Pecatonica Township (ECWd) –
Pecatonica Township Supervisor Joseph Musso presented a Resolution to increase the ban on Rogene Hamilton attending township board meeting “since she didn’t want to stay away” – video of the discussion below. A majority of the board voted to continue the ban.
Supervisor Musso, and Trustees Zimmerman and Boomer voted to ban her from Township property, including meetings.
As stated in our previous articles (here and here) about the previous three-meeting ban, this Resolution and the Township’s attempt at banning residents from attending township meetings violates state law.
Last month, Hamilton attended the meeting and was arrested and charged with criminal trespass to state supported property – just for showing up to a meeting. The Board considered her attempt at talking during public comment at a board meeting as “disruptive” because she signed up 12 minutes in advance of the meeting when their purported rules mandate speakers sign up 15 minutes in advance of the meeting. Last Friday she appeared in Court and pleaded Not Guilty. A court date was set for January 2, 2020.
Incidentally, charges were recently dismissed on the previous person arrested at a Pecatonica Township meeting.
In the video you can hear Musso and Boomer talking about a letter from the AG or the State’s Attorney that said the previous resolution banning her was a perfectly acceptable resolution, but that is not what the AG said in that letter.
We will publish a couple of in-depth articles discussing the adopted rules of Pecatonica Township and how this action violates their own adopted rules, and an article on the purported letter from the Attorney General.
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