By Gary L. Wright and Ely Portillo
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Police arrested a Charlotte activist Sunday for a traffic violation and sought to keep him in jail during the Democratic National Convention because an officer said he is an activist on a terrorist watch list, court documents show.
Chief District Judge Lisa Bell on Monday reduced the bond for James Ian Tyson, 27, from $10,000 – an unusually high amount for driving while license revoked – to $2,500.
He was released at about 8 p.m. Monday.
Tyson’s attorney, Derek Fletcher, said during a hearing Monday that officers wanted to keep Tyson in jail to restrict his speech, and that his $10,000 cash bond was excessive.
“The state wanted to keep my client in jail during the DNC so he couldn’t help organize any protests,” Fletcher told the Observer. “I informed the judge it appeared to me that the state was trying to suppress my client from exercising his rights to speak during the DNC.”
After he was released from jail, Tyson read a statement, saying his arrest was politically motivated.
Related articles
- Officer says Charlottean on terrorist watch list – released on $2,500 bond (charlotteobserver.com)
- Police sought to keep Charlotte activist in jail (charlotteobserver.com)
- Lawyer: Charlotte man arrested after name shows up on terrorist watch list (myfox8.com)
- Two-hour standoff ends; protesters on the move (charlotteobserver.com)
- Click for your free copy of today’s Charlotte Observer (insidestoryobs.blogspot.com)
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