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There's something very wrong with a municipal ity where the people in power use the police to arrest political opponents for daring to speak out at public meetings. On Wednesday, for the second time in a year, officers hauled Democratic Darby Councilwoman Paula Brown out of a council meeting after coun cil’s Republican chairman ruled her out of order. The incident took place nearly a year to the day after Brown and fellow Democrat William Stewart were ejected from a meeting of council’s municipal services committee on Feb. 17, 1988. This time around, Darby police didn’t stop at ejecting her. They also charged her with assault and disorderly conduct. All because Brown dared to defend herself against two verbal attacks by current and former borough officials. The brouhaha started last month at a County Council meeting. Brown, a Democratic gadfly in Republican-dominated Darby, said Bunting Friendship Freedom House played a key role in calming tempers in the tense days following the jailhouse hanging of a Darby youth last year. Without an independent Freedom House, she suggested, the situation could have developed into riots like those that rocked Miami in January. The councilwoman’s comparison of Darby to Miami drew some deserved criticism, but most outspoken public officials expect to catch flak every now and then. What they don’t expect is to be arrested and handcuffed at a public meeting for wi to the criticism. otat’s pretty much what happened this week in Yy. At Wednesday’s meeting, Councilman Robert Tyler blasted Brown’s statement about the Miami riots during his parking committee report. His comments had absolutely nothing to do with parking, but he wasn’t ruled out of order. Then, during the finance committee’s report, former council President Nick DiGregorio charged that Brown and her husband owe the borough back sewer bills. His comments also had nothing to do with the business at hand, but he wasn’t ruled out of order. Only when Brown attempted to respond to the attacks did council President Wilbur Smith decide that a little law and order was needed. He insisted that she limit her remarks to the business before council. After a heated exchange, he ordered Police Chief Robert Smythe to remove her from the room. Those borough residents on hand to watch democracy in action were treated to the sight of an elected representative of the people being arrested for daring to speak her mind at a public meeting. It’s a sight that may become even more common if council President Smith gets his way. He’s warned that he will continue to remove “disorder ly” officials from council meetings. Let’s face it — Darby police have better things to do than arresting council members. And borough council members have better things to do than pursuing these petty personal vendettas at the public expense. If Brown’s statement about the Miami ‘fiats embarrassed some Darby residents, her arrest should embarrass them all. This time it was Darby Borough Council that was out of order. Not Paula Brown.
Newspaper Details
Upper Darby Sunday Times
Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, US
Sun, Feb 19, 1989
Page 24
Full Page
Clipped by
Paula B.
PA, USA 20 Jul 2026
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Upper Darby Sunday Times
