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| Green Party Blasts Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office; Demands Bogus Charges Against FAIR's Bill Riney Be Dropped. |
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Green Party of Michigan Press Release Community, Environmental Activist Proclaims Innocence; New GPMI Attorneys' Group to Track Case, Report to Party. The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) condemned the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's office for filing politically motivated charges against Ypsilanti Township environmental activist and recall leader Bill Riney, and called on prosecutor Brian L. Mackie to drop the charges. An attorneys' group inside GPMI, established to keep Michigan Greens well-informed about legal issues that arise, will be tracking the progress of Riney's case and keeping the party informed. Riney spearheads an effort called Families Against Incinerator Risk (FAIR), which has worked to remove three officials who supported the building of an incinerator in the township -- a proposal opposed by the public. FAIR is asking that higher authorities investigate potential corruption of Ypsilanti Township officials, as well as apparent misconduct by state police. Despite the fact that Ypsilanti Township already has some of the worst air quality and highest levels of asthma in the state of Michigan, and regardless of vociferous objections from the people, the three -- treasurer Larry Doe, clerk Brenda Stumbo, and supervisor Karen Lovejoy Roe -- voted for the new incinerator . . . which would be built by a company owned by Roe's brother-in-law. Riney and FAIR circulated recall petitions against the three, and gathered over 15,000 signatures from township residents last spring. However, Washtenaw County Clerk Peggy Haines rejected the FAIR petitions, claiming there were a number of incorrect signatures. FAIR filed a lawsuit against Haines and the Washtenaw County Election Scheduling Committee to recognize the petition signatures, but county Circuit Court Judge Timothy Connors refused to reinstate the recall. On top of that victory for backers of the incinerator, Mackie's office has now filed charges against Riney -- four misdemeanor counts accusing him of certifying and submitting recall petitions, knowing that four of the names signed were false. The charges are not the first time area officials have abused their authority and persecuted Riney and FAIR:
Riney maintains his innocence: "I did not do this. I would never sign a fake name on a petition, or turn in names I knew were wrong." "We are looking forward to going to court and finding out who signed these names and why they signed them," he adds. Riney's arraignment on the charges took place Wednesday in District Court. His pre-trial is scheduled for July 15. GPMI chair Marc Reichardt commented, "Anybody who knows Bill Riney knows he's innocent. And anyone who knows the history of harassment FAIR has had to endure knows the charges are unjust and unjustified." A new group of attorneys who are Greens -- calling themselves the "Green Party of Michigan Bar Association" (GPMIBA) -- is monitoring Riney's case. Matthew Abel, former GPMI candidate for the U.S. Senate and co-founder of GPMIBA, says the purpose of the working group is to provide information and advice on legal issues to meet the needs of party activists and allies. Green Party of Michigan * 548 S. Main Street *
* Ann Arbor, MI 48104 * 734-663-3555 The Green Party of Michigan was formed in 1987 to
address environmental issues in Michigan politics. There are Greens
organized in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each state
Green Party sets its own goals and creates its own structure, but US
Greens agree on Ten Key Values: |
