Quote :

"Judge acquits John Coffin on 5 felony charges; Coffin gets time served on 6th. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20070314/NEWS/703140547 SARASOTA -- John Coffin won't spend any more time in jail for beating up two sheriff's deputies inside his house, striking one in the head with a Taser gun he took from the other. Circuit Judge Rick De Furia said at Coffin's trial Tuesday that he doesn't condone the violence against the deputies. But Coffin, 56, had a right to defend his family and property because the deputies had no right to be in Coffin's house in the first place, De Furia said. "Law enforcement was responsible for the chain of events here," De Furia said. "I think in situations like this, officers become so frustrated they go beyond what the law allows them to do." The fight started when Coffin heard his wife screaming in pain, went into the garage and saw two deputies arresting her on the floor. The deputies were trying to serve Coffin with civil papers that had been given five days earlier. They had entered the garage even though they did not have a search warrant or arrest warrant. And they arrested Coffin's wife, Cynthia, 50, on obstruction charges even though she had no obligation to follow their orders to bring her husband outside. "The most critical is the fact the officers broke the law by stopping the garage door from going down," and then entering the garage, De Furia said. A jury was picked for the trial Monday. But the judge granted a motion by Coffin's attorneys, Derek Byrd and Brett McIntosh, and acquitted John Coffin on five of six felony charges Tuesday morning. Coffin pleaded no contest to the remaining charge of taking a Taser gun from one of the deputies during the fight. Before handing down the sentence, De Furia asked how long Coffin spent in jail after his initial arrest. "You spent eight days in the Sarasota County jail," De Furia said. "That's your sentence. No probation." Relatives applauded, and Coffin walked out of the courthouse with only a $358 bill for court costs. The sentence surprised even defense attorneys, who had suggested De Furia sentence Coffin to probation. Prosecutors had asked for more than a year of prison time because of "the totality of the case" and the injuries to deputies James Lutz and Stacy Ferris, whose name is now Stacy Brandau. The two deputies testified about their injuries Tuesday -- three blows to the head with the butt of the Taser gun knocked Lutz unconscious. "I just ask that he doesn't get away with this," Brandau told the judge. Assistant State Attorney Jeff Young told the judge the case "could have been over in five seconds" if the Coffins "had simply come out and cooperated." "That is a man who took it upon himself to beat up two police officers," Young said. De Furia said that while he believed the deputies' mistakes were not intentional, the Coffins had every right to lock doors, try to close their garage door and not cooperate. "What took place in the house was unfortunate," De Furia said, "but Mr. Coffin ... had a right to resist.""

sweet

3/17/2007 1:57:38 PM

whats good popo?

3/17/2007 2:03:49 PM

so... he was acquitted, but he had to pay court costs?

3/17/2007 2:30:37 PM

Quote :

""I just ask that he doesn't get away with this," Brandau told the judge."

FUCK YOU, BITCH!

Quote :

"three blows to the head with the butt of the Taser gun knocked Lutz unconscious."

GG MR. COFFIN.

DON'T MESS WITH SOMEONE NAMED COFFIN

[Edited on March 17, 2007 at 2:32 PM. Reason : ^ yeah what's up with that? why does he have to pay if he was acquitted?]

3/17/2007 2:31:28 PM

The police need to be kept in check. GG.

3/17/2007 2:35:59 PM

Proof that we're not a totalitarian police state just yet.

gg Coffin, and a big fat "FUCK YOU" to the two pigs who broke into his home.

3/17/2007 3:46:54 PM

Quote :

"^ yeah what's up with that? why does he have to pay if he was acquitted?"

well he was guilty of one charge

3/17/2007 3:48:19 PM

I guess John Coffin was white

3/17/2007 3:51:52 PM

Quote :

"The deputies were trying to serve Coffin with civil papers that had been given five days earlier. They had entered the garage even though they did not have a search warrant or arrest warrant."

dumbasses should be fired.

3/17/2007 4:18:27 PM

^^ hahahaha this happens to black people all the time.

except they go to jail.

3/17/2007 4:29:02 PM

that was his point.

and, yeah.

