As one who sat in the courtroom yesterday with some 25 other supporters, I felt relief that Andy is no longer under threat of jail and a huge fine.

But, I also felt anger. No wonder cop harassers James Keating and Paul Macke were all smiles as they left the court building in Skokie following the trial. Although they predictably lost the case when the long delayed trial finally went forward, they actually won quite a bit in harassment delt to Andy and the antiwar movement.

One need not look far for the answer to why the cops and the political prosecutors went forward with a patently bogus felony aggravated battery charge: Hours spent in police custody, countless court hearings, thousands spent for legal representation, travel restrictions, and fear that another arrest could lead to revocation of bond and jail time-- a concern that dragged on for some 16 months following the January, 2008, arrests.

When combined with other harassment, such as Andy being singled out for arrest in March of 2005, it is clear that a pattern exists. It's way past time for the City of Chicago to pay a price for its efforts to harass and inhibit political speech with which it disagrees.