Join the firm’s softball team, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Come on, we’ll have a few brews, it’ll be a great time, they said.
And that’s when everything went all pear-shaped.
Reports surfaced that on Monday, during an inter-Biglaw softball game being played on the White House Ellipse, four attorneys were clapped in handcuffs for violating open container laws.
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Washington D.C. neighborhood blog PoPville started receiving tweets from a UVA 3L (according to the Twitter bio) about the incident as it was happening — and it includes a pic.
https://twitter.com/miss_malaska/status/623281461714636800
https://twitter.com/miss_malaska/status/623286921977024513
https://twitter.com/miss_malaska/status/623288879638970368
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So, maybe the attorneys allegedly involved weren’t thrown in solitary — in fact, they may have only gotten tickets — but handcuffs were definitely used. Other PoPville tipsters seem surprised by the way the incident was handled:
A reader also forwards an email:
“…as my team was leaving the Mall yesterday, there were 3 park police cop cars by a softball team (not our league) on the ellipse. 4 softball players were handcuffed in the back of the car. We asked the team what happened, and they said the cops came over and said they had warned teams about beer last week and were arresting people for open containers this week. Not tickets, not citations, HANDCUFFED IN COP CARS.
While this offends me on so many levels (this is an arrestable offense? you warn one softball player and assume everyone has been warned? etc), I strongly recommend you DO NOT drink beer on the Ellipse. So far I haven’t seen any action taken on the Mall side of Constitution but be careful.”
One of our own tipsters also reports that an email was sent out by the commissioner of the softball league referencing the “unfortunate incident” involving a “law firm team” and recommending caution when partaking of adult beverages during games. It would seem that is solid advice, especially in a town where even small nuisances can devolve into a BFD.
UPDATE (2:49 p.m.): We’ve now received a copy of the email that went out from the President of the Washington Sports Leagues:
From: Larry Washington
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 9:38 AM
To: Larry Washington
Subject: Drinking on the EllipseThere was a unfortunate incident last night at the games involving a law firm team… The Police arrest 4 guys for drinking.. First time I ever seen this before… I believe they was drinking with open cans in view but I’m not 100% sure… I’ll say bring Cups, BUT! Your drinking at your own risk out there… Be aware of park police….
Thanks,
Larry Washington – President
Washington Sports Leagues
“Word of Warning for those playing Softball on the Mall” (and drinking beer) [Popville]