5 activists arrested after supervisors meeting acquitted
A Maricopa County justice of the peace on Tuesday ruled in favor of five defendants who were charged with disorderly conduct following a Board of Supervisors meeting.The defendants were arrested after they clapped and cheered during the public-comment portion of the meeting in December 2008 as part of a protest of county politicians, including Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Sheriff's deputies arrested the defendants after law enforcement asked each of them to leave the meeting. Those who hesitated or spoke out were taken into custody.
Community activists Monica Sandschafer
, Kristy Theilen, Joel Nelson, Jason Odhner and Raquel Teran are all affiliated with the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability, a group that brought together organizations opposed to Arpaio and many of his policies - most notably illegal immigration - during and after the 2008 general election.
Another member of the group, Randy Parraz, was acquitted of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing last month following his arrest outside the supervisors meeting room in September 2008.
Justice Steven McMurry gave defense attorneys two weeks to file a memo on the issue of whether he could award their clients legal fees; the state will have two weeks to respond to that filing.
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