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Jury finds Edith Knight guilty of electioneering

June 6, 2017

Edith Knight

After just 20 minutes of deliberations, a jury on Monday found 86-year-old Edith Knight guilty of electioneering. San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen then imposed a $500 fine.

On June 7, Knight said she called 30 to 40 people attempting to get out the vote. Two men, Stephen Williams and Charles Kleeman, claimed they heard Knight soliciting a vote for District 4 Supervisor Debbie Arnold at a polling place. Knight denied the allegation saying she never mentioned Arnold while making the calls.

It is against the law to campaign or electioneer within 100 feet of a polling place.

At the time, both Williams and Kleeman were working for Arnold’s challenger, Eric Michielssen.

While Knights attorney, Ilan Funke-Bilu, said the allegations appeared to be politically motivated, Deputy Attorney General Abtin Amir argued that Michielssen was a nonpartisan candidate.

Following the verdict, Funke-Bilu said that if his client had been a Democrat charges would never have been filed.

“I think it’s a political statement, but the power of the state is huge and you have to deal with it,” Funke-Bilu said

Before the trial, the Attorney General’s Office offered to drop the charges and any fines if Knight agreed to admit she was guilty and apologize. Knight declined the offer.

Knight said she does not plan to appeal the judgement because of health issues and that she is relieved to have the trial behind her.

“I am relieved right now,” Knight said following the verdict. “I am still not guilty.”


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“I am still not guilty.”


Ummm yeah you are. You just got a conviction and got off with easy sentence.


Don’t break the law. You’re 86 years old. You’ve had more time than most to interact with and understand the law. No one gets a free pass because they’re old.


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“Don’t break the law. You’re 86 years old. You’ve had more time than most to interact with and understand the law. No one gets a free pass because they’re old.”


Don’t break the law and enter our nation illegally, No matter what your age is. You have plenty of time to learn the law at the border, No one should get a free pass.


Selective law enforcement is the issue here.


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Free passes are just for police officers, judges, politicians and other government employees.


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Many comrades got a free pass for influencing elections. We appreciate your sacrifices comrade Knight.


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Ok so they beat up an old lady who was volunteering to remind people who may of forgotten to vote, something elderly do allot, and for that she is guilty of electioneering. Sad note for recruiting volunteers. As it was said, why don’t you pick on someone your own size?


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Fascists can be of any age. Look at who is supposedly the “president” . He’s no spring chicken either.


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Someone needs to look up the definition of “Fascism”…


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Palingenetic ultra nationalist populsim


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Fascists? Boy would I like to snap my finger or wiggle my nose and send you back in history for a weeks stay in a real Fascist nation. Enlightening it would certainly be.


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That war of winnng hearts and minds….

You’re loosing


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The State Attorney Generals office is quoted in the Tribune as saying “it’s not the biggest crime ever, it is a crime”; a quote from Abtin Amir; why doesn’t he enforce federal laws regarding illegal immigrants, specifically convicted criminals who are here illegally in addition to their other crimes?

Hypocritical double standard. Abuse of power. Were the men filming her acting as officers of the court? They committed a crime too, where’s the outrage and criminal charges.


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First of all, Mr. Amir is a prosecutor for the STATE, not for the federal government. Thus, enforcing FEDERAL laws is NOT in his jurisdiction. Second, by your logic, NO prosecutor should be prosecuting ANY misdemeanors or infractions until every last illegal immigrant is charged with a crime and deported. Do you not see how ridiculous and hypocritical you are? Just because there are other crimes being committed doesn’t mean they aren’t being charged, and it doesn’t mean prosecutors should stop charging lesser crimes.


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Yet if your name is a house hold word like say for example Clinton you get accused alright, but you skate baby!…..what a country!


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As Howard Jarvis said this is the most corrupt county in the state.Just keep voting democrat and it will never change.


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I really didn’t think too much about this until I actually read an article in the TRIB today. The State Attorney General is reported to have stated in closing arguments that Mrs. Knight was using a campaign phone from Debbie Arnold and not her own phone. To me that makes it pretty clear what was going on. Unfortunately they went after a small fish in a very big pond. There are many more bigger fish in the pond/swamp here in SLO that need to be caught and brought before the courts too.


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This woman knew that she was breaking the law. She has some 30 years in politics and has even been a candidate herself. It’s interesting that every news agency paints her as some poor confused old lady.


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Anyone who believes that this prosecution was not politically motivated has an IQ of a dead tree stump. I will believe again in the legal system on the first night crooked Hillary spends in federal prison until then not at all.


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It very well may be politically motivated but that doesn’t mean she didn’t know what she was doing-which was in fact illegal.


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don’t hold your breath there buddy and keep working on the IQ tests, you swallowed the complete b.s. and in swept the most crooked family this country has ever seen, a clown that can’t string a sentence together, a first lady that steals her speech lines, crooked daughter making money from clothing lines while working for the white house, sons and in-laws selling real estate and advising daddy, #treasonoustrumps

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2017/06/06/how-donald-trump-shifted-kids-cancer-charity-money-into-his-business/#edf8c5f6b4a3


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Good thing this criminal is off the street…… Too bad Deputy Attorney General Abtin Amir doesn’t have an issue with others, such as Julio Cesar Alonso, otherwise a young lady in Nipomo might still be alive. Instead he is fighting to keep others like Julio Cesar Alonso in our state, while using our money to do so.


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What makes you think a fairly new Deputy AG has ANY say in what case he does or does not take? What makes you think prosecutors can charge only 1 criminal at a time? What makes you think this case has ANYTHING to do with another case. By your logic, shouldn’t whoever Julio Alanso is have to wait while the AG’s office prosecutors serial rapists and mass murderers? Give me a break.


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Also, you obviously didn’t pay attention because it’s public record that Mr. Amir repeatedly stated he never sought to get Knight “off the street.” In fact, he made it perfectly clear he never sought ANY jail time. Even after he proved she was GUILTY beyond a reasonable doubt, Mr. Amir STILL said he didn’t think ANY jail time would be appropriate. Get a grip.


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