[FUNDRAISER] Holding Philadelphia Responsible

[ViperGTS19801]

Hey everyone - Viper here - the time has come.

First of all, I want to thank everyone here who has shared their opinions and points of view in regards to the issues I have faced when spending time in the City of Philadelphia. Even those who have had dissenting opinions have been extremely helpful, as I know I am not perfect and I always appreciate constructive criticism just as much as the abounding support this forum has shown me.

In light of the encounters I have had with regards to the Philadelphia Police Department while lawfully and peacefully carrying my firearm unconcealed (detention (Negative encounter with PPD this afternoon - schooled a Sgt. from the 39th), confiscation (PPD Strikes Again - Confiscates weapon because I "refused to conceal") and arrest (Arrested by the Philadelphia Police for Open Carry)), my lawyer and I have decided to file suit.

Please keep in mind that due to the amount of information that is already out there on the intarwebz, I cannot divulge much more.

My lawyer has decided to take the case on contingency, but to get the ball rolling, I need to put together a $2,500 retainer fee. Now, obviously, I will be putting as much of my own spare monies into this effort as I can afford to. However, the retainer fee is a bit steep for a bachelor such as myself, as was to be expected (honestly, it was a large part of the reason I didn't dig in and get a lawyer sooner).

Many of you have generously and repeatedly offered to help me take the city to task with these issues, as they are a part of a much larger picture than just myself and Philadelphia - this affects all of us who OC and has farther-reaching effects on all gun owners.

If you are willing to make a donation towards this end, big or small, it is greatly, GREATLY appreciated. I will be keeping a very close eye on any and all donations which come in for this case and anyone who does make a donation will be provided with a receipt of all monies collected upon request.

As times goes on, any donations will be tabulated and totals will be posted here. Any monies remaining after the retainer is paid will be held until the resolution of the case, at which point remaining monies will be appropriately donated to a pertinent organization to be determined.

Any donations you wish to send via PayPal can be sent to the following address: mark_fiorino AT comcast DOT net . If you do not have PayPal or would prefer to send a check or money order, please PM me for my lawyer's address and contact info - he recommended I give it to those who ask for it rather than post is publicly. Again - if you donate via PayPal, I'll personally keep track of all donations to keep a total updated.

Again, thank you to EVERYONE who has participated in these discussions, and has offered to support and assist with the issues at hand. This website and it's members have been invaluable to me and I hope they continue to be for a long time to come.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask them here or in a PM.

EDITED TO ADD:

Also, I am now fighting a double-faceted battle - both an immediate criminal defense case as well as the previously established civil lawsuit against the city. As such, money is needed for both purposes - some of the donors, to a sufficient degree that money no longer needs to be divvied up between the causes, have specifically told me that the money they are sending in is to be used in whichever way it needs to be. Therefore, those of you who wish to send checks to my civil attorney may still PM m for the address, because enough cash and Paypal donations have been collected to take care of the criminal case by leaps and bounds. Any remaining moneys (and trust me, there is plenty) will be going directly into the pot for the civil case, and the amount of support stemming from these events (as well as my own money) is easily taking care of both causes simultaneously.

As such, the total for this fundraiser has been increased to accommodate the cost of both the criminal defense attorney and the civil attorney, and the grand total is reflective of the complete collection for both causes. More may be needed if the criminal case gets sent to appeal, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Again, thank you, everyone. You people are amazing and we are going to see a lot of good come from this for gun owners all across the state!!!

Total donations received as of April 19th, 2011 (including $920 so far received in checks mailed to my attorney):
$4,434
Goal:
$3,500 (127%)

ETA: THANK YOU to everyone who has made and continues to make donations towards this effort!! The fight may drag on a bit longer than just the retainers can cover but we are VERY well on our way to making sure the city is held responsible for it's illegal and right-violating actions against law abiding citizens! It's chokes me up a bit to see this kind of support brought forth to fight this battle.

[XACEX]

what exactly is your goal? an injunction against the city? monetary compensation?

[BimmerJon]

Some questions:

1. Will you promise not to take a payout to drop the lawsuit? (IE: Settle out of court). I guess an option would be to have a vote held consisting of people that donated if it gets to that. Frankly, I'd like to see you take this ALL THE WAY even at the risk of losing money and jeopardizing simply a payout.

2. If a settlement is reached, will you reimburse the people that donated?

[Pkspawn]

As you don't know me.. I don't know you..

Would it be possible to send payment directly to the attorney on your behalf? That way we at least know an attorney is getting it for the case, you wouldn't need to give out your address etc..

Also like previous asked, what are the goals you and the lawyer are seeking.

[IronSight]

Originally Posted by BimmerJon

Some questions:

1. Will you promise not to take a payout to drop the lawsuit? (IE: Settle out of court). I guess an option would be to have a vote held consisting of people that donated if it gets to that. Frankly, I'd like to see you take this ALL THE WAY even at the risk of losing money and jeopardizing simply a payout.

I think this is way too much to ask for, as we all should know the Allentown Home Depot case ended in a settlement despite the fact that originally it was a ruling the plaintiff wanted to see. There's far too many things that could change the dynamic in court to be arguing now that we could only accept one result and only one.

[BimmerJon]

Originally Posted by IronSight

I think this is way too much to ask for, as we all should now the Allentown Home Depot case ended in a settlement despite the fact that originally it was a ruling the plaintiff wanted to see. There's far too many things that could change the dynamic in court to be arguing now that we could only accept one result and only one.

I think that is agreeable, although I would donate much more if I knew the OP didn't intend to settle at the first sign of peanuts thrown at him. I'd also be curious if I'm going to contribute money from my pocket, would it be returned if possible (I understand no guarantees)

[Gun]

Originally Posted by ViperGTS19801

Please keep in mind that due to the amount of information that is already out there on the intarwebz, I cannot divulge much more.

Where is this intarwebz, and can I get there using Safari?!!?

Originally Posted by BimmerJon

I think that is agreeable, although I would donate much more if I knew the OP didn't intend to settle at the first sign of peanuts thrown at him. I'd also be curious if I'm going to contribute money from my pocket, would it be returned if possible (I understand no guarantees)

Lawyers want more than peanuts!

[ungawa]

Money needs to be handled by third party.

[andrewjs18]

I also like the idea of donating to an attorney or a 3rd party.

[greggdavis]

I'd like to know what the end goal is here? Is it for you to get a payday? Is the goal a consent decree to stop this nonsense for the benefit of all gun owners? I don't mind if you make some money on this lawsuit, but I need to know that there is something in this for the gun owning community as a whole. What has SAF/GOA/NRA said about picking up this lawsuit? I know the Philly stupidity is on their radar.