After some transatlantic liaisons between cops, it was determined that his real name was Maxime Bezat and that he writes “RASK.” Port Authority police made the bust and he was then extradited to Boston to face charges for painting a MBTA train. The 25-year-old paid a $2500 fine to forego a trial.

But his legal troubles aren’t over. He apparently had warrants in New York as well for painting subway cars in Brooklyn and Queens on two different occasions says a source. So, Bezat was transferred to Rikers Island on Tuesday and was being held on a $3,500 bail, which according to the Department of Correction website, has been paid as of today! After 26 days of incarceration by various authorities, he now appears to be free. Vive la Liberté! (Photo: Massachusets Bay Transportation Authority)

The First Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a judgement that says “[A] citizen’s right to film government officials, including law enforcement officers, in the discharge of their duties in a public space is a basic, vital, and well-established liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment.”

In 2007, Simon Glik took a cell phone video of police arresting a suspect. He thought they were guilty of police brutality but he was charged with criminal violation of the Massachusetts wiretap act. After a long legal battle, Glik has finally won his case — The police were found to have violated his 1st and 4th amendment rights.

Big ups to the judge who put it perfectly: “Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting ‘the free discussion of governmental affairs’” Damn right.

This case is exactly like what happened earlier this month in Long Island, Rochester, and countless other places. Now if we could just get a federal ruling, the government could send a clear message to officers from all across the U.S. to stop breaking the law for an arrest.

Globetrotting graffiti writer UTAH is heading back to jail for another six months. Recently released from vegan unfriendly Riker’s Island, the Queens-based writer was sentenced this morning in Boston Municipal Court after pleading guilty to more than a dozen vandalism charges. According to the Boston Herald, she was also ordered to complete five years of probation, undergo a mental health evaluation and make restitution payments. And like convicted vandal Shepard Fairey, the 27-year-old vandal was ordered to stop messing with Boston, except she’s been banished entirely. |Boston Herald|

Photo by Jaroh

Today in Boston, artist Shepard Fairey plead guilty to vandalism charges: three misdemeanors from 2000 and January. As part of a plea deal, the prolific public artist must pay $2000 to a local graffiti clean-up group and serve two years probation. During that time he can’t possess posters, paint, paste, stickers or other tools of the trade unless he is working on a permission piece. But as Fairey noted, “Fortunately, I’m at a place in my career where I can get sanctioned spaces,” like billboards, to continue flaunting his art in Boston.

Another stipulation of the sentencing: Fairey must tell Boston officials when he’s visiting. But with an expensive closing party for his ICA exhibition, and the whole show moving to Pittsburgh’s Warhol Museum shortly, any trips back to the “city of culturally clueless Puritans” will likely be infrequent or never.

Mugshot from Fairey’s arrest in Boston via NEJAR

People laugh at Boston for being a city of culturally clueless Puritans, and because of that, business that depends on an audience to the contrary, avoids Boston. This arrest has renewed our subscription to this unfortunate perception.

As an example of the opportunity Boston missed by digging up and dumping old charges on Fairey, Neelon pointed to Los Angeles, where Fairey executed a mural for the launch of “Stages,” a global art exhibition to raise funds and cancer awareness for the Livestrong Foundation.

Instead, we have 29 felony charges. Those 29 felony charges are Shepard’s to bear and to deal with, and he will. He has good counsel and plenty of money to address those with. But what begins as an attempt to make an example of Shepard as a vandal who met the law only makes an example of Boston as a city to avoid when investing any culture dollar.

Though Fairey’s lawyer says he’s “never seen less credible evidence presented for a criminal charge,” Fairey’s future is still up in the air when he returns to court next Tuesday April 14th. Boston’s future: continued mockery as usual.

Mugshot from Fairey’s arrest in Boston via NEJAR