Give peace a chance! Or not.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » March 7, 2003, 1:08 am

Lawyer Arrested for Wearing a 'Peace' T-Shirt

March 4
— NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawyer was arrested late Monday and charged with trespassing at a public mall in the state of New York after refusing to take off a T-shirt advocating peace that he had just purchased at the mall.

According to the criminal complaint filed on Monday, Stephen Downs was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "Give Peace A Chance" that he had just purchased from a vendor inside the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, near Albany.

"I was in the food court with my son when I was confronted by two security guards and ordered to either take off the T-shirt or leave the mall," said Downs.

When Downs refused the security officers' orders, police from the town of Guilderland were called and he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs, charged with trespassing "in that he knowingly enter(ed) or remain(ed) unlawfully upon premises," the complaint read.

Downs said police tried to convince him he was wrong in his actions by refusing to remove the T-shirt because the mall "was like a private house and that I was acting poorly.

"I told them the analogy was not good and I was then hauled off to night court where I was arraigned after pleading not guilty and released on my own recognizance," Downs told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Downs is the director of the Albany Office of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints of misconduct against judges and can admonish, censure or remove judges found to have engaged in misconduct.

Calls to the Guilderland police and district attorney, Anthony Cardona and to officials at the mall were not returned for comment.

Downs is due back in court for a hearing on March 17.

He could face up to a year in prison if convicted.

Kelgar · Post by **Kelgar** » March 7, 2003, 1:31 am

That's pretty fucking pathetic. I'm a tad surprised it happened in NY and not some backwater shithole.

Valgul · Post by **Valgul** » March 7, 2003, 2:02 pm

I may not agree with the statement on his t-shirt, but he has the freedom to wear the t-shirt.
I hope he wins.

Hayley · Post by **Hayley** » March 7, 2003, 2:06 pm

The charges have already been dropped after a hundred or so people wore similar t-shirts and went back to the mall and threatened to continue to go there everyday until the charges were dropped. The 31 yr old son promptly took off his t-shirt when asked because he didn't want any trouble.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » March 7, 2003, 2:07 pm

you have to wonder if he was behaving in an obnoxious fashion.

i can't imagine a mall cop being so ignorant as to arrest an adult for wearing a T-Shirt. wait yes i can...

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » March 7, 2003, 2:14 pm

Damn the tyranny that is mall security.

Hayley · Post by **Hayley** » March 7, 2003, 2:19 pm

Well, from what I understand...and not that this should matter, but the man arrested and son are both of Islamic descent. A group of individuals approached them regarding their shirts and a heated discussion ensued. The individuals then alerted mall security and then that's pretty much when the security guards went overboard imo.

There's always going to be someone out there that completely blows things out of proportion and is too stubborn to see their own errors.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » March 7, 2003, 2:21 pm

Kelgar wrote:That's pretty fucking pathetic. I'm a tad surprised it happened in NY and not some backwater shithole.

Albany is a backwater, just like 98% of NY state

Joo will respect my ahthouratai!

masteen · Post by **masteen** » March 7, 2003, 2:37 pm

LaFours is a legend in the mall security industry!

observers · Post by **observers** » March 7, 2003, 5:31 pm

Good thing hes a lawyer. Id say that issue wasnt him wearing it so much as the vendor that sold it. The mall should have handled it much differently and as a result ill BET a huge civil rights legal battle is on the way. Itll make him richer than he already is, hell get PR time and all will be well in the world for him and all for the low- low cost of 9.95. Gratz for the harassment and gratz to the owners of the mall for Bankruptsy laws.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » March 9, 2003, 11:08 pm

I heard on the news tonight that the security gaurd was fired.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » March 10, 2003, 12:16 am

That is fucking discusting. HAHAHAHA and the US fights wars to "promote freedom"...

Anuin · Post by **Anuin** » March 10, 2003, 12:23 am

You see, he'll make an impact on Peace, those other thousands of fucker protesting cause its "cool" and whatnot can rot in hell.

Axien_Dellusions · Post by **Axien_Dellusions** » March 10, 2003, 12:30 am

I got kicked out of the mall 4 years ago for wearing a Marilyn Manson T-Shirt that had no lewd remarks or vulgar images on it. Can anyone tell me were the security guards have a right to kick people out of malls for wearing t-shirts?

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » March 10, 2003, 12:46 am

It was Marilyn Manson... I mean come on!

A mall is private property. I'm guessing they can kick anyone out they want. It's the reason for doing so that can be questionable.

Axien_Dellusions · Post by **Axien_Dellusions** » March 10, 2003, 4:11 am

Well the reason given to me was my shirt was considered obscene....What's obscene about Marilyn Manson in a top hat fully clothed?

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » March 10, 2003, 7:05 am

Removed

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » March 10, 2003, 8:40 am

Aabidano wrote:
Kelgar wrote:That's pretty fucking pathetic. I'm a tad surprised it happened in NY and not some backwater shithole.
Albany is a backwater, just like 98% of NY state

Joo will respect my ahthouratai!

Haha, you beat me to it. Once you get outside of NYC and the suburbs around it (even suffolk county LI is in a different timezone heh), you're taking your life into your own hands. Sort of like NJ west of the shore and south of Rt 195.

Shaerra · Post by **Shaerra** » March 10, 2003, 7:43 pm

masteen wrote:LaFours is a legend in the mall security industry!

First you take a run at LaFours with a sock full of quarters. I'd do it but I pulled my back out humping your mom last night, Nooch. Okay you clock him on his headpiece and knock his ass out cold. That's when phase two kicks in. I attack the structure Wolvie-Beserk style and knock out the fucking pin and Bickety Bam the motherfucker is rubble, hence no game show.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » March 11, 2003, 3:28 am

All of New Jersey is a backwater shithole. No exceptions.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » March 11, 2003, 4:09 am

I thought some parts of NJ were quite nice. Although I went through there after the state spent a bunch of money cleaning it up.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » March 11, 2003, 11:17 am

Shaerra wrote:
masteen wrote:LaFours is a legend in the mall security industry!
First you take a run at LaFours with a sock full of quarters. I'd do it but I pulled my back out humping your mom last night, Nooch. Okay you clock him on his headpiece and knock his ass out cold. That's when phase two kicks in. I attack the structure Wolvie-Beserk style and knock out the fucking pin and Bickety Bam the motherfucker is rubble, hence no game show.

Hahahahahhaha!

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » March 11, 2003, 11:27 am

Chidoro wrote:Sort of like NJ west of the shore and south of Rt 195.

You mean the good part of NJ

NJ, the most paved state!

Ajran · Post by **Ajran** » March 11, 2003, 3:07 pm

Aruman wrote: 1. The guard gave the man the opportunity to change shirts.
2. The man refused to change the shirt, which had caused some disturbance in the mall, which other patrons most likely didn't appreciate.
3. Since the man refused to change the shirt, and more problems with other patrons could possibly occur, the guard had the man removed from the mall to prevent any further problems.

4. The shirt was bought in a store in that VERY SAME MALL.. what kind of double standard is that? we'll sell the t-shirt in our mall but you can't WEAR it in our mall..

EL OH EL.

-Ajran

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » March 11, 2003, 5:32 pm

Removed

Ajran · Post by **Ajran** » March 11, 2003, 5:36 pm

the analogy is poor since what you describe would violate decency laws in probably every state in the U.S. Simply wearing a t-shirt does not..

*edit* the people harassing the guy should have been the ones asked to leave by security.. but no because he is/appeared to be a man of middle eastern decent wearing basically an anti-war t-shirt he was jumped on..

If a good ole american white boy had been wearing that same shirt.. it wouldn't have even become news..