Five of the group known as the “Highway 17 Six” were sentenced to 30 days in jail back on June 29 for blocking traffic during a protest back in March.
The judge in the case informed the quintet that they are eligible for community service in place of jail time.
The group’s demonstration, part of the so-called “96 Hours of Action,” complained about “tuition increases, privatization of education, state investment into construction of prisons and the intersection of tuition increases and police brutality as ‘racialized class warfare.’”
The owner of a concrete business testified that he lost out on $10,000 worth of business due to the protester-induced traffic snarl.
During the sentencing hearing, [public defender Alyssa] Thompson and the other four students’ attorneys, advocated for restorative justice through community service instead of jail time. The six students are also still undergoing appeals with the university, and are currently suspended until fall 2016.
“I’m disappointed with the outcome,” Thompson said. “I think that the indicated sentence [of 30 days in jail] was an appropriate response to the immediate outrage that the papers like the Sentinel were capturing, but since then I think a lot of the community has come forward to say that outrage does not represent some of their true feelings. I hoped today that the judge would see not only the community response, but also the excellent characters that these six individuals have, and take that into account.”
However in prosecuting attorney [Crystal] Andersen’s last address to Judge Guy, she said the students “alienated and victimized a community who would have supported their message.” The prosecutor argued that the student’s statements were at first apologies, but followed by justifications.
She said the demonstration was “at the wrong time, in the wrong place and in the wrong manner,” and that the community was ultimately the victim. Premeditation and deliberation were aggravating factors that Andersen argued should set the sentencing at 90 to 100 days in jail.
“We wanted a little bit more time than what [Guy] was asking for, but ultimately she did reflect on all of the information that was submitted to her, she read everything very thoroughly, and I think it was appropriate in this case,” Andersen said after the hearing.
The students were held responsible for a total of $28,103.73 in restitution costs the following day.
h/t to Gary Fouse.
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