brianaeking
New Member
Late last year I was doing some volunteer fundraising on a city sidewalk for, and organized by, a local church in my community that helps the homeless and distressed. Without warning I was approached by two police officers (treating me like a common criminal) who gave me a ticket for "panhandling" and was even threatened by one officer to have the money I had raised confiscated!
When I went to trial (representing myself) I was found guilty and am being charged $286. and my driver license has a collections block on it until this amount is paid in full! Both officers admitted they never heard me ask anyone for money and they had no witnesses.
My dispute is not whether or not I was raising money, I was, and I provided all the neccessary documentation that proved it was for a legitimately recognized church registered with the IRS and the state of Ohio, which was ruled out as "hear-say" and was not permitted to show this documentation to the judge. Am I being victimized for doing what I thought was a good deed, and can I sue the city where this infraction on my civil rights took place. The emotional distress this has caused me is unbareable. What can I do?
When I went to trial (representing myself) I was found guilty and am being charged $286. and my driver license has a collections block on it until this amount is paid in full! Both officers admitted they never heard me ask anyone for money and they had no witnesses.
My dispute is not whether or not I was raising money, I was, and I provided all the neccessary documentation that proved it was for a legitimately recognized church registered with the IRS and the state of Ohio, which was ruled out as "hear-say" and was not permitted to show this documentation to the judge. Am I being victimized for doing what I thought was a good deed, and can I sue the city where this infraction on my civil rights took place. The emotional distress this has caused me is unbareable. What can I do?
