All you need to know and more. 

Has anyone had their arraignment yet?  Stories?  Many people have their date scheduled for the 9th (4:30 pm?), but it seems that there were some folks who had theirs sooner.  It would be nice if we could meet up beforehand on Friday to discuss what everyone thinks about possible plea bargains, ideas for defense, the possibility of taking it to a bench trial, etc.  We can also discuss the past cases and review what happened with the prosecuting attourneys and judges.  Anything helps.

What about Civic Center Park (3 or 3:30 ish if the time is scheduled for 4:30...)?  Send us a message privately or post a comment so everyone can see it.  The more ideas the better.

From Bart (thanks again!)
I found this on the denvergov website...

When citing a cyclist for a traffic infraction, officers are encouraged to use Sec. 54-565. Application of traffic laws. No violation points are assessed. Fine: $30 (reduced to $24 if paid within 20 days), plus $10 Traffic Bureau Cost and $20 V.A.L.E. Surcharge. (Explain in the notes the actual violation)

from
http://www.denvergov.org/police/dpd2004/2005-08.pdf

google search: site:denvergov.org bicycle traffic fine

Saddle sore: Regarding Patricia Calhoun's "Critical Mess," in the May 4 issue:

I've been riding a bike as an adult (sort of) for fifteen years now, taking advantage of the metro area's once-lame-but-now-pretty-damned-impressive urban path and trail systems. And even though I'm old enough to know better, I sometimes do some pretty stupid things in the saddle. Yeah, that usually results in my vacating said saddle at speed. Yet, in all that time and with all that stupidity, I've never gotten a ticket.

Only someone without much critical mass between their ears can't see Critical Mass for what it is: a mob of attention-whore anarcho-punks out to cause as much trouble as they can. If you ride in an urban area, you get it. Critical Mass members don't run this little dog-and-pony show on Sunday, do they? They're even worse than the arrogant packs of skinny-tire trust-fund yuppies who fill the streets of Boulder every day. It's clear the only reason they do this downtown in the middle of the work week is to cause as much disruption as possible, despite the sloe-eyed, dreadlocked claims to the contrary from their non-leaders.

JM Schell
Arvada

Road kill: Until recently, I had great empathy for bicyclists in the city. In my car, I always drove extra carefully around them, gave them right of way and waited patiently if they blocked or slowed my passage. During the sixteen months I've lived in Denver, my attitude toward bicyclists has changed completely.

Why? Two reasons. I have on numerous occasions been treated rudely by bicyclists. And more important, I'm afraid of hitting them with my car. When I'm out walking, I am frequently sideswiped by bicyclists on the sidewalk. Once a bicyclist yelled "On your left" about two seconds before running into me. What are so many bicyclists doing on the sidewalks, anyway? And why am I the one expected to move?

I have no sympathy for the Critical Mass folks. Some bicyclists and most bike messengers break traffic laws on a constant basis. I've never seen the police do anything about it. So now the police enforce the law, and Critical Mass is crying about it. I've always thought bike messengers are pretentious in their own special way. But now there's a new level of pretense -- a very organized entity that calls itself an "unorganized coincidence," one that is at pains to appear anarchic as they flagrantly break our laws.

Eric Frame
Denver

Mayor Hickenlooper
City and County Building
1337 Bannock Street
..350
Denver, CO 80202



Dear Mayor Hickenlooper,

As concerned citizens of Denver and avid bicyclists, we, XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX, and the rest of the mass of Denver cyclists who participate in Critical Mass, urgently encourage you to join us in a brief, face-to-face dialogue about the 14-year-old tradition of riding bikes in Critical Mass. To ensure that this months ride, on May 26th, goes smoothly, it would be best to meet before May 26ths ride begins.

We desire to maintain the wonderful reputation that the Mile High City has built as one of the most bicycle-friendly urban areas in the country, and trust that you share this sentiment. By now you must be keenly aware of the ongoing tensions between the Denver Police Department and riders in Critical Mass, something which threatens our citys positive image.

