Occupy Wall Street To NYC: Drop Charges Against 800 Or We Will March To Court For Every Trial

[PeaceNikki]

There's been around 800 Occupy Wall Street protestors arrested since the movement began, and all of them are ready to head to court.

The New York Daily News reported that the protestors' defense lawyers from the National Lawyer's Guild have asked New York City to drop the charges against the occupiers or they will refuse to settle and bring all 800 cases to court.

Protestors are also planning on marching to every trial if the district attorney continues to prosecute cases - starting with the November 15 court date already set for 60 occupiers.

The National Lawyer's Guild and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. will meet today.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/occupy-the-courts-800-protests-could-be-heading-to-trial-2011-10#ixzz1b5K0Rcjl

[MrModerate]

1. There are many ways to shut an unjust system down. n/t

[vets74]

20. That is not an Operation Wall Street claim.

Police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges do well enough on most cases.

The few fully corrupt situations involve top level financial industry people. Get-out-of-jail cards.

Police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges are in the 99%. By far.

[MrModerate]

34. No argument. But police behavior in these instances — which is now feeding . . .

Hundreds of people into the court system — is a corruption of justice.

I meant lowercase "system," not "The System."

[tama]

44. Incarceration rate and racial profile in US

is "well enough"?

[PSPS]

2. This is precisely the approach that should be taken

Ivory towers always fall this way, and this is no exception.

[AngkorWot]

3. So they want to place a huge burden on an already strained system?

Because that's a rather different target than what they're protesting against.

[PeaceNikki]

6. No burden if no charges, no?

One can argue it's the bullshit arrests and charges at fault. I am one who would argue that.

[boston bean]

7. Well it was the Supreme Court that made corporations people, wasn't it.

[AngkorWot]

9. Does the Supreme Court handle municipal trespassing and resisting arrest cases?

Part of the point of civil disobedience is dealing with the consequences and the punishment.

If this protest is now about protesting city hall, at the taxpayer's expense, the 1% would pretty much laugh at that.

[boston bean]

10. No but they are part of the corrupt system, that will punish innocents

on the words of police officers who got their orders from on high (the billionaire mayor)..... Who is very much part of the problem.

[PeaceNikki]

12. It's in the DA's power to drop the charges.

[boston bean]

13. did you mean to respond to me? nt

[PeaceNikki]

14. Doh.

no

[AngkorWot]

15. It's in the defendants power to pay the fine and get back out on the street to protest.

[PeaceNikki]

17. lol and within their rights to bring cases to court.

[AngkorWot]

18. Right.

And one of those things is the morally responsible, and more productive, thing to do.

[PeaceNikki]

19. JFC, "morally responsible"?

Your concern is noted.

[RegieRocker]

21. It's always a moral responsibility to fight injustice.

It's also the most productive.

[AngkorWot]

22. Sure.

It's also moral responsible to pay the fine when you're guilty.

[RegieRocker]

27. Guilty of a right to peaceful assembly?

It's not morally responsible to dishonor the constitution.

[cui bono]

53. Guilty of being maced for simply standing there?

What are you defending, really?

[The Doctor.]

25. Yes, and that would be punishing the system for being a tool of abuse.

People that were arrested for little more than standing somewhere. They should be made to pay a fine?

That would be heaping one injustice on another. No, these cases should tie up the court system and threaten to screw up the DA's priorities. The system should be choked on its own corruption and abuse. That is the only way to get noticed, raise awareness, and hopefully get more people involved.

Tax payers don't want to pay for the trials that every American has a right to?

Then they should start calling for changes too.


I just love your 'uber-liberal' "give up and go home" message here.

[AngkorWot]

28. Do you want to protest the city or do you want to protest the corporations?

Because the corporations would love nothing more than to turn the protests against the cops and the city.

"People that were arrested for little more than standing somewhere."

The protestors were arrested for a variety of reasons ranging trespassing to blocking traffic to resisting arrest. And the whole point of civil disobedience is to make a show of doing it. Claiming innocence after the fact is rather... counterproductive, to put it mildly.

[RegieRocker]

31. It's about protesting corruption, injustice and inequality. Period.

[The Doctor.]

35. Your distaste for legal protest and freedom of speech are telling.

Not everyone arrested was guilty of doing anything illegal.

How many 'Tea party' protestors were arrested? You think they were all perfectly behaved?

Not.

The corporation put the police, and the city in the position of dealing with the protestors through their illegal practices that have undermined our democracy. If the city doesn't like it, it can close Wall Street, suspend trading, and tell the federal government to give the protestors what the majority want.

Do you not know what that is, or do you have a talking point about the 'confusion' all lined up?

[tblue37]

36. The cops and the city government are supporting the corporations

by serving as a private police force/army for them. They should have to deal with the consequences of their corrupt behavior in support of the corportions.

[Saving Hawaii]

41. You're not really 'claiming innocence'. Legally yes, but effectively no.

The goal isn't to win every case. The goal is to so badly overwhelm the court system that the DA shakes his head and drops the cases.

[cui bono]

52. In your judgment. Not in most others' here. n/t

[Ignis]

59. Is that what you would have told Rosa Parks?

[Saving Hawaii]

40. Disorderly conduct usually gets booked and released

They don't have to pay any fines to get out, they don't have to post bail. Get booked, get released, protest some more. Hope, hope, hope that the charges get dropped so you don't have to pay fines or serve time.

