Stanford protesters facing felony vandalism charges defer pleas

A Santa Clara County judge on Thursday deferred plea entries for people charged with felony vandalism and other crimes stemming from a June protest at Stanford University s executive offices The hearing took place at the county s Superior Court in Palo Alto where Judge Vincent Chiarello granted the defendants requests to postpone their pleas until Aug Several defendants also petitioned to be considered for a diversion project through the probation department which would allow them to perform area facility as a aftermath of their alleged actions last summer If convicted those charged face up to three years in jail and fines up to Renee Hessling who represents defendant Taylor McCann mentioned legal teams needed more time to review materials Related Articles Who hires the the bulk UC alumni New input shows the top employers of graduates Silicon Valley Pain Index finds poverty inequality continue to plague South Bay Supreme Court allows Trump to lay off nearly Guidance Department employees The bulk teens and girls especially see college as key to jobs and life skills poll says UC Berkeley professor shot dead in Greece Dozens of supporters of the group of protesters dubbed the Stanford by activists gathered outside the courthouse but were met with a heavy law enforcement presence Santa Clara County sheriff s deputies arrived hours before the hearing and appeared to outnumber the crowd A white detention bus was parked out front Deputies enforced court restrictions strictly on Thursday handing out copies of a standing order to supporters and members of the media that bans protests broadcasting or photography on courthouse property Unlike a previous hearing in May where deputies threatened arrests the crowd Thursday dispersed quietly without chants or rallies A photojournalist from this news organization was warned not to take photos on courthouse property including the parking lot Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen stated in May that the individuals would face charges in connection with the June episode which prosecutors allege caused between and million in property damage Government revealed the group barricaded themselves inside university offices as part of a broader campus demonstration demanding that Stanford divest from companies tied to Israel s military campaign in Gaza A spokesperson for Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine mentioned prosecution of the activists sends a dangerous signal We call on the District Attorney to this instant drop these charges This is a blatant misuse of judicial information and a disturbing attempt to criminalize dissent the group commented in a comment Prosecuting peaceful protestors sends a chilling message and echoes the kind of anti-democratic Donald Trump-style attacks on free speech that have no place in our neighborhood Attorneys for several defendants also pushed back in a joint report Hessling Dana Fite Brendan Barrett and Leah Gillis who respectively represent defendants McCann Cameron Pennington Isabel Terrazas and Maya Burke noted the protest was consistent with a long history of peaceful civil disobedience on campus This is a unique time in our society where young people recognize a call to action for moral conscience is required the attorneys reported Just like plenty of Stanford sit-ins in the past the students actions in this occurrence were part of a peaceful protest intended to express deeply held humanitarian beliefs The charges of felony vandalism are grossly exaggerated and fail to reflect the nonviolent and peaceful nature of the sit-in At the group s arraignment in May hundreds of demonstrators rallied peacefully outside the courthouse of the same Superior Court where they were first informed of the order banning citizens assembly on court grounds Sheriff s deputies responded in riot gear then and threatened to arrest supporters if they did not disperse After which supporters moved their gathering to a population park Stanford s response to pro-Palestine apprentice activism has drawn criticism from across the spectrum A university subcommittee identified evidence of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias on campus while a separate document documented incidents of Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslim Arab and Palestinian students