This hits pretty close to home, literally and figuratively! It sounds a lot like the "First Amendment" issues, recall petitions, mudslinging and "newspaper" liable here in Quartzsite.
County supervisors served notice of claim
Citing civil rights violations, Golden Valley man asks for $500,000
By JIM SECKLER/The Daily News
KINGMAN — The three Mohave County supervisors were served subpoenas Monday morning in a notice of claim filed by a Golden Valley man.
Luca Zanna, of Golden Valley, filed a notice of claim against District 1 Sup. Gary Watson, District 2 Sup. Tom Sockwell, District 3 Sup. Buster Johnson, Mohave County Manager Ron Walker, Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, Mohave County Civil Attorney Bill Ekstrom and Mohave County Clerk of the Board Barbara Bracken.
The claim stems from a town hall meeting held in November by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Zanna is asking for $500,000 in damages for violations to his and his wife’s civil rights and damages to their reputation. The county has 60 days to investigate the claim. If the county does not act on the claim, Zanna will proceed with a lawsuit in federal court in Phoenix, he said.
Ekstrom said the supervisors would not comment on the notice of claim.
Luca Zanna, of Golden Valley, filed a notice of claim against District 1 Sup. Gary Watson, District 2 Sup. Tom Sockwell, District 3 Sup. Buster Johnson, Mohave County Manager Ron Walker, Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, Mohave County Civil Attorney Bill Ekstrom and Mohave County Clerk of the Board Barbara Bracken.
The claim stems from a town hall meeting held in November by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Zanna is asking for $500,000 in damages for violations to his and his wife’s civil rights and damages to their reputation. The county has 60 days to investigate the claim. If the county does not act on the claim, Zanna will proceed with a lawsuit in federal court in Phoenix, he said.
Ekstrom said the supervisors would not comment on the notice of claim.
Zanna claims his First Amendment rights were violated when Johnson refused to allow Zanna to distribute fliers on McCain’s voting record at the Nov. 13, 2009, town hall meeting held at the county administration building.
Zanna said all he wanted was a public apology and would gladly put the issue behind him if not for a series of letters published in county newspapers since the town hall. One letter by Walker reportedly called Zanna part of the “lunatic fringe” and compared him to Timothy McVeigh. Another letter by Sockwell reportedly made slanderous remarks about him, the notice of claim states.
Zanna, the spokesman for the Mohave County Minutemen, also has started a petition to recall Sockwell based on the letters the Bullhead City supervisor wrote. He needs 3,724 signatures to recall Sockwell in a special election.
Since the town hall, the county has banned weapons from the administration building, hired security guards to wand visitors who enter the building, initiated a dress code for board of supervisor meetings and purchased an X-ray machine and metal detector to screen visitors. Sheriff’s deputies even arrested a Kingman man who brought in a symbolic pitchfork during one board of supervisors meeting.
Zanna said all he wanted was a public apology and would gladly put the issue behind him if not for a series of letters published in county newspapers since the town hall. One letter by Walker reportedly called Zanna part of the “lunatic fringe” and compared him to Timothy McVeigh. Another letter by Sockwell reportedly made slanderous remarks about him, the notice of claim states.
Zanna, the spokesman for the Mohave County Minutemen, also has started a petition to recall Sockwell based on the letters the Bullhead City supervisor wrote. He needs 3,724 signatures to recall Sockwell in a special election.
Since the town hall, the county has banned weapons from the administration building, hired security guards to wand visitors who enter the building, initiated a dress code for board of supervisor meetings and purchased an X-ray machine and metal detector to screen visitors. Sheriff’s deputies even arrested a Kingman man who brought in a symbolic pitchfork during one board of supervisors meeting.
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