Drop Charges Against Gorczynski

  • by: Susan V
  • recipient: Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli

Update: A local reporter says Gorczynski still faces charges of terroristic threats and disorderly conduct, and his hearing for Dec. was postponed. Additional signatures will be sent to the DA before the next court date. Please continue to insist that these charges be dropped. Unarmed protest is not terrorism!

David Gorczynski joined an Occupy demonstration at the Easton, PA Wells Fargo last Tuesday, holding up two posters to protest what many see as reality - that the bank is robbing citizens and the country.

Unfortunately, the bank and the local police were unable to discern the obvious meaning of Gorczynski’s signs, one of which read, "You're Being Robbed," and he was arrested for attempted bank robbery and being a terrorist threat, with authorities tacking on disorderly conduct. Although the charge of bank robbery has now been dropped, Gorczynski is still facing felony terrorist charges.

Maybe the teller who pushed the panic button can be let off the hook for being caught off-guard. But what excuse do the police have for actually making an arrest?

Chief Scalzo‘s answer: “We can’t allow the perceived idea of protesting to be a defense to criminality.” What criminality?

Tell Northampton County DA, in the interest of sanity and civil rights, drop these charges against Gorczynski!

We, the undersigned, know that the Easton police and you know that holding up signs and protesting, as David Gorczynski was doing, is not a terrorist threat or a bank robbery.

The real crime here is authority’s suppression of public dissent, freedom of expression and civil rights.

Even more puzzling than this arrest is the updated news that your office has now dropped the bank robbery charge and is continuing to pursue the other charges, one being a very serious charge related to terrorism.

According to the Easton Patch, the reason the terrorism charge remains is because your office contends that Gorczynski‘s "choice of words were designed to bring terror,” and that “Bank employees had no way of getting into Mr. Gorczynski's mind."

But it was not bank employees who arrested Gorczynski, nor is it the bank that is continuing this charade. And while the DA claims the bank had no way of getting into Gorczynski’s mind, the DA insinuates he can, because he claims that Gorczynski designed his signs with terror in mind - which is absurd.

As already mentioned, it’s possible that the teller, perhaps distracted by the demonstration or for other reasons, could have misinterpreted Gorczynski’s sign. And it’s totally understandable that police responded to the alert - that’s their job. However by the time the police arrived, Gorczynski had apparently done nothing else that would make a reasonable person believe he had any intention of robbing the bank, nor was he armed, therefore there was no excuse for the police to keep on pretending that he was or might be a bank robber or terrorist. And there is no excuse now for the DA to think so either.

It is beyond disturbing that we have yet another example of what is becoming a country controlled by law enforcement that not only cannot read the signs but seems to have no sense of common sense or civil rights at all.

































When you compare your reaction to Gorczynski with the unwillingness of NC law enforcement to interfere with recent Klan rallies and cross burnings -so as not to violate Klan members' freedom of expression - it appears that you are discriminating against Gorczynski and/or his views.

We insist, Mr. Morganelli, that you drop these ridiculous charges against David Gorzynski, and stop wasting taxpayer money on this nonsense.

Thank you for your time.





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