Posted on 05/21/2009 10:28:11 AM PDT by abb
Jason Talley and his two traveling companions had no plans of making a stop in Jones County when they were arrested by Jones County Sheriff deputies on May 14. Now Talley and his friends are going to make a planned trip to the area. This time, Talley and other crew members of motorhomediaries.com, are coming to the area to film a documentary. No date has been set for the week-long visit.
“We have been traveling now for six weeks,” Talley said in a phone interview. “We have 60 videos on YouTube that documents our experiences.
“It’s ironic to have these type of problems (like those encountered in Jones County) in our search for freedom in America,” added Talley. “We want to come back and talk to people who may have complaints with the police department and to do some charity work in the area.” Talley, Peter Eyre and Adam Mueller were arrested on I-59 while heading to Meridian for a breakfast meeting with Libertarian Party of Mississippi Chairman Danny Bedwell.
“I had been following their journey,” said Bedwell, who resides in Columbus. “They left Washington six weeks ago, went to Louisiana and stopped in New Orleans for the night. We made contact and they told me they were on their way to Nashville to pick up a friend who would travel with them.
“I asked them to meet me in Meridian because I wanted to make a donation to their cause,” continued Bedwell. “They never did show up.”
The three travel across the country in a recreational vehicle, making stops along the way to interview individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds who share their passion for liberty and justice in America. “I believe we were arrested in Jones County because we were filming what was happening to us,” said Talley. However, Jones County Sheriff Alex Hodge said during the traffic stop, deputies gave the three “numerous opportunities to identify themselves but they refused.” According to Talley, who was awakened from his sleep by all of the commotion, Eyre, who was driving the vehicle, complied and provided the information requested by the officers.
“Pete showed his driver’s license and registration,” Talley said. “Adam didn’t have a chance to get any information because he was doing the filming and they arrested him.”
Talley admits to being defiant, mainly because he “was just a passenger.” He said when the deputy asked him to step from the vehicle, he didn’t have any information because he had been sleeping.
Talley also stated that officers stopped their vehicle because it had a “paper tag on it.” But when they checked everything out and found everything was legitimate, instead of letting them go on their way, they continued to press Talley for some type of identification. Once again he refused.
Then came an event Talley will never forget. “The officer placed a choke hold on me and I couldn’t breathe,” he said. “What you basically had was an out-of-control sheriff’s department.”
When all was said and done, Talley, 34, was arrested for disorderly conduct and disobeying a police officer, Eyre, 28, was arrested for possession of beer in a dry county and an unknown offense and Mueller, 26, was arrested for disorderly conduct and disobeying a police officer.
“They wanted to find some reason to justify their actions,” said Talley. “They had no grounds to arrest us.”
He added that a deputy found a sealed can of beer in the refrigerator of the vehicle as they did a search. They decided to charge Eyre for possession and Eyre doesn’t even drink, he said.
“I guess the message to anyone whose driving through Jones County is to stop and throw out all of the beer or liquor you may have in your vehicle, even if its unopened,” said Talley. “You’re driving through a dry county.”
Talley added the trio made bail from donations that were sent in from around the country. They were also able to get their vehicle out of pound. Unfortunately, however, he said that when they checked their video camera, that was left in the vehicle, the footage had been deleted. “We believe someone from the Sheriff’s Department is responsible,” he said. “That was a major injustice.” Hodge has said that he is “proud of our Deputies handling of this traffic stop. I have demonstrated my willingness to admit when we are wrong. However, in this case they handled themselves in a proper and professional manner.”
Talley said the trio is weighing its options. A number of lawyers have contacted them and he is not ruling out the possibility of a lawsuit. In the meantime, he hopes Jones County residents or others who may have complaints against the Jones County Sheriff’s Department will contact him. They can visit www.motorhomediaries.com and click on the e-mail link to contact the crew. “We would love to hear from people who have stories they want to share,” said Talley. “We know there are some good people in Jones County, but I’m afraid this story got out and showed the bad side.
“We also know that there may be others who have experiences similar to ours,” he added. “Things won’t change if people are afraid to take a stand against injustice.”
As I said before, you're free to disagree with me, but don't drape yourself in a flag and the Constitution when you do it, because you only end up looking like a fool...just like Obama.
These three men created their own problems, and I wouldn't be surprised if they created it "literally," a la Michael Moore, because that seems to be the consequence here.
What the hell has happened to reason in this country. I feel like I'm in a freakin' twilight zone episode...
If that were the case then they'd be no need to create a Supreme Court, yet the founders did. Gee, imagine that....
In point of fact, I’m not a Libertarian. I’m a registered Republican in Louisiana. And please stop all the name-calling if you want to have a reasoned debate. It’s common courtesy.
Regarded the limits on rights, I understand the concept and agree that no rights are absolute. The rub is who has to make the case when the rights are abridged. I think government (or whoever seeks to abridge rights) should have to prove the need to do so.
As for traffic stops, checkpoints, etc, here’s my analysis. I have traveled a lot in the past twenty years - about 30 to 40 thousand miles per year - most of it in the Southeast US. I’ve been through Jones county, MS. I’m a good and safe driver and haven’t had any unpleasant encounters with traffic cops.
