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UID:Indybay-18709347
SEQUENCE:18801616
CREATED:20120315T104200Z
DESCRIPTION:Bradley Allen and Alex Darocy are the first two of 11 charged with felony 
 vandalism, conspiracy to commit felony vandalism, and misdemeanor trespass 
 to go to Preliminary Hearing.\n\nThis is the hearing at which a judge 
 decides if the charges justify continuing with a formal indictment.\n\nThe 
 two are journalists who covered the 75 River St. occupation last year.  
 \n\nMore info at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/12/18709197.php 
 .\n\nThe most striking bit of testimony so far is by one of the detectives 
 who testified under penalty of perjury that he recommended former Mayor and 
 current Councilwoman Katherine Beiers be prosecuted.\n\nNaturally the D.A. 
 has done no such thing, but targeted activists instead.\n\nIn an interview 
 broadcast on my radio show (http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb120301.mp3 )  
 Beiers acknowledged she was in the 75 River St. building (as were scores of 
 others, including reporters, broadcasters, community members, and the city 
 manager).\n\nOtherwise no evidence of any prior agreement between the two 
 defendants to occupy or vandalize was even alleged.  Nor was any evidence 
 of the defendants doing any vandalizing presesnted.  D.A. Rebecca Young 
 simply claimed that they "trespassed" while reporting on a story.\n\nWhy 
 this should amount to felony conspiracy to vandalize is still a mystery 
 which perhaps she will further unveil today.\n\nThe two defendants called 
 witnesses testifying to the legitimacy of their status as journalists, 
 including former Mayor Mike Rotkin.\n\nToday the hearing resumes before 
 visiting Judge Stillman.\n\nStillman has called for the prosecution present 
 its theory of the case and the defense to challenge the sufficiency of the 
 evidence.\n\nJudge Ariadne Symons has been removed from the case by one of 
 the defendants--which affects all of the defendants.  Judge Burdick of 
 Dept. 6 is now hearing the cases (and may try to have them moved out of his 
 court, as he has real crimes to deal with).\n\nNeither Bradley nor Alex nor 
 their lawyers have asked or authorized me to publicize and announce this 
 continued hearing.  Quite the opposite--I was asked to stay away.\n\nStill 
 I encourage people, particularly the defendants and their lawyers to come 
 and watch this Dress Rehearsal for Repression.\n\nIt's important that this 
 case be exposed to the public for what it is--expensive and vindictive 
 selective prosecution targeting activists and journalists.  \n\nThis is a 
 clear attempt to intimidate Occupy Santa Cruz--the most serious in a string 
 of attacks on constitutional rights involving "disappearing" charges, false 
 arrests, unprecedented curfews, meshing off of public areas, and--now--the 
 smearing of activists\n\nThe cost of these hearings and trials is slated to 
 run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Not counting police costs.  The 
 damage reportedly done at the Wells Fargo Bank by those not associated with 
 any of the defendants through graffiti is a fraction of this amount.  And 
 the amount of damage done by Wells Fargo Bank in its ongoing fraudulent 
 foreclosures dwarfs by several orders of magnitude the damage that happened 
 during the occupation.\n\nThat fraud and the lack of winter shelter and 
 facilities for Santa Cruz's 1500-2000 homeless people was one of the 
 reasons cited by occupiers for their peaceful 3-day occupation of the 3 1/2 
 year vacant bank.\n\nPreliminary Hearings for Becky Johnson and Robert 
 Norse begin 1:30 PM April 16 in Department 6.\n\nPreliminary Hearings for 
 the other 7 defendants begin 1:30 PM April 23 presumably in Department 6.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/15/18709347.php
SUMMARY:Day Three of "Conspiracy" Frame-Up Hearing
LOCATION:701 Ocean St.  Dept. 3  (But look for "Alex Darocy" and/or "Bradley Stuart 
 Allen" on the court calendar to be sure)
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/03/15/18709347.php
DTSTART:20120315T210000Z
DTEND:20120315T230000Z
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