Three months after the punches were thrown, a prosecutor in St. Louis County has filed charges against six people in connection with fights outside a congressional forum on health care.It happened outside a Russ Carnahan town hall meeting, on an August night when the national debate over health care reform was rising like a heat wave before a thunderstorm. Members of the Service Employees International Union clashed with members of the Tea Party.
Now, St. Louis County Counselor Patricia Redington has issued a total of ten charges spread out among six people.
Reached by phone after she left the office for the Thanksgiving holiday, Redington spoke from memory in general terms about the case.
Among those charged, two accused of assault in connection with the beating of Tea Party activist Kenneth Gladney. Gladney had claimed that two men wearing SEIU shirts attacked him as he sat at a table giving away tea party buttons.
Redington could not immediately provide the names of those charged, and she said she did not know whether those charged are members of SEIU.
The charges are all St. Louis County ordinance violations, which are lesser charges than a misdemeanor. If convicted, the six people face up to a year in jail and a thousand dollars fine on each count, Redington said.
Redington was asked if she was pressured after recent publicity about the lack of charges to wrap up the case. "Nobody called me and I don't know why that was perceived to be long," Redington said. "We have about 90 thousand charges a year. We try to get charges written up within six to eight weeks of getting a report."
So why did this case take three months?
"Most of our charges don't involve dozens of police officers, multiple defendants and quite a few videos to review," she said.
Certainly a valid point, particularly because this case has been heavily scrutinized by the conservative blogosphere, which numbers quite a few attorneys among its ranks. But one has to wonder if charges would have been filed sooner if Gladney wasn't on the "wrong side." It is certainly revealing that Gladney, who is black, received no help whatsoever from the NAACP, the Urban League, the SPLC, Rev. Jesse Jackson, or Rev. Al Sharpton.
Gateway Pundit has a great comprehensive blog roundup on this story.



Comments (7)
Knowing about (and learning... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Mark S. | November 26, 2009 10:15 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Knowing about (and learning about) the "history" of Ms. Redington... I don't expect these charges to result in any serious sentencing, considering all they were charged with were "ordinance violations, which are lesser charges than a misdemeanor."
1. Posted by Mark S. | November 26, 2009 10:15 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on November 26, 2009 10:15
2. Posted by hermie | November 26, 2009 10:34 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
I hope Gladney sues the SEIU for millions.
2. Posted by hermie | November 26, 2009 10:34 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 26, 2009 10:34
3. Posted by GarandFan | November 26, 2009 10:45 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
"It is certainly revealing that Gladney, who is black, received no help whatsoever from the NAACP, the Urban League, the SPLC, Rev. Jesse Jackson, or Rev. Al Sharpton."
Well obviously those listed felt that the whole affair was Mr Gladney's fault. Being an agent provocateur, he "deserved" what he got.
Now if Mr Gladney had been handing out Obama buttons you can damned well bet that FEDERAL HATE CRIME STATUTES would have used to charge the offenders.
3. Posted by GarandFan | November 26, 2009 10:45 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 26, 2009 10:45
4. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | November 26, 2009 10:47 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Uncle Al Sharpton and Jesse did not get involved because as Gladney is a conservative, he cannot be considered truly BLACK!
4. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | November 26, 2009 10:47 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on November 26, 2009 10:47
5. Posted by 914 | November 26, 2009 12:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yes its true, $harptoungue and the Revverrrend Jack...$$on cant play the race card and scam a buck off of non legitimate blacks AKA Conservatives.
5. Posted by 914 | November 26, 2009 12:41 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on November 26, 2009 12:41
6. Posted by Jerry Mander | November 27, 2009 8:21 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The mainstream media has pretty much contined to ignore this story...let's see what they do not that charges have been filed.
BTW...given that Gladney was called the N word by one of his attackers, does that mean this is a federal hate crime?
Just askin'.
6. Posted by Jerry Mander | November 27, 2009 8:21 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 27, 2009 08:21
7. Posted by jack hooper | May 24, 2011 2:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
People losing morale and good value. It is time to wake up.
Watch The Beaver free online
7. Posted by jack hooper | May 24, 2011 2:01 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 24, 2011 02:01