Auburn City Councilwoman Virginia Haugen was arraigned in Auburn Municipal Court on Thursday morning, pleading not guilty to one count of obstructing an Auburn police officer who was investigating a case of trespassing onto Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad property on July 4.

Visiting Judge Glen Phillips asked Haugen if she wanted a public defender for the purposes of the arraignment, and she declined.

Obstructing a police investigation is a gross misdemeanor in state law and Auburn’s code, carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

Haugen’s next court appearance is 8:30 a.m., Sept. 16.

The charge leveled by the City of Tacoma’s Prosecutor’s Office claims that on July 7, Haugen “did knowingly hinder, delay or obstruct a police officer in discharge of his or her official power and duties, to wit: provided false information to officers during the course of an investigation.”

Haugen’s problems began with the plastic sign that hung from the railroad trestle over Auburn Way South on July 4. The sign asked, “Will the last business in downtown Auburn please turn out the lights?”

No one has claimed Haugen trespassed onto railroad property or had anything to do with actually putting up that sign. The claim is that she told officers at first that she knew nothing about the sign, and that subsequent investigation revealed this to be false.

As Haugen explained, several businessmen, unhappy with “the mess the city has made of the downtown,” had given her the money to pay for two signs. She said she ordered them, used the cash given her to pay for them and picked them up. Haugen conceded she was less than candid with police at first when they first questioned her about the matter, or as she preferred to say “bullied” her.

Auburn City Attorney Dan Heid forwarded the case to Tacoma because he represents members of the City Council and cannot prosecute them. Tacoma Assistant City Attorney Jean Hayes agreed to take the case July 23 and was appointed as special prosecutor.

Several of Haugen’s supporters outside the court room looked west to Auburn City Hall for what they see as the source of her legal problems.

“The mayor’s mad at her, because she speaks up about things,” said Haugen’s longtime friend Theresa Wren. “No one on the City Council speaks up against things they probably should nine times out of 10.

“In the meantime, we’re spending all this money to go after Miss Virginia, but we can’t get our sidewalks fixed, the roads fixed, can’t get power washing done that needs to be done. So yes, it’s personal.”

“Pete is upset because I disagree with him so often. I poke him with a sharp stick once in a while and he doesn’t like it,” Haugen said.

“How am I involved?” an incredulous Mayor Pete Lewis asked when informed of the remarks. “She took an action, she got caught, she was charged, and now the matter is before a court of law.”

Lewis noted that this court matter, now under prosecution by an outside agency, has nothing to with City Hall, or with the legislative or executive branches of city government.