College Student Sues School for...

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Autolycus

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rockford, Illinois – April 11, 2006

College Student Sues for False Arrest on Campus and Suppression of His Speech and Second Amendment Views.

Shaun Kranish, a civil rights activist and founder of ICarry.org in Rockford, Illinois has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Rock Valley College, its Board of Trustees, Police Chief, an officer, and members of the College Administration involved in bringing a criminal charge against him and preventing him from expressing his constitutional beliefs on Campus. The lawsuit arises out of Kranish's wrongful arrest on October 11, 2005 for “Disorderly Conduct,” following his request to meet with a Rock Valley College official to express concern about and convey information regarding school policy. Kranish and other members of ICarry.org disagree with civilian disarmament or "gun control" policies, including Illinois' reluctance to join the 48 other states in the country that allow concealed carry.

Wearing a jacket with “I CARRY .ORG”, the Internet address of the Illinois gun rights organization he founded, and a small empty pouch he had regularly worn on and about campus to represent the need for civilians to be able to defend themselves and protest their disarmament by their government, he voluntarily walked into the Campus Police Department and politely requested to speak with someone. He was thereupon detained for hours as the officers made countless phone calls and conspired with school officials to lodge a baseless charge against him in order to suppress his freedom of speech. When he asked to leave, they held him against his will -- preventing him from attending classes and taking an exam -- without a warrant or probable cause and eventually placed him under arrest -- his first ever.

Maintaining he was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted to thwart and silence his free speech and Second Amendment views, Kranish has retained Walter Maksym, a veteran constitutional attorney from Chicago, to represent him. Mr. Maksym, who obtained the dismissal of the criminal charge in State Court, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on April 7, 2006 seeking damages for Kranish by reason of the false search, arrest, detention, suppression of his right to free speech, defamation, interference with his education, to remove the false arrest and charges from his College records, and for injunctive relief to prevent the College Police and Administration from further suppressing Shaun's freedom of speech on campus. For more information, please visit www.icarry.org.

http://www.icarry.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=166&mode=&order=0&thold=0

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I admire the cajones of this guy. I dont hace the courage to pull some of the stunts he is pulling.
 
What an authoritarian dictatorship

if he had a Che shirt with a picture of a gun, they would have shook his hand.
Students wear all kinds of offensive stuff and they come after this guy for
having a fanny pack and a jacket with no profanity?!
http://www.icarry.org/
 
I really don't think he was going about the right way to express his rights and further the cause...
The display of courage is always irksome to those who do not possess it.

He has my support.

Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character. - Margaret Chase Smith
 
I was about to say, he has gonads, but...I really don't think he was going about the right way to express his rights and further the cause...

OK, fair enough. What is the "right way"?
 
Small empty pouch == holster?

Well, either way theres blatently offensive stuff being worn by kids these days. I wouldnt consider pro-gun gear to be anything worrysome. I'd agree that if he was wearing lefty gear they would be congradulating him instead of trying to throw the guy in jail.

Since when does asking to speak with the authority warrent this kind of treatment?
The fact he got the initial charges dismissed heavily suggests that he is in the right, and that the college deserves to get the shaft.
 
OK, fair enough. What is the "right way"?
Oh, you know... writing a nice letter, saying "pretty please," etc.

As I stated, there are people who frown on any display of courage. This is because the display of courage is always irksome to those who do not possess it.
 
. . . he voluntarily walked into the Campus Police Department and politely requested to speak with someone. He was thereupon detained for hours as the officers made countless phone calls and conspired with school officials to lodge a baseless charge against him in order to suppress his freedom of speech. When he asked to leave, they held him against his will -- preventing him from attending classes and taking an exam -- without a warrant or probable cause and eventually placed him under arrest -- his first ever.

I wonder if the Rock Valley College cops would behave in a similar fashion if Sarah Brady showed up to voice her anti-gun views? These kinds of totalitarian cops harm the image of good LEOs.
 
