Remember the teenager who was arrested for wearing an NRA t-shirt to school? You know, exercising that pesky first amendment right on school grounds? Well, turns out that the charges against him have just been dropped in West Virginia.
From WOWK TV:
The dismissal, signed by judge Eric O’Briant comes 70 days after, then 8th grader, Jared Marcum’s pro-Second Amendment shirt, sparked what many are calling the fight over his First Amendment rights.
Even though the shirt did not violate the dress code policy, the principal of Jared’s high school decided that he didn’t like it and demanded that Jared remove the shirt. When Jared refused and then refused to stop talking (as teenagers are wont to do) the police were called and he was charged with obstruction.
Hopefully the school will see the forthcoming MASSIVE civil lawsuit against it as a much needed swift kick in the rear and keep them from doing anything this dumb again.
I’m glad for this kid. Although he (and his family) are probably all in favor of standing up for his rights, at the same time, he probably didn’t want all this.
Sometimes unsupported, asinine charges get dropped, as they should be.
Sometimes you’re George Zimmerman.
Do you think we’ll see rioting when George Zimmerman gets freed? Should he have the right to go after the system financially as whatever job he has he’s lost…he can’t go out and be safe anymore…he’s lost over a year of his life to this. I believe that, despite making a few mistakes in judgement, he’s not guilty… How does the system recompensate him for all of this? Simply saying sorry isn’t enough if he’s proven innocent…
No, I do not think there will be rioting. RF does, as do some others. I do, however want to revise my earlier opinion. I had previously said that I thought we might see a few demonstrations at churches, nothing more, and certainly not major civil disobedience. I think we may see more than just a couple demonstrations, because I think people will be surprised when he’s acquitted. I don’t know if you’ve been following the case at all in the mainstream media, but they are, by and large, strongly supporting the story of “how good the prosecution is doing” and “how weak the defense is,” and that narrative runs completely counter to every legal interpretation I’ve been seeing. A friend of mine who is only following the case through mass media snippets here and there had a completely incorrect picture of how the case was going based on the info he had. I saw this quote yesterday that sums it up: “The mainstream coverage of the trial is so abysmal that I don’t think casual observers realize what a farce this is and how weak the State’s case is (Andrew Branca’s tweeting has been indispensable). If there’s an acquittal, many people will be outraged because they’re so ill-informed.”
As to going after the system financially, I’m not exactly sure how that works. If the prosecution ends up sanctioned because malfeasance can be proven, then yes, I think he ought to be able to pursue some sort of compensation. Thanks to his defense fund, he’s not going to come out of this under a massive debt load, but he’ll still probably be nearly broke and finding a new life will be hard.
Matt, EVERYONE knows that there will be pockets of rioting across the country. There will always be a handful of dopes who will destroy their own neighborhoods. These morons will loot and beat innocent people just for kicks.
Unfortunately, in the case of Zimmerman and the NRA T-shirt teen, it’s the taxpayer who is gone after, not “the system”. If you really want to stop this kind of stuff from happening then we need to get rid of the dubious legal principle of sovereign immunity that routinely protects official malfeasance and abusive behavior.
Exactly, these morons who bring false charges or abuse their “supposed” or “claimed” authority should be fired, stripped of all credentials, and forced to make restitution or go to jail or both. As it is these jacka-s -ses freely abuse their positions because they know they will receive no punishment.
“Do you think we’ll see rioting when George Zimmerman gets freed?”
YOU BETCHA!
The “community leaders” (who came in from out of town) and “reverends ” who made this into racial event when it wasn’t, should be held responsible for any harm or loss to Zimmerman and his family as well as for any other tragic outcomes, rioting , looting, loss of life and property, expenses incurred by the city, etc., etc.
That will happen … right?
Now, every freedom-loving family should dress their child in pro-gun attire every day.
My daughter loves her Appleseed and Ladyseed shirts from the RWVA
Members of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League (WVCDL.org) and several other 1A and 2A groups are still going to be protesting, on behalf of this young man, today at noon in front of the Logan County Court House. Even though it is not a true 2A issue.
It’s a 1A issue, which is at least as important.
One could say that this case is very much about the 2nd Amendment, as intolerance towards gun ownership and gun advocacy is part of the culture war whose goal is changing the attitudes so more gun control could be imposed.
