NYCLU Sues City, Says Staten Island BP Sent Cops to Bust Critic

Kerry Sullivan

Kerry Sullivan, a longtime Staten Island gadfly who's awaiting a liver transplant, claims that police arrested him outside his home in August as retaliation for his outspoken criticism of Borough President James P. Molinaro. Yesterday the NYCLU filed a federal lawsuit on Sullivan's behalf, naming the City of New York and the two police officers who arrested Sullivan as defendants, and claiming they violated Sullivan’s rights under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth amendments; the New York State Constitution; and New York common law. Those are a lot of violations! But what's really outrageous is what the cops allegedly told Sullivan during the arrest.

Sullivan was arrested just days after the Staten Island Advance published his letter to the editor [pdf] criticizing Molinaro's economic development policies, particularly Molinaro’s efforts to commercially develop the Stapleton Homeport, an abandoned naval base that had been slated to become a public park. He was collared for allegedly for writing "The Jerk" on the corner of a campaign sign that Sullivan claims was posted illegally on a construction fence. According to the lawsuit, the officers who arrested him said they had been following Sullivan for several days and that he had made "enemies upstairs."

Prosecutors dropped the charges, but Sullivan said the arrest motivated him to soften his activism against Molinaro's environmental policies. "I have cancer. I don't want to be in jail with cancer," Sullivan told the Daily News yesterday. "It worked." NYCLU Director Donna Lieberman said in a statement, "It is outrageous that NYPD officers took a four-day break from protecting public safety to track and unlawfully arrest someone for opposing the borough president’s development policies. One expects this sort of thing under a totalitarian regime, not a constitutional democracy."

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By John Del Signore in News on December 17, 2009 1:16 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

"One expects this sort of thing under a totalitarian regime, not a constitutional democracy."

Kim Jong Il passed on the S.I. Borough President spot, citing "conflicts with his moral conscience".

The Edge

Awww.. you guys made a connection!

It's like match.com, except free.

Angelheaded Hipster

i'm a midtown fancy lad -- sheep meadow, central park

whats your weight? i'm 194, 5'11 and i finished the marathon last month so my wind is very good. i'm going to beat some sense into you for sure

felixthecat2

5'10 1/2 and 185lbs. It's good that you run since you might have to run away. Uptown street. Perhaps Hunts Point?

Angelheaded Hipster

times square webcam on 45th st --- and we make it pay-per-view and gothamist buys us cool robes and trunks

felixthecat2

Make it happen. And I need trunks with pockets for my concealed weapon. :D

Rfive

How about the loser gets another avatar?

Angelheaded Hipster

okay---street

loser has to wear a fur coat all winter?

felixthecat2

Why must an innocent animal be tortured because you lost and you will lose. Ok-streets and uptown streets where NYPD doesn't respond.

Angelheaded Hipster

staten island is the ozarks of new york city

when are we sparring felix? i'm ready --- loser has to kill a carriage horse with a baseball bat

felixthecat2

WTF??? Leave the Carriage horses alone! They suffer enough already. Why in the world would you say such a horrible thing?? Forget the Boxing Ring, Let's go street.

Sinchy

Are rookie cops taught any constitutional or even local law?

It seems to me that the police should know the constitution better than most citizens.

If Molinari (or one on his friend in command) told these cops to beat the up, would they?

potsmoker

wow, more money $$$$$$$ lost by a city whose police force is out of control, now doing political favors by arresting critics.

THANKS BLOOMBERG!

remember Ghouliani:

As mayor, he made the vengeful roundhouse an instrument of government, clipping anyone who crossed him.

In August 1997, James Schillaci, a rough-hewn chauffeur from the Bronx, dialed Mayor Giuliani’s radio program on WABC-AM to complain about a red-light sting run by the police near the Bronx Zoo. When the call yielded no results, Mr. Schillaci turned to The Daily News, which then ran a photo of the red light and this front page headline: “GOTCHA!”

That morning, police officers appeared on Mr. Schillaci’s doorstep. What are you going to do, Mr. Schillaci asked, arrest me? He was joking, but the officers were not.

This cost the city $290G in 2002.

felixthecat2

Molinaro and especially his grandson are thugs. Can't believe Staten Island reelected him again. Molinaro is a crooked old man with no college education. Staten Island could have John Luisi, an amazing man.

http://www.luisiforbp.com/