Legal Commentary

Another Item on the SEIU Protest

By Eugene Volokh

The Washington Examiner had reported that the SEIU protesters who picketed a Bank of America executive?s home ? and possibly trespassed, or violated a Montgomery County residential picketing ban ? were escorted by D.C. police, even though the picketing was outside D.C. I hadn?t noted that in my posts, but it came up in the comments, and my sense is that the claim has been pretty prominently circulated. 

I therefore thought that I?d note that the Fraternal Order of Police has denied this, as has the D.C. police department; the Examiner quotes both statements. According to the police department,

The reporting that the Metropolitan Police Department led members into Montgomery County and to the home of a bank executive is wholly false. The MPD shadowed the unpermitted march, while in the District of Columbia, to ensure that no one in the march was injured. At NO time did the MPD enter Montgomery County, Maryland. Upon arriving at the Maryland line the MPD notified the Montgomery County Police of the approaching march and then stayed in the District of Columbia.

Full post as published by The Volokh Conspiracy on May 24, 2010 (boomark / email).