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July 22, 2008
LAPD Arrest Paparazzi Near Britney Spears' Studio City Home
Good job, boys! Here's what the LAPD sent out in an e-mail today: "At 6:00 p.m. [Monday], police verbally warned Alexander Passos, 35, and Eduardo Ravalha, 35, for loitering on city owned property near Mulholland Drive and Cold Water [sic] Canyon and asked them to leave. About 45 minutes later, the officers learned the pair had returned to the location and arrested them. Passos of Canoga Park and Ravalha of Los Angeles were arrested and released at North Hollywood police station. They were charged with linger or to idle about a public place without lawful business for being present."
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Although just about everyone loves when paparazzi are punished, am I the only one disturbed that you can be arrested for lingering or idling in a public place. Sounds like something that could easily be used as a pretext to harass and arrest just about anyone.
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I hate the paparazzi's tactics, but it seems like "harassment" or "stalking" would be more appropriate.
Loitering is simply an excuse to mess with anyone you feel like. Taking pictures on public property is not unlawful, and they get paid for the pictures, which is "business" so to "linger or to idle about a public place without lawful business for being present." is exactly the opposite of what they were doing.
Or as I once psychedelically described "lloitering" while being hassled by cops in Hollywood, "They want to arrest you for just BEING. But how can you stop BEING?"
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Pardonez moi, but is this poor LAist copy-editing, or is it cop-speak?:
"linger or to idle about a public place without lawful business for being present."
If the latter, you might want to put quotes around it, so you don't embarrass YOUR staff. If the former, you might want a new staff.
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Considering what these clowns make on a single photo this is a slap on the pinkie. But I agree that the charge sounds bogus. Stalking or harassment or assault might be better charges.