Miscellaneous

Asshole or Awesome? You be be the judge. (Hint: the answer is definitely "awesome.")

Up in Portland, Oregon, Eric Bryant was hanging out in a Chinese restaurant when he saw a police car illegally park. Officer Chad Stensgaard then walked into the Chinese restaurant and began watching a basketball game on TV. Bryant asked the cop about his car, and Officer Stensgaard agreed that he was in a no-parking zone, but retorted: "If someone broke into your house, would you rather have the police be able to park in front of your house or have to park three blocks away and walk there?" Stensgaard eventually took the order of food he was waiting for and drove off.

And it turns out that he's now got a bit more than some leftover Chinese food to deal with. Because Bryan is a freshly-minted attorney, and he happens to be familiar with a certain little Oregon statute that's particularly relevant in this situation. And so Officer Stensgaard has received a summons to show up in traffic court next month, as Bryan filed charges under a law allowing the private initiation of of traffic violation proceedings, violations which could cost Officer Stensgaard over $500.

Full post as published by Quiz Law on April 22, 2008 (boomark / email).