence.

reply to post by StrangeTimez

faces a 13-year jail sentence

it's better kill your enemy..you just have 15 years in jail..differing only 2 years

reply to post by StrangeTimez


Paying 6k to do what the rain does for free.

I would like to know on what grounds a judge is able to dictate what defense a person is allowed to have.

Are they able to decide that someone is not able to mention "self defense" if they were attacked?

Screams of kick backs to me.

DC

reply to post by StrangeTimez


That's complete horse#...You let it rain and it washes it away. You hook up a water hose and spray it away. Jesus Christ, how can you run a bank, but not figure out how to clean up water-soluble chalk for less than 6000 dollars?

This just goes more and more to show that we really are second class federal citizens while bankers and politicians get to remain sovereign....Otherwise how could they take that right away unless they were the one to give it to us? Rights don't come from Government, they come from your creator: God. Unless, just like the 14th amendment does, it creates it's own seperate "citizen of the United States" outside of the Constitution. That is how they take them away.

Does "freedom of speech" normally extend to acts of vandalism?

I mean if, for example, somebody you didnt like (eg. stupid neighbor) was to vandalise your own house in a similar way, then would you also be arguing that he has a right to do this because of "free speech"?

Because the law is supposed to work the same way, whether you agree with the person's ideals or not.

Originally posted by xDeadcowx
reply to post by StrangeTimez

 

Paying 6k to do what the rain does for free.

I would like to know on what grounds a judge is able to dictate what defense a person is allowed to have.

Are they able to decide that someone is not able to mention "self defense" if they were attacked?

Screams of kick backs to me.

DC

Makes me thing about the judge they just jailed. The one being paid by juvenile jails to give max sentences to adolescents in trouble with the law. Instead of a proper, fair punishment. Money can buy most things..

Originally posted by alfa1

Does "freedom of speech" normally extend to acts of vandalism?

I mean if, for example, somebody you didnt like (eg. stupid neighbor) was to vandalise your own house in a similar way, then would you also be arguing that he has a right to do this because of "free speech"?

Because the law is supposed to work the same way, whether you agree with the person's ideals or not.

If you did this to your neighbor, would you be facing 13 yrs in prison?

And also, public entities are not protected from criticism, photos, free speech or news reports.

As any public figure or celebrity knows.

This is BS and a case of a judge being paid..

Peace

reply to post by alfa1


I dont know about his state but in NJ it is not considered vandalism as long as it is removable by water. Chalk and wheat pasting for example. This is insane. The poor guy must feel totally helpless.

reply to post by VeritasAequitas


Star for correct understanding of the stealth 14th. Not enough attention being paid to that filthy POS....

Your source-

"Olson continued to protest outside of Bank of America. In February 2012, he came across a box of chalk at a local pharmacy and decided to begin leaving his mark with written statements.

"I thought it was a perfect way to get my message out there. Much better than handing out leaflets or holding a sign," says Olson.

Over the course of the next six months Olson visited the Bank of America branch a few days per week, leaving behind scribbled slogans such as "Stop big banks" and "Stop Bank Blight.com."

According to Olson, who spoke with local broadcaster KGTV, one Bank of America branch claimed it had cost $6,000 to clean up the chalk writing.



---------------------------------------------


Dont they get their sidewalks cleaned on a regular basis anyways?

Even mom and pop convienent stores get their sidewalks cleaned on a normal basis.

The bank is getting ripped off by whoever is cleaning their sidewalks as well

Nobody likes the banks.

Since when do judges get to pick what amendments can and cannot be heard?
I didnt think there was ever an option to pick and choose.

Guess Im wrong- we only get the protections they are willing to afford us.

I didn't even know a judge could ban your freedom of speech. Chalk doesn't hurt anyone, this is just pathetic really and they're going to destroy that poor man's life jailing him for it. Next they will be jailing kids for chalking hopscotch on the pavements outside

Originally posted by StrangeTimez
I dont know about his state but in NJ it is not considered vandalism as long as it is removable by water. Chalk and wheat pasting for example.

Reading more about the case at the original source rather than rt's second hand version, the issue of chalk has come up before...

Shore cited the case, Mackinney v. Nielsen 69 F.3d 1002 (9th Cir.1995), where a man was acquitted after a court ruled that use of chalk was not considered vandalism.
The law was later changed to define vandalism as defacement "with graffiti or other inscribed material."

...so it appears now that chalk is included.

