Addison Mikkelson Goes To Court

Addison Mikkelson, the seventeen year old Topeka youth who enjoys filming and recording police officers on duty, has begun his tour of the judicial system. A couple of days ago, he had his first hearing, wherein he entered a plea of not guilty to jaywalking and inattentive driving. Hopefully, Addison will insist upon a jury trial for the jaywalking charges. That should make a district judge's day! The police in Topeka are only posturing and attempting to ruin Addison's future, anyway. Appearing impromptu on camera adds up to accountability, and any police officer who cannot cope with accountability should find another line of work.

This is beginning to look a little like Abbie Hoffman's trial in 1968 for conspiring to incite a riot during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Abbie and his friends were demonstrating against the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War, and got arrested, despite the fact that they had a permit. The trial began on September 24, 1969 and lasted until February 18, 1970; at which time Abbie Hoffman and his cohorts where found not guilty. Their demeanor on court dates during the trial, however; was a different matter. All seven of them, and a couple of their defense attorneys, were found guilty of contempt of court for their creative self expression at intervals during the whole process. One day, Hoffman and Rubin, a co-defendant, wore judge's robes to court. When Judge Hoffman (no relation to Abbie Hoffman) ordered them to remove their robes, they complied, revealing police uniforms under the robes. Throwing Abbie and et els in prison....yes, prison....for contempt of court may have merely been a means of saving face for a district court that had a problem with satire on the parts of the defendants while on trial and of those pesky "not guilty" verdicts on the part of the jury. Trying young Addison Mikkelson for jaywalking appears about as silly.

Isn't it grand to know that law enforcement in Topeka Kansas is protecting all of us from young, amateur photographers? Don't you feel safer, knowing that all those dangerous jaywalkers, or at least those who pose a threat to abusive police officers, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law? After all, Addison Mikkelson, pictured at the top of this post, looks like a very scary kid, doesn't he?

Hoffman and Rubin, dressed for court in judge's robes.

No Shooting In The Police Station

 

Addison Mikkelson, who was arrested over the holiday for obstruction of justice because he took some videos and pictures of Kansas law enforcement in action, returned to the police station in Topeka the following day. He wanted a copy of the video captured by law enforcement of his arrest. While he is, in fact, entitled to the video, his arrest changes the auspices of his entitlement. Information pertaining to or resulting from an encounter with a government entity that is just an encounter, and nothing more, can usually be obtained by written request citing the most recent update of the Freedom of Information Act.  Unfortunately, Addison was charged with a crime here, and law enforcement's video record of the event has become evidence. Addison, or his lawyer, must now subpoena this evidence, and if the case against him goes forward, Addison will be allowed to examine it. The court, rather than either party, has a certain amount of control over the evidence and it's uses until the charges are disposed. The uninvolved officer with whom Addison spoke has no authority to release evidence in the case to anyone. Ah.....kids!

If the police station in Topeka Kansas seriously wishes to forbid or limit any filming, a sign should be posted on their wall, stating that permission must be granted prior to filming or recording. It seems that a lot of police officers lately, despite the public aspect of the job, have been extremely camera-shy. While the interest in footage of abusive cops is undoubtedly growing, most civilians do not take exception to police officers caught doing their jobs professionally and courteously. When an officer is caught on camera behaving like a thug, and proceeds to behave even more like a thug upon finding out that he has been caught on camera, there's a problem. Addison Mikkelson obviously has a pastime, and hopefully a passion, for catching police in action on video; hopefully, he has the heart, soul, and good fortune required for this type of activism.

Shooting a documentary of the "history" of the police station in Topeka, Addison? Seriously? That's the most amusing thing I've heard all weekend! You should have just said, "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!"

 

Kansas Cops And Addison Mikkelson

Such insecure police officers. Beating up older women and breastfeeding mothers in Kansas hasn't satisfied law enforcement's hunger for violence; now they are after children! Seventeen year old Addison Mikkelson had a new camera the day before yesterday. He went out to take pictures, and settled on an arrest that was being made at a Kwik Stop in Topeka, Kansas. No one had a problem with Addison and his camera; he was on the sidewalk. Just as things were winding down, an unoccupied cop approached Addison to snoop at his ID and express annoyance and paranoia at being caught on camera. Another idle officer soon joined. When Addison asked why his ID was necessary, the cop put his paws on the camera. Addison asked him to leave it alone, and the cop kicked it. Then he picked it up, and promising to handle it carefully, put the camera down in the snow. Believe it or not, there are actually a few Topekans who think Addison still owes respect to law enforcement in Kansas! Sorry, Kansas, but respect is a two way street. It has to be earned, and these officers did not earn this teenager's respect.

The two wannabe swat team dudes then decided to arrest Addison. Now he has been charged with obstruction of justice. They cited jaywalking as his crime, yet arrested him for something completely different. Should jaywalking be a crime that carries jail time in Kansas, and should a teenager be plucked off the street by violent cops for jaywalking or for using a camera?