How much does it hurt?

My "old" neighbor recently got hit head-on on his dualsport at a 70+ mph closing speed. No gear, open-face helmet, no airbag. Compound fractures, broken pelvis, road rash while unconscious on 150-degree pavement.

The docs will amputate his knee after they put more rods in his compound fractures in the other leg.

At the nursing home, when I asked how much it hurt: "On a scale of one to ten, it was a 35."

No paid meds while setting his compound leg fracture on the roadside. No pain meds in the ambulance. No pain meds until the chopper ride.

Now he's tapering off his oxycontin to one every 12 hours.

Which begs the question... God put opium on Earth for pain relief. That's GOD'S LAW. So why not carry a couple in your emergency kit, for emergencies, while awaiting Lifestar Taxi Service? Be sure to get the fast-acting kind. Just not so high a dose you quit breathing.

The woman who turned in front of him is still in jail, perhaps for life... (Not DUI)

His BMW dualsport had low beams and fog lights on, no high beams. I always run high beams in daylight, to catch the cagers' eyes.

BTW, he's still planning his 10,000-mile ride to Alaska.

Judge gets 28 years prison for bribery to INCREASE convictions

Pennsylvania supreme court overturned around 4,000 of ex Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr's convictions

'Kids for cash' judge gets 28 years in Pennsylvania bribery case

Mark Ciavarella Jr took $1m in bribes from the builder of two detention centres in return for filling them with juvenile offenders

A long-serving judge has been ordered to spend nearly 30 years in prison for his role in a bribery scandal that prompted the state's high court to overturn thousands of juvenile convictions.

Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr was sentenced on Thursday to 28 years in prison for taking $1m (£617,000) in bribes from the builder of two juvenile detention centres in a case that became known as "kids-for-cash".

The Pennsylvania supreme court overturned about 4,000 convictions issued by Ciavarella between 2003 and 2008, saying he violated the constitutional rights of the juveniles, including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea.

Ciavarella, 61, was tried and convicted of racketeering charges earlier this year. His lawyers had asked for a "reasonable" sentence in court papers, saying, in effect, that he had already been punished enough.

"The media attention to this matter has exceeded coverage given to many and almost all capital murders, and despite protestation, he will forever be unjustly branded as the 'kids for cash' judge," they said.

Federal prosecutors accused Ciavarella and a second judge, Michael Conahan, of taking more than $2m in bribes from the builder of the PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care detention centres and extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the facilities' co-owner.

Ciavarella, known for his harsh and autocratic courtroom demeanour, filled the beds of the private lockups with children as young as 10, many of them first-time offenders convicted of petty theft and other minor crimes.

The judge remained defiant after his arrest, insisting the payments were legal and denying he incarcerated youths for money.

The jury returned a mixed verdict following a February trial, convicting him on 12 counts, including racketeering and conspiracy, and acquitting him on 27 counts, including extortion. The guilty verdicts related to a payment of $997,600 from the builder.

Conahan, meanwhile, pleaded guilty last year and awaits sentencing.

ETR forum killed by Police State death squads

Photo by the Dragonater

11,400% increase in $800 biker tickets, bike seizures and cop mods have nothing to do with the Gap's, SMR's, Yahoo DG's and ETR's demise?

Why no sticky thread on REALLY solving the killer truck problem at Deals Gap? Yes, tractor trailers have killed at least 2 and decapitated at least 1 biker on the Dragon. Ike is not the first biker killed by a tractor trailer on the Dragon. The parts manager of Honda of Alcoa was riding with his cousin who hit a truck blocking his lane on US129 at Deals Gap, underride style, killing him instantly. Isn't Ike the 3rd biker killed on the Dragon in 2011, despite the Police State (and 4-hour ambulance taxi service)?

Ike's Law: Restrict use of US Highway 129 to Non-Commercial Vehicles

Crash on ‘Dragon’ claims biker after motorcycle collides with tractor-trailer

Crash on 'The Dragon' kills motorcyclist

TOTD Trucks Gone Wild on the Dragon

Why no sticky thread on how to REALLY beat traffic tickets -- a huge problem for everyone owning a 160 mph sportbike? Frankily, every biker and driver have problems with tickets. Pirates especially need help on DUI law, especially now that the Gap is wet.

