I’ve always thought of myself as a tough-on-crime kind of guy, but I’m increasingly sensitive to the fact that my attitude is only appropriate when laws are just and moral.
Unfortunately, government increasingly is an abuser of rights rather than a protector of rights. Allow me to elaborate.
I was tempted a few days ago to say that Jay Beeber was an American hero for single-handedly putting an end to the revenue-camera scam in Los Angeles, but I now have someone who truly deserves that label.
Michael Allison is, by all appearances, an ordinary American from a small town in Illinois. He is now is threatened with 75 years in jail because utterly reprehensible (and probably corrupt) officials are upset that he recorded them in the course of their taxpayer-financed duties.
What makes him a hero is that he refuses to let the local government seduce him into a plea deal that would keep him out of jail – but require him to admit guilt to something that shouldn’t be a crime.
Here’s an amazing – and distressing – set of news clips from a local news station.
By the way, here’s another example of a local television station doing an excellent job of exposing a local government that is trying to screw over an innocent and powerless person.
International Liberty 
[…] Exposing local government officials engaged in a witch hunt against an innocent man. […]
[…] Exposing local government officials engaged in a witch hunt against an innocent man. […]
Don’t expect anyone to get much help from the courts. The court system is just another part of government, and they all cover each other’s asses.
Remember what Supreme Court Justice John Roberts said “It’s not my job to protect the citizens from the bad policies of those they elect.”
I would ask, if it’s not HIS job, then whose job is it? Or are we just screwed?
Justice Roberts forgets one thing: We didn’t ALL vote for Obama. Someone should certainly protect those of us who did not vote for him.
Illinois. Is anyone surprised?
[…] If you have decency, you will be disgusted by this example of a state government persecuting someone who didn’t commit a crime. […]
[…] If you have decency, you will be disgusted by this example of a state government persecuting someone who didn’t commit a crime. […]
[…] that doesn’t mean I have a Pollyanna view about state governments or local governments. Malfeasance, waste, abuse, fraud, and corruption exist at all levels of government and should be […]
[…] If you have decency, you will be disgusted by this example of a state government persecuting someone who didn’t commit a crime. […]
[…] If you have decency, you will be disgusted by this example of a state government persecuting someone who didn’t commit a crime. […]
Words like reprehensible, loathsome, frightening, etc. are gross understatements for this situation and all others like it. While our founding fathers are turning in their graves, the likes of Stalin, Marx and Hitler are howling with delight. Modern day law enforcement has become nothing more than another revenue collection branch of our bloated government, and whatever unnecessary brute force is required to achieve those ends will be protected by the government. Ask any HONEST (good luck) officer, or recently retired officers and they will agree with this statement wholeheartedly. My unmitigated disdain for this crowd stems from several personal situations which include perjury, lack of probable cause, and insufficient evidence, all of which ended up with trumped up convictions for non-existent offenses. Lest anyone care to challenge that last statement – the court record vs. the evidence speaks for itself. America needs to wake up and be proactive to prevent these horrible abuses of our civil rights and the obvious constitutional violations that are being perpetrated daily on the general public. Samantha, you are dead right on all counts. These arrogant thugs and cowboys need to be called to task for their crimes. They are our employees, and as such they should absolutely answer to us; those they swore to “protect and serve”. As Thomas Jefferson wisely wrote: When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.
I think that all law officers and other public officials (anyone paid with tax money) should be informed in writing at their hiring that their employer (ie the general public) can at any point in time record their actions either by image or sound, and that this recording can be monitored by their employer and used for training or other purposes to improve their job performance. Just like the rest of us.
Private industry allows employers to monitor their employees, and we should be able to monitor ours.
Also, now that we know there is an anti-eavesdropping law in Illinois – if for any reason this poor man loses his fight in court then perhaps anyone ever caught with a speed camera trap can file criminal charges against the police for eavesdropping on them without their informed consent whilst driving and bring so many cases to court on this ridiculous law that the system collapses –
I hate that they are using this law to intimidate people and allow the police to literally run riot with crimes against the population they are sworn to “serve and protect”, not abuse ! Even NEWS cameras cannot photograph the police now ??? Ridiculous !! Oh and the same for anyone convicted via security camera footage. Bring criminal charges against the bank, city government, building owner or whomever else installed the video monitoring device at the bank you robbed, at the ATM where you held your assault or used in other conviction – charge them with wiretapping laws by using the hidden security camera that recorded you without your consent. Either everyone is “protected” by this law, or no one is.
Overthrow these laws by removing corrupt public servants at all levels.
Some good news:
“The First Circuit Court of Appeals–the highest federal court for New England just below the U.S. Supreme Court–last Friday handed down a ground-breaking decision defending our right to videotape the police and other public officials as they engage in their official duties…”
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/ground-breaking-victory-for-the-common-man-first-circuit-court-rules-recording-cops-is-protected-by-first-amendment_09022011
Please file a complaint against the Illinois attorney general:
https://www.iardc.org/htr_filingarequest.html
Keep on fighting the good fight Mr. Allison. Once this video goes viral (and it will) I expect public pressure will be so intense that all charges will be dropped and efforts will be put in place to repeal this ridiculous law.
Three cheers for Mr. Allison.
Hope the charges are dropped and the law changed.