TRI In The News
Civil Liberties Group to Defend Local Activist Arrested During Protest
6/24/2011
TRI IN THE NEWS: CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUP TO DEFEND LOCAL ACTIVIST ARRESTED DURING PROTEST
From Newsplex.com
Original article available here.
The Rutherford Institute has chosen to represent a Charlottesville environmentalist who was arrested during a protest of the strip mining activities of Dominion Virginia Power while standing on a public highway in front of the Boar's Head Inn.
Chris Walters was arrested and charged with trespassing on May 12 after refusing to move from the shoulder of Route 250 West in Charlottesville near the entrance of the Boar's Head Inn, where Dominion Virginia Power was holding a shareholders' meeting.
Attorneys with the non-profit civil liberties organization will defend Walters against the trespassing charge, which is scheduled to be heard in Albemarle General District Court on July 19.
"The streets and parks in this country exist, in part, for the exercise of rights-specifically, the right to assemble and protest-by the American people," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "Chris Walters has a right to engage in political expression and his arrest is an egregious violation of the First Amendment."
As Walters and others walked with signs along the shoulder of the south side of Route 250, they were approached by Albemarle County police, who informed them that they were on private property owned by the Boar's Head Inn and that the property owner was demanding they leave. Although most of the other protesters moved, Walters refused to do so, asserting that he was on a public right of way. When he continued to stand his ground he was arrested for trespassing.
Walters pleaded not guilty at his May 20 court appearance.
