Pushback: Student appeals conviction for distributing Constitution on public campus
Tim Tizon (r) discussing free speech with another student on
March 3, 2022 at that banned YAL table on the ASU campus.
They’re coming for you next: Tim Tizon, a former Arizona State University (ASU) student, has now appealed his conviction for trespass, filed against him by the university because he had had the nerve to distribute copies of the Constitution to others, without obtaining the school’s permission.
He is being represented by the Liberty Justice Center (LJC). You can read his appeal here [pdf].
The facts of the case however are simple, and mirror numerous other similar incidents on many American campuses in the past decade, all designed to silence conservatives. On March 3, 2022, when he was still a student of ASU, he had set up a table on campus as a member of the ASU chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) to help educate others on the Constitution. As noted in his appeal:
All the witnesses who testified confirmed that Tim’s table displayed the YAL logo, was not blocking any pedestrian walkways, and was not taking any other group’s reserved space—indeed, no one had reserved space that day and no other groups had set up tables. University officials approached Tim, told him that he was standing in a “reservable area,” and explained that he must vacate it because he did not have a reservation.
Furthermore, as noted on the LJC website:
ASU officials said that the location could only be used by recognized student organizations after completing paperwork and securing several levels of sign-offs from university bureaucrats. In fact, however, the North Plaza of ASU’s Tempe campus, where Tizon was located, is designated as a public forum–so Tizon had every right to hand out copies of the Constitution.
During the incident, Tizon was told he could move his table to a remote spot on campus. He refused, because moving there would essentially be censoring him because no one would see his table. The school then charged him with trespass, and he was convicted, sentenced to pay a $300 fine as well as perform fifteen hours of community service.
In the end, it is clear that the university’s real goal was to silence Tizon and YAL, not maintain order on campus. If you doubt that, below are just a few of the stories in recent years about oppression and bigotry ASU.
- ASU blacklists American flag, replacing it with anti-American flags promoting the queer agenda
- Today’s blacklisted American: Kyle Rittenhouse temporarily forced out of ASU
- Universities increasingly encouraging segregated events
- ASU engages in ‘blatant censorship,’ blocks access to petition-hosting website
The administration and faculty at ASU are clearly in favor of a leftist and bigoted agenda, and are also willing to do ugly things to prevent any dissent to that agenda.
Tizon’s lawsuit describes just one more example. In it his lawyers claim that the university violated his first amendment rights under the Constitution, his rights under Arizona’s Forum Act (which was passed in 2018 to protect the free speech of students on state campuses), and his rights under the Arizona constitution itself. The appeal, which was filed this week, seeks to get Tizon’s conviction reversed and removed from his record.
Even if Tizon should win entirely, however, it will be a somewhat pointless victory. ASU will not be punished in any way for its wrongful action. Nor will that victory require any change in its behavior or an end to its “free speech zone” policies.
LJC should instead be suing for damages, with a demand that ASU be forbidden from enforcing those unconstitutional policies.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. The ebook can also be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $5.00). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
Tim Tizon (r) discussing free speech with another student on
March 3, 2022 at that banned YAL table on the ASU campus.
They’re coming for you next: Tim Tizon, a former Arizona State University (ASU) student, has now appealed his conviction for trespass, filed against him by the university because he had had the nerve to distribute copies of the Constitution to others, without obtaining the school’s permission.
He is being represented by the Liberty Justice Center (LJC). You can read his appeal here [pdf].
The facts of the case however are simple, and mirror numerous other similar incidents on many American campuses in the past decade, all designed to silence conservatives. On March 3, 2022, when he was still a student of ASU, he had set up a table on campus as a member of the ASU chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) to help educate others on the Constitution. As noted in his appeal:
All the witnesses who testified confirmed that Tim’s table displayed the YAL logo, was not blocking any pedestrian walkways, and was not taking any other group’s reserved space—indeed, no one had reserved space that day and no other groups had set up tables. University officials approached Tim, told him that he was standing in a “reservable area,” and explained that he must vacate it because he did not have a reservation.
Furthermore, as noted on the LJC website:
ASU officials said that the location could only be used by recognized student organizations after completing paperwork and securing several levels of sign-offs from university bureaucrats. In fact, however, the North Plaza of ASU’s Tempe campus, where Tizon was located, is designated as a public forum–so Tizon had every right to hand out copies of the Constitution.
During the incident, Tizon was told he could move his table to a remote spot on campus. He refused, because moving there would essentially be censoring him because no one would see his table. The school then charged him with trespass, and he was convicted, sentenced to pay a $300 fine as well as perform fifteen hours of community service.
In the end, it is clear that the university’s real goal was to silence Tizon and YAL, not maintain order on campus. If you doubt that, below are just a few of the stories in recent years about oppression and bigotry ASU.
- ASU blacklists American flag, replacing it with anti-American flags promoting the queer agenda
- Today’s blacklisted American: Kyle Rittenhouse temporarily forced out of ASU
- Universities increasingly encouraging segregated events
- ASU engages in ‘blatant censorship,’ blocks access to petition-hosting website
The administration and faculty at ASU are clearly in favor of a leftist and bigoted agenda, and are also willing to do ugly things to prevent any dissent to that agenda.
Tizon’s lawsuit describes just one more example. In it his lawyers claim that the university violated his first amendment rights under the Constitution, his rights under Arizona’s Forum Act (which was passed in 2018 to protect the free speech of students on state campuses), and his rights under the Arizona constitution itself. The appeal, which was filed this week, seeks to get Tizon’s conviction reversed and removed from his record.
Even if Tizon should win entirely, however, it will be a somewhat pointless victory. ASU will not be punished in any way for its wrongful action. Nor will that victory require any change in its behavior or an end to its “free speech zone” policies.
LJC should instead be suing for damages, with a demand that ASU be forbidden from enforcing those unconstitutional policies.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. The ebook can also be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $5.00). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
After obtaining his reversal, Mr. Tizon should perhaps look to the civil court. There seems to be money to be made in the nascent Compensation for Oppression legal field. I would personally consider ASU’s annual budget as a starting point for damages.
The ultimate resolution to these issues plaguing us is contained in the Declaration of Independence.
A scrupulous reading (or reread) of the Declaration of Independence is required, then that same scrupulous emulation needs be implemented. Let subsequent events transpire as they may.
I see no other viable solution.
Excellent report and commentary.
Since when are ASU bureaucrats a legal court of law? Show me where any elected public officials passed any law that made this a misdemeanor. Sue the crap out of them for unlawful arrest, violation of 1st Amendment rights and zero legal authority to access fines or any sort of punishment.
Pure Tyranny at it’s most visual and mental presence is adhered to here.