Beachcomber Publisher Jay Beeler was convicted today of both disobeying the order of a public officer as well as resisting, delaying or obstructing a police officer.  The charges stem from a March, 2007 apartment fire which was taped off as police access only.  

Beeler, 63, attempted to proceed past the tape and gain access to the restricted area, ignoring an officer’s orders to leave.  He was arrested and escorted to a press area but left and continued walking around the scene, for which he was re-arrested.  Beeler claimed that the arrests violated his rights as a journalist to gain access to restricted areas in order to cover a story.

“This case was never about press access,” said City Prosecutor Tom Reeves.  “It was about Mr. Beeler’s decisions – at the scene of a burning building involving a fatality – to disobey the orders of police officers.”

Beeler is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2.