Group ride shut down in Vt

[slingblade]

http://www.mcnews.com/anforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=58631

300 bikes sure is a lot, but its amazing they did that to begin with!

[legalspeed]

I told you to watch out for the Vermonters!!!

Where's that Mass Statie semi when you need it??

"To Serve, Protect, and kick you ass off our roads.."

[Jaynnus]

And....out of 300 bikers nobody, said FU...or assumed he was blowing smoke and proceeded to ride anyway. They were all legal bikes with legal riders about to ride on public roadways!!

I don't get it

[PinHead]

That was complete bullshit ! A bunch of fucking cops with swolen testicles. I hope the pricks loose their jobs.

[VinceF2]

Not to sound like the typical cop... but you don't honestly believe those Officers went out there and did that on their own... because they felt like it???

I agree it is complete and utter bullshit... and should not have happened... but fire the person(s) pulling the strings...

I had seen an article about this earlier... but can't find it now... it had some insight to the why's... I believe it was written before the event... when they were first "warned" not to ride...

Again... complete bullshit...

[Cam_In_IL]

They had no legal right whatsoever to do what they did. Heads are gonna roll over this one. This isn't like the typical bust of stunters in a parking lot.

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by VinceF2
Not to sound like the typical cop... but you don't honestly believe those Officers went out there and did that on their own... because they felt like it???

I agree it is complete and utter bullshit... and should not have happened... but fire the person(s) pulling the strings...

I had seen an article about this earlier... but can't find it now... it had some insight to the why's... I believe it was written before the event... when they were first "warned" not to ride...

Again... complete bullshit...

No, I don't.

Too bad no one mentioned a parade permit.

[Cam_In_IL]

Why would they need a parade permit? Do I have to get one if me and you go for a ride? What about if Greg joined us, then do we need one? Where do you draw the line here?

[Kham]

Originally posted by Cam_In_RI
Where do you draw the line?

well you can always draw the line on the dirt.

[sandman]

you can find more info on it here

http://www.nedirtbikes.com/forum/top...14&whichpage=1

[Lucky13]

This pisses me off...I'd like to know the why.

[By-Tor]

What if this was a Corvette group or Mini Cooper group gathering for a ride in the country, would the treatment have been the same? I highly doubt it! Sad state of affairs

[LM954RR]

Bullshit!

[gixxer6]

Please, no cop-killing posts on my board.
-legalspeed

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by Cam_In_RI
Why would they need a parade permit? Do I have to get one if me and you go for a ride? What about if Greg joined us, then do we need one? Where do you draw the line here?

When you effectively stop traffic, 300 bikes would have.

[sahd03]

I am ashamed to say that I live in Windham County.

I am more ashamed to realize and admit that I pay the salaries of these sherriffs.

Seriously, is there any legal action that can be taken by the organizing group (perhaps in conjunction with AMA) to investigate the actual cause and make sure this kind of crap doesn't get pulled again?

I plan on doing some more research, following up on this and writing to MY sherriff's department.

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by sahd03
I am ashamed to say that I live in Windham County.

I am more ashamed to realize and admit that I pay the salaries of these sherriffs.

Seriously, is there any legal action that can be taken by the organizing group (perhaps in conjunction with AMA) to investigate the actual cause and make sure this kind of crap doesn't get pulled again?

I plan on doing some more research, following up on this and writing to MY sherriff's department.

Good for you! Outstanding member nominee!!

I'd say just follow up with the AMA about your actions and any response you may get.

[sahd03]

, thanks.

If you'd like to file a complaint with the department, this is the website with "how to file a complaint" info. http://www.windhamsheriff.com/

Also note that Sheriff Prue (the chickie who is named in all the compaints and all the news reports) is front and center on the homepage, if you'd like to place a face with the name.

I will say right now she is not an attractive woman, but please let's not make this worse by throwing around low comments regarding looks, since that has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

[sahd03]

MOST CURRENT AND VALID INFO AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. LONG, BUT INTERESTING.

VT ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE "RED FOX TRAVESTY"

August 28, 2004

As most NETRA members already know, on August 8, 2004, the Windsor County Sheriff's Department prevented the fifth annual AMA/NETRA Red Fox Turkey Run. As best we have been able to determine, this action was taken without just cause.

