Two more RNC protesters acquitted

[annm4peace]

Source: Twin Cities Daily Planet

Two more protesters were found not guilty Thursday in St. Paul after a four-day jury trial. Ilana M. Radovsky and Gracia Logue-Sargeant were arrested on September 1, the first day of the RNC, at Seventh and Jackson in downtown St. Paul. (That’s the same place where Democracy Now producers were arrested.) They were charged with parading without a permit, disorderly conduct, and unlawful assembly. Judge Michael Fetsch dismissed the parading charges, and the jury found them not guilty of the other two counts.

In January, charges against seven other RNC defendants were dismissed at the end of the prosecution’s case, with the judge finding that there was not enough evidence to send the case to a jury. No defendants have been convicted after trial.

City Attorney John Choi has decided not to prosecute in the cases of hundreds of those arrested during the RNC, but many misdemeanor cases are still pending and the trial of Sean McCoy on misdemeanor charges of parading without a permit and fleeing a police officer is now going on. Some defendants have pleaded guilty. Attorney Bruce Nestor said that the two people acquitted on Thursday were offered deals for guilty pleas that would have resulted in no penalties, but that they refused to plead guilty.

“In terms of the unlawful assembly, the riots, all of the misdemeanors,” said Nestor, “they have a claim to be protesters, just caught up in mass arrests.”

Attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild urged St. Paul City Attorney John Choi to dismiss the remaining unlawful assembly charges.



Read more: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/03/19/two-more-rnc-protesters-acquitted.html

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The incredible National Lawyer Guild lawyers have been donating much of their time for free. Thank them for our Freedom. And thank goodness for all those arrested who hang in there against mental and financial hardship by not taking the plea deals. You protect our rights for future generations.
**** The people will NOT be silent *** and THE PEOPLE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY ****

The Charges from Ramsey County
* PLANNING IS CONSPIRACY
* PROTESTING IS RIOTING
* DISSENT IS TERRORISM

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/defendthernc8

http://rnc08arrestees.wordpress.com/

[sasquatch]

1. I still say the cops that participated in that sham should be publicly shunned

[annm4peace]

2. Like the troops the cops were mostly following orders and out of control

I would rather an investigation be done on Ramsey County Sheriff Fletcher. and on how much our civil liberties were taken away. Who was in charge ? How much spying was done and what was done with the intel?

Unfortunately the City of St. Paul Police used to have a half way good Relationship with the peace and social justice community. We had many very large peaceful protests, sit-ins, rallies and marches. There would be arrests but they were negotiated and respectful.
(Minneapolis was a different story).

what happened before, leading up to, and after the RNC was completely another story. It was Bush's Secret Service and other Federal Agencies being allowed to take over the Twin Cities and Terrorize Dissent.

Watch the free documentary of a collection of pictures and video taken before and during the RNC, along with great interview of those terrorised including Amy Goodman from Democracy Now.

http://www.terrorizingdissent.org/

It is done very well but there is a lot of brutality but it is very complete with showing what democracy is all about, what freedom of press is about, and freedom of speech.

[sasquatch]

3. Not the same, police are civilians not military so they do not have to follow bad orders

[annm4peace]

6. I was trying to be diplomatic..and feel it is the higher ups to be investigated

and punished if applicable.
There were more than police. There was military, Secret Service, dEA agents, other that I didn't even remember their initials. Once in full riot gear you had no idea who they were with.

May of us did shout at them that they coudl walk away. At a very small protest on a highway overpass a St. Police officer told me they held their own vigil cause they aren't allowed to strike.
They hadn't had a raise in so many months (I can't remember now), and that they still didn't have a contract. Many didn't like what was going on but were getting overtime, and didn't know how long till their would be layoffs, and if they where there maybe they could help control those from out of town.

But you are right, I do hope those who were out of control and used excessive force are investigate and procecuted.

[DCKit]

9. There is no excuse for military personnel following illegal orders either.

"I was only following orders" went out with the defeat of the Nazis.

There is no excuse.

[No Elephants]

13. It should have gone out with the Nuremberg trials, but it never did. It was used

in, among other contexts, the Vietnam War by Lt. Calley (and look what Kerry got in return for trying to swim against that evil tide). It's being used about the war on terra and it is being used in freakin' Minnesota. It will always be used.

And, in some ways, I can understand that, given how they are trained and the penalties that are imposed it they choose wrong. But, understanding does not mean excusing.

[kas125]

4. I was in St. Paul that day, in the big march and then got STUCK

there. There were cops everywere, keeping everyone from going anywhere. That whole week was just surreal and an experience I'll never forget.

[annm4peace]

7. I hope you are ok

many of us in the Twin cities work with CRASS and it helps.
I hope you did not get pepper sprayed or tear gassed.

[kas125]

11. We had a few scary moments, but we were fine. I was with

people who knew to always watch their surroundings and we knew to MOVE away when the cops pull down their face shields and start walking in your direction.

[norepubsin08]

8. Unlike the troops the fucking pigs

can quit their job anytime they want..I still say it's partly their fault. Almost every fucking pig I known and have seen in action has a Nazi mindset!!!

[gratuitous]

5. I wonder how St. Paul likes paying for all this?

Because it's a cinch that for all their gestapo tactics on behalf of their Republican overlords, the RNC sure as hell isn't helping to pay for all this.

Oh, and where were all our freedom-defendin' troops while our citizens were being denied their rights?

[kas125]

12. The city took out an insurance policy to pay for lawsuits. I think

that pretty much made the cops feel that they'd been given immunity so they did whatever they wanted to do.

[annm4peace]

10. more trials every week

they haven't even started the trials for the RNC 8. Hopefully they will drop the charges before they start

[Danascot]

14. I would like to see St. Paul sued

for false arrest, harassment and violation of the protester's constitutional rights, including significant monetary penalty damages.

They had no right to act like gestapo doing the GOP's bidding and a clear message needs to be sent to keep this from happening again.