The people of Denver have already witnessed and greatly appreciated your efforts at bettering communication between people of all ranks and striving to accommodate our needs. We come to you now, as diverse and decentralized citizens faced with a pressing dilemma, to bring forth an active invitation to a partnership. To borrow language from one of your recent campaigns, we come to you as neighbours building solutions.

You need look no further than the nearest gas station sign or the most recent issue of the Westword, where it was reported that some 400 cities worldwide celebrate Critical Mass every month, to realize that bicycle-riding in large numbers is here to stay and should be discussed and assured safety and respect. Although no individuals, including us, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, can speak on behalf of Critical Mass, as it is a self-proclaimed unorganized coincidence, there are a few points that can be clearly seen as the consensus.

First, we, as cyclists on the streets of Denver, are not blocking traffic we are traffic and we wish to be treated as such. It is an obvious objection that if this is true, then riders in Critical Mass should not be surprised when they are all detained and written tickets for traffic violations. But the next time you are driving on I-25 or any Denver road for that matter, we challenge you to pay attention to the critical mass of automobiles that ride together, breaking traffic laws nearly every second, and are not targeted with road blocks or police helicopters for doing so. Can you imagine if every time a group of 100 cars sped along together, yet as individuals, at 10-15 miles per hour over the speed limit a reasonable estimate of the non-rush hour flow of traffic they were all pulled over together and charged fines? The idea, most would agree, is absurd. The police in every city know they must choose their battles. There are clear and present dangers that threaten peace and order, and compared to a car barrelling down the road at 45 miles per hour, how dangerous could a group of bicycles turning right on a red light illegally be?

Second, we, as cyclists in Critical Mass, recognize the need to watch out for one another and secure unity and a steady flow for the sake of safety in our group. This entails passing with caution through red lights and stop signs. If you ever ride with us in Critical Mass, which we eagerly invite you to do, you will see neighbours of this city who have never met, communicating with one another positively and in sincere selflessness, in order to keep the group together and clear from accidents.

Third, we, as cyclists, will continue to exercise our freedom to enjoy the fresh Colorado air in our faces and the beautiful sights and atmosphere of Denver, whether it be riding alone on our daily commutes, on an afternoon recreational bike ride, or in a group of hundreds or even thousands of other cyclists on the last Friday of each month. It is not a matter of whether or not we will ride; it is a question of how the City of Denver, and you as its central representative, will respond.

Mr. Mayor, you are in a unique position to engage in a constructive conversation with your people, and consequentially making a statement about Denver to communities around the world. The people of Denver must consider what it says about our city when our police force is determined to keep a group of peaceful bicyclists in fear rather than tackling more malevolent predators at large.

At least 70 riders from the last Critical Mass are waiting for their upcoming court dates, and wondering what will happen on Friday, May 26 when we ride again en masse. Your immediate involvement with this issue is crucial, sir. If you will agree to meet with us, XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX, on the 26th of May, before the next Critical Mass ride, we can work together to redeem respect between the bicyclists and the police of Denver. By taking suggestions from cities such as Chicago and San Francisco, where Critical Mass runs smoothly each month, you can act as a catalyst for positive change and a more pleasant and community-centred city.

Yours sincerely,



Three names

Any articulate folks that would like to draft a letter which includes the following:

[We'll add our names later]
Would like to meet with Mayor Hickenlooper for ___ minutes/hours/etc.
Because [this is the long part]
At ____ o'clock on ____ date [must be 3 weeks in advance! 25th or 26th of May so it's before the ride. Can we get one done today maybe???]
There will be ___ people and these are our names and addresses with contact number [again, we'll fill that in later.  We have an idea of who wants to go, but anyone interested can contact us as long as we're not too many]

If we get this mailed off tomorrow or dropped off at City and County Building, maybe we can meet this guy before the next ride.  Opinions or ideas?

