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Man Arrested Unlawfully at Circuit City
I realize that this story isn’t directly related to the web, but I thought that it was important and worth sharing.
This man, Michael Righi, was arrested a few days ago in Brooklyn, Ohio at a local Circuit City store after failing to produce a drivers license. The man refused to let the loss prevention employee at Circuit City examine his recite. As he left the building to get picked up, the store employee stood in a position near the car so that it’d be impossible for them to leave.
(from Michael’s website):
Me: “Is there a problem?”
Joe: “I need to examine your bag and receipt before letting you leave this parking lot.”
Me: “I paid for the contents in this bag. Are you accusing me of stealing?”
Joe: “I’m not accusing you of anything, but I’m allowed by law to look through your bag when you leave.”
Me: “Which law states that? Name the law that gives you the right to examine my bag when I leave a Circuit City.”
When Michael could not leave he got out and called the police. The police arrived, and to Michael’s surprise, the officer agreed with the Circuit City employee. The officer then asked Michael to see his driver’s license.
(again, from Michael’s website):
Me: “I’m required by law to state that my name is Michael Righi, but I do not have to provide you with my driver’s license since I am not operating a vehicle.”
Officer Arroyo: “Give me your driver’s license or I will place you under arrest.”
Me: “My name is Michael Righi. I am not willing to provide you with my driver’s license.”
Officer Arroyo: “Turn around and up against the wall.”
According to Ohio State Law, Michael was under no obligation to give the officer his driver’s license.
While being driven down to the station in the back of the police car I struck up a conversation with Officer Arroyo. I asked him if he was surprised that my receipts matched the contents in the bag and in a surprise moment of honesty he admitted that he was. I then asked Officer Arroyo what charges were going to be brought against me. He explained that I had been arrested for failure to produce my driver’s license. I asked him what would happen if I never learned to drive and didn’t have a driver’s license. After all, at the time that he arrested me I was standing on a sidewalk outside a Circuit City. I wasn’t driving a car, and even when I was seated in the Buick I was a back seat passenger. The officer never gave me a satisfactory answer to this question, but promised to explain the law to me after I was booked.
The next morning Michael was charged with Obstructing Official Business.
You can read Michael’s updated page on the issue here. Also check out the story and comments at Biong Biong.
It’s scary, but we’re slowing losing our rights in America.
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From what I’ve seen, Ohio seems to have a much different interpretation of civil liberty than many other states. I know of a few situations where friends and acquaintances have run afowl of law enforcement personnel in Ohio, and were treated appallingly by both police and local judges. Their rights as US citizens were ignored to a large degree, and they were gratuitously humiliated. It may not be a State-wide phenomenon, but I knoe of enough isolated incidents to make me raise an eyebrow.