Why has not one single post dared mention the legal fact that the speed limit on the Dragon is 65 mph, not 30? Don't you think that's important for promoting tourism? As TDOT and TN Code order, HIGHER SPEEDS SAVE LIVES -- IT'S THE LAW.

How about our current governor's 10,000-acre VIP gated resort and private airport on the Dragon? Don't you think his THP might be running ethnic clensing checkpoints, especially after TDOT's own report (starring the Dragonater) orders THP to arrest all biker business owners on the Dragon? The governor's VIP general manager on the Dragon told 1-million AMA riders that he wants to ban all bikers from TN, and named a highway to honor the convicted hit-and-run killer of a biker tourist in Blount County.

Why no threads on local political corruption, like the cop-killin TN sheriff who likes to burn down houses and kill his employees, or the moonshinin cop-beatin deputy-rapin NC sheriff who suicided himself while chasin bikers from his chopper blaring Bad Boys?

How about a sticky on fed corruption -- WTC bombing by FBI in 93, Operation Northwoods, 9/11 Inside Job, illegal aliens and boy hookers living in the White House? Moon Hoax, Bohemian Grove, Water Wars, Chemtrails, Mind Control...these are all fun topics on most forums that help keep forum members awake and active between rides.

Where's the FUN of the Good Ole Outlaw Biker Days on the Dragon...like ex-cop Pete Leary's gunfight with a Most Wanted killer at his CROT Corral?






ETR/SMR mods bannin the Dragonater by order of an Alabama cop WEARING A GERMAN NAZI HELMET AS HIS AVATAR is a great way to chill Free Speech of everybody else. Who wants to worry about gettin spanked in public, especially gay BC deputies on the Dragon? Best to just give up and go play somewhere else.

ETR's like USA...land of the coward and home of the slave? Do YOU really bend over for TSA's nuclear cavity search and pedophile porn shoot at Kville Airport?

Lighten up ETR, don't be so damn OLD. You're only as old as you feel, and ridin wheelies, draggin knees or runnin from the cops (and beating them in court) cures that disease INSTANTLY.

Joining the Revolution is fun during the current US Civil War. No fear, just DO it.




Read your Blount County history

Lane Crossing

So that's what steering dampeners are for

Looks like the first oncoming bike checked up and brake tested the 2nd oncoming bike.

As Keith Code likes to say, chopping the throttle in the middle of a turn reduces ground clearance causing ground contact and lowside crashes.

Note target fixation and zero attempt to countersteer to the open right half of the lane. Failuire to countersteer because that's the most-censored word in the English language.


Welcome to Deals Gap


Making a new friend on the Dragon

A good sign:



A better sign:

Every vehicle tracked and traced in Brit town

Bend over for British Big Brother Bully Bot

Big Brother is watching you: The town where EVERY car is tracked by police cameras

By Anna Edwards
30th July 2011

ENGLAND -- A sleepy Home Counties market town has become the first in Britain to have every car passing through it tracked by police cameras.

Royston, in Hertfordshire, has had a set of police cameras installed on every road leading in and out of it, recording the numberplate of every vehicle that passes them.


Every resident and visitor in Royston is treated as a convicted criminal on parole

The automatic number-plate recognition system will check the plates against a variety of databases, studying them for links to crimes, and insurance and tax records, and alerting police accordingly.

There were just seven incidents of vehicle crime in the town last month, and residents believe the unmarked cameras are an invasion of their privacy.


Hollywood selling you #5 in Short Circuit

The system, due to be switched on in the next few days, also allows police to compile 'hotlists' of vehicles that they are interested in and which will be flagged up when the ANPR system

Details of the cars movements will stay on police records for two years, or five if the car is connected to a crime, the Guardian reported.

The system, which is operated regionally, has sparked fears that the data could be abused and has led to claims that it is a big brother network that the public are completely oblivious of.

Guy Herbert, general secretary from NO2ID, which campaigns against databases storing the public's details, said: 'It's very sinister and quite creepy.


Hollywood says robots that spy on you are cute in Pixar

'They can approach anyone they like, but there's no legal basis for them doing so.
'There's no way to regulate how they use ANPR, they are the authority on it and they have their own rules.