1A, as seen here, is used to support the 2A.
The 2A is there to support the 1A, and all others, as needed.
Good for the kid, this is a victory, a very small one, but a victory none the less.
Not small at all. It goes to show the point that just because a kid is enrolled in public school, all of thesaurus civil liberties are intact.
Next should be the protection of 4A rights due to illegal search of student property, bags, pockets, cars, etc on school property.
I still don’t understand how they can charge and threaten an eighth grader (minor) with jail time. Was it a juvenile court?
See this other article:
http://www.wowktv.com/story/22587338/14-year-old-at-the-center-of-nra-t-shirt-controversy-now-facing-possibility-of-1-year-in-jail
“Suspended and arrested after refusing to change his NRA shirt. Today, 14-year-old Jared Marcum appeared before a judge and was officially charged with obstructing an officer.
A $500 fine and up to a year in jail, that’s the penalty that Jared could face, now that a judge has allowed the prosecution to move forward with it’s obstructing an officer charge against him.”
Also, the prosecutor in the case requested a gag order to shut him and his family from speaking to the media, the judge would not allow it.
Given the grief they have been given over the shirt, I hope they do sue.
Agree. The real story is abuse of power by Logan County Circuit Judge Eric O’Briant.
http://guardamerican.com/index.php/blog/34-jurisdiction/856-wv-charges-dismissed-after-gag-order
A gag order was requested because the prosecutor couldn’t talk about the case to the press as it involved a juvenile. No order was ever issued though, probably because this silly case was dismissed. I’m not seeing any abuse of authority by the judge. He can’t sua sponte dismiss without some sort of evidentiary hearing.
Now can they countersue the state for harassment? Because that’s EXACTLY what it was.
+1 I am not normally sue happy, but this was absurd.
+2. It’s an NRA T-shirt – not the church of latter day Satan. A little statist spanking is definitely in order.
Sue who, the prosecutor? Not hardly–the prosecutor is immune. And the officer has a quasi -immunity; if there was probable cause to support the charge, he is immune too. The school may have some exposure, but governmental liability is always dicey.
I’d like to see a provision for the principal of Jared’s high school to resign his position, turn in his teaching certificate, as a part of the likely forth coming settlement, if a law suit is filed. School employees on all levels need to understand violating civil right on anyone attending their school is not to be tolerated.
I am sure this would be a non-issue had he worn any other number of inflammatory clothing. All this does is show the world how ignorant and two faced gun-hating zealots are. Conforms to the dress code but makes the principal “uncomfortable”.
Being uncomfortable is a tenant of liberty. People next door might make you uncomfortable but if you seek to keep your way of life intact and free you must learn to live with that which does not harm you but makes you “uncomfortable”.
I would rather see a resignation or a board deciding to terminate the principles position over a giant lawsuit.
Intolerance, bigotry, censorship and hatred of a particular type of person is completely acceptable; that type of person is also known as a proud gun owning American.
The only time your comment is correct is if you are a POS arrogant, minority driven, gun, morality, religion hating, troll libturd! ThomasR, it fits you perfectly, you’re that type of person.
That’s the reason I would never support progressives. They speak of equality and freedom amongst all but pick and choose who they support and who should be oppressed, kind of like how they pick and choose which parts of the Bill of Rights they support and which ones should be oppressed. And while all this goes on they choose to use such “colorful” language to describe anyone who opposes them. Needless to say the hypocrisy, bigotry, intolerance and hatred of America runs deep with progressives.
So to summarize, you mad bro?
I believe he was trying to say that gun owners are the ones being treated as he described, not that gun owners are intolerant, bigoted people who censor and hate others. Perhaps re-read his comment?
That kid had a heck of a lot more balls at 14 years of age than I did. He’ll go far with his gumption and the willing and open support of his family. I bet one day he holds the whitetail B&C record for West-by-God-Virginia, becomes a master hacker, or at least a field-grade officer in the Marine Corps. I’m just sayin’.
“Hopefully the school will see the forthcoming MASSIVE civil lawsuit”
Agreed!!! And that stupid Principal should be fired!!! Moron.
I’m sure that if Jared Marcum had worn a shirt saying “Barack Obama is Lord,” he would have immediately graduated with honors and given a scholarship to a university of his choosing.
