My criminal case is now in the appeal process after the judge found me guilty, for a second time, of third degree criminal trespassing while I was preaching at the UA during their annual “Tucson Festival of the Books” while using my small amplification system.
This case in the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court lasted over one year. The appeal process could take another year—even longer.
My criminal defense attorney handling my case, Mark Williman, is experienced and knows the law. Unfortunately, when you had a judge like I did, newly elected with no background as a lawyer and an avowed lesbian, the deck was stacked against me from virtually the get-go.
I could not discuss this judge, Paula Aboud, throughout the over year long trial because I felt that, if she got wind of what I posted on FB or my blog about her, things could have become uglier than what they were.
Just who is my judge, Paula Aboud? First, she was a democratic state senator here in my home state of AZ, born and raised in Tucson. Here are some quotes from a Wikipedia article about Judge Aboud:
“In addition to her professional career Aboud was a long-time activist for the Tucson Democratic Party.” This should give us a glimpse of Aboud’s political leanings and I would suggest they are not conservative. I don’t believe Aboud is a card carrying member of the NRA but probably is for Planned Parenthood.
But the article gets more interesting. Under the heading “Personal Life,” it reveals this:
“She was one of four openly LGBT members of the Arizona State Legislature.”
Aboud proudly identified herself as a lesbian while she was a state senator. Putting a couple of these facts together (and there are more), I would argue that it would be difficult for Judge Aboud to objectively sit as my judge for the “crime” that I was arrested for.
I will explain more in subsequents posts about this judge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Aboud