CRIMINAL TRIAL FOR COSTA MESA ACTIVIST
'Not guilty' verdict could lead to costly
political problems for mayor
By JOHN EARL
OC Voice Editor
The long delayed criminal trial of Costa Mesa resident
and immigrant rights activist Benito Acosta, a.k.a.
Coyotl Tezcatlipoca—a name that references his native
American heritage—is scheduled to start Aug. 15 at the
Harbor Superior Court in Newport Beach. Acosta is
charged with one misdemeanor count each of violating
city codes 2-61(b) and 2-64, which address unlawful
conduct by audience members during city council
meetings.
The charges of “disrupting” a city council proceeding
stem from a free-for-all that broke out during a
public comments session of the Jan. 3, 2006, Costa
Mesa city council meeting after police, acting on
Mayor Allan Mansoor’s orders to take an early recess,
pulled Acosta away from the speaker’s podium and
pushed him outside the council chambers before his
three minute speaking limit had expired.
If found guilty, Acosta faces a maximum sentence of 6
months in jail and a $1,000 fine on each count. But a
verdict of not guilty for Acosta in his criminal trial
could lead to a politically costly “guilty” verdict on
the civic conduct of both the mayor and the former
Chief of Police John Hensley and an ensuing civil
trial....
The rest of this story, printed on the front page, can
be read at www.ocvoice.com or by clicking directly on
the following link:
http://www.ocvoice.com/OC_VOICE/Home/OCV%20-%20August%202007.pdf #####
This message sent out by Duane J. Roberts, Publisher
of The Orange Coast Voice.