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Richmond breaks the law again (Long)

peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13,551
Location
Valhalla
The City Council continues their path of ignoring Virginia Law and using the Police Department as their private thugs.

First, this is part of the Va. Open Meeting statute.

§ 2.2-3707. Meetings to be public; notice of meetings; recordings; minutes.
H. Any person may photograph, film, record or otherwise reproduce any portion of a meeting required to be open. The public body conducting the meeting may adopt rules governing the placement and use of equipment necessary for broadcasting, photographing, filming or recording a meeting to prevent interference with the proceedings, but shall not prohibit or otherwise prevent any person from photographing, filming, recording, or otherwise reproducing any portion of a meeting required to be open. No public body shall conduct a meeting required to be open in any building or facility where such recording devices are prohibited.


Now the story

http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/in-chaotic-session-activist-removed-park-lease-approved/article_a1a665ff-c0c4-50ff-af30-17f202a602a9.html
The Richmond City Council voted Monday to lease Monroe Park to a nonprofit group during a chaotic night at City Hall in which a well-known activist was forcibly removed by police and critics of the park plan seemed to briefly take over the meeting.
The council voted unanimously to lease the city’s oldest public park to the Monroe Park Conservancy to allow a $6 million renovation to move forward with a mix of public and private money.
But as the meeting began, all eyes turned to the media gallery, where former candidate for sheriff Chris Dorsey was filming the proceedings with a handheld video camera.

Dorsey, a strident council critic who attends public meetings carrying a handgun, was asked by a council staff member to leave the press area, which set off a confrontation that ended with Dorsey being carried from the building by police.

“I’m being kidnapped!” Dorsey shouted as police took him down an elevator.

Dorsey said by phone that the incident began when a city official questioned why he was sitting in an area reserved for the media.

In a video of the incident recorded by Dorsey and posted to YouTube, Dorsey has a two-minute exchange with Steve Skinner, the council’s public information manager, who asks why he’s seated in the media section. Dorsey repeatedly tells Skinner he is a member of the media who blogs and posts videos to YouTube.

At one point, Dorsey asks Skinner to step away from him, claiming he’s invading his personal space. When Dorsey aims the camera at Skinner’s hands, Skinner asks, “Are you threatening me with your gun?” He repeats, “You pointed to your gun” twice before having security remove Dorsey.

Dorsey said he was assaulted by the officers.

“Four guys picked me up ... and the whole time, I’m telling them, ‘You guys gotta let me go. You guys gotta let me go. I’m going to sue each and every one of you. I’m going to sue you. I’m going to sue the police.’ ” Dorsey said he plans to file claims related to the incident.

Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, 8th District, objected to Dorsey’s removal after the shouts from the hallway died down.

“That should not have taken place,” Trammell said, promising a fuller discussion.

Trammell later pointed specifically to the issue of firearms and questioned why Dorsey had been approached by staff members rather than a uniformed police officer.

“This could have been a bad situation,” she said.

Minutes later, an opponent of the Monroe Park plan refused to stop speaking about the issue during a separate public comment period, prompting Council President Charles R. Samuels to gavel a recess and leave the room. The activists then continued talking about the issue as the council members who remained sat silently.
 

T Dubya

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
914
Location
Richmond, Va, ,
I was there, saw it. The discussion didn't look unusual from my vantage point. Really, really odd. Chris Dorsey ran for sheriff, he is always at council meetings. He did nothing wrong. Steve Skinner, the guy that had Dorsey thrown out claimed he pointed to "his gun." That's just stupid, nothing like that happened. Peter is right in his subject line. This man was assaulted, harassed and thrown out for open-carrying. No question in my mind. I saw them drag him out and I saw Reva Trammal immediately go to his defense and say "that should not have happened."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Vy3WjE3E8#t=21
 

builtjeep

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
323
Location
South Chesterfield, VA
I watched the latter part of the meeting on television, didn't get home until after this had gone down and heard no mention of it until the news this morning. I hope he sue's the crap out of every person who participated.
 

Repeater

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
2,498
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
I was there, saw it. Chris Dorsey ran for sheriff, he is always at council meetings. He did nothing wrong. Steve Skinner, the guy that had Dorsey thrown out claimed he pointed to "his gun."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Vy3WjE3E8#t=21

So, who is Chris Dorsey? Mark Holmberg investigates.

BlN02SmIYAAa3J7.jpg

[size=+2]Chris Dorsey gets carried away[/size]
 

TFred

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
7,750
Location
Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
I think I would have added, "I hope you have lots of equity in your houses, gentlemen, I'll see you living in a homeless shelter by the time we're done here."

Not really. But boy I woulda wanted to.

TFred

ETA: Not until violating civil rights comes with PERSONAL consequences, will it ever end.
 
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Primus

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Why was he carried out? I k ow he was told to leave for bogus reasons by how/why did he get picked up and carried? Did he refuse to just walk out with them?

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
 

davidmcbeth

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earth's crust
So, there is a "media section". Who decides who is media? Someone does. This guy may not have been designated "media" and hence not allowed in the area.

Just being a blogger does not make you a "media" for these areas. Usually a person in the agency accepts a request to be designated a member of the media. I think that this is Mr. Skinner (ph: 804-646-6052), public relations dept.

Usually, "media" for these purposes are defined as brick and mortar establishments (newspaper, TV, etc.) and even some bloggers with well known blogging sites.

Sounds like he was told to leave the media section; refused, and was carted off. This is what happens.

Now if there is not a procedure for designating who is and is not "media" then Richmond was wrong but if there is and he isn't on the approved list then Richmond was right.

