Surfing's cardinal sin.
Summer is almost here, in the northern hemisphere, once more and with it very expensive trips to the beach for our surfing brothers and sisters who happen to live on the eastern seaboard. But who could forget the story of Liam Mahoney who was brutally tackled, cuffed and stuffed by an extremely aggressive policeman in Belmar, New Jersey after a surf, last summer, for not having a “beach badge.”
The scene was caught and viraled and now, one year later, has arrived in court.
I was frankly shocked to learn that the policeman had not been sued for excessive force. It was Mahoney, 299 who copped a plea which will see him pay a fine time in a “diversion program” as opposed to being locked up for disorderly conduct, obstruction and resisting arrest.
While trying to get down to the facts of that day, the judge asked, “Did you have a badge under your wetsuit? Not on your skin, but on a rash guard?”
No, Mahoney answered, adding he goes “full commando,” underneath the suit.
This almost derailed the plea agreement as Judge Dennis Lavender became incredulous, asking municipal prosecutor Robert Cosgrove, “You ok with this (explanation)?”
“There is no evidence he had a beach badge,” Cosgrove said.
Under more questioning, Mahoney said he walked onto the beach past the badge checkers with his sister, who had two badges on her bag.
Things got very serious, Lavender halting the proceedings, declaring, “That’s it, we’re going to trial.”
The lawyers then retreated to the judges chambers and sorted everything out though a hideous detail was delivered by Lavender, from the bench, before everyone left for the day. According to NJ.com, “In a lighter moment, Lavender clarified that back in his surfing days, he and others wore trunks under their wetsuits, prompting chuckles. (He did not say if he wore a badge.)”
Trunks under wetsuit, man.
Surfing’s cardinal sin.
But do you think anybody appearing before Judge Lavender will ever be able to respect him again or will he be haunted by lawyers and defendants whispering, giggling and pointing?
I suppose he deserves it.