“Hopefully the school will see the forthcoming MASSIVE civil lawsuit against it as a much needed swift kick in the rear and keep them from doing anything this dumb again.”
It is not the school. You are thinking like those persons who blame “the government” or their “company” for stupid stuff a person does.
A judgement against the school only costs the local taxpayers directly, not the stupid ass principal. A judgement against the principal is the appropriate outcome. Really, the school should fire or demote him. Talk about poor leadership and judgement.
Insurance companies foot the bill. I could see that in this case even insurance companies could get into the act by having contractual disclamers that if school administrators violate civil liberties, and a law suit entails, the insurance company could put a rider so that they wouldn’t have to pay. Thusly the administration would be civilly liable themselves, as they should.
EPIC FAIL!
I would like to know what law anyone involved in the arrest, detainment & arraignment this person violated? What was the code violations listed in the file?
My kid will probably now be wearing some form of 2A shirt once a week next year.
I normally agre with the opinion of users on this site but in the case of Zimmerman I am very surprised at how many people actually support him. Guys like Zimmerman give gun owners everywhere a bad name.
As people of the gun we all know starting a confrontation is always out of the question. If you see some “punks” in your hood, you call the cops and take no further action UNLESS you are 1st confronted. The guy initiated a confrontation knowing he was armed. I gotta say, I hope he goes down for misuse of the cherished second amendment right.
BS.
Zimmerman is the epitome of self-defense in the face of outright murderous attack.
Even the prosecution’s star witness says Zimmerman was being assaulted with imminent serious bodily harm if not death.
P.S. And just WHERE do you think that 911 call came from, anyway? Trayvon as he’s choking Zimmerman?
This discussion isn’t about Zimmerman, buckie.
The only reason you would mention that here in this thread is that you’ve got a chip on your shoulder and an axe to grind.
What’s your ethnic background? Does that have anything to do with your off topic comment?
P.P.S. Before you start claiming I’m a ‘racist’. Zimmerman is Hispanic and Black. Martin is Black. I’m Viking. I have no racist dog in that fight.
But I suspect YOU do…..
In his defense, Chuck, there was some discussion of Zimmerman further up in the comments section. He was probably responding to that, it just ended up detached from the rest of the conversation.
What does your ethnic background have to do with the Zimmerman case?
Probably more than you’re willing to admit to.
What. The. Fvck. Are. You. Talking. About.
You are just throwing words at the screen. YOU’RE the one that brought someone’s ethnic background into this, not me.
Christ you’re a tool.
TO: Matt in FL
RE: Sorry About That
Pardon me, but the ‘reply’ button for the proper response was not selected and it came at you.
I’m going to have to remember to use my more professional form of commenting to help insure the individual I’m responding to is properly identified.
I intended that one to go to whatizname.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[The only Man who was perfect got nailed to a tree for His temerity.]
P.S. Nice to see you know His name.
I gotta admit, your response made me laugh, right out loud.
Score one for memo format, I suppose. Well-played, sir.
TO: Matt
RE: The ‘Play’ IS the ‘Game’
Thanks.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Good user interface is the hobgoblin of communications.]
Whoa, pull the stick out corporal. And what does my ethnic background have to do with anything? Lol I see someone peed in your Cheerios this morning.
The anti’s will definitely win if we can’t have discussion w/o getting all butthurt about it.
It’s OK, Treize31x. You have to cut Chucky a little slack. People of his mixed ethnic background (Eastern Jackass and Central Blowhard) were raised to think that someone’s ethnic background must be considered before considering the validity of their arguments.
I don’t do Cheerios. I do bacon, eggs, coffee and a cigar.
And anyone who wants to pee on the cigar is going to have the hot end crammed up their fourth-point-of-contact, punk.
TO: Matt
RE: Mixed Ethnic Background?
100% Viking.
What have you got?
I mean besides your usual jealousy?
And ladies and gentlemen we have a case MOFWG syndrome (mad old fat white guy). Go sharpen your axe and rub your beer gut, it’ll make you feel better 🙂
TO: Treize31x
RE: Heh
And ladies and gentlemen we have a case MOFWG syndrome (mad old fat white guy). — Treize31x
Black.
I suspected as much from your earlier racist post.
’nuff said.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
P.S. Old? Yeah. 60+ years on this ball-o-dirt. Fat? Not really. More than I was at 30. But not what Trayvon’s girl friend looks like. White? You betcha. Almost all Vikings are. What’s your point? Guy? Certainly. And the distaff loves me for it.
