COLORADO SPRINGS — Anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce on Tuesday asked that a municipal judge from outside Colorado Springs be assigned to preside over his trial on a trespassing charge. Bruce also wants the three- day jury trial to be over before city voters begin getting their mail ballots on Oct. 13 that will include a referendum on phasing out payments to city enterprises.
He and co-defendant Douglas Stinehagen were collecting signatures for the ballot measure outside a Costco store at Powers Boulevard and Barnes Road on Aug. 15. After they refused employees’ requests to leave the property, police were called and Bruce and Stinehagen were issued tickets accusing them of trespass.
Bruce contends the tickets were an attempt by the city to “bully” him and Stinehagen.
