Ravenwood - 03/04/03 11:32 PM
It is quite obvious that there is a large section of the population that misunderstands the First Amendment, and has no concept of property rights. While the First Amendment does protect you from government persecution, you are not guaranteed that right when on private property. Two peaceniks who were asked to either leave a shopping mall, or remove their T-shirts that had anti-war messages written on them found out the hard way.
Just because a business opens it's doors to the public, does not make it public property. Business and property owners, just like homeowners, have the right to ask people to leave. When you don't leave, you're trespassing, which is presumably what these stubborn people were charged with.
UPDATE: I noticed today (03/05) that ABC News (radio) had added some twists to the story. Rather than admit that a shopping mall is private property, ABC called it a 'public mall'. They also neglected to mention that the man arrested was offered several chances to leave the property, prior to being arrested for trespassing.
Category: Dumb Criminals
Comments (2) top link me
But if he was touting a gun, he'd be expressing his 2nd-Amendment rights, so in that situation I'd oppose the store owners kicking him out.
Posted by: The Rust One at March 6, 2003 9:30 PMWhile it may be legal for a customer to carry a firearm into an establishment, if the owner or manager of the establishment asks them to leave, they must.
Just because you have a carry permit, or are carrying openly, doesn't mean that your rights trump those of the property owner.
Regardless of the situation, if you are asked to leave and refuse, you are trespassing.
Posted by: Ravenwood at March 6, 2003 10:19 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014