You may also want to talk to a civil rights attorney in Nevada to see what can be done about the situation.

It is one thing venting, it is another thing doing something about it.

Norm

I have also read some newspaper reports about what happened at the Toy Run and it sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. One account even states that there was a law enforcement “tank” at one of the stops along the coast. There are other accounts from the newspaper articles that are worse than yours.

It makes no sense to me whatsoever why law enforcement would be rousting a toy run!

My first impression on what happened is law enforcement overkill, and a flat out rousting of the club and people coming out for the toy run. It kind of sounds like something that would be done in a 3rd world country or North Korea, but guess what, this is the good old United States of America! We are very quickly becoming a Police State. This is the subject for another article!

Law Enforcement is allowed to stop vehicles if they have articulatable facts which lead to reasonable suspicion that an infraction or violation of the law has occurred. They can also do a stop if they observe an infraction or violation of the law, or have probable cause to believe the same. Furthermore, they can conduct a reasonable investigation upon making a stop. The US Supreme Court made this so during the Republican Reagan era. What is reasonable? It would be up to a jury to decide.

There are no laws that prohibit law enforcement from taking pictures of motorcycles and license plates in a public place. With respect to their blocking off both ends of the street and harassing people as they left, that would probably go way beyond the standard of a legal road block, and could be legally actionable. It would depend on many factors. I myself attended a MC party up on Oakland a couple of years ago and dealt with the same type of thing. When they found out that I was a lawyer, that I was totally sober, and had no wants or warrants they quickly let me go.

The bottom line is this, you can file a formal complaint with the law enforcement agency that was responsible for this nightmare. If specific officers were violating yours or others civil rights you should make a complaint against those specific officers.

If you believe that your civil rights were violated you may call me at my office at 800-816-1Law, ext. 3 to discuss the issue and see if there might be grounds for a case.

Take Care,

Norm

In the end, us lawyers, at least on my end, are fighting the good fight. It’s about freedom and the United States Constitution. Fight for your rights or lose your rights, it is as simple as that!

By the way, my policy here on the blog is to allow posters to name their own clubs if they want, but not other clubs for obvious reasons! I am a lawyer for one of the clubs you mentioned. No big deal.

Anyway, I see you guys around all the time, and you guys are OK with me. Some of your brothers were very hospitable to me on a run from Frisco to the valley when it was just me and my old lady going down the 101. Take care man and if you need to talk you can contact me at 1-800-816-1LAW .

I am going to be out of the office today, but I will be checking my messages.

Norm

Believe it or not this same thing happened to a Lawyers motorcycle club back east. This club has not only lawyers as members, but State and Federal Judges! No shit!

Whether or not what happened was legal would require a detailed review of the facts, however it seems to me that you and the other clubs were victims of First Amendment violations, i.e. the freedom to associate with whoever you want, and to wear whatever you want! There may also be defamatory violations as well but this would be in the civil realm.

I always tell club members to have their members carry tape recorders so that they can record their interactions with law enforcement. I further tell club members to have either members, prospects, hangarounds, etc., or the persons riding in the chase truck or car to have a video cameras at the ready to record interactions with law enforcement.

Without knowing more, I cannot comment more, but to be frank, this shit is happening all over the nation right now. There is a concerted effort by law enforcement to shut down motorcycle clubs. At least that is what is seems like to me.

Norm

Norm

Do me a favor and send all of the post information to my law firm email at law@norman-law.com so that I can forward your info easier to interested lawyers.

As for me, I am too far away from you to handle this case myself, otherwise I would!

Good Luck,

Norm

Norm

It’s just now fair; but then again I am not complaining?

With respect to the dress code at the place you went to, I would say that if could be fought on the basis of sex discrimination.

Norm

Furthermore, they cannot selectively enforce their dress code policy. For instance if the establishment will allow a certain clubs colors but not another’s that would be illegal.

If they say no colors as a dress code than it has to be uniformly enforced to be legal for it to be legal.

The problem herein lies with establishments who say they can refuse to provide service to anyone and then refuse to provide service to bikers or motorcycle club members for no other reason than they are bikers. That would be a violation of case law.

Norm

About the public establishment which discriminated against me and my wife…

Last Friday night (June 8th, 2007) about 9:30pm my wife, myself and two friends were out enjoying the evening when we thought we’d stop and let the girls get a drink. We stopped at Ozzy’s Nottingham Pub.
Before we even parked our bikes we witnessed a motorcycle accident, so we were out directing traffic until the paramedics arrived. At that point we were starting towards the front door of this public establishment. Before we even got to the door the bartender (Cybil) came outside to tell us that we could not be served because we were wearing colors. I proceeded to inform her that we were NOT an MC and that we were a Veteran’s Support Organization. I went on to tell her that there was nothing whatsoever even relating to motorcycles on my vest. She said no, you are an MC and those are colors and we can’t serve you, please leave. So we left.

A few days later (06-12-07 – 14:30), a friend of mine and I went back up there to try to get served again. This time we had flyers from the Organization stating that we were NOT a motorcycle club. I gave the owner a copy of that and a copy of ORC 4112.02 (G). He said that they have had that rule since 1982. So, I called the Akron police and they dispatched Officer Hill, patrol car # 402. He told me that he couldn’t make a report because it was a civil case and not a criminal case. However, Officer Hill did state that this incident was on file at the Akron police department. and that I was refused service base on my attire, more specifically, we were refused service because we had on Veterans Support patches…

The organization I belong to is called the Paladin Knights, Inc.

Paladin Knights, Inc.
Corporate Office
P.O. Box 391
Ravenna, Ohio 44226
330.322.4126

Ozzy’s Nottingham Pub
1390 Brittain Rd
Akron, OH 44310
330.633.7592