http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/antip... ...

By KAREN JEFFREY
STAFF WRITER
BARNSTABLE - Six anti-war protesters pleaded not guilty to trespass charges yesterday, one day after they refused to leave the Hyannis office of U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass.

The defendants, wearing broad smiles and sweatshirts enumerating the American soldiers killed in Iraq, were arraigned in Barnstable District Court.

Judge Joseph Reardon told each of the protesters the Cape and Islands District Attorney's office did not plan to ask for jail sentences should any of them be convicted. ''At worst,'' he said, ''you'll face a fine of up to $100.''

Four of the defendants - Robert Brown, 68, of Orleans, John Hopkins, 57, of Provincetown, Sarah W. Thacher, 71, of East Dennis and Debra McCulloch44, of Cataumet - appeared in court after having been released from the police department on bail the night before. Two others - Dianne Ashley, 62, of Eastham, and Diane Turco, 52, of Harwich - spent the night in the Barnstable police station lockup and were led into court in handcuffs.

All six were released on personal recognizance and are scheduled for pretrial conferences May. 4.

The members of Cape Codders for Peace and Justice were arrested late Tuesday afternoon after gathering inside Delahunt's office on West Main Street. For an hour they refused to leave, chatting among themselves as Delahunt's staff tried to work around them. Earlier in the day, they stood in the lobby outside the office.

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Karen Jeffrey can be reached at kjeffrey@capecodonline.com .



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