I launched Photography is Not a Crime to proclaim my innocence and to document my trial. Here is that photo.
JB: So, you were essentially framed because you were doing your job. What happened regarding those nine misdemeanors? Did handling that take over your life for a while?
CM: I was charged with one count of obstructing traffic, one count of obstructing justice, one count of disorderly conduct, one count of resisting arrest and five counts of disobeying a lawful order because there were five cops.
Even the jailers were surprised I had so many charges. They said, "You must have really pissed them off."
I went to trial more than a year later -- after rejecting several plea deals where they wanted me to plead guilty to something I did not do -- and was acquitted of all charges except resisting arrest because the judge allowed improper evidence to be admitted into the trial.
I appealed it pro se and had that conviction reversed. The appeal was a long drawn-out process that kept me in the University of Miami law library for days, reading up on the law as I prepared my appeal, which made me realize that most cops and judges are pretty clueless of the law. Or at least they act clueless.
Prior to having my conviction reversed, I had many critics who would come on my blog and accuse me of being arrogant and disrespectful because I would not just accept my conviction.
But those critics all disappeared after I announced I had won my appeal. That was probably one of the greatest accomplishments of my life because less than ten percent of appeals are successful.
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