How easy is it to arrest a parent who complains too much? Just schedule a hearing for her kid, and arrest her there.

It's hard not to be entertained by the following theater of the absurd from Poway.

A parent got mad and sent a 600-page fax to Poway Unified School District lawyers. The district responded by getting a court to order that the parent pay $2 for each page. When the parent didn't pay, the court issued a $25,000 warrant for her arrest.

I'm not making this up. Poway Schools reeeeally wanted to teach parent Lindsey Stewart to be quiet.

On February 14, 2007, PUSD and Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Romo & Rudd (AALRR) filed an application in Superior Court for an order to reissue the bench warrant. Here is a quote from the declaration of Penelope R. Glover in Support of Application for Order Reissuing Bench Warrant:

“I am informed and believe that Respondent has scheduled a hearing at the Poway Unified School District, Extended Student Services Conference Room, 13626 Twin Peaks Road, Poway, California, on February 20, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. and will be appearing personally for the hearing. It is necessary that the bench warrant be reissued at this time... so that service can be effected on Respondent at the February 20,2007 hearing, if she has not been served before then.”

Lindsey Stewart says attorney Justin Shinnefield managed to get 9 witnesses who were under subpoena to stay home.