Urgent! Dem arrested registering voters at DMV

[Liberty Belle]

Sun Apr-10-05 11:23 PM
Original message
Urgent!Any Dems hassled registering voters at the DMV?


Help! A friend has been arrested for registering voters in front of a DMV in California. Her trial starts tomorrow.

The Republican in charge of this DMV has a history of allowing Republicans to register voters there, but calling the cops on Democrats. I need to know if anyone else in California has had a similar problem -- ie, is there a pattern here?

I should note that my friend had tried for months to get a permit, but was refused. She then cited a court case in which it was ruled that such activities are legal in front of a public building, but was arrested anyway. She was arrested in September; the DMV manager told her she'd be welcome to come back and register voters there --AFTER the November election! Meanwhile at least 3 Republicans were allowed to continue registering voters at the same DMV.

My friend was registering in a nonpartisan fashion, taking registrations from all parties. She is very experienced at this--registered 3,000 voters last year alone. Unfortunately the Party has refused to help her and she can't get an attorney to take it on a pro bono basis. She had a decent public defender, but just learned that becuase of scheduling conflicts on her trial date the PD transferred her case to another PD who seems too busy and uninterested to provide a proper defense.

The trial is supposed to start tomorrow unless a judge will grant her a continuance. If anyone has evidence documenting a similar pattern of discriminatory enforcement/harassment against Democrats doing voter registration, especially at the DMV, please let me know ASAP!

[EFerrari]

1. That's awful!

She should be able to get a continuance because of the transfer, shouldn't she? Time to prepare a defense?

Thinking . . . .has she called the ACLU? Or, what about, a local voting rights group?

[FreedomAngel82]

2. I would try the ACLU too

They could probably help. I don't know anything about their prices though. :shrug: That's good to check out though. These people are so sick and disgusting!

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. If the case is good they tend to go pro bono

Liberty have her call the ACLU first thing in the morning

[Liberty Belle]

7. ACLU won't take it because there are criminal charges.

They say they'll only handle civil, which is ridiculous. If you think this is an outrage, please call the San Diego ACLU and give them a piece of your mind.

[Tesha]

10. Ask the ACLU again.

Our local affiliate has defended anti-Bush protesters who were
criminally charged; the protesters won.

Tesha

[Liberty Belle]

5. She will ask for a continuance and I hope she gets it.

The ACLU won't help because these are criminal charges; they said if she'd challenged the bar on Democrats registering voters there BEFORE she got arrested they would have helped.

The Democratic Party hasn't helped, either.

Her timing for the trial is bad because all the voting rights groups are out protesting a planned Schwarzenegger visit to our city today. If she can get a postponement, though, I think I can get her some people there.

Meanwhile the best I can do is show up as a freelance journalist to cover the trial, and make a big stink in the media afterwards if she gets railroaded.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

4. What were the charges?

Tresspassing? Something to do with soliciting? Electioneering on public property?

[Liberty Belle]

6. Here are the charges:

1. intimidating business customers

2. resisting or delaying a police officer



The first is bogus. She intimidated no one, from what I can see. There was a Republican military guy in line who was hassling her a bit, right when the CHP showed up, so it may have looked like an argument. But the DMV manager told her she'd be welcome to come back AFTER the November election, so clearly her behavior wasn't the issue here. The DMV also refused to release records to her with names of other people in line who were witnesses, including one who actually thanked the officer for "helping you register voters" and two who asked her to help them register after the officer arrived.

The second is probably becuase her friend, also registering voters, stupidly told the cops "We have a right to be here and if you don't like it, arrest me." Which they did. My friend showed the cops a copy of a court case stating that people have a right to register voters in front of public buildings, and asked where they were taking her friend. For that, she was charged with resisting or delaying a police officer, according to her.

The Registrar of voters has refused to release records of people registered that day in front of the DMV.

These two women were also registering voters at a second DMV earlier in the day, when the DMV called the police. The officer who responded there observed their actions, had no problem with them, and left. But the CHP has refused to turn over the record of that visit as well.

She really needs a lawyer to take her case on a pro bono basis, if she can get a postponement. She's in San Diego, if anyone here can help.

This is a woman who spent 6 hours a day, 6 days a week registering over 3,000 voters last year. I am outraged at what's happened to her.

[lonestarnot]

21. since they are crim charges, an attorney will be appointed

read the constitution!

[Eloriel]

8. Why on earth are you waiting til today to bring this to DU?

Makes no sense to me.

[Liberty Belle]

12. I only got details yesterday. She had a good PD she felt okay with,

But over the weekend the PD pulled a switcheroo and transferred to someone else, who seems uninterested and wants her to just plead guilty.

