A Long Island woman, jailed for being a Tea Partier, wins big bucks in her lawsuit:
Southhampton cops searched her and found a legally owned rifle that she was transporting from a nearby rifle range. She contends a deputy sheriff arrived on the scene later and said to her, “I bet you are one of those Tea Party people.” When Genovese said she’s gone to Tea Party rallies, he allegedly said, “You’re a real right-winger, aren’t you?” and “You are a ‘Teabagger’” and then added that she’d be arrested for terrorism to make an example of other “right wingers.”
“Ms. Genovese was subjected to a level of abuse because [authorities] did not share the same political views as she did and saw this as an excuse to deny her even the most basic civil rights,” her lawyer Frederick Brewington said.
Winning money is nice – but that’s one thing government officials are never short of, time whining notwithstanding.
Far better that the sheriff deputy spend four days in jail himself; who qualified immunity” is supposed to cover police officers carry out duties they can reasonably be expected to perform; political persecution is not what we hire them for.
Being a cop takes a 2-year degree plus pass a state test. Can society really be this hard up for candidates? Why isn’t this guy patroling the mall?
This guy should be patrolling the mall bathrooms, with a toilet brush.
I read the article and emailed the following to the author:
That doesn’t qualify as “armed to the teeth.” Having weapons locked in the car does not make one armed when out of the car. Having cased weapons in the trunk, or back of an SUV, does not make one armed when driving. Long arms, such as those pictured, are really a poor choice for use while in a vehicle, it is hard to get pointed in the direction you want. The “armed to the teeth” seems to be an editorial comment which should be excluded from a news story.
If carrying a rifle and shotgun is “armed to the teeth” then I’m a freaking Army division when I go shooting. I can’t recall the last time I went shooting with just two guns.
60 years ago, the bigots were in the old south. Now they are all northerns. See Minneapolis banning the word “Chirstmas” at their new Christmas Market.
Is this scenario something you would want law enforcement to ignore? I don’t know which media story to believe most. If she was truly persecuted for political beliefs I’m glad she was vindicated.
However, she doesn’t really seem like just a sightseer “mom,” just out for fresh air. Perhaps the trap she set was sprung to the tune of $1 mil.+ Still, I don’t think I’d be glad she was my neighbor.
http://www.newsday.com/sheriffs-woman-arrested-at-air-base-had-guns-in-car-1.1345260