Lawyer
elects to release video on Friday
 |
| Temple Police Officer Steve Ermis |
Belton,
TX – Following the jury's sentence of a $2,000 fine and no jail
time for conviction of misdemeanor interference with a public
official, M/Sgt. C.J. Grisham deferred to his lawyer's advice and
chose to delay release of the dashcam video used as evidence in his
trial.
Attorney
Blue Rannefeld counseled him to wait a few days before releasing the
public document the Attorney General's office previously ruled must
be released under a public information act request.
The
video depicts Temple Officer Steve Ermis as he asks the Sergeant why
he has a rifle and is carrying it openly. His reply, “Because I
can,” is plainly audible. At that point, the video shows the
officer drawing his semiautomatic pistol and jamming in the back of
the soldier's neck, then changing its location to his left armpit as
he grabs for the gun.
According
to Victoria JohnGalt Montgomery, Sgt. Grisham chose to defer to his
attorney's advice for legal reasons. She is a board member of the
organization he heads called Open Carry Texas, the PR Director, and
spokesman for the group.
Jurors
were instructed that if they found from seeing evidence and hearing testimony that
the Sergeant acted with criminal negligence in substantially,
recklessly, intentionally and knowingly interfering with Officer
Ermis as he disarmed him, they should convict him of the Class B
Misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of $2,000 and 6 months in jail.
Readers
of this blog and members of OCT expressed surprise and disappointment
at the news that they would not be able to see the public document
today, but instead will have to wait until Friday.
Following announcement of the jury's decision on his punishment, Sgt. Grisham said the decision signals a new paradigm in relations between legal authorities and armed citizens, "It cost me $2,000 to have my guns confiscated...Texans are subject to losing their guns and they won't even know why…"
Following announcement of the jury's decision on his punishment, Sgt. Grisham said the decision signals a new paradigm in relations between legal authorities and armed citizens, "It cost me $2,000 to have my guns confiscated...Texans are subject to losing their guns and they won't even know why…"
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The Legendary
How come u don't report the story of asst. DA negligently discharging a firearm in the DAs office. Oh, I know, your one of the DAs hardcore suppoters.
ReplyDeleteHey, here's one for you. Why don't you play switch 'em? You could stick one thumb up your ass and the other thumb in your mouth, and switch 'em. You'd look about as good doing that as you do when you do all this.
ReplyDelete