8 September 2016
Jill Stein and running mate Baraka charged with two misdemeanors;
Photographs of her bulldozer graffiti released by Morton County sheriff
North Dakota has issued warrants for the arrests of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and her running mate, Ajamu Baraka. Each is charged with one count of criminal trespass and one count of criminal mischief. Here’s the official language from the criminal complaint:
At said time and place, the Defendants, knowing they were not licensed or privileged to do so, entered onto private property posted against trespassers.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
At said time and place, the Defendants spray-painted graffiti on a Caterpillar belonging to another.
And here are the photographs, released by Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, of the D8T that Stein and Baraka allegedly illegally decorated. I’ve enhanced these images. The sheriff’s images, made with a Nikon D7200 and 18–200mm lens, were severely underexposed.
Stein’s dark red “I approve” is barely visible. Place your cursor over the image to view a grayscale version that shows her accomplishment clearly.
The graffiti at lower left appears to say “ No Water No Life.”
The bulldozer can be operated with the cartoon on the sheet metal. But it cannot be operated safely until the paint is removed from the cab’s windows
Sheriff Kirchmeier won an election in 2014. Perhaps he has visions of using in his next run for office a photograph of himself in his uniform slapping handcuffs on a candidate for President of the United States.
If this case isn’t thrown out of court, it will be plead down to a plea of no contest, no jail time or probation, and a requirement that Stein and Baraka pay for removing their graffiti from the D8T’s blade.