Lindsey, founder of the group Show Me The Vote, said the election workers violated his rights when they asked him for a signature identification that wasn't required by law and then threatened to keep him from the ballot box if he didn't comply. When Lindsey got worked up, the poll workers called the cops, who booked the gray-haired activist for disorderly conduct.
A few weeks after the incident, Lindsey argued his innocence in Independence municipal court. The judge found the voting rights advocate guilty, ordering a $50 fine. Instead of paying the minor fee, Lindsey fought on, appealing the case.
Yesterday, he had his second day in court.
And he lost again.
This time, though, Lindsey was more upbeat after the proceedings. The bench trial before Jackson County District Judge Vernon Scoville lasted a good two hours, allowing the activist and his lawyer, Brett Shirk, plenty of time to dig into the issues Lindsey encountered at the Independence polling place. But, once all the evidence was out, Lindsey's agitated tone did him in.
"It's possible that I raised my voice and apparently that's the threshold for disturbing the peace," Lindsey said last night. "But [Scoville] did let us have our day in court; then he banged the gavel and said guilty. So I didn't, at least, feel severely abused."
He didn't get any jail time or fine. His court costs were waived, too. The only penalty is one year of unsupervised probation.
But will Lindsey keep the fight going, on principle?
"We got to show what we wanted to show, and I think we probably got our job done," he said. "I don't know if we'll appeal or not."
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