Other Piecemakers Face City Charges
Two more members of the Piecemakers religious group face misdemeanor charges of violating city codes by staging events without permits.
In October, the city cited Anne Marie Sorensen, 68, for allegedly failing to secure a $100 permit for a Sept. 27 performance of “Big River” in the parking lot of the Piecemakers Country Store on Adams Avenue.
In a revised complaint filed Tuesday, city attorneys added the name of group leader Marie Margaret Kolasinski, 76.
Kolasinski and Sorensen face two new misdemeanor charges of improperly hosting an Oct. 11 crafts fair and blocking a sidewalk. Kolasinski, Sorensen and Steven Lee Brenner, 39, have also been accused of permit violations at a Nov. 11 sale.
The three will be arraigned Jan. 2 in Municipal Court in Newport Beach. The group members have said they will enter pleas of not guilty and have maintained that city codes violate their property rights.
City officials have defended the need for the permits to ensure public safety at special events.
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