Jeff Olson (activist)
| Jeffrey Olson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Jeffrey David Olson January 18, 1973 Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Residence | San Diego,California (since 2009) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Pacific Lutheran University (1995) |
| Occupation | activist, bureaucrat, hospitality, professional |
| Political party | Socialist Alternative |
| Partner(s) | Stephen Daniels (2006-present) |
| Relatives | David Olson (father),Mary Olson (mother),Melinda Olson (sister) |
Jeffrey David "Jeff" Olson (born January 18, 1973) is an American activist, bureaucrat, and snowboard instructor best known for being tried on vandalism charges resulting from a series of incidents where he was accused of using washable, children's sidewalk chalk to write messages in opposition to the business practices of Bank of America on public sidewalks in San Diego, California.
Early life
Olson was born in Orlando, Florida and raised in Portland, Oregon. His mother was a registered nurse and homemaker, his father was a sales executive at Xerox Corporation and later Apple Inc.
Career
He has also worked as a full-time snowboard instructor at the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort with certification from The Professional Ski Instructors of America - American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI).[1]
Events related to Bank of America prior to the chalk incidents
On Oct 11,2011 Jeff Olson stood outside a BOA branch and encouraged people to close their accounts with BOA and open accounts with a non-profit credit union instead. As he was passing out flyers for California Coast Credit Union which would pay him a referral fee, Darrell Freeman,a BOA vice president, accused him of running a business, a claim which Olson denied. According to Olson,Freeman threatened to have Olson's accounts at California Coast closed if he did not desist from promoting them in front of the BOA branch.[2]
Trial
On April 12, 2013, Jeff Olson was charged with 13 counts of misdemeanor vandalism. The charges, a violation of California Penal Code 594(a)(b)(2)(A), were brought by the office of Jan I. Goldsmith, San Diego City Attorney, at the bequest of Bank of America, VP Darell Freeman.[3] Deputy City Attorney and lead prosecutor, Paige Hazard contended that Olson's use of children's washable chalk on city sidewalks was a crime. Olson was represented in court by Tom Tosdal of Solana Beach, California. He faced 13 years in jail and $13,000 in fines for writing anti-big bank slogans in water-soluble children’s chalk on public sidewalks in front of San Diego Bank of America branches.[3][4] People vs. Olson was heard by the Hon. Judge Howard H. Shore. Judge Shore issued a gag order in the case[5] and ruled that Tosdal could not use the First Amendment as a defense. [4][6] His trial began on June 25, 2013, and was presented to the jury for deliberations on June 28. The defendant found not guilty of all charges on July 1, 2013.[3]
The case received worldwide media coverage, galvanizing both free-speech advocates and those wary of government overreach.[7][8]
TV appearances
Olson appeared on the Rick Amato show on August 12, 2013, discussing minimum wage, Obamacare, Costco, Walmart, Rush Limbaugh, and Donald Trump with Victoria Taft. He also portrayed the victim in a demonstration by producer Christine Johnson of the Filner headlock.
References
- ↑ "The Central Line". PSIA-AASI CENTRAL DIVISION. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- ↑ Batterson, David. "Alleged Bank of America Official Threatens Protester". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- 1 2 3 Wing, Nick (July 1, 2013). "Jeff Olson Not Guilty". Huffington Post.
- 1 2 Wing, Nick (June 25, 2013). "Jeff Olsen Faces 13 Years". Huffington Post.
- ↑ Calamur, Krishnadev. "Jury Acquits Man Who Wrote On Sidewalk With Chalk". NPR.
- ↑ Hargrove, Dorian. "Jeff Olson, the Mad Chalker". San Diego Reader.
- ↑ Porter, Doug. "San Diego Gets Another Black Eye: Goldsmith’s #ChalkGate Prosecution Gets World-Wide Coverage". San Diego Free Press.
- ↑ Seibert, Trent. "Sidewalk Chalk Protester Not Guilty 13 Counts". San Diego Union Tribune.