One has to do better than just provide conclusionary statements IMO ...
 

peter nap

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Valhalla
Just being a blogger does not make you a "media" for these areas. Usually a person in the agency accepts a request to be designated a member of the media. I think that this is Mr. Skinner (ph: 804-646-6052), public relations dept.

Usually, "media" for these purposes are defined as brick and mortar establishments (newspaper, TV, etc.) and even some bloggers with well known blogging sites.

..

Cite David...Virginia Law please.
 

Repeater

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Richmond, Virginia, USA
So, there is a "media section". Who decides who is media? Someone does. This guy may not have been designated "media" and hence not allowed in the area.

It seems Steve Skinner acts like gun-hater Chuck Schumer:

Media shield law moves forward in Senate - Without bloggers
A law that would protect journalists from revealing confidential sources is moving forward in the Senate, despite its narrow view of who is a "covered" journalist.

Twitter and Facebook, and most blogs would not be protected, according to the definition included in the bill.

A "covered" journalist is a "professional" journalist (basically a Progressive) while 'amateur' journalists are shut out.
 

Repeater

Regular Member
Joined
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Messages
2,498
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Why was he carried out? I k ow he was told to leave for bogus reasons by how/why did he get picked up and carried? Did he refuse to just walk out with them?

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Chris Dorsey posted some comments at Style Weekly:

City Council Meeting Degenerates Into Weird, Chaotic Mess
A failed candidate for sheriff was forcibly removed from City Council Chambers and then carried out of the building on his back by three uniformed police officers. Another man’s refusal to yield during a public comment session led City Council President Charles Samuels to order the packed meeting into recess. When the meeting was reconvened a subsequent speaker called Samuels a “dingo.”

...
 

davidmcbeth

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earth's crust
It seems Steve Skinner acts like gun-hater Chuck Schumer:

Media shield law moves forward in Senate - Without bloggers


A "covered" journalist is a "professional" journalist (basically a Progressive) while 'amateur' journalists are shut out.

Usually, even true "media" must request to be allowed into a media section...so even if you are from ABC news, you cannot go into the media section w/o being cleared to do so.
So if there is a procedure to designate a person as "media" then that person must follow the procedure. If not, its a free-for-all. IMO
 

peter nap

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Usually, even true "media" must request to be allowed into a media section...so even if you are from ABC news, you cannot go into the media section w/o being cleared to do so.
So if there is a procedure to designate a person as "media" then that person must follow the procedure. If not, its a free-for-all. IMO

I asked for a cite and got an opinion. Skinner isn't a cite either:rolleyes:

Anyone that reports news is the media in Virginia. Thus the move to alter the shield laws which didn't go far.

There is a conflict between the Va. Open Meeting statute and the procedures in some legislative bodies, including the General Assembly.

While anyone can record the meetings, some areas are designated "Credentialed Media". That's the difference. The almighty press pass. In order to get mine with the state,I had to show the following and I have to give it up on the years I lobby.

PRESS PASSES

Press passes are restricted to journalists whose
primary responsibility is coverage of Virginia state
government and the Virginia General Assembly.
Applicants must be full‐time, paid correspondents
employed by a news organization that is: (a) a general
circulation newspaper that has been published for at
least 52 weeks consecutively, (b) a public or commer‐
cial radio or television station with regularly
scheduled news programming, or (c) a news
organization whose principal business is the daily
dissemination of original news of interest to a broad
segment of the public, and which has broadcast or
published (online or in print) continuously for 52
weeks. The news organization must (i) work
independently of any government, industry, or
institution and (ii) not engage, directly or indirectly,
in any lobbying, political activity, or other activity
intended to influence elections or any matter before
the General Assembly or before any independent
agency, or any department or other instrumentality of
the Executive Branch.
 

Grapeshot

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Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Very little has changed in the way Richmond City Council works to restrict the rights in open meetings and nothing will change until it gets very exoensive for those that perpetuate the "control" by virtue of their position of awe-thority. :mad:
 

Repeater

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Messages
2,498
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Very little has changed in the way Richmond City Council works to restrict the rights in open meetings and nothing will change until it gets very expensive for those that perpetuate the "control" by virtue of their position of awe-thority. :mad:

That is a really Fire-Engine Red, there! Shows how mad this really makes you feel.

That Skinner really is a tool. This is no way to treat a Virginian who carries openly or openly records in public.

Oh, and now this event is national, with Carlos Miller on the case. See what he has to say:

Virginia Activist Carried out of Council Meeting for Video Recording
And if Richmond City Council Public Information Officer Steven Skinner would make up such an outrageous lie, knowing it was on video, then anything that comes out of his mouth should be taken with a grain of salt.

But spinning the truth is what he gets paid to do, so it was obvious business as usual for him.

...

“Can you please step away from me?” asked Dorsey. “You’re threatening me, you’re in my space.”

Dorsey then panned his camera down towards Skinner’s hands to show how close they were to him.

And that was all the excuse Skinner needed to have him removed.

“Are you threatening me with your gun?” Skinner asked. ” You pointed to your gun.”

...

Every city council has their gadfly. Or at least should have. And unless Dorsey is being disruptive, which he wasn’t Monday night, then he should be left alone.

Because in the process of trying to discredit him, Skinner ended up discrediting himself and the rest of the council.

But at least he is gracious enough to publicly list his contact information.

804.646.6052 (office)
804.335.4054 (mobile)
804.937.1386 (home/mobile)
804.646.5468 (fax)
steven.skinner@richmondgov.com (email)

That's helpful! :)
 

peter nap

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Joined
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Messages
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Valhalla
Remember that this is the same City that arrested a freelance photographer for photographing the police tearing down an Occupier camp in the middle of the night.
 
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Liberty-or-Death

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23235
Either the 1st amendment applies to all of us, or it applies to none of us. Same for the 2nd, etc.

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