Republican Who Tossed Voter Registration Forms Let Off The Hook
Source: Huffington Post
WASHINGTON -- The young Republican who grabbed national headlines after being arrested for throwing voter registration forms into a dumpster before the 2012 election won't be facing any legal consequences.
A judge in Virginia dropped several misdemeanor charges against Colin Small on Wednesday, meaning the 23-year-old will not face any penalties for discarding a number of voter registration forms. Felony charges were dropped back in April, but Small was still facing five misdemeanor counts until this week.
During a four-hour court hearing on Tuesday, Small's lawyer John C. Holloran argued that Small simply made a mistake and wasn't trying to purposefully prevent anyone from registering to vote. Small, a friend from college and Small's former tennis coach all testified.
While Small tossed eight voter registration forms, he was only charged with discarding four, because some of the voters were already registered and one was a felon and not allowed to vote. Holloran said the voters who were prevented from voting were Republicans and blamed Democrats for making Small's case seem like part of a conspiracy.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/18/colin-small-gop_n_3619396.html
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)If he were a Democrat, Fox Snews would have pounded this story and SCANDAL!!! ...all month long.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)Indyfan53
(473 posts)OldRedneck
(1,397 posts)I don't recall all the details, but, here's the short version . . . I live in Virginia and followed this fairly closely when it happened.
1. Harrisonburg, VA; home of James Madison Univ.; last day for voter registration in 2012.
2. Business owner noticed a young guy drive up behind his business, jump out of car, toss a bag in the business's dumpster, then speed away. Because the business owner paid for trash disposal, he was concerned about what was being tossed into his dumpster and went to investigate. Found a trash bag containing several (8?) completed voter registration forms. Called the sheriff.
3. In a short while, deputies tracked the car to the local Republican Party HQ and found the guy who tossed the forms.
4. He was working for a company contracted by VA GOP to register voters. The same company had been fired by the Florida GOP because of their tactics, which included tossing registration forms believed to come from Democrats. Also, as I recall, this same company had been fined in another state for their underhanded registration activities.
5. Turns out the company was registered to do business in VA . . . their business address in Winchester, VA, is the law offices of a VA state senator, a Republican, who is former general counsel of the Republican National Committee . . . and was the same address under which Karl Rove's "Crossroads GPS" used to register their business in VA.
No conspiracy here. Nope, none at all.
BehindTheCurtain76
(112 posts)He has rich republican parents. One system of justice for them and a different one for all of us.
Blue Owl
(50,494 posts)Lying, cheating, stealing -- NO PROB if you're with the GOP!
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)chuckstevens
(1,201 posts)This kid's picture reminds me of Jack Black's right wing zealot character in the film Bob Roberts. Is anyone really surprised that Eric Holder isn't trying anything possible to punish a guilty Republican? This country is turing into a joke and the punchline isn't funny.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)I'm sick of it.
As far as I can tell, the drug war was just this way. A conservative means of tossing out liberal votes. At least the same mentality.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)"Ah duh, You Honor, I'm just an innocent not-so-bright who made a mistake, so no foul right, even if I committed at least four crimes."
Thav
(946 posts)I still left with a bag full of it, but I didn't MEAN to! I didn't mean it so just ignore the fact that I still did it and let me go, k?
ut oh
(899 posts)something about St. Reagan and Obama is the anti-Christ and liberals should die... then, you'll be set... You'd probably even get a medal
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)and above the law, right!
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)But apply it to Democrats on the top and Republicans on the bottom.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)That's pretty amazing! I normally have to talk to people for a while to figure this out or they have to be wearing their politics on their sleeve (literally).
TalkingDog
(9,001 posts)nt
Nanjing to Seoul
(2,088 posts)Archae
(46,345 posts)Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)Our useless AG should do his job for once
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Republicans have got to the most coddled assholes on the face of the earth.
Anyone else would be rotting in jail.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)You can get away with ANYTHING down there!!!
ButterflyBlood
(12,644 posts)Nt
wordpix
(18,652 posts)City Lights
(25,171 posts)geckosfeet
(9,644 posts)calimary
(81,466 posts)with her "I crossed the line." Monica Goodling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/opinion/24thu1.html?_r=0
Anything happen to her?
(Cue the crickets chirping)
bullwinkle428
(20,630 posts)calimary
(81,466 posts)Colin Small.
Most likely to grow up to be another kkkarl rove. Especially since he was just taught the lesson that as a republi-CON dirty trickster, he CAN get away with it.
We need to watch this dude. We need to keep track of him and where he goes and who he works for, next. Guaranteed: he poses trouble for the future. And because he beat the rap, he'll try this again in some way. 'Cause his takeaway from this will be that he can get away with it so CERTAINLY try to sneak it through again. If guys like him are allowed to disappear, they'll pull this shit again with ease. I posted elsewhere here about alberto gonzales's little pal Monica "I crossed the line" Goodling. I made it a point to remember her. She's young enough to have a whole career still ahead of her. LOTS of time for her to disappear into the system somewhere in some GOP operative's office, and continue gumming up the works and helping to keep the game rigged. She should be kept track of, too. Wonder what might have been prevented if we were made more aware of a young kkkarl rove while he was still coming up in the ranks - before it was too late?
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)Look at the difference in severity between these two crimes, then look at the sentences. Now look at the defendants.
What is wrong here?