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SUPPORT COYOTL TEZCATLIPOCA AT HIS
CRIMINAL TRIAL STARTING SEPT. 25TH
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At the Tuesday, January 3, 2006 meeting of the Costa
Mesa City Council, Mayor Allan Mansoor, a Minuteman
supporter and a proponent of merging local law
enforcement with immigration duties, abruptly cut off
Coyotl Tezcatlipoca, a critic of that proposal, during
public comments, even though he had about 40 seconds
left to speak.
Although Mayor Mansoor claims he did this because
Tezcatlipoca violated "rules" that forbid speakers
from asking members of the audience to stand up, he
allowed Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist
to do the exact same thing early on at the same
meeting: in fact, video footage shows that Mansoor
thanked him for what he did!
Not only does the evidence suggest that the Mayor
violated Tezcatlipoca's constitutional right to free
speech and assembly, but that he enforced the "rules"
in an arbitrary and capricious manner, and may himself
have broken a law that regulates the conduct of
council members at public meetings.
But instead of arresting the Mayor for disorderly
conduct, as should have been done, then-Police
Chief John Hensley ordered his officers to
forcibly remove Tezcatlipoca from the room while
the meeting was not legally in session -- this
despite the fact he was fully complying with their
orders asking him to leave.
Video footage shot of the incident and numerous
witnesses allege that Tezcatlipoca was choked, hit,
kicked, and sat upon by several policemen. Then, after
they finished physically assaulting him, the cops had
the audacity of booking him on a charge of resisting
arrest!
In February 2006, the Orange County District
Attorney's Office declined to file any criminal
charges against Tezcatlipoca in the "interest of
justice." A month later, the American Civil Liberties
Union filed a civil rights lawsuit on Tezcatlipoca's
behalf in U.S. federal court. But in June of that
year, the Costa Mesa City Prosecutor charged Coyotl
with violating two provisions of the municipal code,
both misdemeanor criminal offenses punishable by up to
six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
This case highlights the absurdity of Orange County's
backward system of criminal justice in the era of
Minutemen: Tezcatlipoca is facing prosecution for
offenses that were committed against him by police and
government officials!
Defend the right of free speech, assembly, and fair
and equal treatment in the criminal justice system!
Show your solidarity with Tezcatlipoca by attending
his upcoming criminal trial!
REMEMBER: AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!
WHEN?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
8:30 a.m.
WHERE?
Department H01
Harbor Justice Center
4601 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, California
Please arrive early for good seating.
Check the court calendar for the name, "Benito
Acosta," to find out which courtroom Coyotl
Tezcatlipoca's trial will be held in.
See following map for directions:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=4601+Jamboree+Road,+Newport+Beach,+CA+92
660&btnG=Search&ll=33.664782,-117.856135&spn=0.016859,0.042915
For more information, please contact
libertad200797@gmail.com ==============
ONLINE SOURCES
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See article entitled "Criminal Trial for Costa Mesa
Activist" on the front page of the August 2007 issue
of The Orange Coast Voice:
http://www.ocvoice.com/OC_VOICE/Home/OCV%20-%20August%202007.pdf See video shot by a Minuteman Supporter of Coyotl
being forcibly removed by police from Costa Mesa City
Council Chambers at the January 3, 2006 meeting:
http://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/media/costamesa/bad_2.wmv http://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/media/costamesa/bad_2.mov Copy of the unamended complaint of the civil rights
lawsuit filed against Mayor Mansoor and the City of
Costa Mesa by the American Civil Liberties Union:
http://www.aclu-sc.org/attach/c/complaint_Acosta.pdf