3/17/2007 4:40:18 PM

What does "serve civil papers" mean?

3/17/2007 5:08:19 PM

it means someone is trying to sue the guy in civil court for something. like maybe he ripped someone off on craigslist.

definitely the cops had every right to break into his garage and rough up his wife.

3/17/2007 5:31:15 PM

Quote :

"That resulted in a melee. Brandau Tasered John Coffin twice, but he still managed to wrestle the Taser from her and push and lock her out of the house."

Damn. Badass.

Quote :

"Brandau described sleepless nights, and tearfully and angrily urged a prison sentence for John Coffin. She said she had feared for her life and would have shot him had she been able."

Yeah, I was wondering about that.

Quote :

"Lutz, who needed six stitches on his head after being clubbed with the Taser, said he passed out briefly but then arrested the couple at gunpoint."

Huh. I guess Coffin failed to capitalize on that kayo. Never settle for just unconscious, kids!

Quote :

"The couple lost $30,000 to a bail bondsman, and far more in legal fees."

Ouch. But hey, they're really lucky to be alize.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/COLUMNIST36/703160622

3/17/2007 6:20:36 PM

one amazing thing I see is that he beat up both cops. I would have thought two cops could beat up one person but perhaps not.

3/17/2007 8:01:34 PM

one of them was a chick

about to get married

3/17/2007 8:06:06 PM

they'd be dead if it happened in wilmington


I am sick and tired of hearing about violations of peoples rights

3/17/2007 8:18:40 PM

this makes me happy, even though he lost a lot of money. maybe he'll be able to sue the police department.

3/17/2007 9:26:10 PM

Quote :

""That is a man who took it upon himself to beat up two police officers," Young said. "

"Those are two officers who took it upon themselves to break the law and invade a home," EarthDogg replied.

3/17/2007 9:31:08 PM

it's a shame that there are people like this in a profession that should be honorable


it's not what it used to be

3/17/2007 10:36:24 PM

lol, police used to be alot worse.

and i still fucking hate police

3/18/2007 3:58:45 AM

my only regret is that there is no record of the pig's reaction to the outcome of the trial

3/18/2007 6:57:40 AM

did you read the link GoldenViper posted?

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/COLUMNIST36/703160622

3/18/2007 7:03:19 AM

Quote :

"it's not what it used to be"

should we post pictures from the 60s now? how about articles about the communist hunts?

things are a hell of a lot better now. doesnt mean they are perfect. but still.

3/18/2007 8:05:24 AM

Quote :

"they'd be dead if it happened in wilmington"

Brandau said she would have shot Coffin if she could have. He is very lucky Lutz decided to arrest him at gunpoint and not blow him away.

The cops certainly had no right to arrest Mrs. Coffin, but punching cops is more or less insane. Mr. Coffin should have sumbitted and then filed a complaint or something along those lines.

3/18/2007 8:15:29 AM

^ i agree with that last statement.

i think they should now sue the fuck out of the police dept.

however, they won't win (not least because he fought them back), considering that cops have gotten away with murder in the past.

3/18/2007 8:23:30 AM

Quote :

"The cops certainly had no right to arrest Mrs. Coffin, but punching cops is more or less insane. Mr. Coffin should have sumbitted and then filed a complaint or something along those lines."

Well, okay. I concede that this would have been the proper, more civil thing to do. But I'm not sorry that he fought off those cops, and I think it's fucking awesome that he got away with it for the most part.

3/18/2007 9:04:06 AM

It is pretty cool, but would you pay tens of thousands of dollars for the chance to beat up a cop?

3/18/2007 9:30:32 AM

yeah, cops used to be allowed to use discretion

something they can't do very often now


I'm not going to go off on some, "OMFG I HATE THE POLICE" rant because I don't hate them, some are good people.

[Edited on March 18, 2007 at 9:58 AM. Reason : ..]

3/18/2007 9:57:31 AM

yeah, but some are like republican18

3/18/2007 10:58:56 AM

Why can't homes be places that are off limits to cops? Sure it might be expensive to wait out someone coming outside. But it just seems like the prudent thing to do.

