President-Elect Barack Obama Faces Charges in Memphis

[sabra]

Source: ABC24/CW30 Eyewitness News

MEMPHIS, TN -- President-Elect Barack Obama is scheduled to appear in a Memphis court on charges of defacing public property.

According to court documents, a public works employee filed the charge after he says he found 512 campaigns signs illegally placed on right-of-way land in the city. The document says the signs were found on Germantown Road, Walnut Grove Road, Sam Cooper and Mendenhall Road.

President-Elect Obama missed his initial court appearance, and the case has been reset to December 8, 2008.

Read more: http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=49a11954-b5b1-4924-a95b-4310482c853c

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:crazy:

[AspenRose]

1. Oh, boy.

IMPEACH HIM!

:crazy: Crazy SOBs. What a dumbass.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Is there video of Obama placing the signs himself?

Otherwise, this case is likely to get thrown out.

[TwilightGardener]

5. That's what I thought--unless Obama was putting the signs out there himself, he's not

legally responsible. Bizarre shit. I'd laugh, but it's coming from Tennessee.

[asjr]

10. The next time someone asks me where I

am from I will tell them Valhalla. For most Tennesseans that would be a word to ponder.

[Xithras]

16. Wrong, in most states the campaign does have responsibility.

Here in California, political campaigns are responsible for removing ALL campaign signs within a certain amount of time following the election (10 days, I think). If the campaign doesn't remove the signs, the local governments can remove them and bill the campaign for the cleanup. It's typically considered a normal cost of running a campaign. After it's over, you have to pay someone to clean the mess up.

The legal theory behind it (which has stood up to court challenge) is that the signs were produced by the campaign, and therefore the campaign is legally responsible for them. Even if the signs were handed out to the public, the campaign did so with the knowledge that they would be planted somewhere...which still incurs a legal responsibility onto the campaign.

Where I live, here in Central California, most campaigns actually employ a cash-reward system for the signs. Immediately after election day most campaigns offer a reward for campaigns turned in (as little as a dime for the small signs, but up to several dollars for the larger ones). Poor people looking to make a few bucks scour the cities pulling up campaign signs, and turn them into the election headquarters for a payment.

The only odd thing about the case in the OP is the fact that they charged Obama himself. Usually any fines or charges would be levied against the state or local campaign offices, and not against a national candidate directly. If the local offices have closed, the fines should be sent to the national campaign, but not to the candidate himself.

[alfredo]

34. It is Tennessee, what do you expect?

[santamargarita]

24. No, but I bet there is of some right-wing asshole putting them there...

...to blame Obama!

[d_b]

lol

good luck with that.

[Merlot]

3. And so it starts....

[onehandle]

4. Welcome to the South.

We're idiots.

[Rebubula]

20. Hmmm..

...Well...to be fair...the North is full of Morons as well.

I mean...It was Boston that freaked out and shut down the city over a few Lite-Bright signs promoting a TV show.

And the West...well Prop 8.


Idiots are everywhere...but sometimes Southern bashing is indigenous to DU.

[pacalo]

6. Okay, Keith O, do your thing on this one. Show the world how petty & petulant 'thugs can be.

[woodsprite]

7. I'm betting there were some McCain signs around too.

I want him charged if there were.

Hubby and I were just saying that the election was 2 wks ago. I think it's about time that we start fining people for leaving the signs up on public property (street corners, medians, etc). Let's see - around here McCain's campaign would get fined, so would Bill Lee, Christine O'Donnell, Mike Castle, and a few others. We thought $10 per sign per day might be good, start counting the days at 2 wks past the election. I still see Obama and Biden signs, but they're on private property.

[Aristus]

8. Shit.

Those pukes want their slaves back awfully bad... :eyes:

[GodlessBiker]

9. If the public works guy actually complained that Barack did it, he should be charged with filing a

false complaint.

[nc4bo]

11. How stupid. Taxpayers should be outraged over such a frivilous waste of tax payer money.

:wtf: ever happened to making a 25 cent damn phone call to the campaign office?

[NikolaC]

12. OMG, LOL

Did it occur to that nut that maybe the signs were dumped there by the wingnuts that were stealing their neighbors signs:eyes:? Just a thought...

[BrklynLiberal]

13. The public works employee who filed those charges should be fined for the cost

to the taxpayers that this entire episode cost, he should be put in jail for a while...and then perhaps fired since he will have record.

[LynneSin]

14. You have got to be kidding me

Seriously. I highly doubt Obama put those out there himself.

[minnesota_liberal]

35. Next you'll tell me Santa Claus doesn't visit 2 billion homes in 1 night

[Xithras]

15. dup

posted wrong spot

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[McCamy Taylor]

18. There are people in the South who really NEED the Obama presidency.

Like whoever filed these charges.

[HerbieHeadhunter]

19. Breaking - Babe Ruth named as co-conspirator

for leaving candy bar wrappers strewn across said public property. Alert the public works department!!!

