Anti-illegal immigration activist and Youtuber Gary Gileno used a camera in a courthouse and was fined $280 for it. Rather than just quietly paying the penalty, however, the man decided to turn it into a federal criminal case.
The Gileno’s lawyer told a judge on Friday that they are protesting the fine because it constitutes government abuse of power, and they wanted to ensure the protection of journalists’ rights and guaranteeing that citizens can hold public officials accountable.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gary Gileno was fined $280 for "failing to follow orders" and insisting on his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FirstAmendment?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FirstAmendment</a> right to record government proceedings.<br><br>It's hard to fathom how he does not have the right to do this. Open meetings should be just that: open.<a href="https://t.co/p27udn9CFb">https://t.co/p27udn9CFb</a></p>— A Voice of Liberty (@avoiceofliberty) <a href="https://twitter.com/avoiceofliberty/status/982709980250943488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How an anti-illegal immigration YouTuber turned a $280 fine into a federal criminal trial: It began as a $280 citation for using a video camera in a courthouse. But to Gary Gileno, at stake was much more than the couple hundred bucks he was told to pay.… <a href="https://t.co/OIxZU3e3iy">https://t.co/OIxZU3e3iy</a></p>— Los Angeles Best Of (@LosAngelesBests) <a href="https://twitter.com/LosAngelesBests/status/982580249094381568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Attorney William Becker fervently said that if his client is convicted, “it’ll chill speech, it’ll chill journalism, it’ll say he federal government has a superpower to do whatever it wants.” He added that such a move was “unprecedented” and that is something “to expect to see in a police state.”
The novel legal battle came about after 32-year-old Gileno attempted to bring a video camera into a meeting of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission last year. Thing is, California law specifically permits the public to use recording devices at such meetings, but the conflict arises as the commission’s meeting on August was conducted at a federal appellate court building where filming is not allowed.
Gileno entered the courthouse with a camera. Marshals told him to leave his camera in his car. The Youtuber insisted on his right to record the meeting under the First Amendment and the state’s open meeting law, known as the Brown Act. He then started recording the officers. The officers responded, however, by putting him in handcuffs and detaining him for an hour.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Libs hate this guy.<br>He actually made it to the LA Times because he wanted to record something in federal court and wasn't allowed so he is fighting their BS.<br>Go Gary Gileno!… <a href="https://t.co/TjLQ6BpSXg">https://t.co/TjLQ6BpSXg</a></p>— Bonzai! (@moonraventastic) <a href="https://twitter.com/moonraventastic/status/982723194527371264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Instead of paying the fine meted on him, Gileno decided to take his case to trial, facing a penalty of up to $10,000 fine and 30 days in jail if found guilty.
A federal prosecutor, said, however that Becker’s argument is simply “rhetoric” claiming that the Class C misdemeanor charge was simply about Gileno’s refusal to follow a security officer’s orders.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gary Gileno is a rock star in Southern <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/California?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#California</a> grassroots activist circles. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAGA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAGA</a> <a href="https://t.co/wCXufzqxa6">https://t.co/wCXufzqxa6</a></p>— Deborah Pauly (@YnotDebPauly) <a href="https://twitter.com/YnotDebPauly/status/982821271439224832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gileno is an active Youtuber with most of his videos focused on denouncing illegal immigration. He also fervently promotes supporters of President Donald Trump.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gary Gileno, makes a great point about the comparisson between bank robbers and illegals. <a href="https://t.co/7BymGTN966">https://t.co/7BymGTN966</a></p>— Tom Campbell (@TomCamp97435613) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCamp97435613/status/982908694814801921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gileno testified in his own defense arguing that he was a freelance citizen journalist who has attended and filmed hundreds of local government meetings and legislative town halls for about five years.
The anti-illegal immigration activist declared in court: “I believe in the United States of America, you should be able to keep tabs on the government.”
Source:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-brown-act-federal-trial-20180406-story.html
Twitter: #MAGA #KeepAmericaGreat! #BuildtheWall #IllegalImmigrants #FirstAmendment #Youtuber #GaryGileno #Accountability
That video shows the stupid liberals using their racist card. They agreed in the beginning comparing bank robbery and kidnapping but as soon as he made the analogy about flooding our country with a bunch of people (he used s Africa) but whatever country, it applies. They immediately start booing and calling him racist. He hit it right on the head… flood any country with as many foreigners from wherever and allow them to vote without immigrating properly and they will destroy this awesome thing our children, parents, grand parents, all the way back to our founders fought and died for.
A person that immigrates here properly in my experience has as much or more love for America than these snowflake open border gun grabbing entitled ass clowns could ever muster.
All my "New" American friends are yuge Trump supporters and guess what! They all immigrated here legally! They all are against the so called Dreamer scam! And they want a wall now! One even suggested a DMZ with land mines and mg turrets! And they all wonder the same thing a lot of Americans want to know… how the hell do our politicians get so wealthy so soon after getting elected.
#MAGA #BuildTheWall ← instead of schumers tunnel!
Go go, Gary! Continue fighting the illegals and their protectors in America!
So the city council sudden saw that it was illegal because it would record their ILLEGAL Protection position for the public to see … a California public ticked off that Illegals are being given Taxpayer funds by various backdoor methods.