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April 13, 2010
By TOM ALEX of the DesMoines Register
A charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor against the mother of a 12-year-old war protester has been dropped.
Frankie Hughes, daughter of Renee Lynn Espeland, 49, of Des Moines, was charged last Wednesday with trespassing when she allegedly refused to leave U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin’s office in downtown Des Moines.
The following morning police wrote a misdemeanor ticket to Espeland for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly encouraging and contributing to her daughter’s arrest.
Assistant Des Moines Police Chief David Lillard confirmed today that the charge against Espeland was dropped. He said Chief Judy Bradshaw had the details and she was not immediately available for comment.
Police said they conferred with a representative of the Polk County attorney’s office before filing the contributing charge last week.
Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said, “After further consultation it was decided not to go forward.” He called it a good decision.
“Looking at all the circumstances, what happened didn’t need to be addressed with a criminal charge,” he said.
Espeland said she heard the charge against her was dropped late Monday afternoon. “It was an officer. He said (Police Chief) Judy Bradshaw had reviewed it and decided the charge was unnecessary. I said does this mean I don’t have to go to court on Friday and he said again that the charge was dropped.”
Espeland said, “My reaction is that it wasn’t an appropriate charge to begin with. I don’t know why they decided to reevaluate it but I think we are in a place of privilege because the media will pick up a story like that.”
Charging the girl’s mother in a protest is an unusual move, Sally Frank, a Drake professor, said earlier.
“There is a difference between encouraging a child to break the law and encouraging thought and care for other people,” she said. “When you think of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, you think of a parent allowing their children to get involved in drugs, not a peaceful protest.”
The incident occurred April 7 at the Federal Building, 210 Walnut St. Police were called there because Christine Gaunt, 53, of Grinnell allegedly refused to leave after Harkin’s office had closed for the day.
Police went to the office and found Frankie sitting in a chair, also refusing to leave. Espeland was standing outside the office.
Espeland was told that if Frankie didn’t leave the office, she would be arrested for criminal trespass, according to the police report. Espeland allegedly told police she wasn’t going to tell Frankie to leave, and “felt it was important for her daughter to be arrested for the cause,” the police report said.
Espeland disputes that part of the police report. She said she did not encourage her daughter to be arrested.
She said her daughter apparently will have to see someone in Juvenile Court over the delinquency charge of trespassing. “They told her she was arrested and will be referred,” Espeland said of her daughter’s case.
Espeland says she sat in the back of a squad car with her 12-year-old the night of the protest while officers decided what to do with Christine Gaunt. “When they decided not to take Chris to jail they let us out of the car,” she said.
No one involved with the protest went to jail that night.
