News • Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Police Beat BY NICHOLAS PEPPE
Arizona Summer Wildcat • 5
Republican Rep. Ethan Orr ballot run challenged
Arizona Summer Wildcat
Woman takes just the tips
A University of Arizona Police Department officer was flagged down near the businesses along University Boulevard between Park Avenue and Euclid Avenue on June 11 by a business owner who complained that a woman had stolen money from his business' tip jar. The woman matched the description of a woman who UAPD had been advised to keep an eye out for in the area. The woman had been accused of shoplifting from a local business near University Boulevard and was not allowed back in any of the businesses and possibly not on any of the businesses' properties. The responding officer attempted to locate the woman and was informed that security observed her jump over the west wall of the UA Visitor Center on the northwest quad of Euclid Avenue and University Boulevard. The officer was informed by a witness in the lot that he had seen her running through the lot where she went on to jump the wall and flee on foot westbound down an alley. UAPD was unable to locate the woman.
Administration aggravation
UAPD responded to a report of a UA student allegedly causing a disturbance at the Administration building. Witnesses inside the building said that the student came in and initially didn’t take a number to be helped and after a few minutes took a number and went outside to smoke a cigarette. An employee stated that the student became agitated after he believed that his number had been skipped and the employee had been helping out another person instead of him. The employee told the student that the numbers must have gotten mixed up and that they would help him as soon as they were finished helping the person who was already in the window to which the student went on to tell them that they need to hurry up and that “this wasn’t a resort.” Witnesses said the student was speaking a different language and at one point told them to “shut your mouth.” UAPD was informed by a record check that the student had a courtordered mental health evaluation out of Tucson Police Department. The TPD Mental Health Unit then responded to the location and UAPD had no more involvement in the case.
Democrats claim Orr did not collect enough valid signatures to appear on the August ballot, but Orr claims the resulting lawsuit was simply a distraction signatures, and said he hopes the Democratic Party will reimburse taxpayers for the money spent. Pima County Democrats filed a lawsuit “My hope is that we stop trying to distract against Republican Rep. Ethan Orr the voters and just focus on the issues,” Orr (R-District 9) last week claiming he did not said. collect enough signatures on his nominating In a press release, Pima County petitions to qualify for re-election. Democrats accused Orr of disregarding Attorney Jeff Rogers filed the lawsuit on county and municipal codes by putting up behalf of Tucson resident Paul Hilts. The campaign signs almost a month early. legal challenge, filed June 10, alleges that as “It’s a shame that someone elected to many as 288 signatures were invalid. make laws seems unable to follow the law If successful, the challenge would have like everyone else,” said Don Jorgensen, removed Orr, who is also Pima County Democratic an instructor in the School Party Chair, in the press My hope is that of Government and Public release. we stop trying Policy, from the November In addition to legal to distract the ballot, leaving two challenges to his candidacy, democratic candidates, Orr was rumored to have voters and just Randall Friese, UA lost the endorsement of focus on the associate trauma medical auto dealer Jim Click, as issues director, and incumbent well as his job as executive — Ethan Orr, Victoria Steele (D-District director at Linkages, a R-District 9 9). nonprofit organization However, the Pima founded by Click that helps County Recorder’s Office determined Friday veterans and developmentally disabled that Orr turned in 393 valid signatures, individuals find employment. which is enough to qualify for re-election. However, Orr confirmed that he resigned The case was scheduled to go before from Linkages and both he and Click denied a Pima County Superior Court judge on rumors of a falling out. Monday. However, Rogers told the Arizona “We’re still very close friends,” Orr said. Daily Star that he is withdrawing the lawsuit. Click said on John C. Scott’s radio show “That challenge never should have been that he continues to support Orr politically. filed,” Orr said. “They were challenging Orr is currently launching a new nonprofit perfectly valid signatures.” called Simply Clean and Green, which aims Orr estimated it cost the Pima County to teach jobs skills to the homeless and Recorder’s office $20,000 to verify his mentally ill. BY MEREDITH MORRISSEY Arizona Summer Wildcat
FILE PHOTO/ARIZONA SUMMER WILDCAT
REP. ETHAN ORR (R-District 9) faced a lawsuit from Pima County Democratic Party alleging that he had not collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the August primary ballot. The lawsuit was dropped Saturday.
“I’ve been at Linkages for ten and a half years and I’m actually very excited to be starting something new,” Orr said.
— Follow Meredith Morrissey @DailyWildcat
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