Philadelphia cop arrests woman for chalking, is sued

William Gress, a Philadelphia cop, has been sued for arresting a woman for drawing pictures on a sidewalk with chalk. The woman was hired to draw the picture by local merchants. Gress has been sued before.

http://vinhsulaw.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/woman-sues-philly-arrested-for-drawing-on-sidewalk-legalnewsline-jon-campisi-3912/

Woman Sues Philly; Arrested for Drawing on Sidewalk | LegalNewsline | Jon Campisi | 3/9/12

Posted on March 11, 2012

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PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) – New York resident Emily Hamilton Epstein alleges she was arrested by William Gress, an overzealous Philadelphia police officer, who detained her after she was discovered drawing on a sidewalk with water-soluble chalk on the 400 block of South Street has filed a federal civil rights complaint. The officer ordered Epstein to stop drawing. Epstein claims she had obtained permission by the property owner whose building adjoined the sidewalk prior to carrying out her activities.
The lawsuit contains federal civil rights violations and state law claims of assault and battery, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, defamation and invasion of privacy.
The officer arrested Epstein and charged her with obstructing a public highway. Epstein was found not guilty of the criminal charge against her after a bench trial at Philadelphia Municipal Court on Sept. 12.
For full article see: LegalNewsline | Woman, arrested for drawing on sidewalk, sues Philly.