Posted on 11/01/2004 10:44:44 AM PST by bw17
Journalist Arrested After Photographing Voting Lines POSTED: 6:10 AM EST November 1, 2004 UPDATED: 12:47 PM EST November 1, 2004
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A freelance journalist taking pictures of voters waiting outside the Palm Beach County elections headquarters was arrested after ignoring a deputy's orders to stop, sheriff's officials said.
James S. Henry, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., (pictured, left) was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence.
Sheriff's Deputy Al Cinque tried to stop Henry as he shot pictures of about 600 people standing in line to vote Sunday afternoon. Henry began running away, but Cinque tackled him, the Palm Beach Post reported.
The deputy pinned Henry, 54, to the ground, yelling for him to stop moving, then punched him in the back. Cinque handcuffed Henry's left arm, pulled him to his feet and punched him again as Henry tried to hand him identification cards, according to the paper.
But sheriff's office spokesman Paul Miller said Monday that Henry "tripped over his own feet" as he ran away. He was heading toward the building's front door, and the deputy "has to use whatever reasonable force is necessary under the circumstances," Miller said.
Miller said the deputy had asked Henry to move to another area to snap pictures.
"His actions were compromising the elections process and intimidating people that were attempting to wait to vote," Miller said. "He was in their faces."
Assistant Palm Beach County Attorney Leon St. John said Cinque was enforcing new rules, enacted Friday by elections chief Theresa LePore, that prohibit reporters from talking with or photographing voters waiting outside polling stations.
The restrictions were prompted by "numerous complaints by voters about being photographed and interviewed," St. John said.
Other reporters, who witnessed the arrest, had not been aware of the new restrictions. Miller said he did not know of other journalists being stopped.
Henry, who is also an attorney and the managing director of strategy consulting firm Sag Harbor Group, is working on a book about "electoral democracy," according to his Web site.
He was being held on $500 bond.
What....how do you figger that?
Isn't Michael Moore being praised for bringing his cameras to Florida?
Some Freeper had a great idea the other night. We have read in the news that Michael Moore has gotten a crew of volunteer and hired cameramen to videotape various polling locations in order to document any "voter intimidation." Since the Dems are relying on illegal voters, and people voting multiple times we should make signs that read "Don't try to vote illegally. We are filming you!", etc. and stand next to Michael Moore's cameramen. This will drive the Moorites nuts and maybe even scare off a few illegal voters.
Journalist Arrested After Photographing Voting Lines
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Oh come on. He wasn't arrested for taking pictures of a voting line, he was arrested for failing to comply with the lawful order of a peace officer. Two different things.
Absolutely brilliant!
Are you perhaps related to the late Lee Atwater?
How does an "elections chief" get to effectively enact legislation to prohibit reporters from talking with or photographing people outside of polling stations?
Sheriff's Deputy Al Cinque tried to stop Henry as he shot pictures of about 600 people standing in line to vote Sunday afternoon. Henry began running away, but Cinque tackled him, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Sounds like Henry did stop...
The deputy pinned Henry, 54, to the ground, yelling for him to stop moving, then punched him in the back. Cinque handcuffed Henry's left arm, pulled him to his feet and punched him again as Henry tried to hand him identification cards, according to the paper.
Hope there's videotape of this...sounds like false arrest and assault and battery.
I'm with you. This doesn't sound very American to me.
I have 8X in My camera,X 1.9X in My Teleconvertor, X 3X digital zoom! It all works good. I don't need to be close! Imagine Your 10X binoculars, over 4 times stronger. They will never know I'm there! All I need is a place to stand and halfway decent light! Smile, Fat Mikey, You may be on Candid Camera!
I think Osama is posting over there, several sound just like him, LOL.
I would pay to see someone do this to Michael Moore.
They get to 'enact' them on the orders of the [dang, old age syndrome just hit] I forget the darned title, but the woman who is the elections chief in the Florida gov. She sent a memo to all elections boards to institute whatever policy necessary to keep voters from being harrassed etc.
... he was arrested for failing to comply with the lawful order of a peace officer.
I have some reservations about how ''lawful'' the order was. From the article: ...Cinque was enforcing new rules, enacted Friday by elections chief Theresa LePore, that prohibit reporters from talking with or photographing voters waiting outside polling stations.
Bet they still take their exit polls without any arrest.
I LOVE your idea! Genius! BUMP!
Can't have any photographic evidence of voter fraud dangling out there, can we.
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