Senate Passes Bill Making the Harassment of a Police Officer a Crime

[General of Darkness]

1984?

Senate Passes Bill Making the Harassment of a Police Officer a Crime


Posted by Majority Press on Wednesday, June 5th, 2013


Related issues: Crime (http://www.nysenate.gov/issues/crime), Police (http://www.nysenate.gov/issues/local-government/police)



The New York State Senate today passed a bill that creates the crime of aggravated harassment of a police or peace officer. The bill (S.2402 (http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2402-2013)), sponsored by Senator Joe Griffo (R-C-I, Rome) would make it a felony to harass, annoy, or threaten a police officer while on duty.

“Our system of laws is established to protect the foundations of our society,” Senator Griffo said. “Police officers who risk their lives every day in our cities and on our highways deserve every possible protection, and those who treat them with disrespect, harass them and create situations that can lead to injuries deserve to pay a price for their actions.”

The bill establishes this crime as a Class E Felony, punishable by up to four years in prison.

“At a time when shocking incidents of disrespect and outright confrontation are at an all-time high, the men and women who patrol the streets of our cities deserve every possible protection we can offer them,” Senator Griffo stated. “My bill would make it a crime to take any type of physical action to try to intimidate a police officer. This is a necessary action because we can see from the rise in incidents that too many people in our society have lost the respect they need to have for a police officer. We need to make it very clear that when a police officer is performing his duty, every citizen needs to comply and that refusal to comply carries a penalty.”

“Professionally, I am grateful to see this bill pass through the Senate. Our police officers have a very dangerous job and need the support of our government leaders to help make them safe,” said Utica Police Department Chief Mark Williams. “All too often persons are physically challenging police officers in the line of duty. Currently in those instances where an officer is physically attack (short of sustaining a physical injury) the lawful charge is only a violation. The consequences are way too low for the offender and it sends the wrong message to the public. Police officers are the public’s first line of defense to restore order in dangerous/chaotic situations. Citizens do not have the legal right to physically challenge the authority of an officer lawfully performing their duties. Threats, intimidation and physical force used upon our police officers not only erode respect for our criminal justice system, but also endanger the public as well.

The bill is being sent to the Assembly.

http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senate-passes-bill-making-harassment-police-officer-crime

[palani]

They can kill you with impunity and with no risk of being responsible for their actions already. They need further encouragement?

[BrewTech]

Four years in jail for annoying a cop.
Four years in jail for annoying a cop.
Four years in jail for annoying a cop.

Let the reality of that sink in.

[Son-of-Liberty]

I guess these macho men are afraid to have their precious feeling hurt.

[midnight rambler]

Four years in jail for annoying a cop.
Four years in jail for annoying a cop.
Four years in jail for annoying a cop.

Let the reality of that sink in.

I can see it now - a shitload of cops will occupy their ALL time busting people for annoying them. Come to think of it, that's a GREAT recruitment tool!

And to think that there were enough votes to pass this nonsense, just goes to show that the people in NY don't care what their legislators are doing to them.

[Spectrism]

What they have done is eliminate any middle ground. There is no chance for repentance when a cop does wrong. Now, people will not speak out or warn. There will be no rattle in the tail anymore.

http://disposablewisdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Gadsden_flag.png

[Shami-Amourae]

The title is misleading. I thought it was the US Senate. This is just the Jew York Senate. Don't give a fuck about those Commies. Let those freaks swim in their own shit.

[Ares]

So if anyone travels to New York and you witness a police officer beating the shit out of a suspect while already in hand cuffs. Better not break out your phone and start recording. You'll start annoying the police officer, and he'll consider it a form of harassment.

Remember that cop body checking a biker a couple years back? Well with this "law" the evidence would never be able to be used because it would of been taken in the act of harassing the officer.

Unfuckingbelievable.

[Shami-Amourae]

I'd avoid New York and California at all costs period.

[Ponce]

Taking a movie of a cop killing one of us is "harassment" = four years in jail.

First post of the day......good morning to one and all.

V

[madfranks]

You annoy a cop - you go to jail
Cop kills you - he gets a paid vacation

[drafter]

Hmmm "annoying a cop = felony" with time in prison, "shooting a cop = felony" with time in prison. Now of course just shooting the cop and being done with it will probably garner more prison time, but time taken from a persons life is still time taken from a persons life. 4 years is more than I'd want to spend behind bars so might as well make it worth the while. If they keep ratcheting up these "annoyances" to the level of just outright shooting them, I don't see any reason not to just go "all in" at some point. Maybe they don't understand the concept of unintended consequences. "In for a pinch, in for a pound", or "after the first 'annoyance' the shooting is free".

They're making it very hard to show any respect towards them with these sort of moves.

[Spectrism]

That's what I mean. They remove the middle ground. Now it is all or nothing.

[Ponce]

For killing a cop you would need a jury trial, people are becoming more and more awared of what is going on and it would be a simple matter for them to declared you not guilty because that that you were doing was to defending yourself....there is a law that says so.........if a cop comes to your house be sure to look for at least two, they never work alone....if one is standing behind the one talking to you they you can be sure that the guy is holding a gun and ready to fire.

V

[Hitch]

I guess these macho men are afraid to have their precious feeling hurt.

This is what I thought.

Folks hurl insults constantly to cops, as long as they don't interfere with your business, it's fine. A guy could be screaming in your ear how he's going to kill you, but as long as his actions don't do anything.

This bill is a power move. The only reason I can think of is so that cops can arrest innocent people if/when they want to. Who interprets aggravated harassment? There's a lot of gray area on that interpretation. There's already too much gray area of the law.

Furthermore, to make it a felony for up to 4 years is insane.

Welcome Nazi Germany.

