12-year-old (war) protester charged; mom, too

[sabra]

Source: des moines register

Twelve-year-old war protester Frankie Hughes was arrested late Wednesday for trespassing after she allegedly refused to leave U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's Des Moines office.

On Thursday morning, the girl's mother - who was standing outside Harkin's office when Frankie was taken into custody - was ticketed for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

"How crazy," said Frankie, who learned after school that her mother had been charged. "She didn't contribute to anything. I did what was in my heart. No one suggested I do what I did."

The charge against Renee Lynn Espeland, 49, of Des Moines is a simple misdemeanor. Police say Espeland "knowingly encouraged and contributed to her daughter's arrest."

...

Des Moines Police Sgt. David Murillo said: "I understand and fully appreciate a person's constitutional right to free speech. However, this was a case of bringing a child into a criminal arena."

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104090357