TO: Treize31x
RE: ‘Mad’? Moi?
You have to be somewhat ‘crazy’ to jump out of perfectly good airplanes in flight.
I did it as a career in the Army.
I blame it on being ‘dropped’ on my head as a small child. I suspect I wanted to recreate that ‘fascinating’ sensation.
And I DID!
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[You haven’t lived….until you’ve almost died.]
P.S. Been there. Done that….But all the t-shirts have since gone to rags……
P.P.S. Don’t need no stinking axe. But I am drinking a Fat Tire while going over my AR-15.
Here’s looking at YOU, kid…..
and here I was thinking West Virginia was full of “mountain men patriots”. pffffffft…..
TO: mediocrates
RE: The Vest Wirginia Mountain Men
I’m sure the state is full of them.
Not so sure about their K-12 education system.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Used to be that education replaced an empty mind with an open one. NOT ANYMORE!]
So glad to hear this. I have since acquired that same shirt which I will wear proudly as well.
“… the police were called and he [Jared Marcum] was charged with obstruction.”
Obstruction of what?!?!?!?
Oh I know, obstruction of the communist agenda. (Note: I refuse to capitalize communist.)
Obstruction of what/
Bowel obstruction. He shoved a long stick up the school administrator’s tight liberal ass.
Sue them for violations of the civil rights of this student! Sue them for violating his 1st Amendment rights. Sue them for violating his 2nd Amendment rights. Sue them for the false charges and attacks on his character. Sue them for taking 70 days to rule on an issue any judge could determine to be fraudulent in 7 minutes. Sue them and the press for advancing this agenda-based case. She them for pain and suffering. And finally sue the principal as a seperate case for abusing the Constitution of the United States. This young man and his family MUST NOT simply accept this as a closed issue. The school board is trembling right now, I assure you! They may be putting up a brave face, however, now that it’s a case of dismissed charges they sit in the catbird seat. Sue them for anything else I neglected. This case was an abomination from the start.
Now he needs to sue them so they learn and really get it into their thick heads.
TO: All
RE: Can You Say, ‘False Arrest’?
I knew you could.
And lawsuits to follow, unless the family was fool enough to go for some kind of ‘deal’.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Free speech is part of the Bill of Rights….and those evil people who hate Free Speech should be pillaried.]
The real story, here, is abuse of power by Logan County Circuit Judge Eric O’Briant.
As I note over at GA, “Special note to Judge O’Briant: If you treat the people with such contempt, don’t be surprised when they return the favor.”
http://guardamerican.com/index.php/blog/34-jurisdiction/856-wv-charges-dismissed-after-gag-order
I see the necessity for a lawsuit, but hopefully not for money. Because, the taxpayers will end up footing the bill. Hoping the principle/LEO will be fired and be set an example to the rest.
You can’t blame the principal or the cops for being douchebags any more than you can blame a snake for spitting. It’s what they do. Hell, it’s what they are.
TO: Ralph
RE: BUT…..
….if we don’t (1) blame, (2) villify and (3) punish them for malfeasance, it’s not going to stop. It will only get worse.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[They told me, “Cheer up. Things could get worse.” So I cheered up. And you know….things got worse…..]
Holy crap. Chuck made me laugh and scored a point earlier, and now posted something I completely agree with.
Are they lacing up ice skates in hell? Anybody seen flying bacon?
Lmao I have been laughing so hard at this post today, thanks guys! Made a boring workday interesting.
I was being sarcastic.
Are you slow today?
TO: Ralph
RE: Being ‘Sarcastic’
Heh….
….even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[From the mouth of ‘babies’…..or so it goes….]
I’m not a big Infowars fan, but they make an interesting point that if there is rioting in the streets as there was in the Rodney King beating, and as threatened on Twitter, the DHS may step in and suppress any rioting. This might put the recent purchase of riot gear in context. I have a question. What authority does the federals in the DHS have suppressing any local incursions? I mean shouldn’t that be up to the local law enforcement?
http://www.infowars.com/dhs-wants-equipment-for-riot-control-situations/
TO: Glenn Billings
RE: What ‘Authority’
Good question regarding DHS.
