Local man found not guilty in chalk vandalism case
Jeffrey Olson not guilty of all 13 charges
SAN DIEGO – A 40-year-old man was acquitted Monday of 13 misdemeanor vandalism charges that stemmed from protest messages he wrote in chalk in front of three Bank of America branches in San Diego.
Jeffrey David Olson’s attorney argued during the trial — which garnered national attention — that his client was engaging in a legal protest and was not maliciously defacing of property.
Defense attorney Tom Tosdal argued that vandalism law required jurors to find something was “maliciously defaced.”
“His purpose was not malicious. His purpose was to inform,” Tosdal said of his client.
Olson did not deny that he scrawled the anti-bank messages and artwork outside the banks between April and August of last year. The messages included “No thanks, big banks” and “Shame on Bank of America.”
Olson said he started his message campaign because big “Wall Street banks nearly drove our economy into the ditch.”
“I realized that, there was basically a criminal racket operating on my block, and I didn’t find that acceptable,” Olson said after Monday’s verdict.
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Someone was right to trust the jury! Shows the people of this country do understand justice if given a chance.
What about all of the chalk outlines made by medical examiners after they’ve been called to document suicides “assisted” by Bank of America? How many people have taken their own lives after Bank of America took their houses? Where is the outrage, when do these trials begin?
Sadly, I think we all know there will no trials, there will be no justice.
I try my best Hut !
What kind of society would even arrest and charge this man? Sickening! And what about his legal bills. He should sue Bank of America, but probably will get nowhere.
I think one of the points missed here is the fact that BOA cleverly sticks it to the tax payers again. Those in San Diego this time. For tax payer resources to be wasted on a trial based on washable chalk messages that BOA finds offensive to their business is nuts. BOA should have been made to legally pursue this with Mr. Olson using their own funds for legal counsel claiming it damaged their reputation or something like that. But just as they have always been successful in getting tax payer dollars, they get the State of San Diego to pick up the legal tab taking it all the way to trial for washable written chalk messages on the sidewalk. Lets think about this..attorneys fees, costs and trial…probably somewhere around $100,000.00 to the State of San Diego of tax payer dollars. Water and labor to hose down the sidewalk….probably somewhere around $50.00. Seems to me there is something rotten in Denmark (or was that a free trip to Denmark). I am waiting for the day when the majority of people in this country wake up to the fact that we, the tax payers, have been robbed by a few of the major banks, Wall Street and with the blessings of our politicians who are paid very well by we the, the tax payers. Kudos to you Jeff Olson for having the guts to bring some attention to the facts in a way that is not permanently harmful, except to, obviously, BOA’s reputation. However, the argument here is, they do enough damage all by themselves so why be upset at Mr. Olson. Anyone have any spare chalk? Neon might draw more attention.
Time to buy dome chalk!
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