Repeater
Regular Member
Compare what happened today to Aaron B. Tobey to what happened to skidmark earlier this month:
Charge against airport protester dropped
Observations:
Charge against airport protester dropped
A disorderly conduct charge against a young Charlottesville man who stripped to show wording from the 4th Amendment on his chest in protest of airport security procedures was dropped today in Henrico General District Court.
The charge was not prosecuted at the request of Commonwealth's Attorney Wade Kizer and Aaron B. Tobey's lawyer, Steven D. Benjamin, who appeared before Judge Archer L. Yeatts III.
Kizer said outside the courtroom that he did not believe Tobey's behavior rose to that required to be in violation of the disorderly conduct law. "He was looking for attention and he got it," said Kizer.
Benjamin said, "He simply wanted to make a statement, which is his right," While "American citizens have to submit to airport security measures," said Benjamin, "we're still American citizens and we still have the right to protest."
Observations:
- Henrico County's Commonwealth's Attorney himself was involved, appearing in court on a misdemeanor charge, instead of allowing a subordinate to handle this.
- Kizer himself asked the court to dismiss (nol pros) the case because the conduct for which Tobey was arrested did not rise to the level "required to be in violation of the disorderly conduct law."
- The Surry County prosecutor (Poindexter) could have come to court and done the same thing himself - but did not.
- Justice was served today in Henrico; justice still waits in Surry.