Sheriff gets win against Web site

[Chucky Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chucky]

Another knife in the back of our freedoms. Only write what suits the boss or else. I would guess that they may have tried the best route to expose the Depts problems and found the repercussions were to harsh. Anonymity has been around a lot longer than that Sheriff.

TAMPA - A judge has handed Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee a victory in his quest to quell what he says are inflammatory postings to an Internet message board used by law enforcement.

Gee now has the authority to serve subpoenas to the Web site, LeoAffairs.com, take depositions and try to identify anonymous posters who might work for the Sheriff's Office.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Marva Crenshaw ruled recently that Gee has "a clear legal right" to discipline any employees who have violated department rules and regulations, and she ordered the site's operators to remove certain offensive posts.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/25/Hi...win_agai.shtml

WEST BEND, WI – The Long Arm Of The Law (West Bend police) grabbed a school teacher who’s nonsensical and politically incorrect remark was deemed to be a crime.

James Buss, 46 of Cudahy was arrested for his Internet posting on a Conservative blog. Police said a writer using the name, "Observer" wrote in to say the West Bend teachers' salaries made him sick, and said the killers in the 1999 Columbine shootings had the right idea. "They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time! Too bad the Liberal rip them; they were heroes and should be remembered that way," was the posting that led to the arrest.

Okay this posting was stupid, showed incredibly bad taste, was grossly insensitivity to the Columbine victims and their families but this is just another goofy opinion, not a crime!

I’m surprised to learn that Wisconsin has enough prison space for all the clowns who say silly, insensitive and disturbing things as they vent everyday frustrations.

I guess the West Bend cops are starving for crimes to investigate and people to arrest, fingerprint and photograph. I wonder just how much the taxpayers will have to shell out to cover the cost of the pending criminal case and of course the follow up civil case for violation of Buss’ civil rights.

[Mr. Security Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mr. Security]

When you post, like it or not, privacy isn't a right. Still, it seems like the best approach is to try improving employee morale rather than punishing their viewpoints.

Regarding the Columbine comment: I understand why he was arrested, his comment could be taken as a threat. Authorities cannot ignore implied threats anymore and expect to be free from litigation if the commenter actually acted on what is a matter of record. (Unlikely, but that's just the way it is now)

[Black Caesar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Black Caesar]

In the 1st case those are public servants and hell no you don't have the right (even off duty on the internet) to do and say certain things especially relating to your job, period. It's just like the prohibitions against drinking 8 hours before your tour starts (despite the fact that you are on your own time, it's possible to drink a few hours before work starts and not come to work drunk, but the Dept. doesn't care) and the prohibition against fraternizing with known felons (despite the fact that freedom of association is a right, you can get fired hanging out with the wrong folks)

I accept those things as a condition of my employment personally and so I'm VERY careful not to post sensitive information or violate those other policies, and so should everyone who accepts money from the public purse.

LeoAffairs is one of those sites that VERIFIES whether you are a LEO or not. They contact your job so your job knows you post. It would be irresponsible for the Department not to monitor that, because of the PUBLIC trust handed to the Officers. It's why I tell guy at my job to be careful what they do on Mysapce and those dating sites.
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As for the other, that's a stretch but what shold the PD do? ignore a public complaint? I wouldn't want to be that PD after a shooting incident inspired by this "harmless" internet talk if they had done nothing.

Just like Virginia Tech (where the school and the Campus Police followed the law, under existing law they couldn't just kick the kid out for being weird), people come out of the woodwork to tell you what you shold have done before an incident, ignoring the fact that if they HAD done something the same people would have been pissed that they "violated someone's rights for no reason"...

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.......