Cordaro Gets 30 Days after Protest:
The anti-war activist was arrested last month during a sit-in at the Des Moines office of Sen. Charles Grassley
By Abby Simmons
Des Moines Register
October 6, 2007
Anti-war activist Frank Cordaro left a Polk County courtroom in handcuffs Friday after receiving a 30-day jail term for his latest protest.
The 56-year-old Des Moines man pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge along with two other people who took part in a sit-in last month with several high school students at U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley’s Des Moines office.
This the latest trip behind bars for the former priest and well-known activist. He has received several jail sentences and prison terms for his nonviolent war protests.
District Associate Judge Cynthia Moisan told Cordaro the jail sentence was based on his criminal record - which included eight prior trespassing convictions - and the fact that he had not paid fines from recent convictions.
Cordaro, who with his supporters appeared visibly surprised by the sentence, handed his car keys to a friend and waived his right to have an attorney before addressing Moisan.
“I want you to know it was a great privilege to act with these young people to stand up against this immoral, illegal and unjust war,” Cordaro said. “Any time I serve in jail will only add to that honor and privilege.”
Polk County Jail records show that Cordaro has been arrested seven times in Des Moines alone for criminal trespassing charges since 2000. An additional charge from 1997 shows that he served jail time for willful disturbance. He has also served multiple jail sentences for trespass-related crimes.
Des Moines Hoover High School senior Aaron Glynn, 18, and Renee Espeland, 46, also pleaded guilty Friday. Each was fined $260 plus court costs.
Cordaro’s most recent arrest involved about a dozen members of the group Students Beyond War who refused to leave Grassley’s office until they could speak with the senator to obtain his pledge to no longer vote to provide money for the Iraq war.
Cordaro, Glynn and Espeland were charged as adults, while three other teenagers were charged as juveniles.
After Cordaro was led off to jail, Espeland said the 30-day sentence was unexpected but not a complete shock. The sentence showed that protests of the war were beginning to have an impact, she said.
“When it comes to peace activism, having some sort of personal equity in the way that the guys enlisting are makes it quite honorable to do the jail time,” she said.
Glynn said that despite the consequences, he would be willing to risk arrest again - though not anytime soon. Glynn said his actions were the result of doing what he could to end what he called an “unjust war.”
“I think everyone should feel responsible,” he said.
