AUGUSTA, Maine — A jury on Thursday found four Occupy Augusta protesters guilty of defying police orders to leave the grounds of the Blaine House last November.
The four protesters were among nine who were charged with criminal trespassing and failure to disperse after police ordered them to leave the Blaine House property. The group was protesting police demands that they get a permit to continue their Occupy Augusta encampment across the street from the State House at Capitol Park.
Kimberly Cormier, 47, of Benton; Patricia Messier, 63, of Wiscasset; and Jenny Gray, 54, of Wiscasset were fined $250 each. The fourth defendant, Elizabeth Burke, 48, of Union was fined $400.
The Blaine House protest happened Nov. 27, 2011, when a group of people jumped the fence surrounding the governor’s mansion and unfurled a banner reading “End corporate rule now” on the portico.
Gov. Paul LePage wasn’t home at the time.
Thursday’s verdict followed an April trial of the four defendants and one other protester when jurors were dismissed after failing to arrive at a unanimous verdict.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Occupy the Court Docket continues. Guilty! Ha ha ha!
The Blaine House and the grounds around it belong to the people of Maine.
That is EVERYONE who is a legal resident.
So you are saying it would be OK to walk around the halls at 2AM uninvited, as long as we are a resident of Maine?
If so, I’ll let you try it first.
Don’t waste your time trying to convince these people right from wrong, they enjoy wasting tax money that they probably don’t even pay.
So does the White House and the grounds around it…..go jump that fence and see what and where it gets you….
Just because it is owned by the government doesn’t mean a person or persons can occupy the property 24/7 without proper permits and/or permission.
Permits and permission to use our own property to exercise our first amendment rights?
…and it is NOT “owned by the government” it is owned by the people of Maine. Read the Blain will.
“Permits and permission to use our own property to exercise our first amendment rights?”
Isn’t that what the court just said?
The jails in Warren & Windham belong to the people of Maine. The courthouse where this trial took place belongs to the people of Maine. Can you do anything you want on those properties? I own the property on which the road in front of my house passes. Think I will go out and hold a protest in the middle (well until that big guy down the road gets home from the bar).
Thats hilarious. Anyone got the arrest numbers for the Tea party protests the libs hate so bad? I believe its around the zero mark.
This is the same group that Obama identifies with, supported, and encouraged.
b.s.!!
The only punishment their actions deserve is having everybody point at them and laugh.
That’s what you’re supposed to do with clowns, after all.
At least they won’t miss any work….
“The most important thing we can do right now is those of us in leadership letting people know that we understand their struggles and we are on their side, and that we want to set up a system in which hard work, responsibility, doing what you’re supposed to do, is rewarded,” Obama tells ABC News. “And that people who are irresponsible, who are reckless, who don’t feel a sense of obligation to their communities and their companies and their workers that those folks aren’t rewarded.”
I think a case can be made that these rabble rousers have had a muzzle put on them by Democrats. I expect after the election they will be set free again to spread their discontent
It won’t matter who wins. They would be used to oppose a Romney administration and create havoc that a Democratic administration can take politcal advantage of if Obama wins.