Crime California man faces 13 years in jail for scribbling anti-bank messages in chalk

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tom_mai78101

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Jeff Olson, the 40-year-old man who is being prosecuted for scrawling anti-megabank messages on sidewalks in water-soluble chalk last year now faces a 13-year jail sentence. A judge has barred his attorney from mentioning freedom of speech during trial.

According to the San Diego Reader, which reported on Tuesday that a judge had opted to prevent Olson’s attorney from "mentioning the First Amendment, free speech, free expression, public forum, expressive conduct, or political speech during the trial,” Olson must now stand trial for on 13 counts of vandalism.

In addition to possibly spending years in jail, Olson will also be held liable for fines of up to $13,000 over the anti-big-bank slogans that were left using washable children's chalk on a sidewalk outside of three San Diego, California branches of Bank of America, the massive conglomerate that received $45 billion in interest-free loans from the US government in 2008-2009 in a bid to keep it solvent after bad bets went south.

The Reader reports that Olson’s hearing had gone as poorly as his attorney might have expected, with Judge Howard Shore, who is presiding over the case, granting Deputy City Attorney Paige Hazard's motion to prohibit attorney Tom Tosdal from mentioning the United States' fundamental First Amendment rights.

"The State's Vandalism Statute does not mention First Amendment rights," ruled Judge Shore on Tuesday.

www.rt.com

California man faces 13 years in jail for scribbling anti-bank messages in chalk

Jeff Olson, the 40-year-old man who is being prosecuted for scrawling anti-megabank messages on sidewalks in water-soluble chalk last year now faces a 13-year jail sentence. A judge has barred his attorney from mentioning freedom of speech during trial.
www.rt.com www.rt.com
 
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Chalk is "vandalism" in america? Children use that stuff on the sidewalk all day over here.
You guys need to learn to relax...
 
The Chalk is washable. They are just trying to make an example out of him. BS.
 
I can't blame them for not wanting it on their property, but considering that it's in no way permanent, the punishment seems pretty steep.
 
Sounds like something that will be taken to a different trial and, if necessary, the Supreme Court; but, I can't imagine him spending any real time in jail for this.
 
KMilz said:
I can't blame them for not wanting it on their property, but considering that it's in no way permanent, the punishment seems pretty steep.
Click to expand...

I don't recall graffiti and tag marks as permanent. Would it be reasonable if it were for the same?
 
Graffiti and tag marks don't wash away in the next rain.
 
The Helper said:
The Chalk is washable. They are just trying to make an example out of him. BS.
Click to expand...
The point is that the guy still did vandalism. Well but "13 years" is where it gets too extreme.
 
FireCat said:
The point is that the guy still did vandalism. Well but "13 years" is where it gets too extreme.
Click to expand...
So 7 year old girls drawing with chalk on the sidewalk are practising vandalism in your opinion.
 
Seriously, Accname. It's Just a 7 years old girl. But: yes, it's kind of vandalism.
 
Here's another analogy:

A 10-year-old orphan is drawing art depicting war and crime on the sidewalk in front of a big building using washable chalk in New York City. That orphan had just witnessed police pepper spraying someone.

Drawings include "police spraying pepper spray onto another person". Or a person with a yellow badge is throwing water drips at another person, who is hiding their face behind their hands. Being drawn literally.

Would the police charge the child with vandalism?
 
Update:


My analogy is correct.


Local man found not guilty in chalk vandalsim case

SAN DIEGO - A 40-year-old man was acquitted Monday of 13 misdemeanor vandalism charges that stemmed from protest messages he wrote in chalk in front of three Bank of America branches in San Diego.

Jeffrey David Olson's attorney argued during the trial -- which garnered national attention -- that his client was engaging in a legal protest and was not maliciously defacing of property.

Defense attorney Tom Tosdal argued that vandalism law required jurors to find something was "maliciously defaced."

"His purpose was not malicious. His purpose was to inform," Tosdal said of his client.

Olson did not deny that he scrawled the anti-bank messages and artwork outside the banks between April and August of last year. The messages included "No thanks, big banks" and "Shame on Bank of America."

Olson said he started his message campaign because big "Wall Street banks nearly drove our economy into the ditch."
Read more here.
 
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