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Little Girl & Little Ethel Impoundment Fees

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Where we slept last night I awoke fixed breakfast and packed up the mules. We left and got on G14 headed for Paso Robles and walked approximately 3 hours. We were walking along G14 toward Paso Robles and CHP cruiser pulled up alongside, he'd been getting calls that we were walking in the road. He asked me to do a favor and not walk on the road. My reply was that I have a right to walk on the road. I am not breaking any laws and I will continue to do so for the simple reason to repeat myself that I have the right to and there was no alternative to G14.

At that point he left. We walked 10-15 minutes and he returned with another officer in another cruiser. He stopped in front of me, got out of his cruiser and told me I could not walk on the road. I reasserted my right to walk on the road. It was obvious if you looked at the road there was no where else to walk. I was walking as far to the edge as possible. LG who I was leading was walking right abreast of me and Little Ethel was abreast of Little Girl. Little Ethel was the one furthest in the road. There was plenty of room for a passing motorist, slowing his automobile to an appropriate speed to pass us and they were doing so with no problem. 

So the officer continued to assert that I could not walk on the road. I continued to assert I had the right to walk on the road and that I could not sprout wings. We went back and forth like that for a good period of time. Officer trying to convince me that I had no right to walk on the road which is ludicrous. 

State law clearly states that equestrians have the right to use the public thoroughfare. 

We bantered back and forth for a good period of time, then the officer finally said if I come back again you will be arrested and your animals will be impounded. he then left with his fellow officer. 

Well now what was I to do? There was no side roads to take off on , there was nothing but G14. and there was no cell phone service to call for assistance. we had no choice to stand there to hell freeze over or to continue to walk to pr on G14. so we did just that.

About 10 minutes more the officer then returned got out of his cruiser approached me, stepped in front of me and said I was under arrest. He then took the lead rope from my hand and handed the lead rope to the other officer who took Little Girl and Little Ethel to the other side of the highway and told me I was under arrest. He asked me to put my hand behind my back which I did, then hand cuffed me, took me to his cruiser, opened the door, asked me get inside, which I did.  I offered absolutely no resistance. 

I have now been charged with obstruction. I was not charged with walking on the highway because I had every right to be there. I have been charged with obstruction resisting arrest which I did not resist arrest.

I have now been released from jail with a court date to appear in SLO criminal courthouse annex room [phone redacted] Monterey st SLO, CA 93408 on March 23, 2020 at 8am.

On New Year's Day, we had a similar encounter  with San Benito County CHP under much the same circumstance and here we go again once again. San Benito County CHP gave up on telling us we couldn't walk on the highway and instead offered us a solution on how we could get out of there with their police escort to San Juan Bautista, until a lady told us that we had an alternative way to go instead of choosing a police escort. 

I am now at animal control in SLO Animal Services 885 Oklahoma Avenue and need to pay for the release of LG & LE. I've set up this GoFundMe to help release out of the shelter. The cost for release is $266 but adding $25 for GoFundMe admin fees. 

Thank you for your support. We will close this campaign when we have reached the goal. 

The Mules.

Organizer

John Cheney Sears
Organizer
San Luis Obispo, CA

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