Bloggers Have Feelings Too Judge Declares
In a case that has taken the quiet province of New Brunswick by storm, and left many shaking head, one man has come out on top. He is a simple blogger much like myself and a few others who lurk in behind the scenes on the internet to bravely bring you stories the so-called ‘liberal media’ wouldn’t ever dare touch with a ten foot pole because it makes Georgie Bush cry, gives Stevie Harper nightmares and makes Tony Blair fear what lies beyond the safety of the PMO.
A blogger by the name of Charles Leblanc was unjustly arrested because he had been present at the scene of a rather rowdy protest that resulted in the arrest of some of the protesters, as well as people who has no idea they were breaking the law just because they were standing around taking pictures. A scene all to familiar to those who recall the death of Montreal journalist, Zahra Kazemi at the hands of Iranian officials, after she was arrested, following her attempt to photograph student protesters at a protest in Tehran.
Leblanc’s only true crime was not being a member of the ‘press’ – the very same that is routinely snubbed by the holier-than-thou Harper administration (PM accused of ‘secretiveness’ and ‘manipulating media’). He had been at a protest in Saint John taking photographs for his blog when he was arrested by police for simply being at the protest taking pictures. He was then subsequently charged with ‘resisting arrest’ and ‘obstruction of justice’.
The judge didn’t find this amusing. It seems the judge isn’t swayed by smooth talking cops who can’t debate their way out of a wet paper bag.
Judge William McCarroll stopped short of dismissing the case Tuesday, but asked several pointed questions of the Crown, and suggested police officers may have acted inappropriately.
McCarroll studied CBC videotape of LeBlanc’s arrest outside a business conference in Saint John last June. The video shows LeBlanc taking digital photos of a rowdy protest outside conference doors, and caught three Saint John police officers pinning him to the ground while he shouted out that he was taking pictures for his internet website. He was later charged with obstruction of justice.
In court, the judge said it appeared that LeBlanc was just off to the side taking pictures when a police officer grabbed him.
“The video speaks for itself. It’s very strong evidence, that video,” McCarroll said. “He’s taking pictures. The next thing is, you know, he’s down on the ground with three officers on him.”
Police had testified earlier in the week that LeBlanc resisted during his arrest, but McCarroll held up a picture of the police walking LeBlanc peacefully across the lobby of the conference centre. “This doesn’t look to me like someone who is resisting arrest.”
Now that the judge has hurt the feelings of the officers, who were trying to do their job (you know, like the RCMP who ignored the fact that the slipped up on their intelligence and allowed for an innocent man, Maher Arar to be deported to Syria where he was jailed, and during interrogation forced to ‘confess’), it seems that the officers decided that they should change their story, anything to avoid looking like the bad guys who have succumbed to the seductress that is power…
McCarroll said police testimony on Monday and Tuesday morning was inconsistent with what he saw on the videotape, and he wondered out loud why police ignored the masked man standing beside LeBlanc who was an obvious protester.
Crown prosecutor Catherine McNally suggested police arrested LeBlanc because they “didn’t recognize him as a media person.”
McCarroll replied the officers must have believed he was some sort of journalist, because they admitted to using his blog to get information about the conference in the days prior to his arrest. “The police went to his blogsite to get information,” he said.
If Leblanc is not recognised as a ‘media person’ then why use his blog, since it would likely be riddled with pure opinion, which would likely not be admissible in any court, unless it was taken as a confession, or considered as heresy evidence. It’s good to know that our police officers are so well informed that they’ve figured out that a blog might actually be another form journalism. Next they’ll realise the sky’s blue, the grass is green and bears shit in the woods.
Try this on for size…
The arresting officer, Sgt. John Parks, testified Monday that he didn’t consider LeBlanc to be a legitimate reporter because he appeared “scruffy” and had an unprofessional-looking digital camera.
Now journalists have to look a certain way? I thought were were beyond discriminating against people because of their appearance. Of course, journalists all must look one way, just as the terrorists must as well. Ah, stereotypes, where would the world be without you? A much better place that is.
This kind of this simply reinforces why we need to dissent and protest – if anyone in the position of authority won’t listen to the people voluntarily then we will make them listen. They can’t ignore us forever. The blogger is the underground journalist; a voice for those who get slighted because they aren’t sensational enough to grab the headline for the evening news.
N.B. judge blasts Crown’s case against blogger
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