Originally posted by sarahlm
Next they will be jailing kids for chalking hopscotch on the pavements outside

Reading more about the case at the original source rather than rt's second hand version...

This from a court document filed by Hazard.

“The People do not fear that this reading of section 594(A) will make criminals of every child using chalk. Chalk festivals may still be permitted. Kids acting without malice may still engage in their art...

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by StrangeTimez
I dont know about his state but in NJ it is not considered vandalism as long as it is removable by water. Chalk and wheat pasting for example.

Reading more about the case at the original source rather than rt's second hand version, the issue of chalk has come up before...

Shore cited the case, Mackinney v. Nielsen 69 F.3d 1002 (9th Cir.1995), where a man was acquitted after a court ruled that use of chalk was not considered vandalism.
The law was later changed to define vandalism as defacement "with graffiti or other inscribed material."

...so it appears now that chalk is included.

I missed the original article Matter of fact I dont see any link. Bravo for going to look for it on your own if thats what you did.

Circumventing the rules, without permission, under the color of night, and now waiving a banner of the First Amendment, does not negate the fact that defacement occurred, a private business suffered real and substantial monetary damages, and Defendant is responsible.

I would love to hear about these damages.

reply to post by StrangeTimez


Real and substantial. From chalk? What kind of crazy permanent chalk was this?

Originally posted by StrangeTimez

Jeff Olson, the 40-year-old man who is being prosecuted for scrawling anti-megabank messages on sidewalks in water-soluble chalk last year now faces a 13-year jail sentence. A judge has barred his attorney from mentioning freedom of speech during trial. According to the San Diego Reader, which reported on Tuesday that a judge had opted to prevent Olson’s attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial,” Olson must now stand trial for on 13 counts of vandalism.

rt.com...

THIS is madness. The kind of stuff that makes you scared to voice your opinions... We are going to hell in a handbasket.

One bank said they spent $6000 cleaning up the water soluable chalk lol....

edit on 26-6-2013 by StrangeTimez because: Addition

$6000, courtesy of the comfort of bailouts...paid for by the taxpayer...

Å99

Originally posted by jude11

Originally posted by alfa1

Does "freedom of speech" normally extend to acts of vandalism?

I mean if, for example, somebody you didnt like (eg. stupid neighbor) was to vandalise your own house in a similar way, then would you also be arguing that he has a right to do this because of "free speech"?

Because the law is supposed to work the same way, whether you agree with the person's ideals or not.

If you did this to your neighbor, would you be facing 13 yrs in prison?

And also, public entities are not protected from criticism, photos, free speech or news reports.

As any public figure or celebrity knows.

This is BS and a case of a judge being paid..

Peace

Public and private property is protected against vandalism. Is 13 years from one count or multiple?

Originally posted by Common Good
Your source-

"Olson continued to protest outside of Bank of America. In February 2012, he came across a box of chalk at a local pharmacy and decided to begin leaving his mark with written statements.

"I thought it was a perfect way to get my message out there. Much better than handing out leaflets or holding a sign," says Olson.

Over the course of the next six months Olson visited the Bank of America branch a few days per week, leaving behind scribbled slogans such as "Stop big banks" and "Stop Bank Blight.com."

According to Olson, who spoke with local broadcaster KGTV, one Bank of America branch claimed it had cost $6,000 to clean up the chalk writing.



---------------------------------------------


Dont they get their sidewalks cleaned on a regular basis anyways?

Even mom and pop convienent stores get their sidewalks cleaned on a normal basis.

The bank is getting ripped off by whoever is cleaning their sidewalks as well

Nobody likes the banks.

Since when do judges get to pick what amendments can and cannot be heard?
I didnt think there was ever an option to pick and choose.

Guess Im wrong- we only get the protections they are willing to afford us.

edit on 26-6-2013 by Common Good because: (no reason given)

He says he went 2-3 times a week. So 2.5.
He did this for 6 months, 4.3 weeks a month.
So, 2.5*4.3*6=64.5 visits
6,000/64.5 is $93 per cleaning

Sounds reasonable to me.

Originally posted by sarahlm
I didn't even know a judge could ban your freedom of speech. Chalk doesn't hurt anyone, this is just pathetic really and they're going to destroy that poor man's life jailing him for it. Next they will be jailing kids for chalking hopscotch on the pavements outside

His freedom of speech was not banned. Vandalism is not an act of freedom of speech. So his freedom is intact, but that freedom has nothing to do with the case and thus is barred from being brought up because it is never a valid defense for this crime.