Marks Gets Ticket After Leaving

Nine years after police illegally raided his home, Jimmy Marks said he was given unwarranted traffic tickets Monday after interrupting a Spokane City Council meeting.

Marks was cited at Fifth and Ralph for failing to obey a stop sign and not having registration or proof of insurance. The fines total $607.

Mayor Jack Geraghty adjourned the meeting when Marks interrupted. Marks left City Hall, and said he headed to the home of his father, Grover Marks.

Marks was stopped by police at 8:15 p.m., a block away from his father’s home.

“The whole idea is this ticket is punishment,” he said. After the traffic stop, Marks returned to City Hall to protest the citations.

Sgt. Wally Cusick, who came to the scene after Marks requested a supervisor, denied the accusations. “They’re totally false.”

In June 1986, police raided the homes of Grover and Jimmy Marks looking for stolen property. The raids were later ruled illegal by the State Supreme Court. Grover Marks, Jimmy Marks, the Gypsy Church of the Northwest and 26 of its other members later filed a civil rights lawsuit. The $40 million suit is pending against the city and county.

Marks said he first came to City Hall to give the council an “award for nine years of dirty tricks.”

“On behalf of Gypsies and the Gypsy community … you’ve earned your horns. You don’t get any wings,” Marks said during the meeting. “Anything you work at for nine years, you ought to get an award.”

Geraghty adjourned the meeting for five minutes because Marks wasn’t speaking about the topic under consideration.

Meanwhile, police were called to City Hall, Cusick said. Marks was cooperative, so only one police officer stayed at City Hall, Cusick said.

The officer who cited Marks wasn’t aware of the incident at the meeting, according to Cusick.

But Marks believes city officials asked police to harass him for speaking out at the meeting.

Assistant City Manager Bill Pupo said Marks is wrong. “He was stopped on unrelated charges.”

Marks returned to speak at the meeting after the traffic stop. He again interrupted and the meeting was adjourned.

Police again were called to City Hall. Marks left without incident.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Gita Sitaramiah Staff writer Staff writer Kristina Johnson contributed to this report.