Jury acquits 5 who protested in Grassley's Des Moines office

[Maddy McCall]

Source: AP

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A jury has acquitted five people who were arrested for staging a war protest in Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley's Des Moines office.

The group was charged with trespassing February 26th, the same day eleven others were arrested for staging a similar protest in the senator's Cedar Rapids office. Those eleven were spared jail time last week and ordered to pay fines.

Sally Frank is the attorney who represented 3 of the defendants during the 3-day trial in Polk County.

She says her clients were among ten people who walked into Grassley's office to protest the Republican's support of the Iraq war. They were arrested in the office after reading the names of American troops and Iraqi civilians who have died in the war.

Frank argued to the jury that the group had a right to be in the office -- especially during office hours -- to address its concerns with the senator's staff.



Read more: http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=6777649&nav=1sW7

[Hand]

1. OUTSTANDING!!!

A big :yourock: to that jury! :applause:

[roody]

2. A big one for the protestors also. You rock.

[fudge stripe cookays]

3. Hey Grassley!

You work for US, got it? If people want to air their concerns, it is your job to LISTEN to them, not have them arrested for using their rights as American citizens!

[DU9598]

4. Jury Acquits 5 who protested in Sen. Grassley's Office

Source: Sioux City Journal

A jury acquitted five people Wednesday who were arrested for staging a war protest in Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley's Des Moines office, an attorney said.

The five defendants were among 10 people who walked into Grassley's office to protest the Republican's support of the Iraq war. They sat in the room and began reading the names of American troops and Iraqi civilians who have died in the war. Grassley's staff then called police, who arrested seven of them for refusing to leave the office. Two of them pleaded guilty.

Drake University Law Professor Sally Frank argued to the jury that the group had a right to be in the office -- especially during office hours -- to address its concerns with the senator's staff. "That was fairly important to the jury," Frank said. She criticized Grassley's staff for allegedly calling police within minutes after the group entered the office. She said the senator's office is the proper venue for Iowans to address their concerns with Grassley's policies.

Staff "showed a true lack of concern for what (Grassley's) constituents have to say," Frank said.

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Read more: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/07/12/news/latest_news/5230cf5da80ae3f786257316004a9483.txt

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This is great news and hopefully sets a precedent that American citizen have the right to assemble and protest our beliefs to our elected officials. Leave it to Iowa's, not the courts, to decide whether Iowans can inform our Senator how we feel about the illegal war and occupation.

[roody]

5. Good job, Iowa!

[splat]

6. We taxpayers pay Grassley's rent

It's astounding that a jury would have to assert the people's right to visit the people's representative on public property.

[TexasLawyer]

7. How dare these constituents show up at my office

with grievances! :sarcasm:

Really, this dude has to go. He's up for reelection in 2010. What say you, Iowa?

[Mabus]

8. Bravo! It's nice to know that American citizens can still express themselves

and that they can express themselves to their elected officials and/or their staff.

Good for them. This is truly wonderful news.