Last of Santa Cruz Eleven Goes to Arraignment

Visiting Judge Sillman presided in Courtroom 6 as the last of the SC-11 defendants Cameron Laurendeau pleaded not guilty to felony vandalism and misdemeanor trespass in the Now-entering-its-second-year Crush-the-Occupy-Movement sideshow orchestrated (rather badly) by D.A. Bob Lee and his fumbling deputy Rebekah Young.

Laurendeau's attorney Alex Briggs advised the court they would be filing a 995 Motion (Motion to Dismiss) slated for a hearing March 11 1:30 PM in Department 6. A similar motion resulted in the dismissal of charges against Alex Darocy and Bradley Stuart last year. Charges were initially dismissed against Laurendeau and Angel Alcantara at a earlier Preliminary Hearing, but Young insisted on refiling them. I went into some of the details in "Another Ridiculous Round of Arraignments" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/01/23/18730704.php/

I hope to post Brigg's motion some days before the hearing. I'll be playing an interview with Briggs on Sunday February 2 at 11 AM at 101.3 FM (or http://tunein.com/radio/FRSC-s47254/).

Young suggested the trial of Laurendeau and three others would take a week; Briggs suggested it would take several. Previously Young had suggested the Preliminary Hearing would take hours--when it ended up taking several days in all cases.

Trial readiness will be 9 AM on May 9th; jury trial to begin on May 13th for Laurendeau, Alcantara, Ripplyphipps, and Adams. Unless the D.A. responds to public pressure (or private wisdom) and drops the charges.

I have a copy of the last Preliminary Hearing--on the basis of which, Laurendeau and the three others were forwarded for further court and D.A. harassment if anyone wants to see it. Perhaps I'll post a hard copy in the Public Library (it's about 250 pages). The same Preliminary Hearing resulted in myself, Becky Johnson, and Desiree Foster having all charges dismissed.

It's not clear if or to whom the D.A.'s office will appeal the unusual (and token) finding that Young violated court orders in denying 11 defendants important evidence. If they do appeal, as Lee has said he will in the Sentinel, then he and Judge Burdick may fight it out in some higher court (though we're talking about the slightest slap on the wrist here).

We are all of course innocent of an violent or arguably any illegal behavior, as I've detailed in past posts. See http://www.santacruzeleven,org for the thoughts of others. For my analysis simply search on this website for "Norse".

DA Bob Lee's witch hunt against the Santa Cruz Eleven is meant to cow potential activists — fired up by the success of the Occupy movement — from performing mass acts of civil disobedience. DA Bob Lee sent a message that anyone who performs acts of civil disobedience will be charged will felonies and dragged (even w/o evidence) through the courts.

It's a rather crude way of stifling dissent. That's why it is so important that the Santa Cruz Eleven fight back to hold DA Bob Lee and his prosecutor Rebekah Young accountable for abusing their positions of authority under color of law to deprive the Santa Cruz Eleven of rights guaranteed by the Constitution and U.S. law.

DA Bob Lee is practicing a crude kind of social control in case anyone in Santa Cruz considers organizing mass civil disobedience against entrenched authority.