Friday, December 2, 2005

Gilchrist critic is exonerated in May theft of police light

By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI

The Orange County Register

WESTMINSTER – A woman was acquitted Thursday on charges of stealing a flashlight from a police officer while she was protesting against Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist.

Theresa Dang, 26, of Westminster was tried this week in West Justice Center on two misdemeanors – theft of loss of property and petty theft of a flashlight, which police valued at $120, prosecutors said. She faced up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Dang was among about 100 protesters who demonstrated at a May event in Garden Grove attended by Gilchrist, now a congressional candidate and founder of the Minuteman Project, a group of volunteer border watchers.

She and other protesters say police and prosecutors targeted her because she was a protester, and later complained about police behavior the rally.

Jurors "could guess this case was about a lot more than a flashlight and petty theft," said Dang, reached after the verdict. "This case was about political retaliation."

Deputy District Attorney Erik Petersen disputed the allegation.

"We don't take politics into account when we are charging a person with a crime," Petersen said.

Police had searched Dang's home for the flashlight, which has never been found.

During the trial, jurors were shown the videotape of Dang picking up the flashlight. Dang had testified that she picked up the flashlight because she thought it belonged to another protester, and gave it to someone else.