Last year, former D.C. Councilmember Harold Brazil was charged with assault for getting into a physical fight with an employee at Jinx Proof Tattoo parlor.  Brazil, then 59-year-old, walked into the M Street shop with two women, one of whom was getting a tattoo.  When Brazil tried to follow her into the back of the shop, he got into an altercation with one of the employees.

The May court hearing about the incident revealed that in addition to exchanging punches and expletives with Jinx Proof employees, Brazil also peed on the store’s floor.  Brazil was found guilty, and was sentenced to a 30-day suspended sentence, 6 months unsupervised probation, and a $100 fine.

But Brazil’s not willing to accept the verdict.  He’s now appealing his conviction and suing the parlor for $5 million, accusing them of assault, the Washington Business Journal reported.

Saying that the witnesses who reported the incident had request that the case be dropped, Brazil told the Business Journal that he questions “the true motive … behind the prosecution and the unfairness of prosecuting a former politician for no articulable reason.”

Jinx proof, perhaps, but not Brazil-proof

Back in October, former D.C. Councilmember Harold Brazil was arrested for assault at Jinx Proof Tattoo parlor on M. Street. Today, the judge in his case issued a verdict in the case: guilty. Brazil was issued a 30-day suspended sentence and six months of unsupervised probation, according to City Paper.

But more interesting than the verdict are the details that emerged during the case:

• In addition to punching an employee of the shop in the back of the head, Brazil also urinated in the shop.
• According to Brazil’s lawyer, the Brazil was provoked when the shopkeeper yelled, “Fuck you, nigger.” (The shopkeeper, Francis Peyton, said he yelled, “Fuck you, man.”)
• Brazil’s reaction to the verdict? “Not only can they indict a ham sandwich, they can convict a ham sandwich … If you want to indict somebody, indict this criminal justice system that does this to people.”

For more about the incident, check out City Paper’s awesome coverage.

Photo from Flickr user T____13.

Stop photo creeping, Mr. Mayor

In the beginning of October, former DC councilman Harold Brazil was arrested for fighting on M Street’s Jinxproof tattoo parlor. Now new details are emerging about how and why Brazil found himself in such ignominious circumstances:

A tattoo-shop employee told police that former At-Large Councilmember Harold Brazil cursed at him, pushed him into a wall, then began punching him “with a closed fist” in the back of the head, according to documents filed by prosecutors.

The prosecution’s documents also explain why Brazil was so mad in the first place. He showed up at Jinxproof with two women, and got mad when–we thought–he wasn’t allowed to go in the back while one got a tattoo. Apparently, he was actually mad because one of the women wasn’t allowed to watch the other. That Harold, always a gentleman.

I’m not of the tattooed set, but is it common for people to go into private booths to get tattooing done? I thought part of the appeal was your friends watch you tough it out.

Happier times

Former D.C. City Councilmember Harold Brazil (D-At Large) was arrested for simple assault Thursday night after allegedly fighting with employees at M  Jinx Proof Tattoo Parlor on M Street, according to the Washington Post (emphasis added):

“‘We are just a tattoo shop,’ said owner Tim Corun, who would not comment on last night’s incident when Brazil allegedly got into a fight with shop employees. Things got nasty allegedly after Brazil was told he could not follow one of the two women he was with into the area where she was going to get a tattoo.“

Perhaps Brazil was just mad because the evening was supposed to end in matching tattoos.