Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Tennessee

disorderly conduct

I was being moved along after a local event (bessie smith strut) and was on the sidewalk watching the police move the barricade slowly. me and a friend were just watching the swat team sweep the people from the street and a cop came from the street as we were moving and said ''go home'' i said we were. he said again ''go home'' as he confronted me, i said calmly, ''i will in my time'' and he arrested me. i said ''im sorry officer i didnt know it was illegal to be on a public sidewalk, and he said ''it is when i tell you it is'' and then i spent five hours in waiting...he didnt come to fill out paperwork for five hours, and several officers at the station said they had never seen an officer just send someone down and not claim them and file paperwork...then he showed up finally and i spent another five hours in jail until i was bailed out. is there anything i can do? or should i just say guilty and pay my fine? (disorderly conduct)


Asked on 6/11/03, 9:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
James R. Becker, Jr. Becker Law Firm

Re: disorderly conduct

If the situation is as you describe it and you have a witness (or preferably more than 1) to the event, go into court and challenge the charge. If you are in the right and you don't challenge the false charge, the judicial system cannot work for you. However, I would talk to a lawyer familiar with criminal defense work in the area before doing anything else.

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Answered on 6/12/03, 9:59 am


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