http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/5955253.htm
Congressmen ask Ashcroft to drop Bursey prosecution Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. - A group of Congressmen have written Attorney General John Ashcroft urging him to drop prosecution of a South Carolina man arrested for trespassing while protesting an appearance by President Bush in October. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said 11 House members - 10 Democrats and Texas Republican Ron Paul - wrote to Ashcroft that charging Brett Bursey was a mistake "and is in fact a threat to the freedom of expression we should all be defending." Bursey, a longtime activist, was arrested at Columbia Metropolitan Airport before a speech by Bush on Oct. 24. Bursey was asked to leave a restricted area moments before the president arrived. Bursey says he was told to go to a designated protest site that was at least a half-mile away from the speech. Although local charges were dropped, federal authorities are still pursuing charges against Bursey under a statute that allows the Secret Service to restrict access to areas during the president's travels. "As we read the First Amendment to the Constitution, the United States is a 'free speech zone,'" Frank said. Frank said a citizen's right to express themselves does not depend "on their doing it in a way the President finds politically amenable." Bursey, who heads the South Carolina Progressive Network, faces a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to six months in jail. The office of U.S. Attorney Strom Thurmond Jr. has said Bursey will likely face a hearing in July. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
