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Charges Dropped Against Many OWS Protesters Arrested On Brooklyn Bridge
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 18, 2012
Modified Feb 18, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 18, 2012
Modified Feb 18, 2012
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In December, a judge denied a motion to dismiss the charges against the nearly 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters who were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge in October. But the Times' Colin Moynihan reports that yesterday morning charges against 14 protesters were dismissed at the request of the DA's office, and while many of the protesters have agreed to conditional dismissals, at least 174 out of the 686 cases have been dismissed outright.
Representatives from the DA's office explained that "prosecutors had individually investigated the case of every person arrested on the bridge and moved to dismiss those that were not supported by the available evidence," which in the case of those who just received summonses and weren't photographed or fingerprinted, was likely scant.
Additionally, police officers "had reviewed police videotapes to help them recognize defendants," which doesn't strike us as the best use of an officer's time. Of the 438 defendants who received summonses, 250 agreed to conditional dismissals (a dismissal dependent on the defendant not being arrested in the next six months) and 155 have been dismissed. 33 cases haven't been resolved.
Still unknown is the amount of time and money the NYPD, the DA's office and city's courts spent arresting, prosecuting, and processing the protesters. Regardless of whether the NYPD led the protesters on to the bridge as a choreographed trap or if the protesters disobeyed direct orders from the police, was ticketing nearly 700 people worth it?
Tagged
brooklyn bridge
city resources
court system
crime
nypd
occupy wall street
ows
protests
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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