UPDATE: Tree-Sitter Released on April 4th After 67 Days in Jail; Still Faces Four Misdemeanor Charges

A nearly three-month treesit in People's Park in Berkeley ended in the early morning hours of January 28th when Midnight Matt, the primary sitter, was arrested on attempted murder charges. Reports have it that drunken instigators, perhaps working with or looking to please the Berkeley and/or UC police departments, climbed into the tree at night and confronted Midnight Matt. Threats were made against Midnight Matt and he tried to defend himself, demanding that the instigators leave the tree. One of the instigators ended up with a cut on his hand. The confrontation was then the justification BPD and UCPD used to call the Fire Department and extract Midnight Matt from the tree around 3am that morning.

None of the instigators were charged at the time — they claimed to have climbed into the tree to simply talk — but on February 7th one was arrested for battery in a separate incident in the park. Midnight Matt's charges were reduced to assault with a deadly weapon at his arraignment, but he remains in Santa Rita jail with his bail set at $100,000. Supporters are asking for donations to help make his $10,000 bond and for a show of support in court. Midnight Matt's next court date is April 4th at 9am in Dept. 115 of the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland.

Read More: Can We Get a Midnight Matt Dodt Full Report, Please? | Matt Dodt's April 4th Court Date | Can We Get a Midnight Matt Update? | Support Midnight Matt, and tree sitting in Peoples park, at his next court date March 10th | Support Peoples Park tree-sitter Matt Dobt | Tree Sitter's Accuser Taken For Assault | Update 2/3/11: Midnight Matt in court for defending himself while tree-sitting | Attempted Murder in the Park? | Report: Sunday People's Park Meeting | Sitting in a tree is not a crime! | People's Park Emergency Meeting | People's Park Treesitter Forced from Tree and in Santa Rita on Attempted Murder Charge

Previous Related Indybay Feature: Tree Sit in Muwekma (People's) Park in Berkeley