While Donald Trump had a white-collar misdemeanor turned into a felony by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters who vandalized Columbia University have been chargedwhile another 13 will have their charges dropped if they stay out of trouble for the next six months.
Police arrested 46 demonstrators who broke into Hamilton Hall, barricaded themselves inside, and then trashed the joint.
During a hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, prosecutor Stephen Millan cited “prosecutorial discretion” in his decision not to move forward with charges, arguing that the protesters were wearing masks and covered surveillance cameras, so there was no sufficient evidence to show that any individual defendant did wrong. property or injury to someone. Millan also noted that no police officers were injured during the arrests and that none of the people arrested had a criminal record.
“All of these matters have been dismissed and sealed in the interest of justice,” Judge Kevin McGrath announced at the end of the hearing, where dozens of defendants and their supporters appeared wearing keffiyeh scarves around their shoulders.
Prosecutors declined to drop trespassing charges against 13 other people arrested at Hamilton Hall that night. Two of the 13 were also Columbia students, while the other 11 had no current affiliation with the school, although most were alumni.
The district attorney's office proposed that the 13 accept an adjournment to consider dismissal, a provision of New York law that, if accepted, means the case against a defendant will be dropped and sealed within six months if they are not arrested for another crime in time. – Reuters
All 13 protesters offered the deal rejected the offer through their lawyers, who are seeking to have these cases dismissed. They are due back in court on July 25, when prosecutors will have to decide whether they are ready to go to trial.
“It's all rigged,” said Trump adviser and founder of America First Legal, Stephen Miller.
It's all manipulated. https://t.co/fD9AGF7UeM
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) June 21, 2024
Of course it is!
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