JASON NARK
Philadelphia Daily News
philly.com
Getting pulled over just for wearing "colors" really ticks off outlaw motorcycle clubs, a local attorney who's represented them said, and now some of them are allowed to take out their frustrations in court.
In an opinion issued last week, U.S. District Court Judge Jerome Simandle in Camden said two members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club and one Tribe Motorcycle Club member can move forward with a lawsuit stemming from a July 30, 2009, traffic stop involving six motorcycles in Burlington County where New Jersey State Troopers ordered them to remove their "colors," the members' patched jackets.
"The court has basically said, 'yes you have a right to wear a patch, these logos," said Norristown attorney Boyd Spencer, who represents the Eastern Pa. Confederation of Clubs.
The group of bikers were on their way to a beef and beer event when they were pulled over. The bikers were ticketed for not having approved helmets, the original complaint alleges, and were told to remove their colors if they wanted to leave. The whole traffic stop, which lasted more than an hour, was captured by mounted cameras in the police cruisers.
"Now you're all going to take your jackets off, because on this highway, these are the only colors," one of the state troopers told the group after nearly 50 minutes had passed, referring to State Police blue and gold.
None of the bikers removed their colors, and at a later municipal court hearing, the helmets were found to be legal and a prosecutor dismissed the charges.
The state filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit but Simandle, in his ruling said the plaintiffs "sufficiently alleged deprivations of a clearly established constitutional right." Simandle dismissed a conspiracy allegation and claims that the bikers were denied due process.
"We had a little wound here and there but definitely, this is a victory," Spencer said.
A spokesman for the state declined to comment Monday.
Until the police are held personally responsible and have to pay out of their own pocket when incidents like this occur nothing will ever change. Qualified immunity needs to be done away with ASAP and the police need to be held accountable for their violations.
— Taxpaying Voter
COMMENT`S
I hope the
clubs break it off in the cops ass. They want to screw with people, then let them reap what they sow.
clubs break it off in the cops ass. They want to screw with people, then let them reap what they sow.
BADMAN
Congrats
Maybe now those cunts will learn the true colors that run the road are stars and stripes. We can fly whatever the fuck we want........
BEAU
Fuck New Jersey Pigs
MR.MAD
If every 1%er told the pigs to fuck themselves it would take the Army to cool that shit out. Fuck the Pig they can wear a cock in their fucking mouth. Fuck you dirty fucking cops and your whore of a wife that we all through a train on while you watched like the pussies you are. In the 70's they wouldn't get on a bike in SoCal 'cause some pissed off Biker would blow them away. They tried that shit in California and motherfuckers had club colours inked up, wasn't shit they could do, assholes...........
props
77FXEGLIDE
Gotta give the Pagans props for giving the cops a big FUCK OFF when they were told to take off the colors ... THAT'S the difference ... most RC's woulda took the colors off just to get away ... I hope they get to sue the shit outta NJ troopers..........
BEAU
Fuck New Jersey Pigs
MR.MAD
If every 1%er told the pigs to fuck themselves it would take the Army to cool that shit out. Fuck the Pig they can wear a cock in their fucking mouth. Fuck you dirty fucking cops and your whore of a wife that we all through a train on while you watched like the pussies you are. In the 70's they wouldn't get on a bike in SoCal 'cause some pissed off Biker would blow them away. They tried that shit in California and motherfuckers had club colours inked up, wasn't shit they could do, assholes...........
props
77FXEGLIDE
Gotta give the Pagans props for giving the cops a big FUCK OFF when they were told to take off the colors ... THAT'S the difference ... most RC's woulda took the colors off just to get away ... I hope they get to sue the shit outta NJ troopers..........
