Anti-Day Labor Center Protestor Found Guilty of Disorderly Conduct

Comment: Tom Wenning contacted us by phone today asking us to change the title of our story, "Anti-immigrant Protestor Found Guilty of Disorderly Conduct". Wenning wanted us to know that he is "anti-illegal Immigrant" and not anti-immigrant. (8.27.08)

A Multnomah County Judge has imposed a fine against a day labor center protestor who was arrested for blocking the entrance to a Portland Day Labor Center earlier this summer.

Tom Wenning, the man arrested in the incident, went before Judge Steven Todd attempting to use the “choice of evils” defense. Wenning claimed that his act of blocking traffic coming into the Day Labor Center was a lesser evil than the city of Portland subsidizing it, which Wenning believes is assisting undocumented immigrants in finding employment.

Judge Todd responded by saying that the “choice of evils” defense requires an emergency situation. Todd went on to scold the the anti-immigrant activist saying that "You really don't have any evidence of exactly what was going on there, whether or not they were filling out their paperwork, whether or not those people going through the door were legal or illegal. “You don't know that. You're speculating on that. You're putting your judgment over everybody else's, and, frankly, that's not fair."

In the end, the judge imposed a $500.00 fine on Wenning finding him guilty of disorderly conduct.

Related Links:
Man must pay fine for protest outside day labor center
Day labor center protestor convicted, fined $500

Posted in: Day Labor Center,Immigrantion,Tom Wenning