{"article":{"id":203866,"heading":"CRIMINAL TRIAL FOR COSTA MESA ACTIVIST","author":"repost","created":"2007-08-05 17:07:49","modified":"2013-11-11 00:49:13","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:49:13","article":"\n

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<\/a>

#####

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