[hangman86]

21. Let's just abandon all attempts to charge Bush and Cheney for war crimes

We need to get this sign-placing issue resolved ASAP!:sarcasm:

[BootinUp]

22. They have some real cracker jacks there.

Obama better show up in court or else!

[Dr.Phool]

23. They had better arrest the Pasco County, Fla. Sheriff too.

I saw some of his signs in the right-of-way today. Our repuke congressman too.

[Fire1]

25. Truly stupid.

[NoodleyAppendage]

26. GERMANTOWN, TN. = White flight suburb pretty solidly Repuke and racist.

Having grown up in Germantown, TN. (suburb of Memphis), I don't find it surprising that the complaint would come from an area of town known for "white flight," economic privilege, and racism.

Way to go Memphis/G'Town! Keep on showing those KKKolors. ;(

[kitkatrose]

38. To be fair, not all of those areas are in Gtown, thank you annexation.

That said, I agree with your other point. *went to HS at Gtown* I don't know if you're still there, but there was a shitstorm when they talked carving a bunch of neighborhoods districts (mostly Black and Hispanic) from GHS's roster and sending them to Houston HS. People at GHS were cheering it on "to relieve the overcrowding" and people at Houston were freaking out. Which was stupid, because those districts were so far away from both schools that the busing costs would have been really high, when they could've cut some neighborhoods that were closer to Houston. But they were predominantly White so of course that wasn't an option. Of course, now they've built a new HS in that area, so I imagine that GHS will be as racially diverse as it used to be, now that it's open all the way. :eyes:

*to Memphis* Thanks for the fail guys. This is one of the reasons why people keep leaving the city at an astronomical rate.

[NoodleyAppendage]

39. Made my escape in '94, but actually migrated to midtown in '88. n/t

J

[qwlauren35]

27. What happens with a guilty verdict?

What would happen if the actual "perp" came forward?

This is soooooooooooooooooooooo disgusting.

[freestyle]

32. The campaign would be fined.

At least, that is how illegal sign placement is punished in Maryland. Punishment is exceedingly rare, especially if the signs are removed quickly, which those probably were.

[HPD]

28. Obama i am sure will not appear or even be bothered by it

A local lawyer of the campaign will appear in court and the case will get dropped. This is not a serious charge to warrant the President-elect's time. And if a judge makes a big deal, rest assure he's a bigot. This is insulting.

[Mz Pip]

29. I really want to meet Mick Jagger

So maybe I should put up a bunch of Rolling Stones signs along the median strip in our town. Then some city employee can file charges against Mick.

Mick will just have to show up!

[mattfromnossa]

30. asinine.

a call to the campaign would have sufficed. :eyes:

[AspenRose]

31. "Selective prosecution"

"City of Memphis spokesperson Toni Holman-Turner says the employee was just doing his job. She says citations have been issued to numerous politicians in the past, including Mayoral, Sheriff and Attorney General Candidates. Memphis City Council passed an ordinance three years ago that made it illegal to place any signs near the right of way. The ordinance was originally put in place for homeowners, to prevent them from placing signs (like for sale, for rent and yard sale signs, etc.) near the right of way. The City says campaign signs aren't exempt.

According to Holman-Turner, three letters were hand delivered to Obama’s local campaign office and there was no response. She says taking Obama to court was the next step.

Attorney Jay Bailey will be representing the President-Elect. While the City of Memphis says its employee was just doing his job, Bailey feels the city worker just had an axe to grind. "This guy just had a problem with Barack Obama and decided to use his badge." Bailey says he plans to file a motion to dismiss this on the grounds of selective prosecution."

[NightHawk63]

33. I live and work in Memphis.

One of the guys that I work with came in on Election Day complaining about all the election signs that were posted along several roads on his way in to work. He started going on about how its Obama's fault because he's responsible for the "character" of everyone that works for him.

He's a RABID right-winger and is absolutely terrified of an Obama presidency. I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised to find out that he had something to do with this bullshit.

The ironic part is that my girlfriend and I wanted to grab some of those signs for posterity. But the very next morning, as I was heading to work, I couldn't find a single one. There were many other candidates' signs still around but no Obama.

[No Elephants]

36. Meh. In a few weeks, he can pardon himself.

[fasttense]

37. Lieberman will get right on this.

I'm sure he will make it a primary focus of investigation in his committee. You know how those election posters spur on terrorists not to mention all that pillaging and stealing.

[Doctor_J]

40. Hate radio has the wackos all riled up

Obama will be sued/investigated/threatened constantly for the next 8 years.

[Blue_Tires]

41. holy shit! that is the November surprise nobody expected!!!!

[Juneboarder]

42. Political Signs

My thoughts are that anyone running a campaign is responsible for the signs placed, as the signs wouldn't be there if it weren't for the candidate. I voted for Obama and love the man, but my city is littered with jokers that run for office, place these signs and then leave them to litter my streets. I think charging so much per littered sign is a great idea as it stresses the importance of keeping things clean...