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Hwy 6 court appearance. Tuesday Apr 28th, 2015

by Brent Adams
The judge in the case of the students who closed Hwy 17 for several hours, has indicated what her focus of her sentencing may be should this case proceed.
A group of UCSC students, now referred to as the HWY 6, have stated that they we're protesting tuition hikes at the university when they shut Hwy 17 down for several hours.

Thursday, Judge Guy ordered the group back in court
Santa Cruz County Superior Judge Denine Guy admitted in court that she plans to sentence the six UC Santa Cruz student/protestors to 30 days in jail, and as much as $40,000 in restitution if they plead no contest to charges in a protest that shut down Highway 1 in March.

There may ultimately be a community service option for the 6 students; Ethan Jacob Pezzolo, 19, of Santa Cruz; Janine Victoria Caceres, 21, of Los Angeles; Alexander Bryant Pearce, 19, of San Francisco; Sophia Jeanne DiMatteo, 19, of Sherman Oaks; Lori Leigh Nixon, 28, of Santa Cruz; and Sasha Lee Petterson, 19, of Oakland.

Each individual is charged with misdemeanor creating a public nuisance and misdemeanor resisting arrest carried a potential sentence of 18 months in jail if they were found guilty in a trial. Prosecutor Kristal Andersen said the judge’s indicated sentence came despite her objection. Anderson says 30 days isn't a strong enough sentence or message to the community.

The defendants have already been suspended for 10 months and assigned to at least 100 hours of community service. Until Jan. 1, 2016, the six are not allowed on campus, defense attorney Linda Rigas has said.

A status hearing is scheduled for May 7, in which the group is expected to plead no contest.
Restitution is meant to cover for the hours of law enforcement time at the scene as emergency crew worked to free the protestors from large solid blocks of concrete reinforced with metal mesh, chains and structural enforcement such as rebar. The amount could be as high as $40,000. Attorneys prosecuting the case have indicated that the sentencing hearing could include testimony from drivers who were inconvenienced by the March 3 highway shutdown.
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by Brent Adams
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§Conferring with lawyers
by Brent Adams
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§Department heads of local law enforcement
by Brent Adams
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§Department heads of local law enforcement
by Brent Adams
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by Brent Adams
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