August 11, 1993, The Times Herald-Record, p. 5

Protest case venue changed

By ALEXANDER H. WILLIAMS
Staff Writer

MONTICELLO -- Village Justice John Diuguid ordered a change of venue yesterday for five people arrested last week on charges of carrying protest signs into a Village Board meeting.
Diuguid turned the matter over to County Court Judge Anthony T. Kane.
Kane will assign the case to another town or village court.
Diuguid did not give a reason for the change. He is named in a lawsuit that charges he and other Monticello village officials illegally switched positions in March. In the switch, Diuguid resigned as mayor to become the village justice and Trustee Robert Friedland became mayor. A decision in that case is expected in the next several weeks.
When arrested at last weekl's meeting, protesters were carrying signs that slammed the switch in positions.
The five also protested increased taxes and Stericycle, a medical waste processing company that wants to operate a plant in Monticello.
Those arrested were: Glenn Pontier of Narrowsburg, Charles T. Stephenson of North Branch, Mary Marino of Monticello; and Thomas and Carmen Rue, also of Monticello.
Village Manager James J. Malloy said he prohibited the signs because they disrupted the meetings.
After getting warned about the ban, the five carried their signs into the meeting and were charged with disorderly conduct, a violation. The charge carries a maximum, 15-day prison sentence and $250 fine.
When Diuguid resigned as mayor, he replaced Mark Schulman as village justice. Schulman is now the village attorney.
Schulman said yesterday that the Village Board will not drop the charges against the five protesters. And if the protesters carry signs into next week's board meeting, they will again face arrest.
"We don't want to encourage more arrestes," Schulman said. "If they bring signs in, we will follow the same procedure we did at last week's board meeting.
The five wore orange buttons yesterday reading "Free The Monticello Five" and "A Sign of Civil Disobedience. Throw The Bums Out."
Pontier said he and the others plan to return next week to the Village Board meeting with protest signs.
"It is the right of people to protest," he siad. "We are inviting people to come to the meeting. Bring signs -- absolutely!"



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