Case dismissed. Finally Florida does something right.

[madfloridian]

First today's good news, then the background of the story below. This was a dirty side of Florida politics...and I feel cleaner now. My state did something right.

http://howardempowered.blogspot.com/2006/11/case-dismissed.html

Good news about Charlie!

"A judge on Thursday granted a motion to dismiss a felony wiretapping charge against Charlie Grapski, who was charged with taping Alachua City Manager Clovis Watson Jr. against his will in May."

A little more about the dismissal of charges from the Gainesville Sun.

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061116/LOCAL/61116009

Senior Judge Aymer "Buck" Curtain on Thursday dismissed the charge of illegal interception of wireless communications, a felony, against Grapski on the grounds that as a public official in a public office, Watson had no expectation of privacy.

Grapski's jury trial was scheduled to begin today.

Grapski, a University of Florida doctoral student, said the victory had broad implications.

"This was never just about me," Grapski said. "This was about the right of the public to be treated as citizens rather than subjects, and about the fundamental principles of democracy being upheld."

Charlie is pretty special to DFA folks, and we are breathing a sigh of relief.

Here are some details about earlier developments. I refer to some articles like The Dirty South which appeared in the LA City Beat.

A tribute to a guy from Alachua who tried to help Democracy.

"Thanks to Charlie Grapski for his continued efforts to be annoying to the officials of a small Florida area with possible corruption much larger than their small size might indicate. He is paying dearly now, being charged with felony wiretapping for putting a recorder in plain site on a table while requesting to view records that should be open to the public anyway."

Thanks, Charlie, glad it's over. Hope they let you back into your city. It was unbelievable this happened.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Great news. I've been following this story.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Sounds like someone else should be charged

with wasting the public's money and the court's time by bringing charges in the first place.

[madfloridian]

4. Probably more than one someone.

should be charged.

[formercia]

3. The key point from where I sit:

"as a public official in a public office, Watson had no expectation of privacy."

This says it all.

[madfloridian]

5. The whole thing was so weird.

From the beginning it made no sense. Maybe they have too many secrets around those parts...like votes not counted the way they should be counted.

[conscious evolution]

6. Charlie should sue

for civil rights violations.