Rosenstock has become a familiar face at county and St Augustine Beach city meetings, as well as the St Johns County Pier Park. He is a 73-year-old retiree who is politically active in the community. He says that what he is doing is in response to what he sees as an overreaching county government that has flagrantly ignored the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Last week, Rosenstock appeared before the board of county commissioners to speak against their use of a “free speech sign” to designate a limited area at the county park for citizens to exercise their constitutionally protected rights of free expression.
According to a St. Augustine Beach Police spokesperson, Rosenstock has also complained to the St. Augustine Beach mayor, officials, and other members of the St. Augustine Beach Civic Association, that a food vendor, a man who Rosenstock says is a sexual offender, has been illegally operating at the Pier Park on Wednesdays without a proper license.
Under public pressure, the county commission voted, unanimously, to remove the “free speech” signs from county property, to Rosenstock’s satisfaction.
However, officials say the food vendor Rosenstock complained about is not operating illegally, nor is he a registered sexual offender. So, Rosenstock complained to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation about the vendor. They sent investigators to the Market last month and determined that the St. Augustine Beach Civic Association, who rents the park from the county, has been issuing event permits to the vendor. As a non-profit business, the vendor did not require licensing from the State of Florida.
Once they learned of the investigator’s findings, last month, police told Rosenstock to leave the man alone.
At the August 1st market held at the St Augustine Amphitheatre, the vendor spotted Rosenstock. In a statement to police, the vendor said he “did not feel threatened” by Rosenstock, but that he did feel “aggravated”. Two days later, he called police to make an official complaint. Judge Alexander Christine acted on the complaint, issuing a warrant Tuesday for Rosenstock’s arrest.
Rosenstock was charged at 12:26:59 p.m. yesterday, under 784.048.2 F.S. – Stalking; which is a first-degree misdemeanor. He posted the $500 bond and was released at 7:57:35 p.m. the same day.
Several observers have complained to Historic City News about the way Rosenstock has been handled; reporting that the arrest is the result of sour grapes between the St Augustine Civic Association, the mayor of St Augustine Beach, and police who they say are exacting their revenge for the role Rosenstock played in having the “free speech zone” signs removed.
Some members of the Saint Augustine Tea Party, who have had run-ins with the Civic Association over their presence at public functions at the Pier Park agree that certain members of the association are overly aggressive and assume authority they do not possess to censor speech by those who do not necessarily agree with them.
Community activist Ed Slavin has objected several times about the manner in which the Civic Association, with support from law enforcement and the beach commission, has overreached their authority in restricting free speech at the Pier Park. He agrees that Rosenstock is the victim of retaliation for expressing the same opinion.
Merrill Paul Roland also reported that he has been following the arrest and that he spoke with Rosenstock about this particular situation. “I know Bill Rosenstock,” Roland said in a message to Historic City News editor, Michael Gold yesterday. “He doesn’t have in his heart to stalk anyone, he doesn’t have any motive to stalk anyone.”
Roland, Slavin, the Tea Party members, and readers who contacted us all believe Rosenstock was a political target whose arrest was driven by his outspoken, passionate comments at public meetings, in local editorials, and at venues where he has expressed his views.