nevadamedic
05-24-2007, 01:58 PM
Kathleen Ensz Says Charges 'Cooked Up'
GREELEY, Colo. -- A jury Wednesday found a woman not guilty of a criminal charge filed after she left dog feces in a political mailing at the office of Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave.
Kathleen Ensz, 64, faced a charge of using a noxious substance for the May 31, 2006, incident that ignited charges of political dirty tricks during a heated campaign. Ensz is a retired French professor who taught at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and who was a volunteer for the Weld County Democratic Party at the time.
The was accused of shoving a political mailer full of dog feces through a mail slot at Musgrave's Greeley office.
"That was probably one of the most cooked-up things I've ever seen," Ensz said after her acquittal.
Earlier this year, the District Attorney's office headed by Ken Buck, a Republican, offered her a plea bargain but she refused, not wanting to plead guilty to a crime she didn't believe she committed. Her defense attorneys argued the act was protected by the First Amendment.
"It was only a political message," she said, she was sorry and wouldn't do it again.
Shannon Lyons, one of her defense attorneys said no one would be on trial if the feces was deposited at someone else's doorstep, and that a member of Congress shouldn't be worried about such matters anyway.
"If you can't take a little crap, you shouldn't be in Congress," he said.
Buck said Musgrave in the past had received death threats and he would have prosecuted the case if it were someone else. He took issue with Ensz's argument that using dog feces in a political flyer amounted to free speech.
"A lot of people end up eating their words," he said. "I wonder if she would be willing to eat the speech in this case."
Seven jurors who heard the case were picked Tuesday out of a pool of 70.
Musgrave's chief of staff, Guy Short, said Musgrave's staff did not follow the case closely, but said he hoped Ensz would communicate in a "more dignified manner."
Previous Stories:
May 23, 2007: Dog Poop Trial Begins In Greeley
January 18, 2007: Ex-Professor Claims Dog Feces Is Political Expression
June 9, 2006: Dog Poop Deposit Fuels Political Campaign Controversy
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/13378965/detail.html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t
Go figure, it was a Democrat that did something this disgusting.
GREELEY, Colo. -- A jury Wednesday found a woman not guilty of a criminal charge filed after she left dog feces in a political mailing at the office of Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave.
Kathleen Ensz, 64, faced a charge of using a noxious substance for the May 31, 2006, incident that ignited charges of political dirty tricks during a heated campaign. Ensz is a retired French professor who taught at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and who was a volunteer for the Weld County Democratic Party at the time.
The was accused of shoving a political mailer full of dog feces through a mail slot at Musgrave's Greeley office.
"That was probably one of the most cooked-up things I've ever seen," Ensz said after her acquittal.
Earlier this year, the District Attorney's office headed by Ken Buck, a Republican, offered her a plea bargain but she refused, not wanting to plead guilty to a crime she didn't believe she committed. Her defense attorneys argued the act was protected by the First Amendment.
"It was only a political message," she said, she was sorry and wouldn't do it again.
Shannon Lyons, one of her defense attorneys said no one would be on trial if the feces was deposited at someone else's doorstep, and that a member of Congress shouldn't be worried about such matters anyway.
"If you can't take a little crap, you shouldn't be in Congress," he said.
Buck said Musgrave in the past had received death threats and he would have prosecuted the case if it were someone else. He took issue with Ensz's argument that using dog feces in a political flyer amounted to free speech.
"A lot of people end up eating their words," he said. "I wonder if she would be willing to eat the speech in this case."
Seven jurors who heard the case were picked Tuesday out of a pool of 70.
Musgrave's chief of staff, Guy Short, said Musgrave's staff did not follow the case closely, but said he hoped Ensz would communicate in a "more dignified manner."
Previous Stories:
May 23, 2007: Dog Poop Trial Begins In Greeley
January 18, 2007: Ex-Professor Claims Dog Feces Is Political Expression
June 9, 2006: Dog Poop Deposit Fuels Political Campaign Controversy
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/13378965/detail.html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t
Go figure, it was a Democrat that did something this disgusting.