Can I get fries with that.....??!!

Are you "appalled" or are you "applauding"?

Maybe we should have age limits on crimes....

Because this woman's son was politically connected, we've heard about this unfortunate, shameful incident. My neighbor was not fortunate enough to be politically connected. Jim Coats did not have the courtesy to look into the situation and correct a mistake that his officers made. Imagine how many other citizens who have suffered because of mistakes made by similarly inclined deputies who like to throw their weight around.

Golly Beaver,
I am sure looking forward to the Superbowl on Feb 3. I think I'm going to have to go for the New York Giants to beat the New England Patriots! Even though they're both a bunch of Yankee Teams!!

Goooo GIANTS!!

CLEARWATER, FLA—They say there’s a first time for everything but when Jean Merola, a 75-year-old grandmother and widow went to McDonald’s Thursday for her afternoon regimen of a decaf coffee and fries, she didn’t expect to be arrested by the Clearwater Police Department.

Merola, who’s never been arrested, wasn’t lovin’ it, sitting in the Pinellas County Jail after being handcuffed and charged with disorderly conduct by a police officer in line behind her at a Clearwater McDonald’s which is a short distance from her home.

The grandmother of eight drove her Lincoln Town car to the drive-thru window about 4 p.m. Thursday and ordered a decaf coffee and medium fries, hold the salt. In that saltless fries are a “special order”, she was told to pull ahead to an area of the parking lot where customers wait if their orders take a few minutes to prepare.

It still hasn’t been disclosed why Clearwater Police Officer Matthew Parco, 30, was behind Merola but as she sat in her car waiting for her fries, she heard a car horn being repeatedly sounded behind her. When she looked around, she saw the police cruiser and an officer waving his arms, apparently wanting her to move her car.

Next comes an issue of probable cause as Parco, obviously irritated with Merola when didn’t budge, got out of his patrol car, walked up to the driver’s side of her car and asked for her registration and license.

By this time, Merola was agitated too and told the rookie cop, on the job for about a year, that she hadn’t done anything wrong and wasn’t producing anything.

From there it went downhill and the officer’s report of the incident differs from Merola’s version. She says he argued with her about where she was parked and she shot back that she was parked where the McDonald’s staff had told her to park to await her order.

His report says her car was blocking people in line behind her and that he asked her to move her car ahead. She says that she doesn’t recall that and if anyone was blocking the line, it was him. She says she couldn’t have moved ahead because there was a curb in front of her.

Could this woman that’s waiting for her fries, parking in a designated area of the parking lot be demented? That’s what Parco told his supervisor who he called in Merola’s earshot and told that he thought Merola needed to be committed under the state’s Baker Act.

With that, Merola became offended and exercised her First Amendment rights and free speech, calling the cop a “brat”, a “smart ass” and a “dumb “s—t”.

Not to be dissed by a gray haired woman, Parco used his uniform and seemingly engaged in an abuse of power that has become all too prevalent across the county, Parco placed Merola under arrest for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, cuffed the elderly woman behind her back and placed her in the back of his patrol car, transporting her to jail. Her car was impounded, costing her $160 and she says she sustained injuries to her shoulders and neck from being handcuffed for about an hourShe says that while she respects police officers and brought her children up to respect the police that she doesn’t feel that Parco deserved her respect and that he hadn’t acted like a police officer should.

Similar unconstitutional arrests being made such as the Pennsylvania woman busted for swearing at her overflowing toilet and the man charged for writing an expressive opinion on his check paying a parking ticket fine have been shot down. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/news ... gar_check/

The Pennsylvania Superior Court has ruled that the “offense of disorderly conduct is not intended as a catchall for every act which annoys or disturbs people; it is not to be used as a dragnet for all the irritations which breed in the ferment of a community”.

The First Amendment would be applicable in Clearwater too. Merola was searched, fingerprinted and had her mug shot taken at the jail where she was held for several hours until she was released to her daughter and son-in-law.

The Clearwater mayor has reportedly called Merola and apologized, saying the incident shouldn’t have happened and is being investigated.

Perhaps if Merola sues for her unconstitutional arrest, the Clearwater PD isn’t going to be lovin’ it either. 1-19-08

Can you say unconstitutional ARREST!!! Nice job!!!

I do not believe that is a real news article, if so then it must be an editorial. There is very little objectivity and way to much personal opinion in that post.

[veteranman1]

Whoa hoss, lets slow the bus a hair, eh? Who was ther except the officer and the driver? I wasn't, and placing ANY weight on John Trevena'a lot is a mistake in itself. There ARE two sides, last I checked, for every story...Whhile on its face it does paint a bleak picture, if she refused to cooperate then there is the cause-effect from that

As for the public hating officers, lets pull em alll outta dodge for 1 day, Mr Guest and public relations, and shift for yourself nitwit.....and you have made no mistakes in YOUR low life eh? Right

[The Nitely Blog]

I was just watching the Fox news channel and seen a story about this. Even the anchors on there thaught she was wrong. That said. I had a simular situation many years ago with the exception of the age of the subject. The driver in my incident was in her mid 40's. She also refused to move her ILLEGALLY parked vehicle and was blocking traffic as well. She commenced to calling me every name you could think of as well as refused to give me her drivers license and vehicle paperwork. I asked her if the vehicle that she was in was registered to her. She advised me with a few more deragatory words that it was. I went back to my vehicle and ran the tag getting all of her vehicle and drivers license information. I completed a UTC for illegal parking. I reapproached the vehicle and when I presented the citation to her she refused to sign it, thus committing a misdemeanor of failure to sign a citation. She was promptly arrested by me for that offense instead of any disorderly conduct charge. The thought of disorderly conduct did cross my mind but I figured the failure to sign the citation was a better way to go due to just me and her being there. Instead of just my word against hers in court I had a physical piece of evidence in the unsigned citation. She was found guilty by the judge and fined a healthy amount. :lol:

As far your mayor supposedly calling this lady to apoligize, he is more than wrong in my opinion.

Your Mom posted it all correct straight from the City's website. Someone wrote in an earlier post how he made all CPD officer's look bad by arresting this old geezer.........He didn't make us look bad it's the cost of doing business, he was in a lose lose spot. All you on here bashing him are the ones that are making us look bad........If you were in his situation or one similar, you would want all of us backing you wouldn't you............The real shame here is all of you running your yaps......Once last thing Where's Wayne?

[Dirty Harry]

Ofc. Parco,
I wasn't there, but the media is having a hay day with you. Keep your chin up and keep doing good police work. Everyone knows how anyone of these type of situations of ours could turn out this way. We try to do the RIGHT thing by not placing charges on citizens. When we do we do the lesser of two evils. The Ordninance instead of the Misdemeanor charge for Disorderly was a choice made, possibly next time instead of wasting 20-minutes trying to amuse the old bag. I don't tell my children 3-times to do something so a 75-year old should know better, after the 2- direct orders to move her vehicle and she didn't comply, LOAD the wench for failing to follow a lawful order and be done with it, as they are all a long arse Aciss report anyways. The McDonalds staff had to direct traffic around her and would easliy be articulated. Oh and for COWHEAD on 102.5 staff saying they would like to fight your family, I got your back as I am a brother in BLUE and my fair COW will get stroked - sign here pal FULL MONTY.