'So there's no way to protect people's privacy.'

Mr Herbert also takes issue with the fact that the cameras are not advertised to the motorist, so many are unaware they have even been caught on the camera.

But Inspector Andy Piper, the ANPR manager for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and a Royston resident himself, insists that the system will not be abused.

He told the Guardian: 'We only deal with people we're interested in stopping - that's the criminal element that comes into our county intent on committing crime, and unsafe drivers, disqualified drivers, or people driving uninsured vehicles, who we want to take off the road.'


Robot Taser cannon loves you

The ANPR cameras, which are not usually advertised to the public, seem bizarre given Royston's low level of crime. The town has a population of 15,000.

Following the most recent meeting of the Royston Neighbourhood Panel, it was decided that the local top priority of speeding should be replaced by shoplifting.

So some have questioned why Hertfordshire Police have taken such measures to track all of cars coming in and out of the town, which borders the Cambridgeshire and Essex counties.

Former Royston mayor Rod Kennedy believes the system is targeting the wrong area and details of vehicles should be deleted, unless they have committed a crime or are not registered.

'I just feel that we are on this slippery slope where everything we do will be monitored. I don't see why the honest citizen in a rural area such as this should have their movements tracked.'

Peaceful: Royston May Fayre, Priory Memorial Gardens, Royston, is a quiet town
But Inspector Piper told the Mail that many businesses were in favour of the system.

'On first sight, the ANPR coverage of such a low crime town as Royston may seem an unusual choice, but ANPR works both as a deterrent and a detection tool.

'The local district council and local business group funded the cameras to help protect their businesses and local residents from crime.

'And when we look at the bigger picture in terms of Hertfordshire, as well as nationally, the position of the cameras makes a lot of sense strategically to target those criminals travelling into the county on the main roads in that area.'

The ANPR system uses a mixture of mobile cameras inside police cars and fixed installations in some locations.

Police argue it helps trace missing people and identify witnesses to help with crimes but James Welch, Legal Director for Liberty, a human rights campaigning group said there needs to be tougher rules to stop it from being vulnerable to misuse.

'ANPR technology captures an identifying marker – a car’s number plate – so has the capability to track and record an individual’s movements far more intrusively than CCTV,' he said.

'While there may be crime detection gains the potential for abuse is great.

'We need an informed debate about the extent and potential of this technology and proper statutory regulation is already long overdue.'


Terminator robot loves you

Cops win million$ suing cops for illegal ticket quotas

"Cops have a[n illegal] quota system."
-Sgt. James Eagan, New York State Police (Retired), from his book, A Speeder's Guide to Avoiding Tickets

"It is illegal for law enforcement agencies to issue quotas for citations or arrests of individuals. The Fraternal Order of Police strongly disagrees with this illegal action and respectfully requests you rescind this action of supervisors at the Knoxville Police Department. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's still a duck. It's a quota."
-Edward Daniel, attorney at law

"I was put under pressure. It was like a race. How many more people can we get today?"
-KPD police officer under arrest for obstruction of justice and perjury, describing the government's illegal quota in Knoxville, Tennessee

"I think the law enforcement community would agree with me that they would rather be out busting criminals than getting some grandmother who is running late to church doing 56 mph in a 55," TN State Rep Burchett (now mayor of Knox County), author of TN Code banning illegal ticket quotas

LAPD officers allege ticket quotas

By C.J. Lin, Staff Writer
08/04/2011

Ten more LAPD motor officers have sued the city, claiming harassment and retaliation after they complained they were forced to meet illegal traffic-ticket quotas.

The officers, all assigned to the Los Angeles Police Department's West Traffic Division, say they were reprimanded, denied overtime and promotions, or deprived of vacations after they objected to the quotas, according to the lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"The officers were directed to meet specific ticket numbers by days, weeks and months," said Matthew McNicholas, one of three attorneys representing the group.

LAPD officials declined to comment on the lawsuit, but denied the department has a policy or practice of requiring officers to write a minimum number of tickets.

"We don't have traffic ticket quotas," said Lt. Andrew Neiman, an LAPD spokesman.