Good for this guy. Sounds like he's manifesting his beliefs into action.
On most college campuses, there are "free speech areas" where you can let your ideas out to the public. Otherwise, the guys and gals of campus security will come and take you away for talking about religion, gun control, etc.
In the 60's, this would never have flown. Now, the baby boomers are in control of campuses and are strangling civil/constitutional rights. Where's the indignation, protests, and sit ins?
Good for this guy. Bad for the Cops who made up charges and detained him. :D
 
State law is irrelevant

"But he ain't stupic, [sic] and he certainly has a very good lawyer. I suspect Illinios [sic] has punitive damages."

Note that the case was brought in FEDERAL court, almost certainly as a civil rights action under 42 USC 1983. That provides for damages, costs and attorney's fees, IF the plaintiff prevails.

It requires state action, however. If the college is private, and it sounds as though it is, he may need to show how the state was involved. I suspect that will be done through the state granting the college cops police powers.
 
Molon Labe said:
The display of courage is always irksome to those who do not possess it.

He has my support.

Absolutely correct.

Where is the legal defense fund, I will show my support that way.

Brave move.
 
Small empty pouch == holster?
He was wearing an empty thigh holster actually.

We've had this thread before and it seems to be a 50/50 split. Personally I don't think think he's aiding the fight for ccw in illinois, but ymmv.
 
soybomb said:
Personally I don't think think he's aiding the fight for ccw in illinois, but ymmv.

And you may be right. He IS however doing what 99.999% of today's youth don't do, and that's to take a stand for SOMETHING.

Good on him for that if nothing else.
 
Planned Lawsuit.

"he voluntarily walked into the Campus Police Department and politely requested to speak with someone".

Does this line from the story stink to high heaven to anyone else?

What does voluntary have to do with it? He walked into the police department would cover it just fine.

He politely requested to speak with someone? I get the feeling it wasnt polite and it wasnt just someone.

Maybe I am getting a little cynical of the media's potrayl of this type of "news", ok, I flat out think they are a bunch of liars and opportunist but thats another story.

If I was an observer to this incident that happened to be in the police department at the time I have a strange feeling the version would go something like this.

The guy walks in and asked to speak with the Chief of Police right now. He was asked if he could be helped by someone else etc... This was not acceptable and he said something about the holster/fanny pack/gun he was wearing. The officer(s) became concerned that he had a gun based on his statements and detained him.

I guess the point is if the entire story was reported more accurately (If it in fact is exaggerated) then maybe the actions of the Police Department were not so "Communist like" as potrayed.
 
He seems to be going about it the right way. He's making authorities uncomfortable without breaking the law (we think).

I presume the "pouch" is one of those older holsters with a flap covering the top. Those holsters are shaped alot more like a handgun than most modern holsters.
 
The only thing necessary to get yourself police detention on a college campus is to act a little differently.

Trust me, I know firsthand.
 
Mr. James

That was the point I was trying to make, it sounds really bad from the newspapers version but what really happened. The story is from a main stream newspaper so I think to even base any opinion from it is content is unrealistic.
 
Planned lawsuit? maybe.
Rosa Parks sat in the front of the bus when she knew it would get her in trouble with the law. The history of non-violent protest is full of small instances like that.
In the end they come to matter alot, because people can assosciate with a simple act that proves how silly a law can be.

A member/head/boss of the campus police is not fudal lord. Seems like talking to him was a simple enough request that, at worst, should have ended with them tossing this guy out on his rear end.
Not detained, questioned, and arrested.

I think the response to an obvious protestor is whats strange. You would think that being a college, they would know a thing or two about dealing with someone like that.
 
I really don't think he was going about the right way to express his rights and further the cause...
I don't think there is such a thing as a "right way" that gets results.

Sounds to me like he wanted a confrontation, got it and is using it. Hard to tell if it'll do him (or our side) any good yet.

If nothing else, he's taking LEO advice on the subject. He's not fighting the police, he's fighting in court. That's a good thing, yes?
 
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