They Protested at a Police Station. They’re Charged With Trying to Kidnap Cops.

[skepticalbip]

If someone organizes a political rally and a rally-goer steals a car while everyone else is marching around, the person responsible for that crime is the car thief, not the event organizer. Likewise if a rally-goer barricades a doorway.

Even if we assume that someone at the protest committed a class 2 felony that doesn't mean the organizers are responsible, or even knew it had happened.

I'm saying the people involved in confining them to the police station are all guilty of the class 2 felony. Protesters not involved in that aspect of the protest aren't guilty.

That is an interesting legal question but I'm not a lawyer nor judge. As a comparison, a group that plans and carries out a robbery are all conspirators. If during the robbery, one of them kills someone that put up resistance they are all charged with murder including the master planner that stayed home waiting for them to bring the loot and the lookout that never entered the store.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

If someone organizes a political rally and a rally-goer steals a car while everyone else is marching around, the person responsible for that crime is the car thief, not the event organizer. Likewise if a rally-goer barricades a doorway.

Even if we assume that someone at the protest committed a class 2 felony that doesn't mean the organizers are responsible, or even knew it had happened.

I'm saying the people involved in confining them to the police station are all guilty of the class 2 felony. Protesters not involved in that aspect of the protest aren't guilty.

That is an interesting legal question but I'm not a lawyer nor judge. As a comparison, a group that plans and carries out a robbery are all conspirators. If during the robbery, one of them kills someone that put up resistance they are all charged with murder including the master planner that stayed home waiting for them to bring the loot and the lookout that never entered the store.

Correct, although in this case I don't see any criminal conspiracy unless the siege of the police station was pre-planned. That doesn't save anyone that participated in the siege, though.

 

[Angry Floof]

Holy crap, right wing authoritarian morons are the most deluded and cowardly fucks. Either they are lying shits pretending to be scared when there is nothing to be scared of, or they actually believe their right wing moronic fear fantasies.

 

[Testy Calibrate]

Do you think this was kidnapping? You don't think that isn't Police overreach, which you know, is what everybody is fucking protesting about? Give me a fucking break.

I am not a lawyer, and have no idea whether what they are accused of doing would be kidnapping under Colorado law. I'd call it false imprisonment, but again, not a lawyer, specifically not a Colorado lawyer.

I do think what they are accused of doing is a crime and that if they are did it, they should be prosecuted and convicted. Do you disagree?

I disagree

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

For perspective...

When shopping for a car, it is a common practice for the salesman to ask for your driver's license so he can photocopy it. He doesn't need to do that. He just wants it on his desk so you won't leave without it. I had one try that trick on me, and after repeatedly asking for it back and not getting it I simply walked over to the desk in the office and picked it up and left.

However, I had it easy since they left the office door open and have no respect for "hard sale" tactics. Therefore I will show no decorum to their crass tactics.

Other people have had to take more extreme responses to this tactic. One friend of mine had to get out his cell phone and call the non-emergency police line and report being held against his will. The senior salesman pulled the junior one aside and told him to get his license back immediately and don't speak to that customer anymore. That's because the customer's action was a real threat with real consequences, and that tactic doesn't work as well in the age of cell phones.

So that salesman could have gotten into legal trouble for holding someone against their will, simply for not giving back their license. If you barricade someone in a building I think that's a little more extreme.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

For perspective...

When shopping for a car, it is a common practice for the salesman to ask for your driver's license so he can photocopy it. He doesn't need to do that. He just wants it on his desk so you won't leave without it. I had one try that trick on me, and after repeatedly asking for it back and not getting it I simply walked over to the desk in the office and picked it up and left.

However, I had it easy since they left the office door open and have no respect for "hard sale" tactics. Therefore I will show no decorum to their crass tactics.

Other people have had to take more extreme responses to this tactic. One friend of mine had to get out his cell phone and call the non-emergency police line and report being held against his will. The senior salesman pulled the junior one aside and told him to get his license back immediately and don't speak to that customer anymore. That's because the customer's action was a real threat with real consequences, and that tactic doesn't work as well in the age of cell phones.

So that salesman could have gotten into legal trouble for holding someone against their will, simply for not giving back their license. If you barricade someone in a building I think that's a little more extreme.

I don't see that the person is being held against their will (they can walk away) but state property (things like driver's licenses actually belong to the state) certainly is and things would not have gone well for the dealership if the cops showed up.

They do have a legitimate reason to see and copy your license. It should be returned at that point, though. (Their insurance is going to want to know you're a licensed driver and they want a record of who you are to deter carjacking.) It absolutely needs to be returned before a test drive as you are required to have it with you while driving.

All too often people don't realize when pressure tactics cross the line into crime.