The suit alleges the department tracked the number of tickets they wrote and illegally compared them to the records of other officers.

The plaintiffs filing the suit are Officers Philip Carr, Kevin Cotter, Timothy Dacus, Peter Landelius, Kevin Ree, Kevin Riley, Josh Sewell, Vincent Stroway, James Wallace and Jason Zapatka.

The lawsuit is similar to one filed by two other West Traffic Division officers, who won a $2 million judgment in April. They claimed they were harassed and given poor performance reviews after complaining about ticket quotas.

The newest suit signals poor supervision within the division, said City Councilman Dennis Zine.

"This is not only embarrassing, but it shows that there is a lack of management, and it's a sad commentary on the leadership of that division," said Zine, who was a motor cop and supervisor during his 33-year career with the LAPD.

The lawsuit does not state when the alleged retaliations took place nor does it specify who was in charge at the time.

Under state law, the quotas are illegal because they may force officers to issue improper tickets to meet goals.

"You can't say, `I want you to go out and write 50 tickets a day,' but you can say, `I want you to go out and do 10 hours of work,"' Zine said.

See also:

Tennessee Highway Patrol Ticket Quota Uncovered

THP Memo requiring illegal ticket quota

THP quota increases biker tickets 11,400% at Deals Gap

KPD Memo requiring illegal ticket quota in Knoxville Tennessee

Tennessee State Sen. Tim Burchett pushes ban on traffic ticket quotas

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Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-402. Official misconduct.

(a) A public servant commits an offense who, with intent to obtain a benefit or to harm another, intentionally or knowingly:

(1) Commits an act relating to the servant's office or employment that constitutes an unauthorized exercise of official power;

(2) Commits an act under color of office or employment that exceeds the servant's official power;

(3) Refrains from performing a duty that is imposed by law or that is clearly inherent in the nature of the public servant's office or employment;

(4) Violates a law relating to the public servant's office or employment; or

(5) Receives any benefit not otherwise authorized by law.

(b) For purposes of subdivision (a)(2), a public servant commits an act under color of office or employment who acts or purports to act in an official capacity or takes advantage of the actual or purported capacity.

(c) It is a defense to prosecution for this offense that the benefit involved was a trivial benefit incidental to personal, professional or business contact, and involved no substantial risk of undermining official impartiality.

(d) An offense under this section is a Class E felony.

(e) Charges for official misconduct may be brought only by indictment, presentment or criminal information; provided, that nothing in this section shall deny a person from pursuing other criminal charges by affidavit of complaint.

HISTORY: Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1990, ch. 980, § 10.

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Tennessee Highway Patrol Ticket Quota Uncovered

Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) troopers are punished for failing to issue a specific number of speeding tickets in at least one part of the state. Attorney Fletcher Long provided WTVF-TV with a copy of a memo THP Sergeant Clifford M. Babits posted on the wall of the Troop C station in Robertson County. ”I can no longer justify fives on evaluations for troopers not producing activity,” Babits wrote. “I require three things. 1. Answer the radio, 2. Work your crashes, and 3. WRITE TICKETS. I take some of the blame for not properly motivating ya’ll in the area of activity. Overall activity last year (2008) was well below the district average… Because activity plays such a high part of an everyday road trooper’s requirement, it is going to weigh heavy on yearly evaluation scores.”


These scores, with ‘five’ being the highest rating, are key to winning promotions, extra pay and the most desirable types of assignments. According to the memo, scoring is based solely on the number of tickets issued, although other factors such as routinely failing to follow orders can result in a lowered score. Babits set six hundred tickets a year, or three tickets per day, as the bare minimum.

“Let me stress I am not putting a quota on anyone,” Babits wrote. “I don’t care if a trooper writes below the 600 mark, it is his or her evaluation score, not mine. If a trooper turns in 600 citations per year, his or her overall evaluation will not be above the average score of three… I must be able to justify giving a trooper a five. Low activity is a killer.”

It takes 800 citations per year, or four tickets per day, to earn the top score. A rating of four is earned by writing 700 tickets per year or 3.5 per day. Those who fail toexceed the average score of three are punished by not being allowed to earn time-and-a-half pay on overtime assignments.

