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[Viewt]

via Chicagoist

An Illinois man will be awarded thousands of dollars after he settled his lawsuit against the Urbana Police Department, which arrested him last year after he posted a photo of himself burning the American flag. After the settlement, he again shared on social media a photo of himself with the flag on fire.

Bryton Mellott, Urbana, will receive $15,000, plus an additional $20,000 for legal fees in the settlement, the AP reports. Mellott—who was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union—was arrested on July 4 of last year. He was reportedly detained for five hours, but charges were not filed. Mellott sued the department's four arresting officers.

In the wake of the settlement on Monday, Mellot again posted a photo that appeared to show him holding a burning flag, with the words "eff ur flag."

I remember us having a thread about this when he was arrested back in July, but I couldn't find it, so I figured, new news, new thread.

 

[arab]

elect this man president

 

[KojiKnight]

Why don't we make our flags fire retardant like the EU?

 

[Heroman]

Why did they arrest him, in the first place it been legal to burn the flga for years.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

Why did they arrest him, in the first place it been legal to burn the flga for years.

Because backwoods tough guys with badges think they can do whatever the fuck they want?

 

[Nazgul_Hunter]

Why did they arrest him, in the first place it been legal to burn the flga for years.

I was already thinking this was bad if he was arrested on the spot... but being arrested for posting the photo online? Geez

 

[Living the Dream]

Can they arrest someone for posting a picture of them doings drugs?

 

[shiftplusone]

 

[Viewt]

Why did they arrest him, in the first place it been legal to burn the flga for years.

I'm assuming that's why he won the case. He was never charged with anything, so the arresting officers were clearly just pissed off and wanted to fuck with him by detaining him for four hours.

 

[vypek]

Why don't we make our flags fire retardant like the EU?

Maybe to burn them properly when they are being retired. Pretty sure it isn't atypical to dispose by burning for retired flags

 

[CazTGG]

Wasn't there a Supreme Court ruling decades ago that found flag burning to be protected under the First Amendment? I don't get why they arrested him in the first place...

 

[giancarlo123x]

This guy figured out the infinite money glitch. Another settlement coming soon!

 

[border]

I don't have any desire to see flags burned, but kinda feel like this trend oughtta be brought back just to see how all the "But what about Free Speech!" right-wing whiners react.

On exactly what pretense was he even arrested in the first place? What were the charges?

 

[Living the Dream]

I'm assuming that's why he won the case. He was never charged with anything, so the arresting officers were clearly just pissed off and wanted to fuck with up by detaining him for four hours.

And now the tax payers pay.

 

[Glix]

Because backwoods tough guys with badges think they can do whatever the fuck they want?

And 35K is just the tip of the iceberg. Rogue cops cost us ALL a shit ton of money, especially if you live in a city.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

May we all burn one in his honor

 

[norm9]

Photo looks like shit, but I like his jib.

 

[nelsonroyale]

Fair enough...It is ridiculous to prosecute for merely burning a flag.

 

[Armaros]

Fair enough...It is ridiculous to prosecute for merely burning a flag.

It's not just ridiculous, it's unconstitutional, flag burning is protected under the first amendment. It's considered protest speech.

 

[OdysseusVA]

Burn the US flag for free money?

Keep an eye on CNN

 

[Fulminator]

Nice

 

[Sidewinder]

Lol

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Good. Fuck the flag, and fuck the idiots that worship it.

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

Lol. That is some nice trolling. Bravo.

 

[LiK]

Burning the flag is tasteless but shouldn't be illegal.

 

[Slayven]

Flag more like swag

 

[RumblingRosco]

I think there is a state law in Illinois that bans flag burning, but because the Supreme Court already ruled flag burning to be constitutional, the law holds no weight in court. So, he can be arrested based on the Illinois law, but anyone actually trying to prosecute him would get destroyed in court.

 

[Fenderputty]

Burning the flag is tasteless but shouldn't be illegal.

Context is key. It's not always tasteless

 

[GhaleonEB]

Good for him. I remember the thread and how stupid and awful the police were being about it.

 

[Nappuccino]

Context is key. It's not always tasteless

Sometimes it's tasty.

 

[tmarg]

I think there is a state law in Illinois that bans flag burning, but because the Supreme Court already ruled flag burning to be constitutional, the law holds no weight in court. So, he can be arrested based on the Illinois law, but anyone actually trying to prosecute him would get destroyed in court.

No, arresting people based on unconstitutional laws is also unconstitutional.

 

[Heroman]

Burning the flag is tasteless but shouldn't be illegal.

Tasteless?

 

[Lucumo]

Why don't we make our flags fire retardant like the EU?

Because then you would sell less?

 

[Socivol]

Man I want 15k for exercising my Constitutional Rights!

 

[Malvolio]

I hate Illinois Nazis, I mean cops.

 

[Enzom21]

Tasteless?

Inanimate object worship.
One must have reverence for a piece of cloth or you're not a real American.

 

[Beefy]

Fuck flags

 

[rjinaz]

there was a time where I was have considered this man a traitor. I would be full of rage because I would view it as messed up.

Lol what a fool I was. It's just a flag and this country is what's messed up. Never questioning this country and worshiping the flag like a God was taught to me when I was a little boy. It's scary when you really think about it.

 

[Zeke]

How dare he burn my American flag

Spoiler

more than likely made in China.

Good on him for suing those jackasses.

 

[necrosis]

good

fuck the flag and fuck the cops that arrested this dude in the first place

 

[dallow_bg]

Nice little payday.

 

[SomedayTheFire]

There goes my hero.

Worshiping a piece of cloth is the weirdest thing.

 

[Dude Abides]

I think there is a state law in Illinois that bans flag burning, but because the Supreme Court already ruled flag burning to be constitutional, the law holds no weight in court. So, he can be arrested based on the Illinois law, but anyone actually trying to prosecute him would get destroyed in court.

That's not how it works. Arresting someone for breaking a clearly unconstitutional law is a violation of federal law. Hence the settlement.

 

[dallow_bg]

there was a time where I was have considered this man a traitor. I would be full of rage because I would view it as messed up.

Lol what a fool I was. It's just a flag and this country is what's messed up. Never questioning this country and worshiping the flag like a God was taught to me when I was a little boy. It's scary when you really think about it.

Heh, same.
I can't even fathom it now. What was I thinking?

 

[g11]

.

 

[Kinyou]

Lots of people are about to burn flags in Illinois.

But seriously, good job wasting peoples taxes.

 

[JCHandsom]

Respect

 

[Angry Grimace]

I mean, it's Tough Guys with Badges assuming they can get away with abusing their power to harass the public to conform to their world view.

The police have been arresting people on trumped up charges for years (e.g. back-talking a police officer, or whatever other non-arrestable thing) and until now, largely got away with it.

 

[Resident_UA]

This is a great business idea! LOL

 

[JJH]

Should've burnt the $15K.