Ellen Brodsky Broward SOE Candidate Arrested by Opponent

Broward County, FL.
November 13, 2008.

Candidate for Supervisor of Elections, Ellen Brodsky falsely arrested by Broward Deputy, C.Y. Bell, on trumped up charges of trespassing and disruptive behavior ordered by Brenda Snipes, SOE, Brodsky's Opponent and Chief of Staff Fred Bellis. Ellen was attempting to Attend, Observe and Monitor the Canvassing of Votes for her own election and other races for the November General Election ballot.
Ellen was attempting to establish whether the canvassing board was in session.
What does Brenda Snipes have to hide? Is it a crime to want to see how our votes are being counted? Is this America? You be the Judge.

Banana Republic
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2008-11-27/news/banana-republic/

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6668
Blogged by Brad Friedman on 11/14/2008 5:06PM
FL Election Integrity Advocate, Candidate For Election Supervisor Arrested at Direction of Election Supervisor, Opponent.
Ellen H. Brodsky Jailed Overnight After Being Barred From Oversight Several Times by Incumbent SoE Brenda Snipes.

September 16, 2008 - Lawsuit Filed Against Brenda Snipes Ellen Brodsky has filed suit against Brenda Snipes and the Broward County Canvassing Board for concealment of election proceedings.

During the August 31, 2008 election Ellen Brodsky was appointed a citizen election observer by the Florida Green Party to oversee the manual recounts of the Judicial Contest as well as the entire election from testing, certification and post election audits. Upon arrival she was approached by armed police under the employ of Brenda Snipes and was barred from observing the recounts for fear that she might "stand up".

This kind of behavior is not only ethically wrong, it is also illegal. According to the Florida Sunshine Laws, it is against the law to bar citizen observers from public business conducted by government agencies. Read the lawsuit and the additional motion for preliminary injunction.
http://www.ellenbrodsky.com

Ellen endured months of uncertainty, pain and suffering with her fate and reputation precariously unknown as the FL State Attorney persisted in prosecuting her for Trespassing at the request of the Broward Supervisor of Elections which would have given her a criminal misdemeanor record.

At the Eleventh hour the night before the assigned trial the State Attorney's office dropped all charges against Ellen.

Set to appear were top election officials. A jury by trial would have been important for the public to see up close the problems with Broward's Election Administration and the culture of secrecy prevailing regarding concealing election problems. Ellen's arrest was a culmination of years where citizens and election observers had no meaningful way to address issues during the canvassing of our votes.

Thanks to the persistence of her Attorney Tanner Andrews Ellen won in Court on March 11, 2009.

Special thanks to Dan Gonzalez who came in support and videotaped the interview of Ellen and Tanner by Sun-sentinel's Lisa Huriash immediately after the March 11 hearing.

See False Arrest Ellen Wins in Court.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw-D3uLeFrY

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ehb arrest-desktop
• Ellen Brodsky
• Broward County
• Supervisor of Elections
• False Arrest
• Banana Republic
• Citizen Oversight
• Checks and Balances
• Electronic Voting
• Votes
• Florida Sunshine Laws
• FS 104.29
• FS 119
• Transparency
• vote tabulation
• election certification
• election fraud
• abuse of power

[apjlaw]

Didnt you watch the video? She was denied entry to the building, much less the public hearing, and arrested in the mall parking lot. This was a "minority report" situation where Ellen was arrested on the grounds that she would have been disruptive if she had actually gained entry to the public hearing

[votefraudnet]

Ellen did nothing wrong and was very clear and concise in her wishes and desires to check the room. She had every right to check the process of every election. This idiot, Fred Bella, has no legal papers to justify his statement. This is the problem with going to an election process without plenty of witnesses. File a law suit Ellen...these clowns deserve to lose.

[paulrprichard]

People must record everything so should there be any abuses the abusers can be punished.

[paulrprichard]

Lawsuit, Ellen.

[mergupis]

Since when we the people was not allowed to debate or ask questions?

[mergupis]

Where the hell do you think you are at? In this country we do have what we call the 1st amendment!

[twebb63]

Also....who is that Fat ass with the Phone calling the Police? He should be banned from the building because of his appearance!

[twebb63]

What i want to know is "How" she was able to record this Video without authrization?

Isn't that against the Law to record an audio?

[RonPaulyGirl]

Mike Crowley - you are an idiot!

[ellenmargo]

UNBELIEVABLE...This is a clear case of people in government who do not know the law being intoxicated by what they perceive as their OWN power.

[mikedcrowley]

Based on other videos of election observers getting in trouble, it seems that an election observer can only observe—they cannot ask questions. Its quite possible, based on what Ms. Brodsky herself says, that she has exceeded the role of observer. She says that she wanted to ask questions at a Canvassing Board meeting. Her insistence on asking questions could constitute a disruption and justify her removal and/or arrest.