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| Man Settles Lawsuit Over Anit-bush Sign | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 27 2004, 11:44 AM (352 Views) | |
| olstuf | Aug 27 2004, 11:44 AM Post #1 |
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Bill
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Paper requires sign up so I'll put it here. Man settles lawsuit over anti-Bush sign. Litigation comes after a Monfort man is arrested in Platteville. Platteville, Wi.---A Montfort man who was arrested in Platteville during President George Bush's visit to Wisconsin on May 7 has settled a lawsuit he filed in federal court that claimed his right to free speech was violated. Frank Van Den Bosch, 53, said the settlement came to about $12,500. "$6500 and about $6000 in attorney fees," he said. "But I do not feel any justice from getting money. I would feel better it (Platteville police chief) Earl Hernandez would lose his job or face criminal charges. It is degrading the whole system comes to money." The suit named six employees of the city of Platteville andone employee of the state of Wisconsin. Van Den Bosch originally was charged with disorderly conduct after holding up a sign that read "FUGW" when the president's motorcade passed thru Platteville. A Grant County judge dismissed the $243 citation in late May. (My addition--under the letters in small print was Free Us George Bush). Van Den Bosch was seeking monetary damages from Hernandez, and Lt.Tom Schmid, Sgt. Todd Kasper, Sgt. Michelle Hechel and Officer Andrea Hoernke of the Platteville Police Department and Andy Kissh, of the Platteville Fire Department. The suit also suught monetary damages from Reggie Ihm of the UW-Platteville Police Department. Hernandez sais his officers were responding to a complaint and had no choice but to issue a disorderly conduct citation against Van Den Bosch. "The way our ordinance was written, and it since has been changed, a complaint from one person is enough for us to respond, and we had about 6 complaints. Platteville City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said city laws have been updated to "better reflect state disorderly conduct laws" and allow for discretion, he said. Van Den Bosch said he plans to donate some of the money to prison advocacy, Southwest Wisconsin Peace Fellowship and the UW-Platteville Students for Peace and Justice. Van Den Posch also is planning on going to next week's Republican National Convention in New York to protest, but is not planning on displaying the same sign He also said he isn't a John Kerry supporter, but is anti-war. "I hope other people stand up to bullies even if the law is on their side," he said. "They cannot run roughshod over our First Amendment rights." At least he stood up to them. I don't know the fellow and the name is not a local one. Lots of Van de and Van den in the northern parts of the state so he could be a student at the UWP. I would bet the NYPD will not be as easy on him as Platteville's. One for the public. |
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2:26 AM Jul 11