State Drops Case Against Aric Butler

 

In case any readers are not aware of this, we don't get to pick and choose which laws we observe and which we don't. We've noticed over the years that the more rural the area, the less likely its citizens are to respect the laws that govern them.

Such was the case of chiropractor Aric Butler of Rogersville last year when he kept his gym open in defiance of state law requiring a temporary shutdown. Was it for monetary reasons? If it was, he didn't seem to have any problem paying Florence hotshot attorney James Irby to defend him in district court.

In fact, he had Irby demand a jury trial, rather than rely on a bench verdict. That action saved Butler's legal posterior; Lauderdale County announced this week that it had no desire to clutter up an inundated court docket with an actual trial for Butler and dropped all charges against him.

So who won? We're giving Butler one point for avoiding a guilty verdict and taking away two for saying he's above the law. It's not a nice look for anyone, especially someone who lays hands on others in the name of healing.

Chief Hudson Says Dr. Butler Lied/Herston Doesn't Support Police

We don't know Dr. Aric Butler or Rogersville Police Chief Brian Hudson. We have no idea which one is lying, but one of them is. The story just gets weirder; read on:

Chiropractor Arrested

Yes, it was definitely an intriguing read, then...Mayor Richard Herston is accused of encouraging Butler to commit an unlawful act and disregard what his own police department said.

Will it wind up on Netflix? Probably not unless the characters are jazzed up a bit. Still, none of this puts Rogersville in a positive light.

Coming To A Courtroom Near You Soon

Still Another Take on Aric Butler Arrest

Another reader writes:

I have bad news for "Doc" Butler. He is a chiropractor because the state issued him a license. If the Alabama State Board of Chiropractors catch wind of this he could be fined up to $2,000 and/or lose his license to ever practice in the state again.  

http://www.alabamaadministrativecode.state.al.us/docs/chiro/index.html

Judging from online commentators calling for protest I am reminded of the right-wing white nationalist movement that has been seen on the new as of late.  If I must choose between the police and a radical fringe group such as that I choose the cops every time. 

Butler was basically saying I dare you to do something by posting on Facebook that the gym would be open on May 1. In that same post people were commenting that by opening he was going against the rules. Ignorance can not be claimed as a excuse.

Could the Rogersville police have given him a warning? Yes, but for all we know they did...?

I will give Butler the benefit of a doubt and say that he was influenced by his "friends" to do what he did. With that being said the mayor of Rogersville is not helping the situation by continuing to share conspiracy theory messages online. 

Our take is merely a fine, since his actions are considered a misdemeanor and not a felony. Still, as we previously pointed out, he will now have to acknowledge this arrest in many professional situations. Was it worth it?

Several Takes on the Aric Butler Arrest

Aric Butler D.C.

Most comments we've seen have been very disapproving of the custodial arrest of Dr. Aric Butler. Here's one from a regular reader:

It’s sad to see that the police wrote Dr. Butler a ticket for this; that’s just petty. What about the massive drug problem in Rogersville at the school parking lot and in the apartments? Let’s not forget to mention County Road 608 and Rogersville Heights. Why turn a blind eye on stuff like drug dealing to give a guy a ticket for running his legal business? 

Nevertheless, all Dr. Butler had to do was sign the citation and he was free on his own recognizance. He refused. Did he want to be taken in to garner sympathy? 

Other comments we are seeing and have received involve misdemeanor citations. Authorities always have the discretion to let an arrestee go on a misdemeanor charge if he/she signs the citation. Each county and city is different. Look at Franklin County arrests and you'll see many more individuals booked for misdemeanors than in other northwest Alabama counties. 

For those who contend that a signature on a citation is not required, here's the law (while this specifically mentions traffic tickets, this applies to all misdemeanor citations where the defendant isn't taken into custody):

All violations of Alabama traffic laws are charged on a uniform traffic citation form (ticket). By signing the ticket you are promising to appear in court. You are not admitting guilt. Failure to sign the ticket will result in your arrest.

Therefore, we may assume Dr. Butler wished to be taken into custody in order to prove some legal point at his trial. That's if it comes to a trial; if it does, we hope it's livestreamed.

One final salient point: Now when Dr. Butler fills out an application for a loan, lease, grant, etc., he will need to check yes in the box asking if he has been arrested for anything more than a minor traffic violation. We have to wonder if he thought of that before deciding to disobey the quarantine directive?

The Quarantine Hasn't Been Easy On Any Of Us

We Support the Rogersville Police...Who Knew?

Over the years, we've asked how anyone can simply pick which laws to follow and which to break. We recently had a reader say only murder should be illegal...think about that one. If we've never mentioned it, we've always thought that 45 mph speed limit just east of Rogersville is one of the most inane things we've ever seen, but guess what? We obey it.

That brings us to Dr. Aric Butler, owner of Doc's Gym in Rogersville. Rogersville Police attempted to cite him for being open in direct violation of current law. He refused to sign the citation (which is in fact a non-custodial arrest with a signature bond), so the Rogersville officers were left with no recourse but to take him to jail. In case you don't understand this, just try not signing a traffic citation when you receive one.

All that in itself is quite an interesting story, but wait...there's more idiotic actions to come. Some of Doc's friends are picketing outside Rogersville Town Hall. Please look at the above photo and tell me what Jeffrey Epstein has to do with Doc's Gym. The next time Shoalanda is cited for any minor traffic violation in Florence, she plans to protest it's unfair since Joe Biden is a sniffer. Think that would work? Think that makes even the slightest sense?

We're pretty sure the guy holding the Epstein sign took the same logic course in school as Mayor Herston.