Recent Blog Posts
San Francisco’s Restrictions on Carrying Knives
In our last post, we discussed California’s laws on carrying knives, including a look at laws specific to the City and County of Los Angeles. The City of San Francisco takes these laws even further. Under SF Police Code Article 17, § 1291(a), the city designates all of the following as “dangerous weapons”: Any… Read More »
What Are California’s Laws on Knives?
Many riders carry a weapon, such as a knife or firearm, for personal safety reasons. Unfortunately, California riders must always keep in mind the risk that they will become the target of harassment and unjust profiling by law enforcement officers. This means that even law-abiding riders carrying a weapon should know and understand the… Read More »
Members of Sonora Police Department Caught Taking Photos of Bike License Plates for “Research”
A recent incident in Tuolumne County provides a perfect illustration of the type of discriminatory behavior that bikers face at the hands of law enforcement on a regular basis. The incident is all the more frustrating considering that it comes in the wake of the state legislature shelving a bill that would have made… Read More »
California Legislature Fails to Advance Anti-Profiling Bill, but Biker Discrimination Persists
Any longtime motorcycle rider or club member can tell you that discrimination against motorcycle riders is alive and well, especially for patch-wearing club members. Club members frustrated about facing unfair consequences for exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech in this manner have long fought to receive fair treatment from members of law… Read More »
California Lawmakers Consider Bill on Motorcycle Profiling
After years of waiting, California bikers may finally receive the legal protection from harassment that advocates have been demanding for decades. Two California State Assembly members have recently introduced a bill that would bar law enforcement from unfairly targeting members of motorcycle clubs. Learn more about the proposed law below, and contact a San… Read More »
Bikers Sue City for Discrimination during “Black Bike Week”
Two attendees of an annual biker festival in South Carolina have recently paired up with the NAACP to file a lawsuit based on discrimination against black attendees of the festival. Read on to learn more about the lawsuit and the subtle ways that discrimination against bikers of color can manifest, and contact a dedicated… Read More »
Bandidos Trial Update: Charges against Over a Dozen Club Members Dismissed, DA Recuses Himself
In yet another development that casts doubt on the integrity of the case, the McLennan County district attorney has now dismissed charges filed against 13 men arrested in conjunction with the 2015 shootout in Waco, Texas. Suspicious timing of dismissal of charges The dismissal came mere hours before a hearing was scheduled to occur… Read More »
Daytona Police Department Profiling MC Members, Captured on Tape
When a group of MC (Motorcycle Club) members wearing their patches at a large biker rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, were stopped and subjected to interrogation by police officers, one club member had the presence of mind to capture the incident on tape. The video became the subject of a letter sent to the… Read More »
First Trial Stemming from Bandidos Shooting Incident Ends in Mistrial
In a previous blog post, we described the controversy surrounding the arrest and charging of over 150 motorcycle club members present at the 2015 fight between members of the Bandidos and Cossacks clubs in Waco, Texas. Despite the claims of bias against judges and district attorneys involved in the prosecution, the first trial of… Read More »
California Harley-Davidson Dealership Bans Club Colors at Special Event
A Harley-Davidson dealership in California agreed to declare a ban on “club colors or cuts” as a condition of receiving a permit for a special event to be held at the dealership. The condition is another affront on the First Amendment rights of bikers, and is especially shocking coming from a company that has… Read More »