[arcane1]

11. Quite the opposite: they want the charges dropped.

It's right there in the OP.

[formercia]

23. The Police should have thought of that first

They thought it would be an easy wad of cash if the protesters that were arrested just paid their fine and went home.

Be careful what you wish for.

Perhaps they will be more selective from now-on.

[AngkorWot]

24. I don't think the police get paid that way.

:shrug:

[PeaceNikki]

26. To clarify, the police arrest, the DA charges. The DA should have thought of that.

The DA can drop the charges, too.

And should.

[Saving Hawaii]

39. That's why everybody is contesting. If everybody contests it swamps the DA and they drop charges.

They drop charges for BS arrests over civil disobedience to fry the bigger fish.

[The Doctor.]

29. You're not well-apprised of how the court system works, are you?

Either that, or perspicacity ain't yer thing.

They figured they'd be helping the system create revenue. That's how the system is set up. It's basically legalized extortion. Everyone that can be accused of a crime, whether they committed it or not, is subject to that extortion.

"Don't want a trial? Then pay a nominal fee."

It's absolutely fair to turn the tables on the system that does this. Why would you think otherwise?

[formercia]

32. It goes into the budget.

The Police don't get paid any more except for Overtime. How long before the Bean counters start crying the blues because the Police budget is going to pay overtime and there is no revenue to offset the drain.

[PeaceNikki]

45. In Wisconsin, the police and firefighters joined the protests.

They don't get paid more or less based on the number of arrests they make or people they rough up.

Some just do it for fun.

[cui bono]

55. No, they get paid directly from corporate "donations".

http://www.naturalnews.com/033779_JP_Morgan_Occupy_Wall_Street.html

JPMorgan Chase donates millions to NYPD prior to mass arrests at Occupy Wall Street

[Saving Hawaii]

38. If they put a huge burden on an already strained system DA drops charges

They have to. That's the idea. The goal isn't to burden the system. It's to overwhelm it so much that the DA says "alright, forget about the whole thing".

[n2doc]

58. time to break it

Too many people in for non-violent crimes in any case. Make them release non violent offenders.

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Fractal DUer Prisoner_Number_Six suggested this strategy a week ago.

:thumbsup:

[Ineeda]

5. And demand jury trials for all of them. Tie up the system. n/t

[vets74]

16. Trial By Jury is only a right for serious cases.

These are very low level misdemeanors.

The big problem is the Brooklyn Bridge fiasco. Those will surely be thrown out.

The other "sidewalk" cases are likely to be thrown out.

The scuffles... not so likely. I don't know much about them.

[tsuki]

43. If an offense carries a six month jail sentence possibility. a jury can

be requested.

[Ineeda]

46. Please explain where in the Constitution it

exempts 'low level misdemeanors' from the Sixth Amendment. "...In ALL criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence." (emphasis mine)

I understand it's customary not to have a jury trial in such cases, but as I understand it, it's a right. And it should be used.

[vets74]

49. Always have been, always will be.

The Constitution is Federal, anyway.

Local jurisdiction crimes are met with simple remedies. These are infractions, not crimes.

[Ineeda]

56. Ah I see...

the Federal Constitution doesn't apply to local justice. I guess it would only be applicable for 'bigger' crimes or in DC then. :sarcasm:
Obviously, I think you're wrong on this.

[hobbit709]

48. You can demand a jury trial for ANY criminal matter.

You can waive that right. They try to tell you if you persist the fines and costs will be worse but you cannot be denied that fact.

i know some one who has done that several times. The last time his appeal went to the top state appeals court which overturned the original conviction on a misdemeanor on all grounds that he appealed it on. After that, the town where he lives decided to leave him alone. He's 3-0 in fight with the city.

[mother earth]

8. K & R! And guess just how many people beyond those

marching will be cheering them on! Freedom of speech, the right to assemble...guess they better consider just how much more they want to stir this pot.:yourock:

Thanks for posting this!

[dixiegrrrrl]

30. Wow...love that tactic!

New rules for this movement, they are being very assertive.
This should be interesting.
At what point do TPTB "get it", do ya think?

[Major Hogwash]

33. This won't work because of the Patriot Act -- you can't screw with the judicial system.

Or they'll just arrest you and put YOUR ass in jail.
Seriously.

And believe me, they're prepared and ready for 1000s of new incoming inmates.

[Saving Hawaii]

42. I'm certain the DA will love 1000s more BS charges to prosecute

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[a simple pattern]

61. Your concern is duly noted.

[lonestarnot]

37. LOL!

K & R!

[BR_Parkway]

47. Jury trials please... If they are going to trial, may as well do it right

[tavalon]

50. Best sign ever!!!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

54. Tee-hee. Using the system against the system. Shut it down. K&R

[socialist_n_TN]

57. I suggested this day before yesterday

I'm glad somebody's listening! :) A secondary idea behind civil disobedience is to overwhelm the system and use trials as a pulpit for your ideas. Yep some are going to get bigger sentences. Or the DA drops all of the charges.

[malthaussen]

60. Right on, brothers and sisters!

Solidarity!

-- Mal