Collins Arrested for Trespassing while Campaigning

Rich Collins, Democratic candidate for the 57th District House of Delegates seat, was arrested last Saturday for trespassing. Collins was campaigning in front of Whole Foods when the property manager of the shopping center asked him to leave. Collins refused, the police were called, and Collins asked to be arrested on principle, saying that the shopping center is functionally public, and he has a First Amendment right to campaign there. The police disagreed, and he was taken into custody.

The Daily Progress has an editorial on the matter, which runs down the basic story, concluding that “[h]e is raising a legitimate public issue in perhaps an unorthodox way,” but that “it probably doesn’t rank in the top 10 on the list of issues facing Virginia.”

Disclosure: I’ve been known to volunteer my time for the Collins campaign. My fiancee is the campaign manager. We’re also blood brothers in the local chapter of the Illuminati.

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