Judge discards 30 instances of unlawful entry charges against pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who were detained within the Columbia University building.
Out of the original 46 individuals apprehended, 15 remain charged, reported the Manhattan district attorney's office.
A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were accused of forcefully breaching the university's Hamilton Hall on April 30 and securing themselves within, leading to the university seeking aid from the New York Police Department. Subsequently, many were charged with criminal trespass in the third degree, which is a class B misdemeanor.
At the time, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated his intention to review each case based on facts and the law. Historically, the Manhattan DA’s office has either declined to prosecute or deferred prosecution in cases involving mass arrests during civil disobedience.
During a recent court hearing, Judge Kevin McGrath dropped 30 cases of trespassing against individuals without prior criminal records. One additional defendant already had their case dropped, resulting in a total of 31 individuals no longer facing charges.
According to the Manhattan DA’s press release, the remaining defendants are now confronting student or staff disciplinary actions within Columbia University.
Throughout Thursday's court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Stephen Millan advocated for the dismissal of charges due to what he called "insufficient video evidence." Millan asserted that the security cameras were obstructed by protesters, making it challenging for the prosecution to establish or prove damages to university property or harm to anyone other than trespassing.
Columbia University declined to comment on the court proceedings when reached out to by CNN.
Defendants 'collectively' turn down offers
Of the 15 defendants still facing charges, 12 of whom were neither staff nor students at Columbia, have been presented with Adjournments in Contemplation of Dismissal (ACD). An ACD allows the court to postpone a defendant’s case with the possibility of dismissing the charge if the defendant remains crime-free.
However, the defendants have chosen to reject the offer, stating their rejection at a news conference following the hearing, surrounded by protesters wearing keffiyehs, a traditional Palestinian scarf.
“Together here today, we stand united by our action and the Palestinian cause,” one protester declared. “The state has again tried to divide us, dismissing some of our cases and offering others deals, but we reject this division meant to preserve the sanctity of Columbia University, not an institution in the city of New York but always above and beyond it.”
“All of us who liberated Hind’s Hall acted out of the same necessity to escalate, to escalate for Gaza, to resist the brutal genocide of our brothers and sisters in Palestine,” the protester expounded, referring to Hamilton Hall by another name afforded by demonstrators.
“We exercised our joint right to oppose the US war machine by situating our bodies upon the years of Columbia, one of its most well-oiled domestic components.”
The protester concluded that the defendants unanimously turned down the deals to present a “united front against state repression.”
The 14 defendants will reappear in court on July 25.
“The only disparity in allegations is that they weren’t currently enrolled as a student or working for the university,” said public defender Matthew Daloisio, representing 43 defendants.
Daloisio asserted that these defendants endured the same police raid and suffered the same injuries as any other individual during the NYPD raid.
A 15th defendant, James Carlson, 40, was arrested on burglary charges at Columbia University and is also facing a charge of criminal trespass in the third degree from the Manhattan DA. Additionally, he is facing an arson charge from a different incident. He has entered a not-guilty plea in both cases, per court records.
On Thursday, Carlson appeared before the judge, during which the prosecutor detailed how he is being accused of participating in the Hamilton Hall protest. Carlson allegedly damaged a NYPD camera and was involved in burning an Israeli flag. When the prosecutor discussed the flag burning in court, some spectators in the courtroom chuckled, prompting a court officer to admonish them, asking them to remain quiet.
The district attorney stated that disciplinary proceedings are ongoing for the students who had their cases dismissed.
CNN’s Emma Tucker contributed to this report.
Read also:
The decision to reject the offers of Adjournments in Contemplation of Dismissal was made collectively by all the 12 defendants who are not affiliated with Columbia University. This was announced at a news conference following the hearing, where they also expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Us, the defendants, stand united in our rejection of the deals offered, as we believe in the importance of maintaining a united front against state repression. [Here, 'us' refers to the group of defendants who are rejecting the offers.]