“Effective immediately, a trooper that does not produce above average activity (17.5 tickets per week) will not be able to work grant overtime in my county,” Babits wrote.

Tennessee Highway Patrol officials deny any quota exists. Many state police forces use the average number of tickets written by troops or stations to encourage a steady year-on-year increase in the number of speeding tickets issued.

43 Comments:

In other news, the Pope is Catholic, and bears crap in the woods.

"To tax and collect."

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TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE

TITLE 7. VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC

SUBTITLE I. ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS

CHAPTER 720. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 720.001. BADGE OF SHERIFF, CONSTABLE, OR DEPUTY.

(a) A sheriff, constable, or deputy sheriff or deputy constable may not arrest or accost a person for driving a motor vehicle on a highway in violation of a law relating to motor vehicles unless the sheriff, constable, or deputy displays a badge showing the sheriff's, constable's, or deputy's title.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person violates this section. An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable in the same manner as an offense under Section 86.011, Local Government Code.(c) An officer charged by law to take or prosecute a complaint under this section shall be removed from office if the officer refuses to do so.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 720.002. PROHIBITION ON TRAFFIC-OFFENSE QUOTAS.

(a) A political subdivision or an agency of this state may not establish or maintain, formally or informally, a plan to evaluate, promote, compensate, or discipline:(1) a peace officer according to the officer's issuance of a predetermined or specified number of any type or combination of types of traffic citations; or(2) a justice of the peace or a judge of a county court, statutory county court, municipal court, or municipal court of record according to the amount of money the justice or judge collects from persons convicted of a traffic offense.

(b) A political subdivision or an agency of this state may not require or suggest to a peace officer, a justice of the peace, or a judge of a county court, statutory county court, municipal court, or municipal court of record:(1) that the peace officer is required or expected to issue a predetermined or specified number of any type or combination of types of traffic citations within a specified period; or(2) that the justice or judge is required or expected to collect a predetermined amount of money from persons convicted of a traffic offense within a specified period.

(c) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 737, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.

(d) This section does not prohibit a municipality from obtaining budgetary information from a municipal court or a municipal court of record, including an estimate of the amount of money the court anticipates will be collected in a budget year.

(e) A violation of this section by an elected official is misconduct and a ground for removal from office. A violation of this section by a person who is not an elected official is a ground for removal from the person's position.

(f) In this section:(1) "Conviction" means the rendition of an order by a court imposing a punishment of incarceration or a fine.(2) "Traffic offense" means an offense under:(A) Chapter 521; or(B) Subtitle C.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 737, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.

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MINNISOTA STATE LAW

169.985 TRAFFIC CITATION QUOTA PROHIBITED.

A law enforcement agency may not order, mandate, require, or suggest to a peace officer a quota for the issuance of traffic citations, including administrative citations authorized under section 169.999, on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis.

299D.08 TRAFFIC CITATION QUOTA PROHIBITED.

The State Patrol or a law enforcement agency shall not order, mandate, require, or suggest to a patrol trooper, commercial vehicle inspector, or law compliance representative that the patrol trooper, inspector, or representative issue a certain number of traffic citations on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly quota basis.

84.0285 GAME AND FISH CITATION QUOTAS PROHIBITED.

The commissioner of natural resources, or the director of the Division of Enforcement and Field Service, may not order, mandate, require, or in any manner suggest, directly or indirectly, to a conservation officer that the conservation officer issue a certain number of game and fish law violations on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly quota basis.

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California Code

Arrest Quota Defined

41600. For purposes of this chapter, "arrest quota" means any requirement regarding the number of arrests made, or the number of citations issued, by a peace officer, or parking enforcement employee, or the proportion of those arrests made and citations issued by a peace officer or parking enforcement employee, relative to the arrests made and citations issued by another peace officer or parking enforcement employee, or group of officers or employees.

Added Ch. 1111, Stats. 1976. Effective January 1, 1977.
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 105, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003.

Citation Defined

41601. For purposes of this chapter, "citation" means a notice to appear, notice of violation, or notice of parking violation.

Added Ch. 1111, Stats. 1976. Effective January 1, 1977

Arrest Quota Prohibited

41602. No state or local agency employing peace officers or parking enforcement employees engaged in the enforcement of this code or any local ordinance adopted pursuant to this code, may establish any policy requiring any peace officer or parking enforcement employees to meet an arrest quota.

