Man arrested for 'peace' T-shirt

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Highboy90

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Old news but still. Guess I won't go shopping there anymore! Ut oh, they do have a Hooters. Damn!



NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A lawyer was arrested late Monday and charged with trespassing at a public mall in the state of New York after refusing to take off a T-shirt advocating peace that he had just purchased at the mall.

According to the criminal complaint filed Monday, Stephen Downs was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "Give Peace A Chance" that he had just purchased from a vendor inside the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, near Albany.

"I was in the food court with my son when I was confronted by two security guards and ordered to either take off the T-shirt or leave the mall," said Downs.

When Downs refused the security officers' orders, police from the town of Guilderland were called and he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs, charged with trespassing "in that he knowingly enter(ed) or remain(ed) unlawfully upon premises," the complaint read.

Downs said police tried to convince him he was wrong in his actions by refusing to remove the T-shirt because the mall "was like a private house and that I was acting poorly.

"I told them the analogy was not good and I was then hauled off to night court where I was arraigned after pleading not guilty and released on my own recognizance," Downs told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Downs is the director of the Albany Office of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints of misconduct against judges and can admonish, censure or remove judges found to have engaged in misconduct.

Calls to the Guilderland police and district attorney, Anthony Cardona and to officials at the mall were not returned for comment.

Downs is due back in court for a hearing on March 17.

He could face up to a year in prison if convicted.


Source
 
OK To me that is stupid. Its a T-Shirt!! The mall sells the Shirts, he bought it at the mall. Maybe the vender should be forced (by the mall) not to sell them if the Mall does not want those shirts in the mall. But to arrest a person for wearing the shirt is wrong " freedom of speach"
What has the world came to when you can't wear a T-shirt that is not even really harmful. "Give Peace a chance" whats wrong with that shirt!!! NOTHING!!
 
I agree. But it's the mall's property and can dictate what is and what is not acceptable.
 
If thats true then they should not have been allowed to sell the shirts there in the first place.
I do understand what your saying!! That guy should sue the mall, or do something for a wrongful arrest.
 
I don't know if any of you have been to that mall but it's quite large and the fact that 2 people were wearing T-shirts purchased at that mall and caused this commotion is silly.

They were not preaching or pushing their beliefs on anybody. Simply silently walking through a mall in a sea of 100's, perhaps 1,000's of shoppers.

Private property. Yes. Were the 2 individuals customers. Yes. Were they causing disruption? No. Did they violate any mall policies? Don't know as we haven't seen them.

Both parties have rights. Guess we'll have to see what the courts say in this matter. (If we ever hear the results.)
 
this mall is 10 mins from my house...causing quite a stir in this area...I personally think that Crossgates Mall made themselves look bad, especially since they allowed the sale of the shirt in the mall...but it is their right to do what they did...
 
Originally posted by paul@Mar 5 2003, 02:49 PM
I agree.  But it's the mall's property and can dictate what is and what is not acceptable.
Click to expand...
Think again Paul...

"The more an owner, for his advantage, opens up his property for use by the public in general, the more do his rights become circumscribed by the statutory and constitutional rights of those who use it."

http://www.freedomforum.org/packages/first.../freeexpression

Hooty, I live about 50 mins south of there. Keep us informed as to what the out come is or news that might be of interest.
 
The tees...

0305-01.jpg

Roger and Stephen Downs had these shirts made at Crossgates Mall, but Stephen Downs was arrested when he refused to take his off and leave the mall.

"Numerous calls to Crossgates Marketing Director Sarah Nieves regarding mall policy were not returned."
 
Posted Wednesday, March 05, 2003 7:57:06 PM

T-Shirt Arrest Prompts More Protests
The anti-war group Women Against War descended on Crossgates Mall at Noon on Wednesday, where they donned T-shirts with peace slogans. This protest was sparked by the arrest of a man on Monday who refused to take off his anti-war T-shirt. Roger Downs and his dad Stephen were asked by Guilderland police to remove the shirts. Roger did, but Stephen refused and was arrested on a trespassing charge. Roger Downs says there are people wearing shirts in the mall with messages he finds much more offensive. Meanwhile, Pyramid Companies, the owners of Crossgates Mall, say it has asked Guilderland police to drop the trespassing charges against Steven Downs. A Pyramid official tells us quote "we just wanted him to leave the center, not go to jail." Stephen Downs is due in Guilderland town court on March 17th.


this is from a local news station page
 
Looks like these guys were doing a little more than "minding their own business".

Once you get asked to leave by the owner of a business or a representive of the business, i.e. security guard, police officer...you gotta go. If not, you may get locked up.

Has nothing to do with free speech.
 
Funny. Local news said that the mall owners have asked to drop charges.

"The more an owner, for his advantage, opens up his property for use by the public in general, the more do his rights become circumscribed by the statutory and constitutional rights of those who use it."
 
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