Update: Michigan woman no longer going to jail for her garden but now in trouble for her dogs
Follow up to Michigan Woman could go to jail for planting vegetable garden.
Detroit Free Press: Oak Park woman faces dog trouble after veggie case is dropped
BY MEGHA SATYANARAYANA
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Oak Park has dropped its case against a woman growing vegetables in her front yard, but she's not out of the weeds yet, the city's prosecutor said.
Julie Bass may still have to go to court this month -- over her dogs.
Bass was cited in June with a misdemeanor for building the garden, which sits in five raised beds in the back part of her front yard behind grass. She said she had opted for the garden rather than flowers to create an educational tool and to have a few extra vegetables for the family.
That citation included violations for owning two unlicensed dogs. They are not licensed, but Bass said she took the vaccine information to court in June, where an impasse was reached over language in the ordinance and Bass asked for a jury trial. Her pretrial date for the garden issue had been set for July 26.
But Eugene Lumberg, city prosecutor, said he didn't see the vaccine paperwork. He said that issue will be resolved as soon as he sees the paperwork.
Bass' lawyer, Solomon Radner, said Bass provided it. He said he holds Lumberg in the highest regard, but said, "I think he is wrong about this."
Lumberg said the City Council and the mayor could change the ordinance that drove the issue from a suburban front yard to one that went all over the nation. It reads: "All unpaved portions of the site shall be planted with grass, ground cover, shrubbery, or other suitable live plant material."
The city and its officials had been bombarded at work and home with messages, some threatening, regarding the issue, from everyone from urban farming advocates to small government crusaders. Facebook pages sprouted in Bass' defense, and she posted to her blog oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com. Lumberg said that anti-city outrage had little to do with his decision, because little of it came from Oak Park.
"I exercised my power -- my duty -- as prosecutor, to study the issue," he said.
Bass and Radner, are pleased, but cautious. Radner said he is concerned the case could be filed again. Lumberg said he had no intention of doing so.
"It's been dismissed without prejudice, which means they can be refiled," Radner said.
Fox 2 News in Detroit broke the story, and a video can be seen at Oak Park Drops Charges Against Julie Bass and Her Vegetable Garden: MyFoxDETROIT.com. The Detroit News has more from the attorney. Julie Bass herself has comments on her blog here and here. Finally my tl;dr comments along with a larger version of the Fox 2 Detroit video are at Good, bad, and ugly news in Oak Park's "War on Veggies".
Detroit Free Press: Oak Park woman faces dog trouble after veggie case is dropped
BY MEGHA SATYANARAYANA
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Oak Park has dropped its case against a woman growing vegetables in her front yard, but she's not out of the weeds yet, the city's prosecutor said.
Julie Bass may still have to go to court this month -- over her dogs.
Bass was cited in June with a misdemeanor for building the garden, which sits in five raised beds in the back part of her front yard behind grass. She said she had opted for the garden rather than flowers to create an educational tool and to have a few extra vegetables for the family.
That citation included violations for owning two unlicensed dogs. They are not licensed, but Bass said she took the vaccine information to court in June, where an impasse was reached over language in the ordinance and Bass asked for a jury trial. Her pretrial date for the garden issue had been set for July 26.
But Eugene Lumberg, city prosecutor, said he didn't see the vaccine paperwork. He said that issue will be resolved as soon as he sees the paperwork.
Bass' lawyer, Solomon Radner, said Bass provided it. He said he holds Lumberg in the highest regard, but said, "I think he is wrong about this."
Lumberg said the City Council and the mayor could change the ordinance that drove the issue from a suburban front yard to one that went all over the nation. It reads: "All unpaved portions of the site shall be planted with grass, ground cover, shrubbery, or other suitable live plant material."
The city and its officials had been bombarded at work and home with messages, some threatening, regarding the issue, from everyone from urban farming advocates to small government crusaders. Facebook pages sprouted in Bass' defense, and she posted to her blog oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com. Lumberg said that anti-city outrage had little to do with his decision, because little of it came from Oak Park.
"I exercised my power -- my duty -- as prosecutor, to study the issue," he said.
Bass and Radner, are pleased, but cautious. Radner said he is concerned the case could be filed again. Lumberg said he had no intention of doing so.
"It's been dismissed without prejudice, which means they can be refiled," Radner said.
Fox 2 News in Detroit broke the story, and a video can be seen at Oak Park Drops Charges Against Julie Bass and Her Vegetable Garden: MyFoxDETROIT.com. The Detroit News has more from the attorney. Julie Bass herself has comments on her blog here and here. Finally my tl;dr comments along with a larger version of the Fox 2 Detroit video are at Good, bad, and ugly news in Oak Park's "War on Veggies".