A Harsh (Homeless) Indictment? Cop in Florida Tosses Hobo in the Hoosegow for Having the Gall to Charge Up His Cell Phone at a Public Park!

I guess my first response to this story (link below) would be: If you don't want members of the public using the electrical sockets at a public park picnic shelter, then don't put those sockets in the publicly available shelter to begin with!  Jeezal Peezal, the matter of good government and policin' ain't rocket science.

But that didn't stop a cop in Sarasota, Florida last week from throwing the book at a hobo (a regular Al Capone over there) who was trying to charge up the ol' cell on the public dime down at the Gillespie Park picnic rotunda...

"Theft of city utilities will not be tolerated during this bad economy!", the cop reportedly bellowed at the bum before heaving the tramp in the can for the night.  And I see copper's point:  That cell charge probably took the City to the tune of, what, maybe 3 or 4 cents?

The vagabond couldn't afford the $500 bond and had to spend the night in the stir.  But alas, a happy ending:  The hobo's now been set free "after a judge threw the case out, saying the [cop] lacked the legal justification to make the arrest." Sure ain't no picnic, being a vagrant (or much of anyone else) in 2012 America.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/282531/8/Homeless-man-jailed-after-charging-cell-phone