Middle Township officials blame state police, ask that charges against Lonegan be dropped

That business administrator who thinks taxes pay for private property, or the cop that ordered the arrest, somebody needs to go down behind this. Just as many a judge has said "as a deterent to this kind of behavior". If rights can be squelched like this, with a flimsy paper apology what is to stop it from happening again

a 1983 suit strips immunity when acting under color of law. I know Mayor Lonegan would never sue the taxpayer but how about these actors in their individual capacity, make them pay!!!

1) Who have recreational group sex with strangers in bars. ?

2 Who drive 90 mph on the turnpike and think they are GOD ?

Maybe a basic civics test  on constitutional rights should be a requirement before putting on any uniform. The politicians who control this mob should be fired. The Attorney general should investigate, the problem is that the attorney general and her ilk are also clueless about the content and intent of the  founding documents 

This is sooo Abbey Hoffman 60's. Get arrested, scream "my rights were violated", blame the cops, "it's the establishment", wah, wah, wah.

The Middle Township 9 were back on the street in time to testify at the forum. Take a chill pill already.

Why should he? 

"The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."
                --Theodore Roosevelt--

Free Speech Zones, Protest Zones, etc.

Interesting I read about the "State Police" enforced Protest Zone here, when I just commented on the Hillary Clinton article about a free speech zone being forced upon the Ron Paul supporters in Hackensack..

There seems to be a connection between the Lonegan Incident and the Hillary Clinton exposition in Hackensack. Perhaps this is just general Democrat modus operundai (sp?) to make people "think" they still have their freedoms and liberties.

This whole bit about having "zones" for promoting or protesting is really starting to get on my nerves personally.

Know what they say, best way to cook a lobster is by placing him in cold water first, and slowly bring up the temperature. Same holds true here. Best way to steal your rights is to take them away silently, little bit by little bit.

Saddening actually. 

J Douglas Fisher 

Check Out: http://www.murraysabrin.com

This is exactly what we previously said would happen, here, and here - that there would be intense pressure to drop this matter because no one would want to be put under oath and questioned about what happened leading up to this.  But it should not be the end of it. 

Both videos, including one of the arrest of Steve Lonegan though he was not even carrying a sign, and the earlier one showing the Business Administrator confronting Lonegan and the very small group of quite orderly protesters, demanding that they stop filming and put their signs down, and insisting that school property is "private property," quickly made it clear that this confrontation was being intentionally and unnecessarily provoked by the school board officials.   

So, they now are blaming their reaction on having been pressured to do so by the State Police. 

Assuming that there is merit to the locals' assertions that the State Police were pressing them on this, then prior calls by some for an investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General -- who the State Police report to -- should now be modified to a call for an independent investigation, perhaps one along the line of the investigation of former Corzine AG, Zulima Farber, that was conducted by former Superior Court Judge Richard Williams.   

Hopefully, there is someone who is engaging in clear thinking within the Governor's Office, as Stuart Rabner reportedly deserved credit for doing at the time of the Farber matter. 

If so, they will persuade Governor Corzine that the Administration must now submit to such an inquiry.  It seems highly unlikely that pressure of that kind would have originated with the State Police.  While it is true that the State Police provide for the Governor's security, they coordinate closely with the Governor’s staff. 

So, common sense suggests that these circumstances would also to beg for a close look at the advance staff within the Governor's Office as well, regardless of the Governor’s personal insistence that he had nothing to do with it.  I don't recall either the Governor or his spokesperson insisting that no one in his office had any involvement.  

Anyone thinking back to the car crash involving the Governor will also recall the initial effort to blame it all on the "passing motorist" -- remember the guy in the red pick-up truck who they said "caused" the crash?   

That is exactly why an independent investigation is needed here. 

Whether or not Steve or Mr. Seth Grossman decide to pursue this as a civil matter, is really beside the point.  They will have that option regardless of the outcome of the arrest.  But if personnel within the Governor’s Office prompted or otherwise encouraged these actions, they should be identified and removed.

by Trochilus