Incident occurred Oct. 27, 2010
By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald
Following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Pendleton, an eight-person jury found Len Vohs and Randy Cook guilty of violating the First Amendment rights of Kyle Osborne, a Harney County resident.
The case stemmed from an incident that occurred at a Burns City Council meeting on Oct. 27, 2010. On that date, Vohs was mayor of Burns and Cook the Burns Chief of Police. Osborne had attended the public meeting, but before the meeting got under way, he was asked to leave and was escorted out of the council chambers by Cook.
Osborne then filed suit on Jan. 21, 2011, claiming a violation of the state’s Open Meeting Law and statutory tort.
Following the jury’s decision, Osborne was awarded $3,600 in damages.
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September 26th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Good. When it comes to matters of government the public should be allowed due right to speak.
September 29th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
I hope Randy Cook,the officer (puppet enforcer) was removed from his position and the mayor as well. Especially in these little towns where good old boy corruption rules, that type of intimidation has no place. Even if everyone in town disagreed with Mr. Osborne, the bigger issue here is community involvement on issues of concern to all.