Leash Law

[enloopious]

I haven't moved yet, to NH, I have a year or so of savings left to go and I am fairly new to these forums but I thought this story might interest some people here.

Last month I was playing with my dog in the park across the street from my house. There was not another person in site and I was with my 3yo daughter. Two police officers walked through the area into the local senior center (reasons unknown.) When they came back out one of the younger cops told me to put a leash on my dog. I told him that it was in my house across the street and that I wasn't planning on going anywhere, just here and then going back home. He told me to grab the dogs collar and go home, holding it the whole way. The officer has a reputation in the city so I did what he asked.

As I crossed the street, he got in to his patrol car and drove across the street blocking the sidewalk between me and my house. I had let go of my dog to pick up my 3 year old daughter and carry her across the street. He proceeded to write me a ticket for letting go of the leash and then took my thumb print against my wishes. It is important to note he glared at me the entire trip and when I crossed the street is when he ran to his car. When I got home I read the ticket and it said I had committed a Misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is a crime punishable by up to a year in prison and includes things like assault and robbery.

When I got to court I told the Judge I was not guilty. The DA, who plays with her own dogs in her park, wanted to dismiss the charges but couldn't because it was a misdemeanor. She dropped the charges to a $25 fine and removed all criminal charges from the case. I told her it was ok, I will just show up to court and he probably wont be there. What she did do was send an official court complaint on my behalf (and all other leash law tickets) to the city of Sierra Madre about dog leash laws being infractions, not crimes.

Imagine my surprise when I read my court papers. Since I am representing myself they gave me all of the stuff that would be used against me (IE: the police report.) When I got home I read it and 2/3rds of it was a complete fabrication. The cop had lied about something as simple as me playing with my daughter and dog in the park! If he could lie about this, imagine what he would do with something really important!

I haven't gone to the trial yet but this is not where the story ends. Being the hopeless freedom fighter that I am, I went to city hall and filed a complaint against the cop (officer K. Barry. badge #117.) Then I walked across the sidewalk and got a form to run for City Council this january. I also Joined the tree commission to help build my reputation about town for the January election. In a small town (10,500 pop) I might be able to get the votes needed. But besides that, what are some good ways to get this creep removed from my local police force?

(My personal opinion about leash laws) How can there be laws governing how you handle your property? My dog has never used a leash before and is trained to stay on the sidewalk, off the grass, and to defecate in her own designated area only. The local bank changed its dog policy to allow them as a result of how nice my dog is. The dog doesn't chase cats, doesn't bark at other dogs, has visited the bank, post office, liquor store, city hall, police station, and every store between without a leash, and is the best behaved dog i've ever had. The first statement in the 1776 declaration of Virginia of the free states of America tells how important private property rights are and this is a violation of one of the most basic human rights: the right of life, liberty, and property. Anyways, I'm done haranguing you guys. What do y'all think about this?

[KBCraig]

I think you met a petty tyrant with a badge, and he must be pretty bad if the DA is on your side.

[Dreepa]

wow

Welcome to the forums...getting practice in your hometown council will be good practice for when you get to NH.

[Raineyrocks]

Wow, another asshole cop, amazing!

What were you supposed to do let your daughter cross the street by herself just to obey the master police officer?  Unbelievable!  At least you found out a lot of neat information from the DA.

[J’raxis 270145]

There seem to be an awful lot of people learning about freedom as a result of idiotic dog laws.

[Dreepa]

There seem to be an awful lot of people learning about freedom as a result of idiotic dog laws.

hmmmm so we should push for even more dog laws.

[J’raxis 270145]

There seem to be an awful lot of people learning about freedom as a result of idiotic dog laws.

hmmmm so we should push for even more dog laws.

You should've been at the 2007-09-04 Manchester alderman's meeting. A twenty-minute debate over dog fouling in parks...

[enloopious]

Sign at the entrance to the local national forest hiking trail:

"Please scoop your dogs poop otherwise we will ban all dogs from this trail." -local city council.

Assuming authority they don't have.

I actually ran into one of the raving lunatics on the hiking trail. She said "that dog should be on a leash" to which my reply was "so should you." lol.

[MTPorcupine3]

You're lucky the cop didn't make up a reason to take your child or dog away. Be here soon!

[VEPR]

I can tell you what we are doing here in our town about an officer with a big city attitude in a small town. We have 3 local reps who about two years ago were liberal Dem's from MA. This past election we got rid of the one running with a local small town fella who is very freedom oriented. The former police chief of this town whom mostly everyone loves plans on running in January of 09 and it shouldn't be a problem getting him elected, probably going to be a landslide. Anyhow that will give us a 2-1 margin back to small town reps with small town attitudes. The former police chief is hated by this new chief because of how popular he was and how everyone compares what he does to what the other used to do. The best part is all this BS the new police force has received IE tasers, 5th officer(which we don't need), new patrol car to ac comadate this 5th officer, etc will all have to go through the 3 reps before getting approved. Personally cant wait to see our chief have to ask the old chief for some other item that he doesn't need. Our town now has the nickname of taser town because of this new chief and how quick he is to use force. 15 months to go before we return back to normal. Thats my little story.

[enloopious]

Too many Barney Fifes and not enough Andy Griffiths. If it weren't for the BS laws you have to enforce and the invasiveness, I would do that job.

[John C]

There seem to be an awful lot of people learning about freedom as a result of idiotic dog laws.

Here's another:

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XLV/466/466-28.htm

466:28 Killing Dogs Legalized. – Any person may kill a dog that suddenly assaults the person while such person is peaceably walking or riding without the enclosure of its owner or keeper; and any person may kill a dog that is found out of the enclosure or immediate care of its owner or keeper worrying, wounding, or killing sheep, lambs, fowl, or other domestic animals.

I wonder what would happen if I whipped out a "9" an wasted someones poodle that was nipping my ankles?

Sorry about your troubles, but I for one hate when other peoples dog run up sniffing my crotch or jumping all over me. I don't mean to sound cold hearted, but you love your dog, I don't.
Leash it!

[John C]

JohnC:

If you "whipped out a 9" and killed my dog I'd scrape your eyes out with my thumbnail.

My dog would never want to sniff your crotch and I don't blame her, you don't sound very nice at all.

RattyDog

LOL! ! !
I was only using it as an example. I would never hurt an animal.



But I still wouldn't want your dog sniffing my crotch.

[shyfrog]

JohnC:

If you "whipped out a 9" and killed my dog I'd scrape your eyes out with my thumbnail.

My dog would never want to sniff your crotch and I don't blame her, you don't sound very nice at all.

RattyDog

LOL! ! !
I was only using it as an example. I would never hurt an animal.



But I still wouldn't want your dog sniffing my crotch.

Good, killing dogs is wrong. There is no such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners....if people would train there dogs to be good dogs and would take responsibility for them, we wouldn't need stupid leash laws.

Hmmm...does this apply to children as well? o.O

[John C]

No. When it involves children.. It's never the parents fault. It's always some other influence.