Just came back from the courthouse. The Bolsavik would have posted this sooner but instead he went to lunch with Thomas Vu (no relations), the most senior Vietnamese-language interpreter in the entirety of the California court system. One of these days the Bolsavik will sit down with him to tell stories of Vietnamese in court. A lot of lessons to be learned.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek W. Hunt this morning issued a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit filed by Nguoi Viet Daily News, the Little Saigon-area publication faced with a continuous day-and-night 24/7 protest that has gone on since late January.
The injunction was issued against the three protesters named in the lawsuit, namely Trong Doan, Ky Ngo and Cung The Tran, barring them from three specific types of act:
• “committing or threatening any act of violence” against employees and customers of Nguoi Viet;
• ”committing or threatening any act of vandalizing” on the property of Nguoi Viet;
• ”committing or threatening any act of trespassing, entering or interfering with the use and enjoyment of real and personal property” belonging to Nguoi Viet.
In open court, Judge Hunt also read excerpts from the witnesses for Nguoi Viet, including one from Tuong Ngo declaring under oath that one protester was urinating on a car. Referring to particular clothing by some of the protesters, the judge read from the papers - seemed like the defendants’ papers - that one protester (hint! hint!) was wearing prominent clothing to make himself known — and the judge added, “like Zorro or Batman.”
Judge Hunt specifically stated that the protesters were free to exercise their constitutional rights; he was just enjoining any tortious acts. As he put it,
“Anyone who wants to make a hobby horse out of his right to expression is welcome to do it.”
The Bolsavik may make the proceedings seem facetious. It really was not. The above two quotes are taken out of a lengthy hearing, all the rest of which was very serious.
The whole back and forth took almost one full hour, and the judge was very detail-oriented. He read a long tentative ruling from the bench, going deep into the details of the law and facts involved.
Things that other judges would give lawyers one sentence or two, Judge Hunt allowed the lawyers to go on and on and on to argue their case, and then he answered with detailed explanations that address each point. Talk about patience. Mostly it was Geoff Lyon defending the protesters (see his picture here) doing the talking. Nguoi Viet’s lawyer Hoyt Hart, being on the winning side, kept mum.
Geoff Lyon also referred to the events of the previous evening. Read the Bolsavik’s entry here. He said that five police cars had been out looking for Ky Ngo.
The courtroom was filled with supporters for the two sides. A handful of Nguoi Viet employees were there. About two dozen supporters of the protesters also showed up.
Trong Doan was sitting one seat away from the Bolsavik to the left, and after the break moved right next to the Bolsavik on his right. Cung The Tran was a few seats down the same row on the left.
Ky Ngo, veteran of numerous litigation involving protests, curiously did not show.
Two Westminster PD officers also came. You don’t suppose they’re looking for Ky Ngo in there, do you?
Oregon has a new state champion in women’s gymnastics level 9, and it’s Vietnamese-American athlete Alyssa Nguyen.
No idea, but they’ve been stopping by the protest site in front of Nguoi Viet looking for him.
