Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
StickerGate Preliminary Hearing Tomorrow, 1:30 pm
They face charges of littering, disorderly conduct, harassment, criminal mischief and possibly a RICO count for their involvement in a campaign to discredit Nazareth Police Chief Thomas Trachta with tiny FT (Fire Trachta) stickers throughout the borough.
An embarrassed Trachta rounded them up, called the press, and then walked them from the police station to a District Judge's courtroom inside the same building. In a touch of drama, he chained and shackled them before obliging photographers, completely violating their presumption of innocence in the process.
They were arrested and charged for exercising their First Amendment rights, which Trachta believes is against the law in Nazareth, at least when he's the object of derision.
I understand an armada of police cruisers will escort witnesses, who will thereafter enter the witness protection program.
The hearing is open to the public. But it is a courtroom, and if you plan to attend, don't dress like me.
The Sticker Gang is represented by three of Northampton County's best criminal defense barristers - Phil Lauer, Gary Asteak and Mark Minotti.
20 comments:
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They should be fined for littering, possibly disorderly conduct and sent on their way with a stern warning about defacing public and private property.
ReplyDeleteThey should also be assessed court costs and told to grow up.
4:04,
ReplyDeleteWrong.
What they did is fire the opening salvo in a war against all civilized humanity. They should be water boarded until they tell all they know about the Nazareth resistance. Their feces should be examined by the PSP, FBI, DHS, INTERPol, CIA, DoD, and the local PTA. They should be publicly flogged and summarily hanged, using Martin guitar strings. Their bodies should them be paraded through town and their mounted heads delivered to the chief's Bushkill Township den, with great appreciation for his outstanding work..
Agree with 4:04, and would add that the judge should lecture them on the relationship between rights and responsibilities. That grown-ups cannot do what they want destructively and cry free speech.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they will learn a lesson from all of this. They should also thank Bernie and Ron Angle for getting them their lawyers.
4:17, Hilarious!
ReplyDelete4:36 has no evidence that Ron Angle even knows about this case, and is just talking out her ass again. Typical of one against whom a $67,140 defamation judgment has been filed.
ReplyDelete"Hilarious!"
ReplyDeleteFor a pre-schooler
6:18 is obviously one of the journeymen who work PT at these small boroughs bc they simply lack the right stuff to be FT officers. One of the giveaways is the poor grammar. Another is the constant suggestion that I get drunk.
ReplyDeleteI've got news for you. Tomorrow's case has nothing to do with me and everything to do with your own poor behavior, disrespect for civil rights and complete inability to follow the law. Tomorrow your education begins. I expect it to be the first of many such hearings exposing a problem police department in dire need of a housecleaning.
Why doesn`t the chief deputize trish as a deputy ?
ReplyDeleteYou are really off the deep end once again. Your new best Nazareth friends, the gang that can't sticker straight, did in fact do what they were charged with doing. This is not about freedom of speech but about littering an defacing property. That said due to the miraculously put together defense team and the silly nature of all of this, they may have the charges dropped. Nazareth may even drop the charges, who knows. But Bernie due to his own personal grudges has these goofs thinking they are freedom fighters.
ReplyDeleteThat is the best they get and if they get that, they should be thankful and go home happy. They should be fined but may not be.
Of course these are not very stable people and will probably think they are due some extra measure of something and do or say something stupid to be back in Bernie's freak show limelight real soon.
This is some really wild Alice through the looking glass crap.
Sanity Now
Losers. They should be more concerned with getting their lives in order as opposed to getting away with something.
ReplyDelete... says someone who comments on a blog anonymously at 2:37 am.
ReplyDelete"This is not about freedom of speech but about littering an defacing property."
ReplyDeleteSorry, bit it;s about freedom of speech. Nazareth is plastered with all kinds of signs and stickers and police take no action because the content of those signs and stickers are not critical of the chief. That is the only reason who charges were filed, arrests were made and people were perp walked. This case will be bounced eventually, and then it will be time to seek redress for the civil rights violations.
they can't fire this douche bag chief because bermie would'nt have anything to talk about
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, there's plenty else just one borough over, in Stockertown.
ReplyDeleteCharges may get tossed. Since they did the crime their civil rights were never abused.
ReplyDeleteMaybe when that silly suit is clogging our courts the two police officers you tried to ruin will begin their suit against you.
Also you have made Jim Gregory's life a living Hell.
ReplyDeleteHow did they make out in court
ReplyDeleteAll charges dismissed!!!!
ReplyDeleteCupcakes cupcakes for everyone and on top will spell FT FT FDT FDT FCS FCS
ReplyDeleteHope you scholars spell it right.
ReplyDelete