Maryland – -(Ammoland.com)- Last Monday, February 5, 2018, two members of the firearms community [ The Patriot Picket ] were arrested while performing protest activities on the public sidewalks in front of Lawyers Mall on the Annapolis Maryland State House grounds, as they have done in the same spot consistently for the past three sessions of the General Assembly.
They were handcuffed, taken to the Annapolis Police Department station, processed, ticketed and released within a couple of hours; they received additional tickets related to the original incident when they met with the Maryland Capitol Police the very next day. As of this notice, the Maryland Capitol Police has made a request to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney to drop all charges.
This incident has a chilling effect on 1st Amendment-protected activity – peaceful assembly and redress of grievances.
Those involved, and other members of the firearms community, are making plans to assemble in protest of this infringement of 1st Amendment-protected civil liberties again this coming Monday evening, February 12, 2018, in the same location as the arrests.
Maryland State Rifle And Pistol Association believes in the defense of the entirety of the Constitution and its attendant amendments; if any of our members plan to attend of their own accord, please be cognizant that there may be additional encounters with law enforcement and, based on last Monday’s experience, there exists a possibility of arrest related to activities in the area performed by peaceful protesters – please plan accordingly for the safety of any wishing to participate.
Warmest regards,
Mike Doherty
Maryland State Rifle And Pistol Association
2nd Vice President – Legislative Affairs
About Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association (MSRPA):
The Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association (MSRPA) is the flagship Gun Rights organization in and for the State of Maryland. The Association offers both individual and club memberships. Support of the shooting disciplines and legislative activities is primarily through a systems of committees. All participants are volunteers. In the face of a near tidal wave of citizen disarmament occurring in Maryland, the MSRPA has played a critical part in drawing the line and standing firm for Gun Rights. Without this resistance, things would have been much worse and been so much sooner. Now the objective is to continue to develop new activists with numerous individual skills who will help us bring Maryland into line with the rest of the states which have made strong gains in protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
For more information, visit: www.msrpa.org.
The MD State Troopers and Counties surrounding the swamp have become more like Brown Shirts and Nazis. The conservatives on the forces have gone into hiding or been subdue.
“Let my people go!” and our 2A rights free!!!
Those arrested should take action by claiming actioin against the personal bonds and indemnity insurance of the arresting officers, and prosecutors who signed the charges. Go after them personally. Once a cop has his bond indentured, he can no longer work as a cop…….. that often serves to wake them up rather quickly. He cannot go back to work until his bond is released again. False arrest and violation of one’s civil rights under FEDERAL law is a major problem for local coppers. And violation of Constitutional rights IS federal. Need to go after these clowns for perjury as well,… Read more »
Can somebody give me a clue? What were the charges?
Unless there is something more to this, there should be one hell of a list of liberal organizations, civil rights organizations, prominent socialists, politicians, and even the MSM raising a howl over these arrests. Sounds like deprivation of a civil right under color of authority! Sounds like a pat case, there should be law firms lining up on the sidewalk to sign up this tort case.
disagreeing with the local dem city government, appears to me………….
Prosecutors have decided to drop charges against two men who were arrested Monday while protesting on behalf of gun ownership rights in Annapolis, officials said.
Kevin and Jeff Hulbert were arrested by Maryland Capitol Police on Monday night after police asked them to leave a public sidewalk.
The two, who are a part of the guns right group The Patriot Picket, were cited for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.
The maryland law enforcement are breaking their oath to the constitution. No local law supercedes the constitution.
Arrested because they’re: a) not minorities b) pro 2nd Amendment advocates c) good PR for Maryland’s gun hating politicians d) all of the above. We all know it’s d.
They also got a chance to ‘Pat them down’ for illegal weapons which I’m sure the some of the higher-ups thought they might have been hiding.
we are a little smarter than that. Never carry an illegal weapon to a protest. I think there is a huge lawsuit coming here.
Sad when you have to obtain legal representation and sue to exercise your constitutional rights in America’s cities and towns. Don’t ever tolerate this type of behavior, do whatever you can to get these “red-necks” and tyrants fired and pressure them until they learn to respect the US Constitution.
I wonder why you used the term {redneck}? Do you know the birth of that name? Did you know the coal companies of West Virginia used the military and aircraft to attack these enslaved people. They wore red bandanas so that friendly members wouldn’t shoot them. The slave masters would say I want those rednecks dead.
Sorry, born and raised there. Comes from Georgia peanut farmers.
Everyone have a nice day.
It will be a far nicer day when I don’t have to read about my countrymen and compatriots being arrested for such actions as seeking a redress of grievenace, publically declaring their support for lawful conduct, opposing those in government who would enslave us, and violation of OUR rights. READ your Declaration of Independence and your Constitution. THeir behaviour falls fully within the simple and basic rights GUARANTEED every one of us.
Ahhh…Yes…America’s police state is diligently at work thwarting the 4th Amendment rights of America’s citizens…They can do this and get away with it because the supreme court concluded that police officers do not have to know the laws or any laws for that matter of which they are to enforce or respect…the police can damn well do what they want and the courts and the police unions will defend them to no end regardless of the cost.
Sue for civil damages or something. Make it expensive for LEO’s to be assholes.
The “….or something…” is an expression of frustration, I realize, but you have to understand that it’s very difficult to pierce sovereign immunity. It has been done, in Maryland, a couple of times, against Maryland State Police, and they were forced to pay out millions of dollars but that was in a civil rights violation case. This is a violation of Freedom of Speech case and appears ripe to be documented and, after several instances have been recorded, taken to the DOJ for a suit “under color of law”. The only thing jurisdictions understand is money. Cost them multiple millions… Read more »
ANY unlawful restriction of a right guaranteed under the Constitution IS a civil right, and a violation of Federal law. Further, these coppers all had to swear an oath to uphold and defend that same Constitution. Thus these coppers committed perjury, the searing of an oath to perform certain things, then failing to follow throug and deliver on their oath. ALL the rights of THE PEOPLE enumerated in the US Constitution are guaranteed us, are civil rights, and cannot be taken, denied, infringed upon, without due process of law PRIOR to the taking. The 14thArticle of Ammendment incorporates all those… Read more »
@Vanns, Heck go for combined annual budgets of the City of Annapolis and the Maryland Capitol Hill police. “Sorry folks, no government this year. We spent the budget paying off on some foolish arrests.”