Judge acquits man in parking meter case
EUGENE, Ore. -- A municipal court judge acquitted parking meter feeder Ben Bond of an obstruction charge stemming from a Jan. 13 clash with a City of Eugene parking enforcement officer.
In municipal court Thursday, parking attendant Maria Velasquez testified that Bond followed her down 5th Street as she cited people for expired meters and that he cursed at her and called her derogatory names during three separate encounters.
Bond denied using derogatory terms. He testified he told Velasquez, "I don't think you're a s----- person but what you just did was a s----- thing" after he put a dime in an expired meter and she finished issuing a parking citation.
Bond faced one charge of obstruction of government or judicial administration. City prosecutor Dan Barkovic tried to prove Bond prevented the officer from doing her job by intimidating her by using derogatory names.
After Velasquez testified Bond never threatened to hurt her, his defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss the charges.
William Wiswall reached back 25 years to a court ruling, State v. Matilla, that found "'Intimidation' as used in statute prohibiting obstruction or judicial or governmental administration is intentionally placing another in fear by threats to commit a crime."
Judge Wayne Allen agreed and dismissed the charge. He made it a point to say he did not believe Velasquez was overreacting.
"You always are disappointed," said Barkovic. "As the judge said, it wasn't a ruling on whose account was more accurate. It's that there wasn't a specific crime mentioned."
Asked if he would change anything he had done, Bond said, "I'll still help out my neighbor. If the person next to me has an expired meter, of course I'll help them out."
Asked what he would do if he saw a parking attendent, he said. "I just leave that alone."
Wiswall volunteered to take Bond's case on for free.
"We spent a lot of time in the law library. I can't thank the law librarians enough," said Wiswall. "They were of great assistance to an old attorney."
