DUARTE ARRESTED FOR HOLDING SIGN AT LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS DEBATE
Tucson, AZ Joe Duarte, Libertarian Candidate for U.S. Congress District 8, was arrested at approximately 5:30 p.m. this evening for holding up a sign protesting the League of Women Voters unlawful exclusion of Libertarian candidates from a televised Gubernatorial debate at Pima Community College.
Mr. Duarte was charged and released. He is due to appear in Pima County Justice Court on September 16 on the following charges:
- Disorderly conduct
- Disruption of an educational institution
The protest stemmed from the Leagues exclusion of the Libertarian (Hess and Fallon) and Independent (Mahoney) candidates, making a mockery of the Leagues supposedly non-partisan stance. As a 501-3c nonprofit, it is illegal for the League of Women Voters to act as a partisan political organization.
Mr. Duarte makes the following statement:
Its outrageous that Libertarians were excluded from the debate. Its even more outrageous that I was arrested for a perfectly peaceful protest. All I did was hold up a sign. The police told me I had two choices: Leave - or put down the sign and stay. I told them Im in America. My choice is clear. So they cuffed me and took me away.
August 25, 2002
You can contact the Duarte for Congress campaign at 520-245-4245. More information is available at www.duarte2002.com.