Amended Sec. 3, Ch. 105, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003.

Evaluation of Peace Officers Performance

41603. No state or local agency employing peace officers or parking enforcement employees engaged in the enforcement of this code shall use the number of arrests or citations issued by a peace officer or parking enforcement employees as the sole criterion for promotion, demotion, dismissal, or the earning of any benefit provided by the agency. Those arrests or citations, and their ultimate dispositions, may only be considered in evaluating the overall performance of a peace officer or parking enforcement employees. An evaluation may include, but shall not be limited to, criteria such as attendance, punctuality, work safety, complaints by citizens, commendations, demeanor, formal training, and professional judgment.

Amended Sec. 4, Ch. 105, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003.

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Ex-officers seek to stop traffic grants

By Daniel Borunda
EL PASO TIMES
11/01/2011

Five former El Paso police officers have filed a request for an injunction against city officials, alleging police have an illegal quota system for traffic tickets.

The ex-officers claim they were forced to resign, but City Manager Joyce Wilson said the officers resigned when faced with termination linked to allegations of falsified time sheets.

The resignations come after an investigation began in late summer regarding the misappropriation of overtime linked to the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, or STEP, grant. The investigation has since expanded beyond traffic grants.

A week ago, Lt. Alfred Lowe, head of the Crimes Against Persons Unit, was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into overtime regarding a state grant paying for anti-gang operations.

The petition for an injunction was filed last week in the 34th District Court and seeks to stop the El Paso Police Department from using state traffic enforcement grants and alleges that a quota system is being used.

A hearing date is pending on the petition filed by ex-officers Luis Acosta, Ana Reza, Jorge Arellano, Michael Arzaga and Luis Alonzo Ortiz against Police Chief Greg Allen, Wilson and Mayor John Cook.

Each officer was with the department for more than 10 years until their resignations in late August and September. They are represented by lawyers Stuart Leeds and Theresa Caballero.

Leeds and Caballero provided the El Paso Times with a copy of an internal police email where a traffic sergeant complains to officers that not enough citations are being issued as part of a Click-It-or-Ticket seat-belt enforcement grant.

The May 26 email by Sgt. Jack Matthews of the Traffic Division stated "the performance standard set forth in the grant is a minimum of three seat-belt violations per hour of work per officer. If you think that you cannot meet this goal during your five-hour shift, then do not work the grant ... those that do not produce what is required will not be considered to work any traffic-related grants in the future."

Matthews was a past grant administrator, according to city documents, and retired Aug. 20, about the time the grants investigation was under way. Matthews has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Leeds said the email is proof that a quota system, though using a different name, is used by the Police Department in violation of state law.

"This proves this is all about money," Leeds said. "It is not about law enforcement and criminal justice. The people of El Paso are being hunted" for traffic citations.

Police and city officials denied the allegations. Police officials have said performance standards are not a quota system.

"These attorneys are representing their clients who resigned voluntarily in lieu of termination," Wilson said in a statement.

"The El Paso Police Department does not have a quota system and the issue at hand has nothing to do with quotas -- it has to do with falsifying time records. The lawsuit is without merit and our legal team is preparing a response."

Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102.

Mr Fiddlesticks raided by cops for toons

Cartoonist Targeted With Criminal Probe For Mocking Police

RENTON, Wash. -- The Renton City Prosecutor wants to send a cartoonist to jail for mocking the police department in a series of animated Internet videos.

The "South-Park"-style animations parody everything from officers having sex on duty to certain personnel getting promoted without necessary qualifications. While the city wants to criminalize the cartoons, First Amendment rights advocates say the move is an "extreme abuse of power."



Only KIRO Team 7 Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne holds a key document that really lays bare the city’s intent. The document was quietly filed in King County Superior Court last week. It’s a search warrant accusing an anonymous cartoon creator, going by the name of Mr. Fiddlesticks, of cyberstalking (RCW 9.61.260). The Renton Police Department and the local prosecutor got a judge to sign off as a way to uncover the name of whoever is behind the parodies. Halsne talked with three nationally respected legal experts who believe the use of the cyberstalking statute is likely stomping on the constitution.

