RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
http://sweetwater-photography.com/
My train videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/karldotcom
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
QUOTE: Originally posted by miniwyo You are lucky you only got a citation. Depending on the state laws there The officer may have been able to arrest you for Criminal Trespass.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
QUOTE: Originally posted by richardy QUOTE: Originally posted by miniwyo You are lucky you only got a citation. Depending on the state laws there The officer may have been able to arrest you for Criminal Trespass. He WAS arrested for Criminal Trespass, a citation is an arrest; he was released on a signature bond instead of being hauled to jail and required to post a cash bond. If he doesn't show in court then a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest and he will be hauled to jail.
QUOTE: Instead, stay in public access areas, such as stations, sidewalks or parking lots.
QUOTE: Originally posted by David_Telesha Here's your defense. Straight from Amtrak. They do this every year. Last year I printed a copy and when a conductor confronted me, I showed him the paper and he apologized and left me alone.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Laurence_18 Thanks for all the help. The calendar contest information is helpful, but contradictory. For the record, the station did have a "Passengers Only" sign on the stairway to the platform. I was very polite with the officer and fully expected him to say, "go ahead and leave." However, he proceded with the citation and now I have a court date. My opionion is the officer was simply a power hungry bully who gets his kicks out of this type of enforcement. He seemed to reli***he fact that I was out-of-state and he could threaten me with missing my plane and taking me to the Baltimore City Police. I am still in search of an attorney. Bottom line, I won't be on the Corridor with a camera unless I have a train ticket.
QUOTE: Originally posted by David_Telesha Well... The fact that you ignored the sign complicates things. However, I don't see how its considered trespass if Amtrak says EXPLICITLY stations are public areas and photographers are welcome there. The page I linked to doesn't contradict. It is explicit in saying areas open to passengers are therefore open to public access for photographers. Specifically the part I quoted. However, since it was posted... Personally, I would've just bought a ticket or found someplace else... But...
QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans Hmmmmm. Let me think now, doesn't this sound a lot like what happened to me in 1965 at a train station, only the police carried AK-47's and we spent 6 hours at the police station, OH YEAH, this was in EAST GERMANY ! ! (they also took the film from my camera and confiscated $7.50 in Canadian money. I'm still trying to get it back. Do I see a trend here?
QUOTE: Originally posted by JOdom QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans Hmmmmm. Let me think now, doesn't this sound a lot like what happened to me in 1965 at a train station, only the police carried AK-47's and we spent 6 hours at the police station, OH YEAH, this was in EAST GERMANY ! ! (they also took the film from my camera and confiscated $7.50 in Canadian money. I'm still trying to get it back. Do I see a trend here? Don't mean to offend any of our Maryland members, but when I lived there WAY too many residents, and especially politicians and state government employees, thought East Germany was a dandy model for how a state ought to be run. I called it the gulag-in-training.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Laurence_18 I received a criminal citation and court summons for being on the platform taking pictures in Baltimore (AKA Trespass)!!! Amtrak police gone wild! Anyone know a good lawyer (seriously)? Is there a suggested defense? Warning to others..don't go there!
QUOTE: Originally posted by miniwyo QUOTE: Originally posted by richardy QUOTE: Originally posted by miniwyo You are lucky you only got a citation. Depending on the state laws there The officer may have been able to arrest you for Criminal Trespass. He WAS arrested for Criminal Trespass, a citation is an arrest; he was released on a signature bond instead of being hauled to jail and required to post a cash bond. If he doesn't show in court then a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest and he will be hauled to jail. You are right a citation is a document that is charging him with Criminal Trespass. I guess what I was trying to say is that he could have been taken into custody for it if the officer had felt that Laurence's action warranted it. I just merely said arrest because most people think that a citation and an arrest are different things, a Citation being a thing that makes you pay a fine, and an arrest making you go to jail. However the fine that you pay for the ticket is basically paying the bond to keep the bench warrant from passing. You wouldnt hapen to be in law enforcement would you Richardy?
QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates QUOTE: Originally posted by Laurence_18 I received a criminal citation and court summons for being on the platform taking pictures in Baltimore (AKA Trespass)!!! Amtrak police gone wild! Anyone know a good lawyer (seriously)? Is there a suggested defense? Warning to others..don't go there! So you got a "ticket"? basically that' what you got...there likely is gonna just be a fine for you to pay, and hiring a lawyer is only gonna put a bigger dent in your wallet, so why bother? (unless you were rude to the officer) If you have been behaving in a civilized fashion thus far...I'd go to the hearing, plead "no contest" and in so doing explain to the judge that since you were not from around there, you were unaware of any restrictions, promise him it'll never happen again, lesson learned, and plea for leniancy. never know man, if you have a clean record and yout plea is convincing.you might get booted out with just a warning. Or some token fine to cover the paperwork. A lawyer is only gonna make that more expensive than it needs to be.
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