(Derek St. Pierre, center, and yours truly, right, at a December 2012 hearing in Superior Court. Credit: Rick Gerharter, BAR.)
The Bay Area Reporter's freelance writer James Patterson has filed a story from my hearing last hearing on May 15, which is posted to the BAR's blog. I've excerpted from it and have redacted the name of the elected official who has lodged the complaint against me. My defense attorney and I next appear in court on June 7. From the BAR:
Gay San Francisco blogger Michael Petrelis's legal trouble stemming from an incident last fall in which he photographed gay Supervisor [REDACTED] in a City Hall restroom inched toward a conclusion Wednesday afternoon during a brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Samuel K. Feng [...]
It took only moments for Petrelis's attorney Derek St. Pierre to move for disposition of the case to June 7 at 1:45 p.m. St. Pierre said the parties were trying to resolve the matter and if they were unable to do so, it would proceed to trial.
At a December 5, 2012, hearing Petrelis, 53, pleaded not guilty to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for photographing [REDACTED] in a City Hall restroom.
Petrelis, usually grandiloquent in the extreme, declined all questions from the Bay Area Reporter on the case and refrained from making any comments about [REDACTED], who was not present. Petrelis, who wore a "Silence=Death" button on his shirt, as he did in December, stood quietly as his attorney did all the talking.[...]
When the B.A.R. asked St. Pierre if there was legal precedent for the case, he likened Petrelis to paparazzi who photographed celebrities against their approval during private moments such as in changing rooms or during private family moments or without their knowledge at all [...]
"The temporary restraining order is still in place," St. Pierre confirmed. He said Petrelis cannot come within 150 yards of [REDACTED]. "That is one and a half football fields," St. Pierre said, adding, "Petrelis has complied with the order."
Please keep fighting this BOGUS charge. The city is dragging this out as long as possible so you'll give in and plead to some jacked-up BS charge with a penalty that's just way too high. I refuse to believe a jury of your peers would ever convict you based on the flimsy evidence and obvious rail road job the DA calls a case. DON'T GIVE UP! You can win this thing.
ReplyDeleteThis is ridiculous, and all charges and probation should be dropped. Derek St. Pierre is cute!
ReplyDelete