'Cheney Assault Arrest by Secret Service Agent' Suit Allowed to go On

[ThirdWorldJohn]

Lawsuit proceeds against Cheney security team

By Felisa Cardona
The Denver Post

A federal judge in Denver has declined to toss out a lawsuit against four U.S. Secret Service agents who arrested a man in Beaver Creek in 2006 after he approached then-Vice President Dick Cheney to criticize the Iraq war.

U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello issued her ruling from the bench this morning and said a jury is going to have to decide the case.

"There are too many disputed issues of material fact to grant summary judgment in this case," Arguello said.

But the agents say Howards raised their suspicions because he lingered in the mall, was carrying a shopping bag with unknown contents and refused to cooperate when they tried to question him about whether he assaulted Cheney or not.

Judge Arguello said she was concerned about the possibility that Howards' conversation on his cellphone — which is protected under the First Amendment — may have inspired the agents' actions.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12140350

[MADem]

1. What shitty Secret Service!!!

Why didn't they put themselves between the guy and their asset, I wonder? Were they asleep at the switch, or what?

Why was that guy permitted to go up to Cheney and touch him in a public location at all?

FWIW, I think a jury might find for the guy. The SS team guarding Darth Vader certainly didn't give the impression of being a "crack" bunch.