This is not going to end well. The Associated Press reports: Philadelphia wants to avoid a repeat of 2000 when it arrested more than 400 protesters at the Republican National Convention, only to see most cases end in acquittals. Less than two months before the Democratic National Convention comes to town, a City Council committee has passed legislation letting police issue $100 civil fines rather than make criminal arrests for many nuisance crimes. The offenses include disorderly conduct, blocking a street and failing to heed a request to disperse. These fines are far lower than what we in California must pay for a simple speeding ticket.  Not taking people into custody means that those people will be free to continue demonstrating and making mischief. I suppose this has something to do with the currently fashionable rhetoric denouncing “mass incarceration,” aka locking up bad guys.(Read Full Post)