Man Cleared of Charges in Circuit City Case
If you've been following the case of Micheal Righi, a man who refused to show his receipt at Circuit City and was soon arrested (because he wouldn't show a police officer his ID), you know that our "security society" is pushing people to take away our rights and pushing others to accept it.
Fortunately, Micheal didn't back down, even when presented with a deal where they would drop all charges in exchange for giving up more of his rights.
I was presented with an offer to have my charges dropped in exchange for signing a document which asked the following of me:
I would not file a Section 1983 civil suit against the Brooklyn police department for infringing on my civil rights.
I would not make any disparaging remarks about the police department, with financial repercussions for doing so.
I would not discuss the details of this agreement.
These conditions were completely unacceptable to me.
Unfortunately, Michael and his family could not afford the time, effort, and money involved with a legal battle with the state. He accepted a deal where he gave up his right to sue them in exchange for immediate dismissal of the charges.
Thankfully, he is not under a gag order and can tell us how this turned out, but it's a shame and a crime that the court system is such that only those with enough money get justice.
Speaking of, people have been complaining to Michael about asking for donations such that he's decided to give away all the money donated even though it's $2000 short of what he's paid in legal fees so far. He says he can afford up to $10,000 to protect his rights and wants to remove all doubts about his intentions.
Let me say it again: it's a shame and a crime that the court system is such that only those with enough money get justice.
Tags: Circuit City, Customer Abuse, Receipt Inspection, Your RightsShare This
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Although Mr. Righi didn’t pursue this case to its final, full conclusion, it is still a victory in the effort to keep the police state in check. Other case law in Ohio already reinforces citizen rights to not have to show their papers to the police, so Michael’s case would not have, as he said, “filled a legal gap.”
You’re right on target with your observation that it’s unfortunate only the rich get proper justice, Jeremy. This incident cost Mr. Righi $7,500 already, and probably closer to $10k once all the attorneys’ bills are in. All just to assert his rights under the law. Which is the real point of this whole affair, a point some commentors on some blogs seem to be missing. We should not accept the “guilty-until-proven-innocent” mentality that seems to be getting more and more pervasive in our society. Post 9-11, in the name of increased security, is just an excuse for those in authority. Have you noticed government seems to be getting less and less “by the people?”
Pending if Mr. Righi takes any action against Circuit City, this episode is over for him now. Good for him. We can still honor his willingness to stand up for all of us. We can still refuse to show our receipts.