War Protester Gets Jail

CCJRC member and Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice activist Carolyn Bninski was sentenced to 30 days in jail for trespassing and not for unlawful assembly.

A war protester who occupied U.S. Rep. Mark Udall's Colorado office and refused to leave was sentenced Friday to a month in jail.

A jury found Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center activist Carolyn Bninski, 57, guilty of trespassing but not-guilty of unlawful assembly.

Bninski, 57, had rejected a plea deal of 60 days in jail to stand trial in Westminster municipal court.

"I don't regret that I participated in this action. It's a small thing to do, compared to the suffering of Iraqis," said Bninski, who also must pay a $500 fine.

Bninski and four other protesters conducted a three-week in-office protest against Udall's votes for continued Iraq war funding. When Udall staffers asked them to leave, they refused and were arrested March 8 by Westminster police for trespassing and unlawful assembly.

The others got $100 fines or community service, but prosecutors sought jail time for Bninski because she had been arrested several times before for civil disobedience.

Denver Post