After being tased and cuffed, the man behind a courthouse brouhaha in Idaho is sitting in jail. The reason, he wouldn’t turn off his camera.
Robert Peterson got a ticket for riding his bike at night without a light, that's why he was in court. But he has some unique political beliefs and thinks he's not subject to most laws. That's why he wouldn't put away his camera.
“If I had gone in there and hit some guy in the face or something, sure tase me, but I’m never going to do that,” Peterson said from behind bars.
But, he was breaking the rules. From the moment Peterson walked into courthouse, his camera was rolling. That's not allowed in Idaho courts. Peterson found his seat in the courtroom, but his camera immediately caught the attention of a nearby bailiff. An argument began, and Peterson was ushered out of the courtroom.
Later, outside in the hall, Peterson was standing by as the courtroom cleared. He tried to enter again. At that point, the bailiffs had enough. Peterson was tased, cuffed and taken to jail. That's where he now sits, facing a $50,000 bail, and three counts of battery and criminal contempt.
“By tasing me, the guy has basically getting high on his power,” Peterson said.
Because of Peterson’s political beliefs, he says he's not subject to those rules.
“I never consented to being held liable under any statute or anything for that matter,” he said.
Peterson said he's exempt from statutes and regulations unless he has hurt or wronged someone else. He believes he did neither.
The court administrator at the Kootenai county courthouse couldn't comment on the case because it's still under investigation. Peterson believes because he has his video, the case will be dismissed.
