America the Messy Yard Police Statemessy yard cops arrest 70 year old woman for brown lawnmessy yard cops arrest 70 year old woman for brown lawn
Woman in hot water over lousy lawn OREM, Utah - The mayor and City Council have apologized to a 70-year-old woman arrested after a dispute with a police officer over her brown lawn - but she has still been charged in the case. Two misdemeanor charges were filed against Betty Perry last week: resisting arrest and violating an ordinance that requires property owners to maintain their landscaping. "We don't make our decision based on what political leaders do or think. ... There's a huge other side of the story," City Attorney Paul Johnson said Wednesday. "There's a violation that needs to be corrected." Officer James Flygare arrived at Perry's house last month to talk about her dead grass and foot-high weeds. Perry's water apparently had been turned off at her request. As she walked back into the house pulling Flygare, Perry tripped and fell against the door jamb, injuring her nose, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety, which investigated at the request of Orem police. She was handcuffed and taken to a holding cell before red-faced police officials released her. Mayor Jerry Washburn and the City Council apologized, saying they were "shocked and dismayed" by what happened. Asked Wednesday about Johnson's decision to file charges, the mayor said, "That's his call." There is no phone listing for Perry, who is due in court Sept. 18. Perry and her brown lawn are being treated fairly, Perry said. Eleven cases "for the exact same thing" have been filed against other residents since April, he said. The state investigation found Flygare's actions were proper, although his bosses have said the situation could have been handled differently. Orem presses case against 70-year-old over her brown lawn The Associated Press Article Last Updated: 08/22/2007 05:44:45 PM MDT Posted: 5:46 PM- OREM - The city is pressing charges against a 70-year-old woman who was arrested in a dispute over her brown lawn, an attorney said Wednesday. Betty Perry was taken to a holding cell July 6 before she was released by red-faced police officials. The mayor and City Council apologized for her treatment. But city attorney Paul Johnson said he's sticking to the facts: He claims Perry failed to followed an Orem ordinance that requires property owners to maintain their landscaping. "We don't make our decision based on what political leaders do or think. ... There's a huge other side of the story," Johnson said Wednesday. "There's a violation that needs to be corrected." Besides the brown lawn, Perry is accused of resisting arrest. Two misdemeanor charges were filed Aug. 17, and she is due in court Sept. 18, Johnson said. There is no dispute that she refused to cooperate when Officer James Flygare arrived at her house last month to talk about her dead grass and foot-high weeds. Perry's water apparently had been turned off at her request. As she walked back into the house pulling Flygare, Perry tripped and fell against the door jam, injuring her nose, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety, which investigated at the request of Orem police. She was handcuffed and taken to an Orem holding cell. The state investigation found Flygare's actions were proper, although his bosses have said the incident could have been handled differently. Johnson said Perry and her brown lawn are not being treated unfairly. He said 11 cases "for the exact same thing" have been filed against other residents since April. Perry could not be reached for comment Wednesday. There is no phone number listed in her name. After Perry's arrest, Mayor Jerry Washburn and the City Council apologized, saying they were "shocked and dismayed" by what happened. Washburn declined to give an opinion on Johnson's decision to file charges. "That's his call," the mayor said Wednesday.
She’s one tough old jailbird OREM, Utah - A 70-year-old woman got her nose smushed, and was arrested, handcuffed and thrown in jail after a dispute with a police officer over her brown lawn. The mayor and the City Council apologized. But a prosecutor filed two misdemeanor charges against Betty Perry last week and he isn’t backing down this week. Problems began when Officer James Flygare of the Orem Police determined that Perry was violating a city ordinance that requires property owners to maintain their landscaping. Her grass was dead and her weeds were tall. While Flygare questioned Perry, according to an investigation, Perry tripped and squashed her nose against the door jamb. Flygare handcuffed her and took her to a holding cell. Orem City Attorney Paul Johnson said, “There’s a huge other side of the story.” It waits to be told at her hearing on Sept. 18. |
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