Woman sues county for removal from meeting

FREEHOLD - An animal rights activist has asked to have a dispute with the Monmouth County freeholders aired on TV's "The People's Court."

After the freeholders declined to appear on the television show, Freehold resident Doris Lin brought her civil rights case to small claims court in downtown Freehold on Sept. 28. Charging that her civil right to freedom of speech was violated when the freeholders had a police officer remove her from a public meeting, Lin's case has been bumped up to a higher civil court.

The suit will not be heard again for several months, Lin said on Sept. 29. That would not have been the case if it was aired on "The People's Court," as Lin had originally hoped.

Lin admitted she might have said yes "a little too hastily" to the show's proposal to have her case aired. She agreed to the deal, she said, "partially because I knew there was no way the freeholders would go on."

On Sept. 14, James Gray, the clerk to the Board of Freeholders, called the idea "a joke," noting that a governmental body cannot waive its legal rights to appear on a TV program.

"This is not a reality show," Gray said. "Where they come up with these things is beyond me."

Lin said her trouble with the freeholders began in May 2005. Lin, who is known for speaking out against deer hunting in county parks, was quoted in a local newspaper saying, "If you want to see fewer deer, tell the freeholders to stop taking bribes from developers who are taking land from the deer," according to a press release distributed on Lin's behalf.

The statement was based on a case against the late former Freeholder Director Harry Larrison, who was charged by federal investigators with accepting bribes from a developer in exchange for wielding his influence in the county. Larrison died before the case against him could be resolved.

At a subsequent freeholders meeting, Lin said she apologized to freeholders Tom Powers, Ted Narozanick and William Barham for making the comment. This conversation was not recorded, she said, because it occurred in a casual conversation after the meeting.

"To my amazement," Lin said, the men defended Larrison, saying he had not been convicted of any crime, only arrested and charged. Lin decided to bring the matter up in public at the next freeholders meeting.

"That's when Mr. Powers removed me from the podium," Lin said.

According to Gray, Lin was told she must stop speaking after her allotted five minutes had elapsed.

Lin disagrees, saying she timed herself as speaking for three minutes and 25 seconds.

Removed by a uniformed police officer, Powers allegedly told Lin, "you're out of line," and "you're finished," according to Lin. Powers, who is no longer a freeholder, said that it was "unnecessary" to criticize Larrison now that he was deceased, Lin said.

- Karen E. Bowes