Send us a mail to discuss the letter, etc.  Maybe this will help a little...

http://westword.com/Issues/2006-05-04/news/calhoun.html


Critical Mess
Denver bicyclists get taken for a ride.
By Patricia Calhoun
Article Published May 4, 2006
A Critical Mass participant gets a ticket to ride.
Details
Who / What:
Critical Mass

Sure, this city's great at handling 75,000 protesters. But toss it a
hundred kids on bikes, and things go to hell.

Late in the afternoon on the last Friday of every month, bicyclists in
400 cities around the world gather for Critical Mass, a community bike
ride that's taken off on every continent except Antarctica, according
to www.critical-mass.org. But don't make the mistake of thinking that
website speaks for the group, because "Critical Mass is not an
organization, it's an unorganized coincidence," the site advises.
"It's a movement...of bicycles, in the streets. Accordingly, this
isn't the official Critical Mass web page, because there is no
official Critical Mass web page. There are, however, a bunch of
unofficial web pages."

And right now, people are spinning their wheels on
CriticalMassDenver@yahoogroups.com, going nowhere fast. That's because
last Friday night, two days after Critical Mass members met with
Denver Police Department officials to make sure the April 28 ride went
smoothly (the ride at the end of March not so much, as several riders
had their bikes impounded), seventy riders wound up with tickets. And
not little tickets, either, but some $410 whoppers. The ride may have
been hyped with a flier noting that Critical Mass helps "promote
bicycling as a fun and healthy alternative to driving," but right now,
it doesn't seem like a very cheap alternative.

Because of the problems in March, members of Critical Mass met on
April 26 with Denver Police Department Deputy Chief Steve Cooper and
Debra Dilley, commander of District 6. To bridge the gap between the
least hierarchical group imaginable and the most, a few lawyers from
the American Civil Liberties Union were along for the ride. "We were
clear with the police that we don't represent Critical Mass or any of
its riders," one meeting-goer advised the Yahoo group afterward, "and
that even if we receive some 'ground rules,' that we cannot agree to
do anything on the riders' behalf. What we can do at this point is be
a conduit of information between Critical Mass and the Denver PD, and
express our general legal concerns to them."

For her part, Dilley agreed to bring other officers down to the
seal-fountain pool at Civic Center Park, the standard starting point
for Denver's Critical Mass, that Friday afternoon to make sure
everyone understood basic bike etiquette and the ground rules for the
ride -- as much as there could be ground rules. In the meantime, the
DPD would consult with police in San Francisco, where the ride goes
smoothly every month.

At the appointed hour on Friday, more than a hundred riders gathered
in Civic Center Park. As promised, Dilley was there, too, along with
other cops who distributed pamphlets explaining city traffic rules: no
more than two riders abreast, obey all signals -- the sort of stuff
most people learn when they move from trikes to two-wheelers. And then
the riders were off, heading down 15th Street into downtown.

Max Absher, a representative of Copwatch, was there to observe the
action. He watched some police talk to the riders, watched others film
the riders (which seemed suspiciously close to violating the city's
agreement that ended the Spy Files case). "I got the feeling they were
really trying to cover their ass," he says. When the ride started, "I
was following a few unmarked police cars, and I lost them," he
continues. "They kind of jetted down 17th, and that's where I saw
Critical Mass going right at Tremont." That's also where he saw the
police cars turn on their lights and sirens and start ordering riders
onto the sidewalks.

"I thought people were trying to work with the police on it," Absher
says. "People were hanging out in a park, going on a bike ride. I
don't think the police have any respect for them at all. They're not
de-escalating the situation. They're only creating resentment."

Aaron Cary feels that resentment. For the past two years, his bicycle
has been his only means of transportation; he's been riding with
Critical Mass since November. "The motorists kind of get over it," he
says of the monthly event. "It's always been very peaceful until the
cops show up."

Outside the Brown Palace, the cops corralled the riders, blocking off
streets at 17th and Tremont -- which snarled traffic flow even worse
than the ride had -- and "told everyone to get off their bikes and get
down," Cary remembers. "The show of force was over the top."

When he was a bike messenger -- a profession renowned for flaunting
authority, and fast -- Cary never got a ticket. But he did last Friday.

