CHARGES DROPPED!!

Yesterday the eleven of us who were arrested in Cranston at Sen. Reed's office (suggestions for catchy group nicknames currently being accepted) were arraigned at Kent County Courthouse in Warwick on QUAKER Lane. With the help of local attorneys Bob Mann and Andy Horwitz, as well as public defender Chris O'Connell we all decided to plead "not guilty" and ask for legal representation from the state as necesary. There was much discussion within the group as to the morality of pleading "not guilty" to something we intended to do all along, but based on advice from the lawyers mentioned and Dad, it seemed to me that pleading "no contest" would mean admitting that we did was a crime, and not the guided act of conscience that we intended it to be. Our enthusiastic defense team also had numerous ideas for ways we could the charges dismissed.

So, we all made our pleas and got a pre-trial date for 11/20. But, on the way out of the court room reporters from Channel 12 news and WPRO news radio asked if they could interview representatives from our group. The news guys had been there for a different stories but were intrigued by our continuing narrative. Several of our group including Noah Merrill, Rev. Lee Clasper-Torch (or Torch-Clasper as we like to call him) and Military Families Speak Out member Stephany Kern interviewed with them.

When the report was aired on the 5:30 news, it came with the message that Sen. Reed's office had dropped the trespassing charges against us! Apparently they didn't want any more press coverage than we had already got and werer unwilling to pursue the matter further. Things went from them saying the night we got arrested "Well, you guys should up and plead a 'nolo' and we'll file it" to "OK, not guilty, we just want to end this without any more harm to our image". I felt very encouraged and emboldened by the news, and am eager to pursue continued non-violent direct action on the RI political scene. I say feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme, come on f/Friends it's PROTEST TIME!!