But it is my opinion that checkpoints, and speed traps and all such crap is a gross mis-allocation of limited law enforcement resources. These resources should be, in my opinion, spent on suppression of the violent crime that occurs every day.
So we must ask why does government love to do the traffic thingy? The answer is of course money. It is a steady revenue source to feed the fat-ass deadheads sitting down at the local city hall or courthouse. And the revenue is relatively easy to extract from a mostly compliant and non-violent source.
That’s all ‘traffic enforcement’ is about and anything which will tend to curtail it is in my opinion a good thing.
LLS
Yep... know the story well and will look into that book for certain.
Thanks!
LLS
“Knowing your rights, man, is important. We need not grant the police powers they don’t by right possess.”
So you’re saying we’ve got the right to be a$$ holes? Maybe we do, but it’s not that important to me to prove it to a cop.
Well, you posted the article with the suffix title "Libertarian Ping." Exactly how did you want you want to interpret it.
Your clarification is noted though.
please stop all the name-calling if you want to have a reasoned debate.
You're right. Agreed
Regarding the rest of your post, I don't disagree with a lot of the things you bring up, but as far as this particular case, you know where I stand, and I'd be willing to bet that the courts will agree that the request for identification was not unreasonable. Doesn't mean I agree with what the cop did afterwards, although one could make the case that such pre-emptive tactics saves lives, given the right indicators, and this man's belligerence could be argued as falling within the parameters of such indicators.
We shall see. And this case now has national attention and Jones County and their sheriff’s department is in for a bit of an examination. It would be nice to have the video the cops deleted to see who is telling the truth.
Brings back memories, I have been stopped a few time in dry counties on a booze hunt.
Most annoying was in Senatobia, when I pulled off the interstate to get gas at the truck stop, filled up and started back to the interstate. The city cop stopped me and told me to get out and open the trunk. There was nothing at all in the trunk, except the spare, but looked all though it and inside my car. A state cop pulled off the interstate and drove up. He went over and talked to the city cop and then came over to me and told me to go on my way.
I once had a bottle of “Old Charter Ten” taken by a campus cop at MSU. I came back to my car and found a note to go the cop shop, I went found out they had taken my bottle. I explained that I was going to give it to a professor, with whom I was going to have dinner that night. They told me, okay we will see that he get it, he never did.
I predict what we’ll see is more citizens with camera phones and cameras recording their encounters with traffic cops. And there will be networking amongst the citizenry. And many cops will have to find other employment.
Well, I've got no stake in it. I just have my opiion, like everyone else. My Ideology isn't riding on it's outcome.
And this case now has national attention and Jones County and their sheriff’s department is in for a bit of an examination.
They're public servants, so I don't have a problem with shining a light on them. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a Hollywood light, so I don't have much confidence that the issue will be dealt with fairly in the public sector, but that's just another one of my opinions...
It would be nice to have the video the cops deleted to see who is telling the truth.
The key to this is the demand for identification, and the person has already admitted to being belligerent with respect to that, so that much is true....and if that is true, then he bears some responsibility to the consequences. How much responsibility is open for discussion.
Look, I'm sorry I insulted you before, and though I'm enjoying this discussion, I have to go for now...holiday weekend and all. Keep our vets in mind, and have a safe holiday...
Apology accepted. Have a safe and fun weekend.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2256842/posts
McIntosh County (Oklahoma) sheriff, undersheriff charged (stealing cash from stopped motorist)
Tulsa World ^ | 05/23/2009 | Rhett Morgan
And the TC the last to know.
Like the tiny cameras LEOs have used for years mounted looking out the front of the cruiser?
What's good for the gander's good for the goose, I always say. ;^)
One could almost call it citizen ‘entrapment’ of cops. Looks like they’re gonna fall for it every time.
One could call it anything they want as long as the result is keeping everyone honest.
"Looks like they’re gonna fall for it every time."
Couple ways that can be read, ol' friend. ;^)
If by "they" you mean the coppers?
Yea, but they'll quickly figure it out after a few get their hind ends flamed for gross misconduct.
I recall getting nailed in a speed trap in Evansville, IN. Cop took forever and a day to come to my car window after he'd pulled me over. Probably waiting for the plate results, dunno.
I can tell you this though, the radar detector I had & couldn't hear because the music was too loud? ( :o) ) I had plenty of time to ditch it.
When "Officer Green" finally got around to approaching my car he immediately leaned wayyy down so he could scan the interior of the C5 I was driving, especially near the top of the wind shield, visor areas.
The man was looking for a radar detector.
When he didn't see one (detector)? I knew I had it made, and I did. Persuaded 'em not to write me a tag and was on my way.
What do you suppose he'd have done had he seen the detector because camera/recording devices will be handled in the same or similar fashion. ;^)
Yes. I meant the cops falling for it. I think there will be more incidents like this one in Mississippi and the Arizona preacher thing. Let’s call them “Citizen Patrols to Enforce Traffic Police Honesty” for lack of a better title.
Why, it might even become a nationally organized network! Sounds like a plan.
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