Judge awards damages to Capitol protesters arrested for their 1st Amendment freedom to redress their government.

The Walker Authority has done everything they can to push the limits of the law, from judge shopping around the state to sending everything to the conservative activist supreme court. They’ve won a few too, Act 10, domestic partnership and voter ID.

That phony “Constitutional” high ground is now another Scott Walker sink hole.

   

Walker lost a big one back in January against the Capitol protesters, for repealing part of the 1st Amendment and the following section of the state constitution.

Article I, Section 4, reads: “The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the common good, and to petition the government or any department thereof shall never be abridged.”

This was an obvious attack on protesting Wisconsinites, many vilified as thugs, vandals and out of state agitators. A judge has now awarded those protesters damages from the DOA, for loss of liberty, emotional distress and damage to reputation. This was a case of government intimidation, pure and simple. Here’s hoping the rest of the nation gets a closer look at what Walker will undoubtedly bring to the White House. Here's the coverage from WKOW's Greg Neumann:

WKOW: The lawyer representing six protesters who won a combined $44,830 in damages from the State of Wisconsin earlier this week believes the total cost for unconstitutional arrests and fines handed out by Capitol Police since 2011 could ultimately run over $1 million. Dane County Judge Frank Remington awarded the first set of damages to Capitol protesters on Tuesday.
Capitol Police were enforcing a rule in the state administrative code that required a permit to hold a sign on state property. Olson filed claims early on in the process challenging the legality of that section of the code, and thus, the lawfulness of the arrests. "We finally got … the state to own up to the fact that that was the rule at issue," said Olson. 

Olson is now going after damages associated with his clients' civil rights case … “well into the six figures” … he represents at least ten more clients seeking damages … anyone arrested under that administrative rule (estimates that over 100 people) could be eligible for awards, as well as another rule that required a permit for the Solidarity Singers. 

The comments section presented the scary side of our majority one party dictatorship:

Peacefull demonstrations is one thing, and so is freedom of speech, but take a look at the picture above that went on for many weeks, all over governor Walker being elected in a free speech voting system and doing what he said he was going to do. They practically shut down Wisconsin govt and made it almost impossible for lawmakers to go about their daily business that taxpayers expect them to do. Other people were obstructed from visiting the capitol along with many many school field trips meant to tech kids about how govt works and what the vote is all about. Denying other people their rights. Freedom of speech is one thing, but hiding behind it to create chaos and anarchy while disrespecting everyone who voted different than them is something else. Its almost in the category of hate speech and yelling fire in a theatre. 

Or this....

Most people outside of the bubble of Madison are level headed accept the vote outcome whether repub, democrat, far left liberal, or whatever. All this shenanigans in the capitol did was reinforce the vote for Walker again which is a sad thing in a society that is supposed to be a democratic system. 

Kate: don't worry about it. you will be the one's paying out all the money to the protester when they raise your taxes to pay it to the poor protesters that should just get out and get a regular job. instead of jut running from state to state to protest for something that some one else did wrong by breaking the law on a regular bases. just pay your taxes so those people can do nothing but collect from the tax payers.