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From Mary Young

By Staff | Sep 23, 2009

Cohen v. California U.S Supreme Court Case 1971, upholds the 1st and 14th Amendment to the constitution of the United States which gives us freedom of speech.

Any speech as long as it does not provoke violence. The U.S Supreme Court is the highest court in the land, it supersedes the Circuit Court and Magistrate Court. (Some people think the Magistrate Court doesn’t have to recognize the Supreme Court.)

Why would this case be of interest? I am the woman who was denied access to Town and Country Days to pick up my daughter. Yes, it would have been easy to park and walk down to get her but there was absolutely nowhere to park.

I voiced my concerns to the County Commissioners about the traffic flow and the people directing traffic. The County Commissioners informed me that the men out there were off duty and they didn’t represent the Sheriff’s Department in any way while they were directing traffic.

Image my confusion then as to how an off duty deputy could give me a disorderly conduct ticket for saying a four letter word (which I never said.) If this were a cause for criminal activity then many people at ball games, including the coaches and players, as well as others would be arrested. When the man (off duty deputy), stopped me and pulled me off to the side of the road he told me he was going to, “Tow my car and have me arrested.” Now how can he do that? I wasn’t causing a riot or acting stupid!

Well, to make a long story short, I went to court and the assistant prosecutor said saying a four letter work is not a crime and the ticket was dropped.

The assistant prosecutor is a lawyer and he does know the law, the off duty officer didn’t know what he thought he knew.

With that said, I hope this puts to rest the “gossip” going around town. To the service men and women who fought for our rights and freedom, thank you! To the police officers who respect others and their rights I say thank you and keep up the good work! To those few who don’t, then perhaps a course in respectability, law and anger management might help.

Thank you,

Mary Young

New Martinsville