AZ GOP Top Director Arrested At Party Headquarters
PHOENIX - Just as Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen was concluding a meeting this morning at the Arizona Republican Party headquarters, he and fellow Republican leaders and staffers watched in shock as police officers handcuffed and took into custody their top staffer, Executive Director Brett Mecum, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the party.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Mecum was photographed just after midnight on April 10 by a stationary photo enforcement camera driving his Ford Mustang on the 101 freeway eastbound near 59th Avenue driving 109 miles per hour in a 65 mile-per-hour zone.
The DPS statement says, "The state statute which covers criminal speeding applies to everyone equally. If there are valid criminal charges, the arrest of Mr. Mecum is like any other criminal speeding arrest. In this case, the charges speak for themselves."
Lee Miller, an attorney for the Arizona Republican Party, told the Arizona Capitol Times, "It was a silly, stupid thing to do and there is no excuse and there's no justification for it."
Six hours after Mecum's arrest, a fellow Republican Party staffer was still waiting to pick Mecum up from the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail in Phoenix.
Arizona: Brett Mecum | Politicker.com
Phoenix - Valley Fever - Arizona Republican Party's Executive ...
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A speeding violation? Big news.
What's news to me is that AZ actually *arrests* people based on speed cameras. That's insane. In most jurisdictions that employ cameras, the ticket isn't even a moving violation, let alone an arrestable offense.
They send the "accused" a photograph of the vehicle's license plate and driver's face & time & speed stamp. You have a limited period to respond, and if you don't, you can be arrested. Trying to fight these tickets is a waste of time--even tho the apparatus is often calibrated wrong--because this is a revenue-generating sting operation here in AZ. I'm sorry to say that our former Gov., Janet Napolitano, was in full support of it.
RepubliKans always assume the law doesn't pertain to them.
Oh, come off it. The guy was speeding. On an empty AZ freeway. In the dead of night.
IT IS AGAINST THE LAW!!!! So, you are advocating breaking the law? "Hedging" the law?
I wonder if McCain put up his bail?
Oh speeding? Okay. I thought another poor baby was abused. Thank goodness we are only talking about speeding.
He is a republican so it's NATIONAL news!
It is perversely ironic that the same people who seemed so self assured of their innocence as Bush & Co. vacuumed up their phone calls and e-mails are suddenly afraid they might be caught breaking the law. As they say, if you don't like the laws, change them. The wingnuts in AZ seem to think it is OK to murder a speed camera operator as he sat in his van; instead of denouncing such heinous action they said he should have been a trained law enforcement officer. The rhetoric about big brother is a canard by people who think it is their right to routinely violate the law. It is easy to see the effect of Bush & the GOP's disdain for the laws of our land. I would welcome them on my street. When millions of Americans realize there is no effective deterrent we end up with the current state of anarchy. It is especially perverse that the concept of law and order, which is the bedrock of a civil society is now so reviled by the right. I like to think of speed cameras as an idiot tax; if people want to continue to violate the law it is a perfect match to help balance local budgets by their ignorance.
Republicans in handcuffs.
I'm just happy that they arrested a guy that looks like this and is a Republican.
It's funny because it happened to a Republican but isn't anyone else disturbed by the police wanting to use cameras so much lately? Big Brother anyone?
In London they have cameras on every street and every angle. I have nothing to hide and crime rates have droped and those that cause crime get caught most of the time.
I hope soon they pass a bill in America that we must have cameras in our homes and have the government keeping an eye on ALL of us.
Sorry i just woke up from a nitemare
I don't have a problem with cameras used in this way. It gives law enforcement a good low-cost tool to handle a rather pervasive problem and dangerous with less manpower. Personally I'd rather get a ticket in the mail (not necessaily arrested at work) then get pulled over.
And, I think cameras on city streets is also a good idea - especially in high crime areas. Use needs just be limited and closely monitored for potential abuse. And not pointed into someone's personal life.
The purpose of the cameras is not to fight violent crime but rather it is used to get money from citizens without raising taxes. Its purely a revenue generating machine. The crime fighting aspect of it is used in order to sell the system to the public.
I personally think the potential for abuse outweighs the benefits.
You & me both, MK!!!
I do not have a problem with Photo Enforcement except the cameras are usually owned and operated by a private company, that analyzes the photos, sends the ticket, collets the money and then give the city or state a cut.
If the city or state was running the cameras I would not mind but this third party profit driven enforcement is a bad thing.
I have heard of people getting tickets for rolling stops at deserted intersections. There is no reason or compassion when profit it involved.
Hmmm.. stationary law enforcement camera vs a speeder who may have caused a fatal accident and would have probably continued his scoff law behavior if it was undetected
Exactly.
Welcome to 1984. where we have cameras everywhere to record your every move. We don't need police to arrest you for non-violent offenses. We have machines and computers.
If you have a problem with that, dial 888-555-1234 and press 6 for a menu. Than remain on hold until the next menu is given.
As a left wing liberal habitual speeder, I find this completely useless to valid debate about politics. It was almost 1AM with not another car in sight. Arrested? What a waste of taxpayer's money. They could have easily sent him a notice in the mail to appear in court. Most states have such speeding laws which gives the option of classifying the violation as a misdemeanor or felony, but to arrest him at work is ridiculous.
That's right, stick up for him. Believe me, Arizona is part of Texas "Wild", "wild" West. Do anything, say anything, it's their country...
You fail to understand. This is not a legal question it is a policy question. Policies in government and law enforcement are generally not voted on by the public.
The policy question is " when do you cite a person for violating the law?"
Going 57 in a 55 mph is a clear violation of the law yet police do not give out tickets because of their policy. Police also do not give traffic tickets to other officers because that is their policy.
From a practical viewpoint, going 100mph on an empty desert road in a western state is safer than driving on any eastern city street going the speed limit.
The policy question here is ...do we want police using their time to arrest the thousands of people caught speeding every hour when there is violent crime going on in other neighborhoods?
I never understood why car dealers advertise speed when trying to sell their vehicles because "where are you going to drive at that speed"? Why show a vehicle going 100s of miles per hour when there is NO roadways in America that you can legally drive at that speed?
So when "boy thinking men" buys a car like that, naturally they wish to check out the speed when they feel they have the opportunity, just like a kid would do. So tell me how people are NOT influenced to do the wrong things by TV commercials?
America is brainwashed by the boob tube!
To be fair, some people actually do run these cars on race tracks.
Another Rethuglican who thinks it is OK to BREAK THE LAW!
Hey, I heard HIS God told him to break the laws.
About all you can say at that point is:
"109? Come on! It can go faster than that!"
It's a Shelby.
This will be swept under the carpet by the Christian Right, RED Repulbican's who are above the law, God's choosen people and never heard about again. If he were a Democrat, Fox and CNN would be reporting the arrest and picture of the speeding vehicle every 3 minutes until the 2010 election night coverage
I don't know about anyone else, but this woman is sick and tired of seeing and hearing of the 'good ole boys' getting away with anything and every thing they do...thus, permitting these criminals to get out of jail terms free and clear. When will Justice prevail for ALL, and not just from some?
He got arrested. In your topsy turvy world, THAT's called getting away with it?
You mean like Al Gore's son in his Prius?
So dead on. If it was a Democrat, they'd be demonizing him/her to no end and even attack the Democratic Party itself. Fox News should really stop using their "Fair and Balanced" motto. They are far from being fair or being balanced.
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