Journalist arrested during RNC faces over year in prison

Journalist arrested during Republican National Convention faces over one year in prison for parole violation

Reporters Without Borders is asking for the judge to show clemency for journalist Jason Nicholas, independent photographer for the New York Post, currently in jail in Rikers Island, NY for parole violation. Jason Nicholas is scheduled for another parole hearing in front of an administrative judge on October 15th. He was one of over 40 journalists arrested while covering the Republican National Convention on September 1st. While most charges against other journalists in St.Paul have been dropped, Mr. Nicholas has not yet been cleared of obstruction to the legal process.

“These pending charges are hurting his chances of being restored to parole” commented his lawyer Wylie Stecklow. “Jason is a remarkable example of successful rehabilitation. He did not break his parole with any intention to commit a criminal act. He was at the Convention working, which is actually a positive thing. The violation should be seen as a technical one and the penalty should reflect that. Otherwise, the publics’ faith in the true integrity of the correctional and parole systems would be jeopardized. ”

“The fact that Jason Nicholas didn’t have the appropriate paperwork to travel to another state is not a sufficient reason to send him to jail. To be able to carry out his work, a journalist needs to be able to travel freely. At the end of the day, it is absurd that Jason Nicholas would be imprisoned for the very activity that confirms its full reintegration to society” stated Reporters Without Borders.

The international press freedom organization has written to the administrative judge presiding over Mr. Nicholas’ s case asking that the charges in Minnesota not influence his decision and that the journalist be released: “Jason should not have been arrested for simply doing his job. We have denounced the arrests of reporters in Minneapolis as overzealous and abusive. The fact that Jason Nicholas has not been cleared as the other reporters were is incomprehensible and unfair” said the press freedom organization “While we do understand that there must be repercussions to any parole contravention, we believe that in this case the penalty should fit the violation.”

Mr. Nicholas, who has already spent more than 4 weeks in prison, faces up to 14 months in prison.

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Nicholas might have been initially arrested for “doing his job” but the fact that he is being held due to a probation violation is entirely his own fault.

It is not as if Nicholas had to cross state lines in an emergency situation. The RNC was planned well in advance. Nicholas purposely violated the conditions of his parole by leaving the state without permission, so therefore, looking at it from a strictly legal perspective, this alone is sufficient reason to keep him to jail, even if his intentions were noble.
I think you guys dropped the ball by having this story be linked to possible “journalist abuse”.
Do not get me wrong, I believe journalists deserve a fair shake and I agree that oft times the media doesn’t allow journalist enough freedom of voice. But in this case, Nicholas is not being held due to his journalism, he is being held because he willfully violated his parole. You guys calling suggesting this case is “journalism in danger” really weakens the position of real journalism in danger. I’ve come to expect more from Media Matters than a sensationalist, misleading headline.
And no, I am not a Republican nor am I a McCain supporter. This critique comes unbiased.

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