[GPSCC-chat] Court Appearance - SUPPORT LAURA IN PERSON

Sun Oct 31 17:40:16 PDT 2010

Brian Good wrote:
>
> I think it's great that Laura has engaged in an act of very effective
> civil disobedience
> to publicize the uselessness of closed Repemocrat debates.

Well, I could be wrong, but it appears to me that this is
an inaccurate description of what happened.

What happened was complicated, so I may have some errors
myself, but as near as I can tell, this is what happened:
(I was not there, I am basing this on videos and emails.)

In this explanation I have included references to sources
where possible as S1, S2, ... S7, explained further down.

- Laura had planned to just be one of the protestors.
   I can't find a source for this.)
- Someone gave away 2 tickets.  I don't know who that
   someone was, or whether Laura knew who it was.  You
   can see him in one of the videos.  You even get a
   close up of the ticket (S5 @ 1:39) which has no name
   on it.  How was Laura supposed to know that there was
   a problem with the ticket?
- Laura and Marnie decided to watch the debate from inside
   with the two tickets.  (S5 1:35 - 1:55) (S7)
- They passed through the first line of security with no
   trouble.  (S3) (S7)
- As they were approaching the door to the building, some
   one came up and said something like "You are the Green
   Party candidate for Governor, let me see the ticket,"
   then said the ticket was invalid  (S1)
- Then they took her away.  (S3) (S5) (S7)
- Laura had not planned on being arrested, had not wanted to
   be arrested.  (I can't find a source for this.)

>
> Her ticket was bogus, as her accusers claim, because it was issued to
> someone else and
> not to her.

Apparently the ticket was valid, but she was not authorized to
use it.

> We can challenge the ticket policy, but the claim that she
> had a valid ticket
> is specious. The charge of trespassing is technically correct.

I am unclear on what basis the charge is technically correct.
Security had allowed her past the first line.  You might argue
that technically they had a right to ask her to leave the area,
and technically they might have had a right to arrest her if
she refused to leave.  Maybe.  As far as I know they never
told her that she would be arrested if she did not leave.

FWIW, the SJ Merc article says she was warned (S6).

My sources of info:

S1:
SF Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=74454

S2:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/Green-Party-Candidate-Arrested-Outside-Debate-104825169.html

S3:
http://www.kcra.com/video/25372323/detail.html

S4:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/10476668

S5:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6QxZPkN3MA&NR=1

S6:
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16327284?nclick_check=1

S7:
http://www.marinij.com/sanrafael/ci_16328485

Also, here is an interview with Laura:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_69DdiEPsA&NR=1

>
> I disagree with the notion that all candidates should have standing to
> appear. I don't
> want the Jesus Party and the Dog-Lovers' Party making the discussion a
> circus. 10% seems
> a reasonable threshold and we need to challenge the Meg/Jerry/Undecided
> polling fiction
> head on.
>
> I am very enthusiastic about Laura's Green in 2014 campaign. The open
> primaries may
> well work for us instead of against us. Laura can draw voters from the
> Dems, the Reps,
> and the Decline-to-State (which when I last checked appears to be the
> fastest growing
> party) and can mount a realistic campaign in 2014. There will be no
> excuse to exclude
> her from the pre-primary debates.
>
> I hope she will run for some other office in 2012 to raise awareness of
> her presence.
> Barbara Lee's Congressional seat might not be the best venue. How about
> Anna Eschoo's
> seat or Zoe Lofgren's?

She would have to move.  She lives in Oakland now.

