Estimable City Attorney JAMES PATRICK WILSON Is No Gentleman, A Bad Example for Citizens and Visitors in Our City of St. Augustine

The man who spent ten years perpetrating St. George Street artist exclusion laws (resulting in First Amendment violations); who advised against flying Rainbow flags on the Bridge of Lions (resulting in a finding of First Amendment violations); and who justifies anything any developer ever wants to do is CITY MANAGER WILLIAM B. HARRIS' right-hand clone, JAMES PATRICK WILSON. Today, JAMES PATRICK WILSON came to the City of St. Augustine Purchasing Office in response to routine requests to view documents on asphalt, automobile and vehicle, attorney, engineer, environmental and other consulting work contracting (and shade meetings). City of St. Augustine CITY ATTORNEY JAMES PATRICK WILSON was decidely unpleasant, yelling, insulting, bordering dangerously on assault and battery and false arrest, when two citizens went to view records on purchasing practices. WILSON demanded we list all the documents we wanted to see. He provided none of them, demanding we leave and come back later upon threat of "arrest." One man tried to snatch away a ten-year-0ld Purchasing Manual (not the current version) before we had finished reading it. The lady who took our request refused to shake my hand (as WILSON refused last year). After we had left the office, WILSON then stormed down the hallway after us. He was yelling. We were in the elevator, the doors closing, closing closed. Then WILSON pushed the elevator button, forcing us to endure his continuing tirade. I thought that WILSON wanted to hit me and was grateful to have a witness. WILSON was trying to continue an argument he had started earlier. We will be back. If it takes United States Marshals to compel the City of St. Augustine to obey the law (as in the 1960s), what Dr. King called "the most lawless city in America" will start to treat citizens with respect instead of disdain, derision and derogatory language. We need a City government that protects people, instead of developers and contractors.