Shawn Kumar rode with Critical Mass in the late '90s in San Francisco,
where bike messengers started the ride about ten years ago and it
quickly hit critical mass. When he moved to Denver, Kumar brought the
Critical Mass concept with him. From its days here as a two-person
event, it's "grown into its own animal," he says. "I attend once in a
while. I thought I'd better go this past Friday."

As the ride started, he held back, "trailing up the rear, taking
photos and expecting that something bad might happen," he says. "I
just had that feeling."

He was right. By the time he got to the Brown Palace, the police were
pulling riders over. "They were waiting for them like salmon coming up
the stream," he says. A motorcycle cop told him to "pull over," then
rode up on the sidewalk and ran into Kumar's bike. Kumar fell and cut
his knee. "I was in shock that it actually happened," he says. "I was
really stunned that he did that."

Denver has a reputation for being one of the best cities in the
country for bicycles. But you're not going to prove it by the riders
in Critical Mass. "I think they hate us," Cary says of the cops. "I
think the term 'cowtown' fits."

"We tried to persuade them into using more moderate procedures used in
cities where police departments seem to accommodate the ride," the
ACLU's Mark Silverstein says. "I don't think we were successful."

But according to DPD spokesman Sonny Jackson, the riders themselves
failed to follow the rules. "The individuals riding the bikes didn't
obey the traffic laws," he says. "Commander Dilley had warned them,
but they didn't follow. For public-safety reasons, they stopped them."
And then issued seventy citations ranging from disobedience to a
traffic signal, to making prohibited turns, to impeding traffic.

But at least the police didn't take any bikes this time. Then again,
they didn't confiscate Chief Gerry Whitman's car after photo radar
captured him speeding in it, either.

The ACLU has yet to get the rundown on all the tickets issued April
28, so the attorneys there aren't sure of the group's next move. On
CriticalMassDenver, people are comparing notes and throwing around
legal strategies, and there's already talk of a benefit at Bar Bar
(that's the Carioca Cafe, for those not in the know) on June 11 to
raise money for legal fees.

Before that, though, there will be the ride on May 26. "I think we're
willing to do whatever we can to make this work," Jackson says. "But
disobedience to the law is disobedience to the law." Except in San
Francisco, perhaps. There, after Critical Mass grew to 5,000 riders,
"the mayor just said, 'Look, let it go,' Jackson reports. "We truly
don't see that we can do that here."

But the non-leaders of Critical Mass think Denver can. "The route is
tiny, and, realistically, people in their cars would maybe be delayed
three to five minutes," Kumar says. "By the time the light changes,
the riders would be gone."

He understands police frustration with the event -- but not the DPD's
inability to find a solution. "I see their point," he says. "But the
point of Critical Mass is that we are traffic, too, and we need to be
recognized as much as other vehicles."

In the meantime, he's recognized a few things about Denver: "One,
policemen here are conservative, and two, it's not a bike-friendly
town. But I will say this: Critical Mass has grown exponentially since
the price of gas started going up."

Denver Copwatch Training
Wednesday - April 26th - 7 to 9pm
Emerson School
1420 Ogden, Denver

Denver CopWatch will conduct a "know your rights" and "how to observe
police" training on Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 at the Emerson School at
1420 Ogden St. in Denver.  "Know your rights' looks at what your rights
are when you are in contact with police, on the street, in your car, or
at your home.  Learn about consensual stops, detentions and arrests.
Find out what to do and say to reduce the risk of police misconduct.
Also learn how to observe police safely, what to look for when observing
police and what constitutes misconduct.  Find out what steps you can
take if your rights are abused by police.

Denver CopWatch is looking for volunteers to help this year during the
big "cruising" event during Cinco de Mayo along Federal Blvd. this
year.  To be a volunteer you need to be trained as a legal observer-so
come out to our training on the 26th and please send this notice to your
friends.

And again, check out CriticalMassDenver@yahoogroups.com for an easier forum for discussion.