Occupy Philly court case appears deadlocked; UChicago puts two on leave, says cop posed as protester
Kenneth Lipp ?@kennethlipp
Jury appears deadlocked in case of #OccupyPhilly protesters | http://bit.ly/YRpBsL
Closing arguments wrapped up on Friday in the trial of 12 Occupy Philly activists who spent the afternoon of Nov. 18, 2011, occupying a Center City Wells Fargo Bank location in protest of the bank's lending and foreclosure practices. But by the end of the day today, the jury still had not reached a verdict in the case and appeared to be deadlocked.
According to Dustin Slaughter, one of the defendants, Judge Nina Padilla told the jury they'd have to keep trying to reach a verdict for at least as long as it took for the case to be tried, which could mean they'll be in the jury room through Wednesday if they can't come to an agreement.
The 12 defendants are charged with defiant trespass and conspiracy to commit defiant trespass, misdemeanor charges that could add up to fines, probation or jail time — a maximum of two years per defendant. Most or all of the 11 men and one woman had initially been offered participation in the District Attorney's Accelerated Misdemeanor Program (AMP), designed to divert nonviolent cases from the court and prison system, according to Larry Krasner, one of the senior attorneys on the case (which a team of seven lawyers has taken on pro bono). The 12 opted to go to trial and were found guilty in Municipal Court last June.
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Some defendants didn't bother to hide their feelings the trial was absurd. Take this exchange between Assistant District Attorney Jim Stinsman and defendant Larry Swetman:
Stinsman: "Did you think you had permission [to be at the bank]?"
Swetman: "I believe my First Amendment was my permit. … I took the fact that the bank was open … there was a waiting area for me to wait in."
Stinsman: "Is that what you were doing? Waiting?"
Swetman: "Waiting on the world to change, I suppose."
(More at the link.)
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Samwise ?@SamwiseOccupies
#UofC puts 2 on leave, says cop posed as protester
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-u-of-c-puts-2-on-leave-says-cop-posed-as-protester-20130304,0,1544298.story …
The University of Chicago Police Department said Monday it had placed two employees on administrative leave and launched an investigation after university officials acknowledged that an officer posed as a protester during a demonstration over U. of C. hospital trauma care last month.
The U. of C. officer's undercover activity was reported by the student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, which published photos Friday that appear to show the officer holding a protest sign and sending texts.
In a statement over the weekend, university President Robert Zimmer and Provost Thomas Rosenbaum said the officer's actions were "totally antithetical" to the university's values. In addition to the internal police investigation, Zimmer and Rosenbaum will appoint an "external independent reviewer" to look into the matter.
In recent years, activists have demanded wider access to trauma care on the South Side. The University of Chicago Medical Center is a trauma center for patients up to age 16, and the Feb. 23 protest sought to pressure U. of C. to accept trauma victims up to age 21.