[Agrippa]

For killing a cop you would need a jury trial, people are becoming more and more awared of what is going on and it would be a simple matter for them to declared you not guilty because that that you were doing was to defending yourself....

I rarely hear of people who kill cops making it to trial at all. If juries started finding cop-killers not-guilty this would become even more rare.

[Celtic Rogue]

Harassment is such a broad term. This gives the assholes in blue the ultimate tool to hassle you for what THEY think is harassment. It could be as little as just videoing them... or commenting on their procedures. What a power trip....What a bunch of crap!!!!!!!

[Spectrism]

Harassment is such a broad term. This gives the assholes in blue the ultimate tool to hassle you for what THEY think is harassment. It could be as little as just videoing them... or commenting on their procedures. What a power trip....What a bunch of crap!!!!!!!

Or, you might look at then with a stern and threatening face. It becomes an emotional thing with subjective "feelings" determining the crime.

[palani]

I got charged with harassing a public official once. The charge was dropped when I sent a writ of quo warranto to the sheriff to drag the 'official' supposedly harassed into court to determine whether he occupied a public office.

[Hitch]

It becomes an emotional thing with subjective "feelings" determining the crime.

This is what's so insane about this bill. Cops aren't allowed to have "feelings". There's no sensitivity training for LE. They enforce the laws, and that's it. To do what is right, there's the spirit of the law, and the letter of the law. That's the best gray area for LE.

I'm still trying to understand this bill. There can't, and will never, be harassment of a police officer. Such a thing doesn't exist. There's obstruction of justice laws, you can't get in the way of a cop doing his duties.

As long as this BS stays contained in NY and doesn't spread.

[Libertarian_Guard]

Anyone arrested during a protest will face additional charges now.

[Twisted Titan]

The more corrupt The State.......the more numerous The Laws.

Tacitus.

[Hitch]

This law is basically BS. All it does is take a misdemeanor and make it a felony (if used against LE). Assault and/or battery. Now repackaged as "aggravated harassment" when used against LE.

Basically, this is tyranny. It's a misdemeanor if us the "regular" folks, but since LE is a privileged class, that makes it a felony.

Folks, this is the definition of tyranny. When you have different rules/laws for a select few.

Read this...

A PERSON IS GUILTY OF AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER OR
PEACE OFFICER WHEN, WITH THE INTENT TO HARASS, ANNOY, THREATEN OR ALARM
A PERSON WHOM HE OR SHE KNOWS OR REASONABLY SHOULD KNOW TO BE A POLICE
OFFICER OR PEACE OFFICER ENGAGED IN THE COURSE OF PERFORMING HIS OR HER
OFFICIAL DUTIES, HE OR SHE STRIKES, SHOVES, KICKS OR OTHERWISE SUBJECTS
SUCH PERSON TO PHYSICAL CONTACT.

[milehi]

This opens it up to just go all the way then. My God givin' rights trumps all. This sucks, but it is what it is.

[Santa]

Cops have a sworn duty to uphold tyranny. It's the law...

[palani]

Cops have a sworn duty to uphold tyranny. It's the law...
Duty is derived from oath or contract. Since oaths are out the contract is their 'law'.

Policymen are CORPORATE in nature. They really aren't required to take an oath. The sheriff is a different matter. He is the 'kings' man and has an office that requires oath. The deputy sheriff's work under their bosses oath. Municipal coppicemen are corporate tools.

The District of Columbia is a municipality. Every state has a state capital that is a municipality. Territory is attached to municipalities. Here is what Bouvier has to say about MUNICIPALITY


MUNICIPALITY. The body of officers, taken collectively, belonging to a city, who are appointed to manage its affairs and defend its interests.

The United States of America is Barack H. Obama and his 'officers' in the District of Columbia.

The CITY OF CHICAGO is Rahm Emanuel and his 'officers'.

The STATE OF ILLINOIS is Pat Quinn and his 'officers'.

These are all DBA'S (doing business as). In this structure there are no People. The People simply devolve into Customers. The ONLY reason you will be found in a diner is to order pie and coffee. Why else would you be there? Hence, when you appear, you choose to be there for the purpose of generating revenue for these scoundrels. If you refuse to perform commerce with them (advise you wear protection when you do) you simply confuse them and are there for harassment.

[Santa]

Duty is derived from oath or contract. Since oaths are out the contract is their 'law'.

Policymen are CORPORATE in nature. They really aren't required to take an oath. The sheriff is a different matter. He is the 'kings' man and has an office that requires oath. The deputy sheriff's work under their bosses oath. Municipal coppicemen are corporate tools.

The District of Columbia is a municipality. Every state has a state capital that is a municipality. Territory is attached to municipalities. Here is what Bouvier has to say about MUNICIPALITY



The United States of America is Barack H. Obama and his 'officers' in the District of Columbia.

The CITY OF CHICAGO is Rahm Emanuel and his 'officers'.

The STATE OF ILLINOIS is Pat Quinn and his 'officers'.

These are all DBA'S (doing business as). In this structure there are no People. The People simply devolve into Customers. The ONLY reason you will be found in a diner is to order pie and coffee. Why else would you be there? Hence, when you appear, you choose to be there for the purpose of generating revenue for these scoundrels. If you refuse to perform commerce with them (advise you wear protection when you do) you simply confuse them and are there for harassment.

Thanks. I'm sure this info will help while I'm being tazed, slammed and cuffed by a red faced swearing law enforcement officer for sneering in his/her presence.

[palani]

Thanks. I'm sure this info will help while I'm being tazed, slammed and cuffed by a red faced swearing law enforcement officer for sneering in his/her presence.

It probably will. Don't be consuming pie at a restaurant and try to walk out without paying.