Martin Austermuhle
If there’s any place that probably needs as much sunshine as it can get, it’s the D.C. Taxicab Commission. But during a hearing today, two journalists were ejected, handcuffed and detained for a number of hours for doing little more than reporting on the proceedings.
The two reporters, Pete Tucker from The Fightback and Jim Epstein from Reason, were attending a meeting of the commission, which are open to the public and subject to the provisions of a strengthened open meetings law that went into effect earlier this year.
According to Tucker, he was merely using an audio recorder and trying to take a picture when an inspector from the commission stepped in front of him and told him photography was not allowed. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Park Police was called in (the meeting was taking place in its headquarters) and Tucker and Epstein were arrested and charged with “unlawful entry/remaining” and “disorderly conduct,” both misdemeanors.
The Post’s John Kelly was at the meeting and got video of the aftermath, when a large number of taxicab drivers left in protest.
The Taxicab Commission isn’t known for its openness, something Tucker has reported on himself. In May, he wrote that Interim Chairwoman Dena Reed had declared that none of the commission’s proceedings could be videotaped or recorded, claiming that cameras could be disruptive and didn’t fit into the commission’s small meeting space. Additionally, in late May Reed locked the doors to the commission’s office as a group of taxicab drivers were attempting to deliver a petition opposing a number of regulatory changes to the industry.
Johnny Barnes, executive director of the ACLU of the Nation’s Capital, seemed perplexed at the commission’s actions, especially given the open meetings law it operates under. “We find the actions of the Taxicab Commission to be kind of strange,” Barnes said.
Beyond the arrests, an additional concern is that Tucker and Epstein were arrested by Park Police, who don’t respond to local officials and are not trained to enforce local laws. According to NBC4 reporter Tom Sherwood, Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), who oversees the commission, has asked D.C. Attorney General Irv Nathan to look into what happened — Wells’ letter can be read below.
