Victory in the Trial of Four “STOP Stop & Frisk” Freedom Fighters
NOT GUILTY of Two Counts of Obstruction of Government Administration, Guilty of One Count of Disorderly Conduct
November 15, 2012 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
November 15, Queens, NYC. After a three-week-plus trial of four “STOP Stop & Frisk” freedom fighters, the jury didn’t buy the prosecution’s flimsy case that tried to prove Carl Dix, Jamel Mims, Morgan Rhodewalt and Bob Parsons were guilty of two counts of Obstruction of Government Administration and should go to jail for one year.
The six jurors came back with a NOT GUILTY verdict on both counts for all four defendants.
The jury did find all four defendants guilty of one count of disorderly conduct for failure to disperse, which is a violation and carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail. Sentencing is January 7, but today, after the verdict was delivered, the prosecution said they are going to recommend a fine or community service.
Shortly after the verdict, Carl Dix told Revolution:
“They were going to make people pay a heavy price for protesting against stop-and-frisk, they crafted it from the beginning, And they failed in this objective. They put on a case where they couldn’t provide any evidence. This verdict is a victory for our side. For this trial, we gathered support, including bringing together lawyers who wanted to fight this case, we spread the word and built the kind of fight that in the end, prevented them from delivering the message and exacting the punishment they were aiming for. But the fight isn’t over. There are nine more people who were arrested that day who are going to be going on trial in Queens. And there are 13 people facing trial for “STOP stop & frisk” protests in Brooklyn. Freedom fighter Noche Diaz faces several additional trials, one in Manhattan and one in the Bronx. And all of this is part of the larger fight to stop mass incarceration.”
Go to the Stop Mass Incarceration Network website for more information, press releases, statements, etc. And stay tuned at revcom.us for an account and analysis of the trial.
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