Tancredo Protester's Charges Dropped

Posted on Sept. 15, 2009

A charge against UNC senior Haley Koch for disturbing the peace at an educational institution was dismissed Monday in Orange County District Court.

Koch, a Morehead-Cain Scholar, was arrested in April after using a banner and chanting during a speech by former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration. Judge Joseph Buckner ’82 found that Koch’s actions did not interfere with academic activity.

Six others – none of whom were UNC students – also appeared in court Monday for charges of disorderly conduct. The six were arrested after protesting at a speech by former U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode at the Student Union a week after Tancredo was shouted down and left without finishing his talk. Goode is an opponent of affirmative action.

Buckner dismissed the cases against Sarah Monica Johnson, Donald George Yeo and Rachel Love Harris, according to published reports. He found Jack Wilson Groves not guilty, but he did not dismiss the case. Groves held up a profane banner during the speech.

Buckner deferred the case of Meredith Ann Dickey, according to the newspaper reports. The charge is scheduled to be dismissed in six months if she performs 24 hours of community service. Michael Brandes pleaded guilty and was fined, given a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail, and placed on unsupervised probation for one year.

The major evidence in Koch’s case was a videotape from the protest and the testimony of UNC Department of Public Safety Lt. Lawrence Twiddy. The video showed that Koch left when asked. Dozens of UNC students and community members protested against Tancredo’s speech, but Koch was the only UNC student arrested.

Chancellor Holden Thorp ’86 has met with Koch several times but has said he would not seek to have the charge dropped. Thorp said that he and Koch will meet in a few weeks to discuss free speech issues on campus.

More than a dozen supporters rallied outside the courthouse at noon, calling for the charges to be dropped and for the disbandment of Youth for Western Civilization, the conservative student group that hosted the two protested speakers, according to The Daily Tar Heel.

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More online…

• Prosecution Deferred in Protest Cases
  News report from June 2009
• Chancellor Holden Thorp’s message on free speech at Carolina.
• Speaker Tancredo Shut Down; Police Tangle With Protesters
  News report from April 2009

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