AZ man who brought pitchfork to meeting acquitted

[March 12, 2011]  KINGMAN, Ariz. (AP) -- An Arizona man is getting his pitchfork back after being acquitted of trespassing at a county supervisor's meeting.

The Daily Miner reports Mervin Fried tried to bring the farm tool into the Feb. 16, 2010, meeting. Mohave County Manager Ron Walker told Fried to leave his pitchfork outside. Fried was arrested when he refused and tried to enter the building anyway. Judge Pro-tempore Paul Julien ruled March 5 that Fried was not guilty of third-degree trespassing. The judge said officials did have the authority to restrict access to the building. But because members of the public with holstered handguns are allowed inside, denying access to the defendant because he had a "holstered" pitchfork was arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable. ___ Information from: Kingman Daily Miner, http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/ [Associated Press] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.