I keep thinking about the old woman that shot at cops when they burst into her home and was subsequently killed. How is ANYONE supposed to know who is a proper cop and who isn't? Couldn't anyone fake police uniforms to gain entry into your home?

3/18/2007 11:52:05 AM

you can pretty much thank the "war on drugs" for all of this stupid bullshit

3/18/2007 11:57:39 AM

Quote :

"The cops certainly had no right to arrest Mrs. Coffin, but punching cops is more or less insane. Mr. Coffin should have sumbitted and then filed a complaint or something along those lines."

I think he flipped out when he saw them harassing his wife and heard her screaming. I don't think he was out to punch a cop.

3/18/2007 12:31:42 PM

To serve and protect.

3/18/2007 12:54:33 PM

Quote :

"Why can't homes be places that are off limits to cops? Sure it might be expensive to wait out someone coming outside. But it just seems like the prudent thing to do. "

If I had to guess, political preassure to bring criminals down now and down hard and desire to avoid public ridicule and disfavor by paying cops to sit around waiting for someone to come out of their house. Sure it would probably be easier and safer overall, but in the mean time you have pictures of your cops sitting outside the house in their cars eating donuts in the newspapers with the caption "Cops take break on tax payer dime"

3/18/2007 1:11:09 PM

some times you just can't wait for a person to come out of their home. More or less, the home would become an area where crimes would become legal. You can't have that happening.

3/18/2007 2:33:31 PM

Shit, police don't even have to announce themselves anymore. These losses of freedom are happening incrementally, folks.

Quote :

"'It represents a significant departure from the court's precedents,' [Justice Stephen Breyer wrote], joined by John Paul Stevens, David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 'It weakens, perhaps destroys, much of the practical value of the Constitution's knock-and-announce protection.' The rule is based on a centuries-old idea of home privacy and the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches. It requires police to knock, announce themselves and wait a 'reasonable' time, which justices noted can be about 20 seconds, before entering. The practice shields occupants from surprise and property damage."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2006-06-15-scotus-knocking_x.htm

[Edited on March 18, 2007 at 4:59 PM. Reason : .]

3/18/2007 4:57:39 PM

thank god for strict conservative constitutionalists like alito

3/18/2007 5:44:03 PM

Quote :

"some times you just can't wait for a person to come out of their home. More or less, the home would become an area where crimes would become legal. You can't have that happening. "

3/18/2007 8:43:27 PM

can you say straw man much?

3/18/2007 8:54:17 PM

gg coffin

3/18/2007 9:32:40 PM

Quote :

"I'm not going to go off on some, "OMFG I HATE THE POLICE" rant because I don't hate them, some are good people."

Sure, but being a good person doesn't make you a good cop.


So...when do the cops get fired?

3/18/2007 10:33:06 PM

Fired? Hell no, they could have killed him and gotten away with it.

Next time they will know not the let him get away with mere-arrest.

3/18/2007 11:59:47 PM

So that's the moral of the story? If you illegally force your way someone's home, make sure to shoot all the witnesses.

3/19/2007 8:40:56 AM

Quote :

"Sure, but being a good person doesn't make you a good cop"

being a good person as a cop means respecting ones rights as a citizen, being a decent upstanding person, and doing your job properly so you can come home to your loved ones at night


they are good people, I don't know why some of you try to pick apart every damn thing I say in here

3/19/2007 8:53:38 AM

Quote :

" Circuit Judge Rick De Furia said at Coffin's trial Tuesday that he doesn't condone the violence against the deputies. But Coffin, 56, had a right to defend his family and property because the deputies had no right to be in Coffin's house in the first place, De Furia said. "The most critical is the fact the officers broke the law by stopping the garage door from going down," and then entering the garage, De Furia said. "

Is that breaking and entering or just trespassing?



[Edited on March 19, 2007 at 2:42 PM. Reason : ]

3/19/2007 2:41:34 PM

sounds like B&E with intent to kidnap, inflict serious bodily harm




or at least any of us that aren't above the law would be charged with it

3/19/2007 2:44:47 PM