Gerry

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  > Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 10:59:56 -0700
>  > From: gerrygras at earthlink.net
>  > To: spencer.graves at prodsyse.com
>  > CC: sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org
>  > Subject: Re: [GPSCC-chat] Court Appearance - SUPPORT LAURA IN PERSON
>  >
>  >
>  > I just looked and I could not find that.
>  >
>  > Where does it say that?
>  >
>  > Gerry
>  >
>  >
>  > spencerg wrote:
>  > > Reading more carefully, I find, "The signature deadline has been
> reached
>  > > for this petition." Spencer
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > #########################
>  > > What do I have to do to sign the petition? I can see where to "Login to
>  > > the Greenchange Network", but I don't see where to sign the
> petition. Do
>  > > people have to "Sign Up" with the GreenChange Network to sign the
>  > > petition? That's not clear, and I'm not eager to sign up. Spencer
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > On 10/31/2010 1:22 AM, Gerry Gras wrote:
>  > >>
>  > >> As many of you know, our gubernatorial candidate will
>  > >> be spending part of Election Day on a matter that is
>  > >> unusual for a candidate.
>  > >>
>  > >> Laura Wells will be arraigned in court on Tuesday.
>  > >>
>  > >> In political cases, normally the judge, the attorneys,
>  > >> and the media pay attention to how much support the
>  > >> accused has. The more supporters Laura has in court,
>  > >> the better it is for Laura. So I am asking that any
>  > >> supporter of Laura, or civil liberties, or democracy,
>  > >> or justice, be in court if possible for Laura's
>  > >> arraignment. Unfortunately I won't be there, I am
>  > >> committed to being a pollworker all day on Tuesday.
>  > >>
>  > >> Below are the details, and below that is the press
>  > >> release.
>  > >>
>  > >> Also, for those who wish to have their names on the
>  > >> petition, please sign as soon as possible. I understand
>  > >> that Marnie Glickman will be delivering the petition to
>  > >> the District Attorney sometime on Monday. I don't know
>  > >> when she will be printing the petition.
>  > >> http://bit.ly/freelaurawells
>  > >>
>  > >> INFORMATION ON ARRAIGNMENT:
>  > >>
>  > >> Laura is in courtroom N, 1 p.m. Tuesday
>  > >> BE THERE BY 12:30.
>  > >>
>  > >> Marin County Superior Court
>  > >> 3501 Civic Center Drive
>  > >> San Rafael, California 94903
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> =========== Press Release ============
>  > >>
>  > >> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>  > >> Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010
>  > >> Contact: Laura Wells, 510-504-4254 or 916-996-9170
>  > >>
>  > >> ATTENTION WEEKEND EDITOR
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE SPENDS WEEKEND
>  > >> CAMPAIGNING FOR VOTES...AND PETITION
>  > >> SIGNATURES TO KEEP HER OUT OF JAIL
>  > >>
>  > >> SAN RAFAEL, CA. – While Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman will be
>  > >> campaigning this weekend to become governor of California, Green Party
>  > >> gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells will be asking people not just for
>  > >> votes, but for petition signatures to keep her out of jail.
>  > >>
>  > >> Wells (www.laurawells.org) who was arrested here Oct. 12 just trying
>  > >> to watch a Governor Debate (she was already banned from
>  > >> participating), will be at the MARIN COUNTY FARMERS MARKET Sunday from
>  > >> 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (3501 Civic Center Dr., Main Entrance).
>  > >>
>  > >> Wells will be campaigning and trying to get signatures on a petition
>  > >> urging Marin County District Attorney Edward Berberian to dismiss her
>  > >> misdemeanor charges.
>  > >>
>  > >> She is due in Marin County Criminal Court on Election Day, Nov. 2 to
>  > >> face those charges.
>  > >>
>  > >> The petition states: "Laura Wells, the Green candidate for Governor
>  > >> of California, was arrested on Oct. 12, 2010 at the California
>  > >> Governor's Debate. Her arrest is a violation of her civil rights. She
>  > >> had a ticket and the right to attend the debate. We request that you
>  > >> dismiss the criminal charge against Ms. Wells and launch an
>  > >> investigation into why she was arrested."
>  > >>
>  > >> Wells, who garnered more than 400,000 votes when she ran for
>  > >> Controller in 2002 on the Green ticket, is a financial analyst who
>  > >> talks about solutions – not politics – to California's budget mess.
>  > >>
>  > >> Wells wants to "reform" Prop. 13 so it benefits individuals, as was
>  > >> promised, but large corporations. She is promoting the concept of a
>  > >> "State Bank" that would make loans to residents, including student
>  > >> college loans and profit California, not private bailed-out banks.
>  > >>
>  > >>
>  > >> _______________________________________________
>  > >> sosfbay-discuss mailing list
>  > >> sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org
>  > >> http://lists.cagreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss
>  > >>
>  > >
>  > >
>  > _______________________________________________
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