On August 27, the VT Attorney General's Office, Criminal Division, launched a formal investigation of the "Red Fox Travesty," to focus on both the legality of a new Jamaica town ordinance prohibiting the use of motorized vehicles on Class IV roads (jeep trails), and on the actions of the Windham County Sheriff's office on August 8, 2004.

This investigation was ordered by the VT State's Attorney General William Sorrell, who appointed Detective Tom Howell as investigator.

Tom Howell called me and I have been forwarding the information that I have been collecting to him, including a letter with background information on the event.

VT ATV Sportsmans Assn (VASA) Executive Director Todd Sheinfeld, a NETRA member who was on location the day of the event, met with both the AG and the Governor's office, and was key to getting this investigation ordered. However, the AG also received 40 e-mails plus other correspondance from ORVers and others concerned with the events being investigated. Your letters, e-mails, and calls made a difference. This investigation is an important step towards our goal of having this matter resolved, and getting a state's attorney general to order a criminal division investigation of a law enforcement agency's actions is a rare and difficult achievement. All those who helped are patriots, because patriots stand up for their rights.

Both the AMA and the Blue Ribbon Coalition are onboard to help us resolve this issue. Brian Hawthorne of the BRC and I have greatly increased the value of long distance phone company stock with our discussions. At this time we will probably wait for the Attorney General's report before taking further action.

NETRA and the Pathfinders MC have also received substantial donations and commitments for funding this effort. We are in the process of interviewing attorneys as this is written. Donations can be made to the Pathfinders MC, Red Fox Legal Fund, Box 18, Bethany CT 06524.

The following is my initial information on the facts surrounding the Red Fox Travesty, based on my e-mail of August 9 to the AMA:

The Windham County Sheriff has prevented the 5th Annual AMA/NETRA-sanctioned Red Fox Dual Sport Ride in Townshend VT on Sunday August 8, 2004. This action by the Sheriff Sheila Prue and Sheriff's Leutenant Lake was announced to the promoting club, the Pathfinders MC, on the afternoon prior to the event while issueing club members citations for dirty or improperly displayed license plates.

297 riders, all of whom had already paid $37 by online pre-entry, were sent home. These riders had travelled from numerous states, from New Jersey on up, to ride this highly esteemed annual dual sport ride.

Lt. Lake gave this member several reasons for preventing the event, all of which were bogus:

1). The event has no permit from the state. As three-time former trail boss for this event, I am familiar with VT Title 31 Chapter 7, and have discussed it with town officials years ago. The requirement for a permit clearly only applies to a race, not a recreational ride.

2). Every rider must have written permission from every landowner on his person. Incorrect, VT Title 23 Section 1135 Trespass by Motor Vehicle does not require motor vehicle operators to carry written permission.

3). All the motorcycles are illegal for street use because they do not have turn signals and license plates are not properly displayed. This determination by the Leutenant was made prior to the event without seeing the motorcycles. In fact, VT Title 23 Chapter 13 Section 1249 Directional Signal Lamps does not require turn signals on motorcycles. VT Title 31 Chapter 7 Section 511 requires the license plate to be installed horizontally. Some of the motorcycles have the plate installed vertically, a technical violation which the Sheriffs could handle by citation on a case by case basis.

My responses to the Leutenant's statements on Saturday afternoon had no effect on his position.

Spending the rest of this late saturday afternoon/evening making calls to various state and local officials and contacts, we learned that the Town of Jamaica had held a meeting that Sheriff Prue had attended. A town selectman who lives on Turkey Mt Rd complained about the upcoming event, and a vote was taken by the Selectmen to close all Class IV roads (recognized jeep trails) in the town to mechanized transport, effective August 7, the day before our event. Turkey Mt Rd is primarily a dirt road which becomes a Class IV road for a short distance at one end. This rule would theoretically make Turkey Mt Rd unavailable to us for the event. We received conflicting information as to whether the ordinance had been passed and enacted.

At 4:00 am Sunday morning, I rerouted and re-arrowed the event out of Jamaica, off Turkey Mt Rd, and onto a parallel road in Townshend.

Later on Sunday morning I gave this information to Lt. Lake, but it had no effect on his position. Local resident Fletch Aspden spoke to Sheriff Prue by phone on saturday night but she was adamant that the event would be stopped. I went to the Sheriff's office on saturday night but the officer I spoke to said the event would not be allowed because the motorcycles were illegal. There seemed to be no interest on the part of the Sheriff to find a compromise or to avoid a confrontational situation.

