Seattle, WA. - Where else? Fed judge issues injunction against police arresting people for graffiti claiming censorship of freedom of speech.

[Snattlerake]

I swear, this column should be renamed Law and Disorder

Seattle, WA – A federal judge issued a ruling on Tuesday blocking Seattle police from enforcing property damage laws for any vandalism resulting in less than $750 in damages.

https://policetribune.com/federal-j...ice-from-enforcing-property-damage-ordinance/

U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman issued an injunction on June 13, claiming the City of Seattle’s property damage ordinance “poses a real threat [of] censorship” as it pertains to graffiti, KIRO reported.

Under Seattle Municipal Code 12A.08.020, an individual who damages someone else’s property or “writes, paints, or draws any inscription, figure, or mark of any type on any public or private building or other structure” not belonging to them and without permission is guilty of property destruction.



Pechman deemed the language of the ordinance as “overly vague and overboard,” and could potentially violate people’s rights under the First and 14th Amendments, KIRO reported.

“The criminalization of free speech significantly harms the public interest in far greater measure than the public might benefit from criminalizing property damage,” the judge added, according to The Seattle Times.

The offense is listed as a gross misdemeanor, which involves damages under $750, according to KTTH.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

In Seattle the property owner is responsible for graffiti and fined if it is not removed.

https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/p...ean-city/graffiti/graffiti-nuisance-ordinance
Historically Seattle has had little graffiti and most of it was of the humourous variety like the Ceremony bridge said "I can see the fnords" and some dude wrote "Spring Break (o)(o) " on dumpsters the output the city. When the lock downs started it changed and got really bad and all over the boarded up businesses bridges, the freeway and really everything. It was apocalyptic.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

Also the Seattle.Police don't arrest.for property crime so the injunction is kinda redundant

 

[swampratt]

$750 would not be hard to make happen.
You have one city employee go look at the damage and file paperwork about the incident.
There goes 4 hours of pay. And add fuel for the vehicle.
Then the next in line gets the paperwork and needs to go inspect said damages.
4 more hours at least. And more fuel.

Then a work order is submitted.
At least 2 people will be ordered to fix the graffiti and given so many hours to complete the job.
This could be as much as a week worth of work for the 2 or more individuals.

Then more paperwork is filed and the final inspection of the job by another individual or 2.
Rack up at least 4 more man hours for that. And again all the fuel and supplies.

Not hard to meet that $750 goal.

Especially if you have the workers remove the graffiti and not just paint over it.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

$750 would not be hard to make happen.
You have one city employee go look at the damage and file paperwork about the incident.
There goes 4 hours of pay. And add fuel for the vehicle.
Then the next in line gets the paperwork and needs to go inspect said damages.
4 more hours at least. And more fuel.

Then a work order is submitted.
At least 2 people will be ordered to fix the graffiti and given so many hours to complete the job.
This could be as much as a week worth of work for the 2 or more individuals.

Then more paperwork is filed and the final inspection of the job by another individual or 2.
Rack up at least 4 more man hours for that. And again all the fuel and supplies.

Not hard to meet that $750 goal.

Especially if you have the workers remove the graffiti and not just paint over it.

Except the city does not remove grafitti, they fine property owners for not removing it. Graffiti on city property just stays there, unless it is right wing graffiti then it will be promptly removed.

 

[swampratt]

Friend of mine lives near se22 and High.
He talked with the gang bangers and said you leave me alone and I will leave you alone and do not tag my fence.

They eventually tagged his fence.
One of the guys wrote his name on my buddies fence.
Well my buddy went out there with some spray paint and after the kids name wrote sucks D****

HA HA the other gang bangers got a laugh out of it and the kid who wrote his name bowed up and wanted to fight my buddy.
My buddy said i will fight you if your other friends do not jump in and I have no problem with them anyway.
Gang banger friends said they would not jump in and said that my buddy was ok by them.

Never got tagged again.
Gang banger did not want to fight after that.