Tuesday, May 30, 2006

“HUNG JURY” FOR ANTI-MINUTEMAN PROTESTER

An Orange County jury deadlocks on three charges;

issues “not guilty” verdict for two others.

By DUANE J. ROBERTS

duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com

SANTA ANA, CA – A mixed race, predominantly female

jury deadlocked 10-2 and 9-3 in favor of an

anti-Minuteman protester who was violently arrested by

Garden Grove police on the night of Wednesday, May 25,

2005.

Kurt Isobe, 19, of Laguna Niguel, was one of three

hundred people who attended a protest against

Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist, who was

speaking at a meeting of the California Coalition for

Immigration Reform in Garden Grove.

During three days of testimony, two police officers

accused Isobe of throwing two objects at police during

the demonstration. They claimed they saw him throw a

“golf ball sized” object and a “red soda can” toward a

police skirmish line.

But a crime lab technician testified that no

fingerprints could be found on any cans. And numerous

witnesses, including some who accompanied Isobe to the

demonstration, stated that they didn’t witness him

throw any objects at the police.

The jury "hung" on three charges of felony assault

against a police officer and obstructing an officer in

the performance of his duties. They found him “not

guilty” of lesser charges of assaulting a horse and

wearing a mask in the commission of a crime.

A hearing will be scheduled later next month to

determine if the Orange County District Attorney’s

Office will retry the case against Isobe. Attorney

David Haas, Isobe’s counsel, was unavailable for

comment at the time this report was written

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I know this has been a fierce and draining year, but FELICIDADES on your victory, and thank you for nver backing down!

MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU BROTHER, KURT ISOBE, 19, OF LAGUNA NIGUEL. YOU STOOD UP AGAINST THE EVILS OF THE WORLD. MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE. I AM WITNESS AGAINST THE BORDER BUILDERS, DON'T BUILD YOUR EVIL BORDERS IN MY NAME, OR WITH MY MONEY! THE MINUTE MAN BORDER BUILDERS ARE EVIL! NO ONE ON GODS GREEN EARTH IS ILLEGAL! THE KINGDOM OF GOD REMAINS HIDDEN FROM YOU MINUTEMEN ! IN JESUS CHRIST I AM WITNESS AGAINST YOU MINUTEMEN ! NICHOLAS J. PARRELL BLOG OF NPARRELLS