[libodem]

9. well, she's being martyred

for the cause. Not a reason to celebrate but perhaps some publicity may come from it and the unfairness of it all will shed some light on the outrage and discrimination of it all.

[fob]

11. Something isn't right. The DMV is one of the highest profile places

to get a voter registration form (Motor/Voter Bill), so what's the big deal if she was hanging out front registering people?

I don't get it.

Did she fill out one of these?
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/vrdis.pdf

From the Sec State of CA website;
Statement of Distribution Form for Voter Registration Cards
Any individual, group or organization requesting 50 or more voter registration cards from the Secretary of State's Office must complete and submit a Statement of Distribution form and a plan of distribution to the Secretary of State. For your convenience, the Statement of Distribution form is now available on-line by clicking on the following link: Statement of Distribution Form(Link I posted above).

The statement and plan of distribution can either be mailed or faxed to:

California Secretary of State
Elections Division
1500 11th Street, 5th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: [phone]
Upon receiving a completed request by fax or mail, the Elections Division will process the request within 48 hours. For additional assistance, please contact the Secretary of State's Elections Division at [phone].


I see no restrictions about WHERE you can do this. Is this a City ordinance that she ran up against?

[Liberty Belle]

13. Yes, she filled out those forms.

The DMV manager claims my friend was obstructing people from entering the building, which my friend says is a lie. She was 15-20 feet from the entrance, at least, and was walking along the back of the line asking people if they'd like to register to vote. She never tried to prevent anyone from entering. The DMV manager claims she had several complaints, but can't produce any names of anyone who supposedly complained.

At any rate, the case has been postponed for 24 hours because the DMV manager's husband had a heart attack. We're hoping she won't show, in which case the judge says the trial will go forward anyhow. Then my friend can argue that it's unfair not to give her the right to cross examine a witness against her.

This is a jury trial, by the way.

[EFerrari]

14. Don't let her go alone. Find some warm bodies who can go with

her. It will make a big difference to how she is perceived. (Make that neatly dressed warm bodies!)

[Liberty Belle]

17. Her public defender thinks the judge won't like it if she

packs the court with supporters. I'd suggested filling the room with people wearing blue ribbons as a show of support. I still think it would be a good idea, but my friend is hesitant to cause a stir.

One bright spot: the PD today assigned a new law clerk to help on the case. The law clerk is a Democrat and a new immigrant who believes in the principles here, so maybe justice will be done.

[EFerrari]

24. Good news.

And, between going alone and packing the room, there's going with a few quiet friends - like 4 or 5. No buttons, no obvious political affiliation. But, it shows she has friend who believe her and who are concerned and who are WATCHING.

Does that make sense? Wearing any type of symbol dehumanizes her in court and will piss off the judge, imo.

[Liberty Belle]

25. Thanks for the advice. Are you a lawyer?

[EFerrari]

26. No, just a survivor. Wish I was one. n/t

[fob]

15. Can she contact any of those she registered that day (if she did) and

see if they would testify?

As for the reason for the postponement I have two things to say; Karma's a bitch and I hope the guy is okay.

[Liberty Belle]

18. She wants to, but the registrar refuses to release names,

claiming there is no way to sort those registered by the date that they registered. Of course it's a Republican registrar of voters.

Initially, it was the same notorious Sally McPherson who refused to count unbubbled Donna Frye ballots. There's a new Registrar now, also a Republican; maybe worth another try.

The DMV manager has similar refused to release names of those standing in line, claiming it would violate privacy.

[fob]

19. Subpeona everyone! All workers and everyone in line. That'll give

'em an eyeful when they have to close down because everyone's at the courthouse. Serve the mcpherson person and her new replacement too.

She should countersue for harassment and then maybe she can get that list through the courts?

I wish you and her success.

[EFerrari]

29. Muthas. When you register people, you have to sign the form.

There must be a legal way to get copies of the forms SHE signed.

[Stephanie]

16. Try the National Lawyers Guild

http://www.nlg.org/

[Liberty Belle]

20. Thanks for the lead!

[NoPasaran]

22. All this time

I thought California was a Blue state.
:shrug:

[Liberty Belle]

27. The Reps are trying hard to turn us red.

But progressives are fighting back hard.

Scharzenbux was in town today, we think. Cops confirmed he was due, and the hotel staff confirmed they had a large banquet room reserved for a group with no name. But the crowd never saw him, so we think they snuck him in a side door early.

Anyhow, a lot of protesters showed up and got on the news, so word is getting out about his obnoxious policies.

[EFerrari]

28. That's GREAT news, LB.

They're turning the screws for sure, but CA is fighting back.

They can have this state when they pry it out of my dead cold hands.

:nuke:

[bearfan454]

23. DISCRIMINATION ! n/t