Major Civil Rights Violation at Civilian Commission: Arrested for The First Amendment

Last Thursday, I attended the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Civilian Commission.

The board is staffed with appointees by individual members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, along with appointments by the board as a whole or from other agencies, including the Sheriff's department.

The Commission is not used to American citizens showing up.

They are not used to patriots, Pro-Trump conservatives putting pressure on the commission.

And we gave them more than they had bargained for.

Check out the outrageous behavior from the staffers and police at the front of the courthouse:

Gary is arrested for filming in the building?

The Civilian Commission meeting is under the Brown Act, which permits recording!

Unbelievable!

The LA Times reported this disregard for the First Amendment:

L.A. County Sheriff oversight board holds public forum in federal courthouse, where cameras aren't allowed

Sometimes people yell at the monthly turnout of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, but on Thursday the fireworks started before some attendees could get inside.

Yes, and much of this conflict began and ended because of the Civilian Commission's perverse move to have the meeting in a court house instead of in the Water District office along Alameda Blvd.

A man attempting to bring a camera to the public forum, held at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, was handcuffed and ultimately ejected after he began filming a dispute with security guards over whether he could bring recording devices into the federal courthouse.

The Brown Act permits men and women to bring in cameras and to record the meeting.

After being detained about an hour, Gary Gileno, a freelance journalist and a member of We The People Rising, a group opposed to illegal immigration, was issued a $280 citation for failing to comply with court security officers’ directions.

He will contest this ticket no doubt. The charges should be dropped. The actions of the security personnel or inexcusable.

Gileno, who said he has filmed a public gathering inside that courthouse before, said he’s well-versed about his rights at open meetings and that what happened to him was “outrageous.”

U.S. Marshals had been telling those entering the building that no electronics were allowed, even if people were headed to the public forum. The agents eventually let most people bring their phones and cameras inside, although they did not allow people to hold up signs in the meeting.

They "eventually" let people bring in their equipment. So why this selective enforcement?

Mike MacBean, acting supervisor for the U.S. Marshals Service for California’s central district, said officers who detained Gileno were simply enforcing rules barring recording devices of any type inside federal courthouses.

But the ordeal highlighted an awkward situation for the oversight commission, which is bound by the state open meetings law that says anyone at official public meetings has a right take pictures, video or audio of the proceedings, unless doing so creates a persistent disturbance.

The Civilian Commission are required to allow open access, signs, and electronic recording devices. It is beyond outrageous that the security and the court staff behaved the way they did.

Unreal.

Commissioners have frequently said they want to foster a welcoming atmosphere for anyone to come and speak about their experiences with the Sheriff’s Department.

That whole movement went down in flames that day. I was so furious with the outrageous limitations on our life and liberty within the chambers. It was inexcusable that signs and cameras were forbidden.

“I felt a little humiliated having to take off my shoes and stuff,” said Commissioner Heather Miller, a rabbi, noting the airport-like security measures at the federal courthouse. “You talk about law enforcement triggering things for people.”

"Triggering" is a good word.

Robert C. Bonner, a former federal judge who serves as chair of the civilian oversight panel, said he recommended that the federal courthouse be used for the meeting. The commission has been trying out different locations in search of a more permanent home.

Of course he did!

“The cameras are not allowed in a federal courthouse, that’s all I can tell you. These aren’t my rules,” he said.

Bonner said he was not familiar with certain provisions of California’s open meetings law, known as the Ralph M. Brown Act, and that he relies on county counsel for advice on the legalities.

What?!

This man is a former federal judge, and he has no knowledge of the Ralph M. Brown Act?!

Wow!

“Why is it that people would have to have their own separate audio recording when we have an audio recording that picks up everything that’s said?” Bonner asked.

The commission posts audio files of its meetings online, but there is typically a lag time of a few weeks.

The lag time is certainly convenient.

Brian Williams, the commission’s executive director who approved the location, said he wasn’t aware that cameras were not allowed inside federal courthouses. He said he would keep that in mind when deciding on future sites for the monthly meeting, which has recently been held at the Metropolitan Water District building next to Union Station.

Wow! Pretty incompetent, I must say.

“I want to make sure the public has unfettered access,” Williams said.

Peter Bibring, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said the oversight commission has an obligation to follow state law and should not hold meetings in places where people aren’t allowed to bring cameras or other recording devices.

This is the second time in two weeks that I have applauded a decision by the ACLU. They are actually defending the First Amendment rights of conservatives and patriots of all backgrounds!

Also on Thursday, the commission approved a resolution opposing President Trump’s statement last month to a crowd of law enforcement officers in which he told them, “Please don’t be too nice,” when arresting people.

I say that we condemn the antics and bigotry of the Civilian Commission.

Their disregard for our First Amendment rights and the violations of the Brown Act were insufferable.

The president was “appearing to encourage and condone out of policy and inappropriate use of force against suspects,” the commission’s resolution said.

How about the use of force against me, when I was speaking at the podium? The Vice-Chair asked for me to be removed from the room, but he did not have the right to do that. No one in that room had the right to have me removed or to tell me to sit down and say nothing.

In fact, the three officers on duty ended up backing away from the podium, but one of the officers told me to "be civil."

What?! Shame on them!

Commissioners and members of the public also discussed the Sheriff’s Department’s mental evaluation teams, which pair deputies with mental health clinicians to respond to calls requiring special handling of mentally ill people.

The whole Civilian Commission needs a mental evaluation. That should not be too complicated.

Final Reflection

Gary Gileno, the man who was arrested and cited just for having a camera and exercising his First Amendment rights, put together a great video of what happened to me in the meeting.

In fact, the video has gotten incredible traffic, despite YouTube's intense efforts to siphon off or squeeze the viewership for Gileno's videos: