The lawyers finished picking a jury of Beachcomber newspaper Publisher Jay Beeler’s peers, and his trial opened yesterday in Long Beach Superior Court.

Beeler, as we noted yesterday, and as the Press-Telegram’s Wendy Thomas Russell has been telling you, faces two misdemeanor charges–obstructing a police officer and disobeying the order of a police officer–for his alleged conduct during the March 28, 2007 fire at the Galaxy Towers condominium complex.

Here’s a link to Thomas Russell’s story in today’s P-T.

According to Long Beach police, who testified yesterday for the prosecution, Beeler refused orders to stay behind that yellow crime scene tape they put up to keep everyone back at fires and other similar events–for our safety, etc.

Beeler also may have been drinking that night, according to Long Beach Police Officer Matthew Gjersvold, who testified he heard the publisher’s “slurred speech” and could smell “the odor of an alcoholic beverage from (Beeler’s) breath and body”.

The quotes are from Thomas Russell’s story, which you should be reading right … now.

Part of Beeler’s defense, of course, is that he was trying to do his job by reporting on the Galaxy Towers fire.

“Beeler’s primary argument was that he had a right to cross police tape because the fire was considered a disaster area, which allows a media presence–as opposed to a crime scene, which does not,” Thomas Russell writes.

(She notes–and this is a good point made by Long Beach police–that when the fire began, police treated it as a crime scene because they still hadn’t ruled out possible causes like arson and terrorism.)

The case should be extremely interesting to anyone who’s ever dealt with Long Beach police–particularly media types who can wind up at loggerheads with police who want to do things their way. (I’ve been there.)

We’ll leave you with a final quote from Thomas Russell’s story. It’s from Long Beach police Sgt. Gordon Collier, who testified yesterday about ordering Gjersvold to arrest Beeler.

“I needed him out of my crime scene,” Collier said, “so I ordered his arrest.”

“My crime scene”? This is exactly the kind of language and point-of-view which working reporters–and publishers, like Jay Beeler–encounter when we’re trying to do our jobs.

It’s no one’s crime scene. Long Beach Police control crime scenes–on land owned by other people–but they don’t own the crime scenes. (Do they? Is there some arcane law out there ascribing ownership during investigation to police?) And, at least theoretically, Long Beach taxpayers own Long Beach police. We pay for them.

Okay. Sorry for making you wait so long, but now you’re here, go check out P-T reporter Don Jergler’s story on Pine Avenue bulwark and restaurateur John Morris’s 20th anniversary celebration last night.

Good times was had; you (and I) shoulda been there.

Tags: , Beachcomber, California, Galaxy Towers, Jay Beeler, John Carlyle Crews, John Morris, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pine Avenue, press telegram, Southern California, Wendy Thomas Russell

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D. Lejins 6 months ago 1 point
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While I will not defend Publisher Jay Beeler's personality or his methods of delivery, we must never forget that however much we disagree with someone's opinion, the expression of those opinions is not unlawful. In fact, it is constitutionally protected. The only thing Beeler is guilty of is "contempt of cop", and that is also not criminal.

This is not the first time the issue of repressed media has reared its ugly head. As a duly authorized and credentialed seasoned photojournalist, I have either experienced or heard of numerous accounts of an overly zealous Long Beach police force preventing the press corps from properly covering news events.

Penal Code 409 which covers closure of disaster areas and public safety situations repeatedly states “(c)Any unauthorized person who willfully and knowingly enters an area closed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) and who willfully remains within the area after receiving notice to evacuate or leave shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

d) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PREVENT A DULY AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY NEWS SERVICE, NEWSPAPER, OR RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION OR NETWORK FROM ENTERING THE AREAS CLOSED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION."

Yet, the LBPD often cordons off a ridiculously wide swath around a “crime scene” (blocks away) so that pertinent events are hidden from media sight and refuses entry to duly authorized news representatives. This gives rise to suspicion and concerns regarding important facts that authorities may be concealing from the press and ultimately the public.

Reports of these inappropriate situations have been brought forward in several media meetings with Chief Batts. At a meeting in May 2007, Batts agreed to put forward a policy covering the media's many concerns. Yet, the issue still remains unresolved. Ironically, when the LBPD needs “press coverage” for selected public relations events, the media is greeted with open arms.

In stark contrast, the Long Beach Fire Department has always been exceptionally accommodating to news representatives at fires and other circumstances under their authority or control.

This reprehensible state of affairs begs the questions, what is the LBPD hiding from the public and how long will the press and public tolerate this flagrant abuse of their constitutional rights?

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tecumseh 6 months ago 1 point
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The focus on "my" crime scene is silly. You're making too much of that. Collier is just expressing a feeling of responsbility and duty, something the reporters at this rag obviously cant relate to.

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