Seattle man acquitted in TSA airport case

An Albuquerque jury acquitted a Seattle man Friday who had refused to show his ID to Transportation Security Administration officers at a New Mexico airport in 2009.

Phil Mocek had been on trial for four misdemeanor charges, including failing to obey an officer and concealing his identity at Albuquerque International in November of 2009.

According to the Seattle Weekly, Mocek, a 37-year-old software developer, had no form of valid ID when he reached the front of an airport security line. He was told to step out of line for further questioning.

According to the Weekly, Mocek had refused to give his name or leave the airport when ordered, after police said he caused a disturbance in which he allegedly yelled, "I know my rights!" He also used his cell phone to record the incident.

In the wake of simmering outrage against TSA's gropes and naked imaging machines at airports, Mocek's case has become a rallying cry for civil libertarians.

KOB-TV in Albuquerque reported that jurors found Mocek not guilty on all four counts.

Read Mocek's comments post-trial here.