However, from the military perspective, it’s referred to as Military Assistance to Civil Authorities (MACA).
I was part of a brigade of paratroopers that came up from Fort Bragg to help the DCPD deal with the 1971 May Day Riots, as part of that kind of operation.
Can’t speak to what DHS thinks they can do. Maybe the Boston Bombing would be something of an indicator of what to expect from DHS….i.e., a fiasco on the order of Keystone Kops: cops shooting each other instead of the perps, completely refusing to search the street where the perp was hiding in a boat, riding around hanging onto the sides of MRAPs like so many Keystone Kops hanging on to some topless car like the babies on the back of a mother Wolf Spider.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[If you had a life in the first place, you’ll never have a mid-life crisis.]
Thanks Chuck and thank you for your service. Not being snide. I grew up in the 60’s and vaguely remember riots and protests. 1. Isn’t using military troops against the Posse Comitatus Act?
2. So if the military is not supposed to fight on US citizens on US soil, isn’t having the federal DHS/ATF agents/troops a violation of the intent NOT have a STANDING ARMY the Founding Fathers feared?
TO: Glenn Billings
RE: Use of Military Force in the Civil Enviroment
No. The use of military force is not a violation of Posse Comitatus…..
….when the local goverment calls it down.
Remember Katrin?
President Bush was continually calling on the lousy Lousiana governor, a female Democrat, to offer federal military assistance—the Louisiana National Guard, at that time off in Iraq—but she continually refused.
[NOTE: Don’t get me going on the STUPIDITY of her Adjutant General for allowing that unit to be deployed during hurricane season. I did 10 years working such scenarios to states West of Louisiana….where I came of age in the late 60s.]
States can call upon the Federal government to add to their law enforcement capabilities at a governors request.
DC did that in 1971 to cope with the anticipated riots by the anarchists.
So a brigade of paratroopers came up from Fort Bragg. I was a young ‘skeeter wing’ private at that time.
A regiment of Marines came up from Camp Lejuene.
The group I refer to as TEAM BLACK (the anarchists) did not prevail. As it seemed that TEAM BLUE (the DCPD) seemed to have things well in hand.
However, TEAM MARINE got the ‘glory’ by airlifting a company or so into the Mall and marching down the street.
As for TEAM GREEN (the paratroopers) got to pull guard duty on precinct stations throughout the city.
However, in truth, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the FACT that there was more rioting on Andrews AFB between TEAM GREEN and TEAM MARINE because the idiot wing-wiper thought that only two miles of tarmac could separate two such high spirited forces of nature.
We’re talking 3000 Paratroopers vs. 3000 Marines.
A ‘fine time was had by all’….albeit, from my witnessing, the Marines started it….by throwing eggs into a crowd of paratroopers watching a USO show. [NOTE: The show….except for the dancing girls….was a flop. The eggs came over the flat-bed stage during the stand-up comic’s routine….which was falling flat.
Indeed. After the second egg impacted in the crowd, one of the guys in the front stood up and shouted….”It’s the Marines! Let’s get em!
It was almost like in a C130 at the jump command, “EVERYONE STAND UP!”
I’d never seen 2000 paratroopers all come to their feet at once, from the supine position. It was fascinating.
At the command of “Let’s get them,” the crowd surged forwarad towards the flatbed trailer, and the sorry comic looke pale as a ghost, thinking we were coming after him.
But, the wave of violently angry young men parted before the trailer and raced 2 miles down the runway at Andres AFB to rain havoc upon the dastardly—but well loved, as comrades-in-arms—Marines.
It’s all fun and games…..
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[If you had a life in the first place, you’ll never have a mid-life crisis….a la City Slickers.]
Aqquit Zimmerman of all charges
And….
[1] Charge the DA with false accusations with penalties to Zimmerman for court costs.
[2] Put the ‘judge’ before the State Supreme Court on allegations of abuse of office.
AGREE.
BTW I contacted the NRA to see if they were going to support this you lad in any way. Jared had his own attorney, but they replied back saying that they actually gave “direct support”. Whatever that means. So hats off to the NRA. On to the civil suit.
I thought I would never say this, but nothing would delight me more than seeing anti-Zimmerman rioters and their ilk getting their heads stomped into the concrete by riot sturm truppen.
Truly scum of the earth. I say let a couple of skittles get crushed. watch me weep in protest (or not).