DROP THE CHARGES! NOV 5 LEGAL UPDATES

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November 16, 2010 

This is a legal update for the protests following last Nov. 5th, Johannes Mehserle’s sentencing for the murder of Oscar Grant.

152 people were arrested, in a mass arrest around E 17th street and
6th avenue in Oakland. Most were given the charge PC 408, a misdemeanor
of Unlawful Assembly. A few people were additionally charged with PC
407, misdemeanor Unlawful Assembly, and a few people were charged with
PC 602 (L), misdemeanor Trespassing. One person was booked on Arson
charges, but has not gone to court yet. It is unclear what the charges
from that arrest will be.

There were allegations that a protester grabbed an officer’s gun
holster on the evening of Nov. 5, but no one has been charged for that
offense. There has been no facts to support for that story’s merit, to
our knowledge.

Arraignments will be in the first week of December, all in Dept. 107
at Wiley Manuel Courthouse, 661 Washington Street. Court support is
encouraged.

The schedule for arraignment has:

8 people on 12/2

12 people on 12/3

120 people on 12/6.

Six people remained in custody over the weekend and five of them had
arraignments on 11/9. Of those folks, the Oakland 100 Support Committee
was able to bail two of them out. Of the people arraigned so far, most
protest related charges have been dropped but some are being held on
prior warrants. Two people remain in custody as of 11/14/10.

More legal support is needed. For donations, go to http://supporttheoakland100.wordpress.com/supportdonate/.

Inside the jail at Glenn Dyer jail (North County), there were a
number of concerns with arrestee’s treatment. Many people were denied
adequate medical treatment for injuries relating to police brutality
during arrest, but also for preexisting medical problems exacerbated by a
lack of care while in custody.

Many people were denied food for over 12 hours.

One person was beaten badly by Sheriff guards while in Glenn Dyer.

Also, at least one person was given a swab for DNA testing, which is a
protocol used for folks accused of felonies, but not acceptable practice
for misdemeanor charges.

The National Lawyer’s Guild, Legal Support for the Oakland Assembly
and the Oakland 100 Support Committee denounces the excessive amount of
law enforcement and brutality to protesters. There were more than
eleven police and law enforcement agencies in Oakland. The people of
Oakland have a right to express their

outrage at a justice system that gives a token slap on the wrist to an
officer who was videotaped murdering an unarmed black man in the back.

Justice for Oscar Grant and now, Derrick Jones.

In solidarity,

Members of the National Lawyer’s Guild Demonstrations Committee, Legal
Support for the Oakland Assembly and the Oakland 100 Support Committee