Blackwell's office in private building - 1st amendment right violation

[eowyn_of_rohan]

Yesterday, 3 people were arrested in Colubus, OH, while trying to deliver a letter to the office of Sec of State Kenneth Blackwell's office. Two of those arrested were Dan Hamburg (former congressman) and his wife, Carrie. See this thread for the story,and discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=132873&mesg_id=132873 )

Blackwell, as a public official, has a public office, paid for with taxpayers money. The problem is that his office is housed in the Borden Building in Columbus, OH, which is a private office building that houses a number of businesses, including: Fifth Third Bank,TD Waterhouse,Borden Inc., and the Zuppa Restaurant.

Having a public office within a private building violates the First Amendment right of the people to assemble peaceably, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This same issue came up in Tennessee last year when two Nashville peace activists were ordered to stand trial for criminal trespassing outside the office of US Senator Bill Frist (Republican).
http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/printer.cgi?story=Back_Issues:2003:July_3-9_2003:Politics:City_Limits

Back to the Blackwell situation. It was in the Zuppa restaurant of the Borden Building that the three were arrested, though it is not clear who had called the police to make the arrest. Blackwell's office stated a private business called police. I called Zuppa restaurant this morning and spoke with the owner/manager, who said that indeed the three were arrested there, but that he didn't know who called the police.

It would be interesting to know how long the Ohio Secretary of State's Office has been housed in a private building...

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. I'm glad Blackwell is acting like such an asshole

The more laws he breaks, the easier it will be to force him to resign.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. I'm not sure what the infraction is? Is this like a Watergate break-in?

Or just trespassing?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

4. The only news I have seen on this makes it seem a trespassing violation -n

[MrUnderhill]

3. HOW is that a 1st Amendment violation?

They could be arrested in a government building too.

You can't walk in to a congressman's office and hold a sit-in claiming that the 1st Amendment says you can.

So if I'm a public official I can't have dinner in some resteraunt because people won't be able to protest me?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

6. We shouldn't be arrested for trespassing

outside a public building when we are gathered for a peacefulk protest. Most public officials' offices are located in public buildings, which gives us right to reasonable access to them, and the right to protest outside them, peacefully.

[MrUnderhill]

8. I thought the article said they were trying to deliver a letter to him?

That's a little different then walking on the sidewalk in fron of a building.

You can't "deliver a letter" to a congressman either.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

11. I can only imagine why you might take issue with this

but perhaps someone else would care to spend the time discussing with you this 1st amendment right and how it pertains to this incident.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

5. not sure if the link worked

http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/printer.cgi?story=Back_Issues:2003:July_3-9_2003:Politics:City_Limits

[woodsprite]

7. Link not working n/t

[eowyn_of_rohan]

9. Have to paste this together

http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/printer.cgi?
story=Back_Issues:2003:July_3-9_2003:Politics:City_Limits

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. Sheesh

That smile face should be replaced with a colon and a P

[Catherine Vincent]

12. LOL!

[eowyn_of_rohan]

13. lol! This is why I am always afraid to start a thread!

Junk like this always happens to me :nopity:

[TexasChick]

14. Wonder if the people arrested can file a lawsuit against this? Having

their civil rights violated?

[bmoney07]

15. Asswell

is not helping his cause, but its helping ours.

[bones_7672]

16. You jump the fence at the White House - you get arrested.

What's the difference here?

[Alizaryn]

17. Would the police be able to tell us who filed the complaint?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

18. Get this-- A record existed this morning, but now they can't find one

I just called the police station in Columbus, and asked if she could tell me who phoned in the call to have these people arrested. She searched and re-searched but could not find this incident in the files. I called this morning and that woman found it right away, and told me 3 people had been arrested in the Borden building...