Report issued on election arrest
The San Antonio Police Department’s arrest report in the Lorenzo Tijerina case states the election officials were frightened by his repeated questions about election rules. `See “Ballot blues,” November 17-23, 2005` Tijerina was arrested for criminal trespass on Election Day after he refused to leave his polling site, according to SAPD.
Two election officials told police Tijerina “came in asking a lot of questions.” However, Tijerina, who posted his story on myspace.com, said he felt overwhelmed by the number of ballot propositions, including No. 6, which involved reverse mortgages. He asked officials if he could cancel his vote, make a phone call, and return to cast his ballot.
According to the report, election officials told Tijerina he couldn’t use his cell phone in the voting area because “it can damage the `electronic voting` equipment.” Officials consulted with election headquarters and determined Tijerina could cancel his vote and make the call outside the polling station. Shortly afterward, he was arrested.
In the report, arresting Officer Robert J. Henderson said witnesses told police Tijerina “was persistent with the questions even though they already advised him they are impartial and can’t help,” because they didn’t have a copy of election rules, which Tijerina had asked to see. Henderson reported that Tijerina’s tone became “increasingly irate and aggressive,” and that he was disrupting the “quiet peaceful place” of the voting site. “`Tijerina` got to the point with his words and actions that they were afraid so they called us.”
Tijerina told the Current that he was calm throughout the exchange. After posting $800 bail, he returned to the polling site that evening and voted.
– Francesca Camillo
Former VP candidate at Trinity
“I was wrong to vote for war,” former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards wrote last week in an op-ed in the Washington Post.
With that off his chest, Edwards, a recent guest on The Daily Show, will speak on “America: The Land of Opportunity” at Trinity University Tuesday, November 29, at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:45; admission is free.