The series of web-based short cartoons feature a mustachioed street cop and a short-haired female bureaucrat. The dry, at times, witty banter between the two touches on some embarrassing insider secrets, some of which seem to match up with internal affairs investigations on file within Renton PD.

UNCUT: Job Tips Parody [Warning: Profanity]
UNCUT: Promotion Parody
UNCUT: Reprimand Parody
UNCUT: Lawyer Parody
UNCUT: Locker Room Parody
UNCUT: Jail Parody

Cartoon Character of Officer: "Is there any reason why an anonymous video, with no identifying information that ties it to the department or city is being taken more seriously than officers having sex on duty, arguing with outside agencies while in a drunken stupor off duty, sleeping while on duty, throwing someone off a bridge, and having inappropriate relationships with coworkers and committing adultery?"

Cartoon Character of Bureaucrat: "The reason is that internal dirt is internal. The department will crucify certain people and take care of others."



A criminal court document, uncovered by Team 7 Investigators, not only shows how badly the city of Renton wants to "out" the cartoonist (who goes by the name MrFiddlesticks), but states some of the fake character's lines discuss real life incidents.

For example, the search warrant says one cartoon statement "discussed a past incident that has already been investigated…..regarding a dating relationship (a female detective) had with a suspect." An embarrassing revelation; yes, but criminal?

We asked attorney Venkat Balasubramani to review several parody videos and the court documents. He's an expert in cyber-law and constitutional issues.



“The cyberstalking angle doesn't pass the laugh test," Balasubramani told KIRO-TV. "It's a serious stretch and I'd be surprised if somebody looked at it and realistically thought these acts actually fit the statute and we could make somebody criminally liable."

When we asked about the more likely scenario, Balasubramani said, "I think they were trying to get at the speaker and they looked around for a statute that shoehorned their conduct into and sent that to Google and said ‘turn over the information.”

Historically, Google and You-Tube are far more likely to cough up an anonymous animator's real name when there's a criminal case, as opposed to just an internal affairs investigation into some personnel issues.



KIRO Team 7 Investigators went to the City Attorney's office to ask the chief prosecutor, Shawn Arthur, his motivations to criminalize cartoon creators. Halsne was told to leave a handwritten note. We did not hear back from Arthur. A similar thing happened at the Renton police department. A spokesperson told Halsne that Chief Kevin Milosevich was unavailable.



Team 7 Investigators, however, did track down Penny Bartley. She’s a former Renton Police Public Information Officer and current jail administrator, which court records say is the female bureaucrat in some of the cartoons.

The mystery animator makes fun of her ankles and questions her resume, yet Bartley wouldn’t talk about the parodies, except to say the city prosecutor never contacted her regarding the filing of a criminal warrant.



Halsne: "The video is insulting to you. Can't you at least step out and talk about how that makes you feel?"

Bartley: "I'm not going to talk about that."

Halsne: "So you're not offended?"

Bartley: "I'm not going to comment on this Chris, I've said that."

KIRO-TV found two of the full parodies still hanging around the web (which are now posted on our site), but police said there were 6 or 7 additional cartoons created with animation software at www.xtranorma.com and posted under a pseudonyms. KIRO-TV has since obtained four more videos.

When KIRO 7 Eyewitness News asked for comment from the city, we were told that there is a point person in charge of comments, and that person is on vacation in Canada.

View search warrant

Comments:

The pigs and prosecutors shouldn't be parodied; they should be pulverized.

Way to go City of Renton, you have hit the DrudgeReport! Not only does the city look foolish to Washington State but now you look foolish to the world!!! Try covering up your dirty laundry now!

Trackday events at Nashville Superspeedway cancelled in 2012?

Download the full 2-hour documentary by The Dragonater

UPDATE: Kia copies The Dragonater in new TV advert at NSS

European tracks run their own test days 5 days every week and races every weekend, with weekly driver schools located at every track, and industrial units leased to pro teams and manufacturers year round. All tracks have free pit garages, doors included. Prices are cheap and open to the general public -- no country clubs allowed. American tracks should take note, if they want to survive. This BS is why the Dragonater moved to England to race on TV for 8 years, where I had 12 road courses within a 3-hour drive.


