W. Va. reporter arrested for 'yelling questions' at HHS secretary

[Benton]

(05-12-2017, 05:53 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Shockingly the reporter has stated he did nothing wrong. FWIW, I think as a long time correspondent, the reporter is used to having the run of the Capitol as I doubt Secret Service frequents the WV state capital. But on this occasion they were there protecting a member of POTUS' team.

Reporter probably thought I done this a 1,000 times, I'm not doing anything wrong; however, the rules are a little different when the SS is protecting a National Asset.

Agreed. That's what I was saying earlier, although I thought the reporter was in an area that's not open to the public. Witnesses have said it was a public hallway, which makes it more of an issue. I realize people think it's different given it's the ss, but they still have to follow the same laws. I've been at press meetings and in state capitols when cabinet level people come through. Press shouting questions is generally the norm. And that's generally by design. Those people don't have time to sit down and answer every inquiry. Generally, you lob a question, they lob an answer, they go on.

[Dill]

(05-12-2017, 04:17 PM)Benton Wrote: So far that hasn't been said. The reporter has said the contrary, that he hadn't been ordered to leave. The capitol police have said it was breeching the ss detail,  that's pretty darn vague given the half the town is an ss detail.

And, again, it was a cop. Not the secret service. Even though that really doesn't matter, since the ss is still required to abide by people's rights. And you still have the right to walk in a public building and ask a public official a question. Price is on taxpayer time and dime.

Well, maybe that worked for 240 years. But the country is changing now. I am surprised at the number of people who support limitation of the press and harassment and rough treatment of reporters.  I guess its a concomitant of anger at "big government." The press no longer represents "the people."  I don't think we are going the way of Russia, but they are presently an example of where a country ends up when people think the press earns rough treatment by doing it's job. I am not speaking only to this WV case.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(05-12-2017, 05:53 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Shockingly the reporter has stated he did nothing wrong. FWIW, I think as a long time correspondent, the reporter is used to having the run of the Capitol as I doubt Secret Service frequents the WV state capital. But on this occasion they were there protecting a member of POTUS' team.

Reporter probably thought I done this a 1,000 times, I'm not doing anything wrong; however, the rules are a little different when the SS is protecting a National Asset.

Shockingly, the police didn't report they may have overreacted upon further reflection, either. "Aggressively breaching" is the type of descriptive term which sounds adequately awful on paper to justify an arrest, but surprisingly vague enough that no one here knows what it means. Just good, ol' fashioned baffle 'em with bullshit.

Which rules are different and how in this situation?

[Dill]

(05-13-2017, 02:53 AM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Shockingly, the police didn't report they may have overreacted upon further reflection, either.  "Aggressively breaching" is the type of descriptive term which sounds adequately awful on paper to justify an arrest, but surprisingly vague enough that no one here knows what it means.  Just good, ol' fashioned baffle 'em with bullshit.

Which rules are different and how in this situation?

Reminds of a case in Fairfax VA some years back. A kid was expelled from school for attempted arson with an incendiary device--i.e., he threw a firecracker in a dumpster, and off school property at that.