DuPage Against the War Prepares for Jury Trial of Hartfield and Zurawski
DuPage Against War Now
Tuesday, May 6th
Glen Ellyn Public Library
1st floor meeting room
400 Duane St. , Glen Ellyn
7:30 pm- 8:45 pm
FREE SPEECH ON TRIAL
Several weeks passed without incident after the protest last year before the knock on the door. The initial charges were trivial, and probably would have been dismissed.
Jeff Zurawski of Downers Grove and Sarah Hartfield of Naperville were charged with disturbing the peace for the protest they staged last year. Like so many of these cases since the arrest of Brett Bursey for trespassing on public property, charges are later agumented, sometimes with support from federal prosecutors, in efforts that are clearly intended to suppress any protest against George W. Bush.
In the case of Hartfield and Zurawski, they were later accused of throwing rocks at passing cars, which they both deny. They are fortunate to have the pro bono representation of "Superlawyer" Shawn Collins, who will defend them before a jury of their peers on June 6, 2008. The Collins Law Firm is among the best in Illinois, and Mr. Collins has been rated among the top lawyers in Illinois for 3 of the past 4 years.
This case has dragged on for a full year in the Circuit Court of Dupage County, and the defendants claim they're being persecuted for their political beliefs. It will be a tough battle for them, even with the best council. Although Illinois has 2.5 lawyers for every doctor, it ranks low in it's delivery of justice - in the bottom four of the 50 states, you are about as likely to get justice here as in the state of Alabama.
So today's monthly meeting of DuPage Against the War Now is a special one - and the press is warmly welcomed to meet with the key players in a major battle for free speech.
David Roknich,
Editor
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