On Sunday morning, six or seven Sheriff's vehicles appeared at the start area, a U.S. Army Corps recreation area that had been rented and special permitted by the club. The Sheriffs began to harrass and threaten riders, telling them that their bikes would be towed and impounded, that they would not be allowed to ride, and that they should leave immediately. Some riders left immediately and some riders continued through the sign-up/tech inspection/sound test that the promoting club had set up. At around 8:50am, Lt Lake gave a speech at the sign-up area reiterating the Sheriff's position, stating that no one would be allowed to ride, that anyone who tried to ride would have their bike impounded and that the event organizers would be arrested.

At this point the promoting club cancelled the event. The Sheriff officers stayed on site for several hours until almost everyone had left. Many of the riders spoke to the officers and made their displeasure and outrage at the situation known, but I did not hear a single rider so much as raise a voice to an officer, or show any disrespect, which struck me as rather amazing, considering the highly fused situation.

On monday 8/9, NETRA activist Todd Sheinfeld spoke to VT Deputy Secretary of Transportation Jim Tolley, who in turn called the Attorney General's office. VT is a common law state, with restrictions on what kinds of ordinances localities may pass. It was the Attorney General's offices' impression that the Jamaica ordinance was probably not legal. The town could place some reasonable restrictions on use of Class IV roads, but not ban all motorized use.

We subsequently learned, after reviewing the selectmen meeting minutes, that it was clearly established by the selectmen at the 7/26 meeting that the ordinance would not be in effect for our event because of a statutory 60 day period before a town ordinance can go into effect. It is our understanding that Sheriff Prue was at that meeting and thus was fully aware that the ordinance was not in effect.

NETRA and the Granite State ATV Assn have been successfully fighting a somewhat similar battle in NH. In this case, a town passed an ordinance prohibiting a local landowner (owns several hundred acres) from allowing ORVs to ride on his property. With financial assistance from NETRA, GSATV has taken this matter to the state supreme court, winning at every stage. The state's attorney general has supported the NETRA/GSATV position, because it does not want local towns to have the right to shut down state recognized trails, including snowmobile trails.

NETRA has some strong contacts throughout the state of VT, and is continuing to get more information on the events which led up to this situation and to determine who directed Sheriff Prue to use these tactics and prevent this legal use of public ways.

[slingblade]

Originally posted by sahd03
*.*

Just read every word! I hope people get fired over this, and it sounds like they just might

[sahd03]

Ya know, my initial interest was sparked for the obvious reason - it's a rider thing and I am a rider.

But when you really get into the specifics it goes far beyond a motorcycle-specific issue and becomes a much more serious disregard for established laws and due process - BY THE REGULATORS AND OUR SUPPOSED PROTECTORS, not by the riders.

The good thign is that none of the riders went ape-shit on the officers of the law. It has been established that all participants made their displeasure known in appropriate ways without going off the deep end. I think that says a lot about the group of folks involved and will hopefully go far in vindication.

Since I plan on following this and writing to both the Sheriff's office and the State Attorney General, I'll keep the post going with official updates when needed and will try to make sure that things are as unbiased as possible.

[slingblade]

Originally posted by sahd03
Ya know, my initial interest was sparked for the obvious reason - it's a rider thing and I am a rider.

But when you really get into the specifics it goes far beyond a motorcycle-specific issue and becomes a much more serious disregard for established laws and due process - BY THE REGULATORS AND OUR SUPPOSED PROTECTORS, not by the riders.

The good thign is that none of the riders went ape-shit on the officers of the law. It has been established that all participants made their displeasure known in appropriate ways without going off the deep end. I think that says a lot about the group of folks involved and will hopefully go far in vindication.

Since I plan on following this and writing to both the Sheriff's office and the State Attorney General, I'll keep the post going with official updates when needed and will try to make sure that things are as unbiased as possible.

Yea, out of the number of people that were there, its AMAZING that nobody went nuts! There was the talk about the "one guy that started his bike and reved" but it was more to show that it was of legal DB levels, not to annoy.

[bigred875]

sounds like big fish small pond syndrome to me....dick heads

[sfox7997]

completely bogus just like the idiot i ran into today that complained to a store manager that my bike was takin up a WHOLE parking spot in the partking lot. Complete morons.

[Degsy]

We need a streetride in that county.

See "rides and events"

derek