<i>That the Bank of America contacted the city attorney's office to reportedly urge prosecution has become part of the dispute.</i><p>Make that, they called and visited her office repeatedly over the course of many months to emphasize the <i>quid pro quo</i> established by previous political donations. If any corner store had made a similar ruckus for a one-time chalk-on-sidewalk "incident", the store owner would have been cited for interfering with the duties of the City Attorney.<p>I look forward to voting for Mayor Filner when he runs for higher office. I'm also glad the jury saw fit to correct the judge's egregious Constitutional error.
I could not express my elation in words for this victory!<p>I said it before when this trended on HN, that I hoped he would go to trial and not take a deal. I don't care if BOFA showed video of him doing it, he had chalk on his hands, and posted pictures up online on FB or Twitter...if I was on the jury, I would've said he wasn't guilty.<p>Ridiculous lobbying of resources and obvious oppression by BOFA!
Where did this guy get a permanent chalk WMD?<p>Wait... you're telling me this was chalk like my kids use on my driveway nearly every weekend? The same stuff that takes about 2 seconds to hose off? No shit he's not guilty of vandalism. SMH
Was he actually facing jail time for this, or was the "13 years" line fed to the media by him/his defense?<p>Jail time for writing in chalk is absurd, but surely he deserved some reasonable punishment for doing this <i>13 times</i>. A small fine and/or community service seems appropriate.
Wow... Embarrassing that this guy was ever charged in the first place. I thought it was some kind of joke when reading the title or that there was more to it, but nope, that pretty much sums it up, chalk. :|
Here's some discussion of the legal issues, mostly based on <i>another</i> recent chalk-vandalism prosecution: <a href="http://www.volokh.com/2013/07/01/chalking-and-the-first-amendment/" rel="nofollow">http://www.volokh.com/2013/07/01/chalking-and-the-first-amen...</a>
Just for a reference, the old HN thread:<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5948804" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5948804</a>
The public should have zero tolerance for graffiti and vandalism of public property. This guy should have been fined and stuck in jail for 30 days. End of story.<p>I heard they were trying to put him away for 13 years. That is gross abuse by the justice system. If I were on the jury, I would also declare him not guilty, even though he is.<p>P.S. You do not have a first amendment right to write on public property. People who are too stupid to understand that, don't actually deserve first amendment rights (though I will still defend their rights, anyway).
I respect the jury's decision but have a had time swallowing that anyone who wants to should be able to systematically slander a business in chalk 13 times and it not be considered some sort of crime. Poor precedent. Should have gotten a slap on the wrist.