Madison 5 Open-Carry Harassment All Charges Dropped Civil Lawsuit to Follow
Wisconsin –-(Ammoland.com)- Last fall five Wisconsin Carry members were peacefully enjoying dinner at a Madison area Culvers restaurant.
Like thousands of Wisconsin residents, they carry a sidearm for self-defense as a daily practice in the only manner currently provided by Wisconsin law.
After a 911 caller inquired as to the legality of open-carry, Madison police arrived en masse and illegally demanded identification from all five.
Two members who politely declined to provide ID were wrongfully cited for obstruction of justice. (Wisconsin, a free state, does not require you produce identification when you have done nothing wrong.) Those citations were rescinded 2 days later and all 5 were mailed citations for disorderly conduct despite no evidence of a disturbance.
Details of that initial incident are available on Wisconsin Carry’s website www.wisconsincarry.org. Click on the “Sept. 23rd 2010” blog heading for details including the audio of the 911 call.
Wisconsin Carry filed a federal civil lawsuit against the City of Madison and Police Chief Noble Wray on September 29, 2010. That lawsuit can be viewed here: www.wisconsincarry.org/pdf/Madison/MadisonComplaint.pdf
Wisconsin Carry also retained, on behalf of our members, notable defense attorney Chris Van Wagner, principal of the Madison law firm Van Wagner & Wood www.vanwagnerwood.com/ to contest the wrongfully issued disorderly conduct citations.
Today, Wisconsin Carry is pleased to announce that Attorney Van Wagner has informed us that all of the charges against the “Madison 5” have been dismissed.
According to Attorney Van Wagner “The Madison City Attorney agreed after a full review of the police investigation and 911 call that there was absolutely no disturbance created by our members and that the disorderly conduct citations were inappropriate”. Van Wagner also added that “The ONLY disturbance created on that Saturday evening was by a mass of uniformed Madison police officers and squads arriving to investigate law-abiding citizens having dinner”
Questions about this incident and subsequent actions by Wisconsin Carry and our attorney may be directed to Wisconsin Carry or Attorney Chris Van Wagner. Wisconsin Carry will shortly be filing a second civil lawsuit against Madison Police Chief Noble Wray and the City of Madison to obtain damages on behalf of our members for their wrongful detainment and costs associated with disposing of the citations.
Carry On,
Nik Clark Chairman – Wisconsin Carry, Inc.P.O. Box 270403
Milwaukee, WI 53227
[email protected]
About:
Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and reclamation of the rights of law-abiding Wisconsin residents to carry in the manner of their choosing. We believe that “open carry” and “concealed carry” are choices to be made by law-abiding citizens based on their situation and preference. Wisconsin Carry, like many gun-rights organizations in Wisconsin, is investing a great deal of resources to get Wisconsin law changed to allow concealed carry this next legislative session by proposing Constitutional Carry. Wisconsin Carry, Inc. will continue to use legal recourse to deter unlawful treatment of law-abiding Wisconsin residents who currently exercise their right to open carry, and soon will exercise their right to concealed carry in Wisconsin. Visit: www.wisconsincarry.org
Too bad they needed to involve an attorney and Wisconsin Carry Inc to emphatically state, or prove if you will, that these five people were just minding their own business and being law-abiding citizens. Good for them! Glad they got it straightened out and they deserve whatever civil damages they are awarded. When will the idiocy end?! Law abiding gun owners are the best people to encounter. Just had a wonderful day at the range and the manners of the people there are far better than you will encounter from the gun-control crowd any day! The 911 caller created the… Read more »