The Dragonater's first bike trackday was the Final STT event at NSS?


Download of the full 2-hour documentary available for download at Archive.org

Nashville Superspeedway Will Not Seek NASCAR Races

GLADEVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Superspeedway has announced it will not seek NASCAR races for the 2012 season. The speedway's owner made the announcement Wednesday morning.

Dover Motorsports, which owns the speedway in Wilson County, said it has notified NASCAR that it will not seek any race sanctions for 2012.


Why build a race track out of bumpy concrete?

It appears the track will be shutting down next year, and there's a possibility it won't be re-opening.

The company has been trying unsuccessfully to secure a NASCAR Sprint Cup race since 2001 and superspeedway general manager Cliff Hawks said the track cannot continue without a date, despite what he calls a strong Nashville market.

The decision effectively ends the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series from visiting the 1.33-mile concrete track any longer.


Pay no attention to that oil light

The company can't get any of the really big NASCAR races here, and they are not making enough money to keep the gates open.

Dover opened the 1.33-mile track 10 years ago. The superspeedway has hosted NASCAR trucks and Nationwide races and also had a slot on the Indy Racing League schedule before losing that after the 2008 season.


Dragonater cruising at highway speeds on NSS

"Nashville is a tremendous market filled with passionate race fans. We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination, but the reality is, after ten years of effort, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue," said Cliff Hawks, Vice President and General Manager of Nashville Superspeedway.

This year Nashville hosted a pair of truck series-Nationwide Series doubleheader weekends. Both were poorly attended.


Did Bristol kill NSS?

Events already on the schedule for the remainder of 2011 will not be impacted by the announcement.

The Nashville Superspeedway sits on 1,400 acres near Route 840, near Gladeville in Wilson County, south of Lebanon.

Owners said the concrete superspeedway has 25,000 permanent grandstand seats, lights for nighttime racing, foundation work for a dirt track, short track and drag strip and infrastructure in place to expand to 150,000 seats.

Nashville Off NASCAR Schedule For 2012

"We deeply appreciate all the hard work that our employees have put into making Nashville Superspeedway such a remarkable facility," said Denis McGlynn, President & CEO of Dover Motorsports. "We have also had years of unrelenting support from state, county and local officials and from the racing community – from racing fans and drivers to sponsors, team owners and various sanctioning bodies."

McGlynn said Dover Motorsports was evaluating options for the track, including a possible sale.

The Wilson County Sports Authority issued bonds in 1999 for almost $26 million for public infrastructure improvements at the site. Dover Motorsports said $21 million remained outstanding, the company's letter of credit would be drawn if taxes were insufficient to pay the bond.



The Nashville news comes on the heels of last weekend's Lucas Oil Raceway races that could have been the final visits by NASCAR's number two and three divisions to that Indianapolis-area short track. Next season the Nationwide Series will join the Brickyard 400 and a Rolex Grand Am Sports Car race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in what's being billed as a "Super Weekend" at IMS.

There are also reports Montreal, an event promoted by International Speedway Corporation, will also leave the schedule next season after the Nationwide Series' visit there later this month.

According the CBS Sports, the series could return to the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, where both divisions raced for years before moving to the Nashville Superspeedway. Former Nationwide Series driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. is now the promoter of the downtown track and has worked hard to resurrect racing at the storied facility.

CBS Sports contributed to this report.

SportbikeTrackTime.com

STT Forum - Nashville Superspeedway to close


The Dragonater leads the Novice School Class at NSS


Dodging potholes, tar snakes, flat curbs and spooky banking transitions


Daylight photos by US129photos.com


Hot tearing on corner entry due to engine compression braking and lack of slipper clutch (none available for Daytona 600?). Ken Wheeler was unable to raise idle speed to 3500 rpm using TuneECU software for the first time in dyno tune. Rear spring is also at least 1 size too stiff for body weight according to Race Tech.










Final STT event at NSS?


NashvilleSuperspeedway.com - Entire website is deleted, replaced with Memorial RIP. Built with $25-million in taxpayer funds, you can probably buy a nice race track cheap...


Copyright Flint Adam Fotografie