SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco court on March 27 dismissed all charges against nudism activist Martin Moulton, 59, who had been arrested after a confrontation with park rangers during a January vigil for Grateful Dead cofounder Bob Weir at Civic Center Plaza.
Moulton, a longtime community activist and organizer of the World Naked Bike Ride, attended the Jan. 17 event with four other unclothed individuals when several park rangers and San Francisco Police Department officers approached the group and told them they needed to put on clothes, leave or face citation for public indecency.
According to the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, Moulton declined to put on clothes, citing prior occasions at permitted events in the city where he had legally been allowed to be nude. He began to leave voluntarily and told one of the park rangers, “Do not touch me.”
The ranger, identified as Antoine Fisher, then grabbed Moulton by the neck and choked him, according to the defense. As Moulton continued to leave, he spat in the direction of officers who were following several feet behind him. Officers claimed they were struck by saliva, then ran toward Moulton, pulled him to the ground and arrested him.
Moulton was charged with misdemeanor counts of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest.
On March 27, a judge granted a motion by the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office to dismiss the charges.
“The park ranger’s choking of Mr. Moulton was dangerous and disturbing,” said Misdemeanor Attorney Madeline Walsh, who represented Moulton along with Deputy Public Defender Mark Goldstein.
“The rangers needlessly escalated and inflamed this situation,” Goldstein said. “Prosecutors should never have charged Mr. Moulton. We are grateful the court did the right thing and dismissed this case.”
Moulton, a Bay Area native, is retired from a career in marketing and serves on the board of directors of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. He also attends and volunteers at a Quaker church in Berkeley.
“Mr. Moulton and his friends were attending a community event peacefully but were met with state violence,” said San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju. “I am proud that his defense team fully embodied our office’s missions to fiercely defend our clients, confront state violence and advocate for community power.”
The defense team included Walsh and Goldstein, along with Senior Investigator Kathryn Williamson and Paralegal Michael Brown.
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