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Serving Time for Crime

Man who sparked huge protests over poster to start 90-day jail sentence

By Associated Press

Truong Tran

Truong Van Tran, owner of HiTek video store, started his jail term last week, said Dan Wagner, Orange County deputy district attorney.

Aran has remained free on his own recognizance pending appeals.

Earlier this year, a state appellate court upheld Tran’s misdemeanor conviction, which is not related to the poster controversy.

Tran garnered worldwide attention earlier in 1999, when he asserted his First Amendment right to display the poster of the late communist leader and the flag of communist Vietnam in his store. Thousands of Vietnamese immigrants noisily picketed his store over 53 days to force him to take the poster and flag down.

The protests cost the city of Westminster $750,000 in police services.

"Having exhausted his appellate rights, Tran must now serve his jail sentence,” Wagner said.

Police raided HiTek in March 1999, seizing tapes of Asian soap operas and copying equipment. Tran’s lawyers had argued that his copying of videotapes was not illegal and was common practice among Vietnamese video stores.