MIAMI BEACH WELCOMES TOURISTS (put away your phones and no videos)

 A little-known codicil to the Faber College constitution suspends the operation of the First Amendment in Miami Beach. 

The City of Miami Beach has criminalized the taking of videos of Miami Beach police officers beating arresting individuals. 

Query: How many City of Miami Beach police officers does it take to break a defendant's nose? 

None. He tripped and fell. Whoops. 😝

Several people have been arrested for taking videos in Miami Beach. All of their cases have been dismissed. Some took six months to dismiss. Some CMB police officers have been arrested for battery for beating individuals they encountered. 

From Ovalle's article: 

Since then, nearly every one of those cases has been quietly dropped. But in one of the few remaining cases, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers asked a court to dismiss the case against an Ohio tourist, saying the ordinance unconstitutionally punished the right to free speech. Given the opportunity to defend the law in court, Miami Beach’s city prosecutor last week backed down — simply dropping the case.

Despite that exposure of police brutality which shocked everyone because of the peaceful nature of the City of Miami Beach Police officers (yeah, we couldn't write that with a straight face) the City of Miami Beach has their own thug prosecutor for their City Ordinance violations because the SAO won't prosecute their (warning- technical legal words to follow) ...         bullshit arrests. And the City has affirmed its intention to arrest individuals who record officers interacting with citizens. 

Let's repeat that. In 2022, if Chief Justice John Roberts is strolling down Ocean Drive and sees a few City of Miami Beach police officers beating the crap out of some tourists and decides to record it on his iPhone, he will be arrested. 

The FACDL has sprung into action, challenging the law and writing amicus motions and briefs (literally- "we cannot believe you are so stupid as to argue in support of this") and the Miami Herald covers the contretemps here. Enjoy. 

And remember, when you cross the causeway, don't cross the police by pressing "record". 

ROGUES GALLERY

From: Katherine Fernandez Rundle > Date: May 15, 2015 at 6:10:50 PM EDT 
Subject: List of Miami Beach Police Officers Involved in Offensive Conduct 
 Attached is the list of the Miami Beach Police Officers involved in offensive conduct referenced in my May 15, 2015 letter. Thank you. 

Katherine Fernandez Rundle State Attorney Office of the State Attorney 1350 NW 12 Avenue Miami, FL 33136 (305) 547-0535



What we have here is a systemic failure. 
This department is diseased. 
Fatally. 

How does one laugh at racist jokes in their spare time, and then act fairly and decently and investigate crimes accurately during their work?

Would  any lawyer accept a juror who in their spare time attended Klu Klux Klan meetings? "I'm a racist in my spare time; it's kind of a hobby. But I can be fair…." 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 
― Martin Luther King Jr.