Judge fines those who protested at Turzai home
The six people arrested while protesting on private property outside of state House Speaker Mike Turzai’s house in July were ordered to pay $300 in fines plus court costs Wednesday.
During a brief preliminary hearing in McCandless, Allegheny County Magisterial District Judge William K. Wagner imposed a penalty — $466.14 in total — on each of the six defendants, who pleaded to summary offenses of disorderly conduct.
They were originally charged with trespassing.
Afterward, the six — Rebecca Lubold, 66, of Slippery Rock; Susan McAninch, 71, of Skippack, Montgomery County; Wilma Oman, 63, of Slippery Rock; Carol Ballance, 64, of Wexford; Carol Cutler, 69, of North Huntingdon; and John Randolph, 52, of Havertown, Delaware County — said they were relieved that they would not face trial. The offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 90 days in jail.
“I stand with what I did,” Ms. Owen said, adding that the result “could have gone many ways, but I’m grateful for the outcome.”
The six, members of the activist MarchOnHarrisburg, were arrested July 13 outside of Mr. Turzai’s house in Marshall, where they protested the Republican’s lack of action on redistricting reform. A Facebook Live video from that morning shows the six being taken away in police cars, while a woman chants, “Speaker of the House, hiding like a snob, drag them back to Harrisburg and do your job.”
The group has been pressuring legislators to end gerrymandering and hold an up-or-down vote on a measure proposed by Democratic Rep. Steve Samuelson of Bethlehem that would create an independent redistricting commission, which it says would keep the Legislature at “arms-length” from the process and remove the state Supreme Court from selecting maps.
According to a statement from MarchOnHarrisburg, the six — referred to as “democracy warriors” — took part in the protest after Mr. Turzai denied their group a meeting with him to discuss redistricting reform.
Mr. Turzai could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Ballance said the six wouldn’t back down on redistricting, which the group wants to see reformed before the districtdrawing process takes place again in 2022.