Stanford protesters facing felony vandalism charges defer pleas

A Santa Clara County judge on Thursday deferred plea entries for people charged with felony vandalism and other crimes stemming from a June protest at Stanford University s executive offices The hearing took place at the county s Superior Court in Palo Alto where Judge Vincent Chiarello granted the defendants requests to postpone their pleas until Aug Several defendants also requested to be considered for a diversion venture through the probation department which would allow them to perform area facility as a conclusion of their alleged actions last summer If convicted those charged face up to three years in jail and fines up to Renee Hessling who represents defendant Taylor McCann stated legal teams needed more time to review materials Related Articles Who hires the largest part UC alumni New details shows the top employers of graduates Silicon Valley Pain Index finds poverty inequality continue to plague South Bay Supreme Court allows Trump to lay off nearly Guidance Department employees Bulk teens and girls especially see college as key to jobs and life skills poll says UC Berkeley professor shot dead in Greece Dozens of supporters of the group of protesters dubbed the Stanford by activists gathered outside the courthouse but were met with a heavy law enforcement presence Santa Clara County sheriff s deputies arrived hours before the hearing and appeared to outnumber the crowd A white detention bus was parked out front Stanford University graduate and defendant Taylor McCann films from the sidewalk outside of the Palo Alto Courthouse after a plea hearing in Palo Alto Calif on Thursday July A Santa Clara County judge deferred plea entry for twelve people charged with felony vandalism and other crimes stemming from a June protest at Stanford University s executive offices Jane Tyska Bay Area News Group Deputies enforced court restrictions strictly on Thursday handing out copies of a standing order to supporters and members of the media that bans protests broadcasting or photography on courthouse property Unlike a previous hearing in May where deputies threatened arrests the crowd Thursday dispersed quietly without chants or rallies A photojournalist from this news organization was warned not to take photos on courthouse property including the parking lot Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen revealed in May that the individuals would face charges in connection with the June case which prosecutors allege caused between and million in property damage Executives disclosed the group barricaded themselves inside university offices as part of a broader campus demonstration demanding that Stanford divest from companies tied to Israel s military campaign in Gaza A spokesperson for Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine stated prosecution of the activists sends a dangerous signal We call on the District Attorney to this instant drop these charges This is a blatant misuse of judicial guidance and a disturbing attempt to criminalize dissent the group announced in a message Prosecuting peaceful protestors sends a chilling message and echoes the kind of anti-democratic Donald Trump-style attacks on free speech that have no place in our district Santa Clara County Sheriff s deputies stand watch over Stanford University candidate defendant supporters outside of the Palo Alto Courthouse after a plea hearing in Palo Alto Calif on Thursday July A Santa Clara County judge deferred plea entry for twelve people charged with felony vandalism and other crimes stemming from a June protest at Stanford University s executive offices Jane Tyska Bay Area News Group Attorneys for several defendants also pushed back in a joint message Hessling Dana Fite Brendan Barrett and Leah Gillis who respectively represent defendants McCann Cameron Pennington Isabel Terrazas and Maya Burke declared the protest was consistent with a long history of peaceful civil disobedience on campus This is a unique time in our society where young people recognize a call to action for moral conscience is required the attorneys declared Just like countless Stanford sit-ins in the past the students actions in this situation were part of a peaceful protest intended to express deeply held humanitarian beliefs The charges of felony vandalism are grossly exaggerated and fail to reflect the nonviolent and peaceful nature of the sit-in At the group s arraignment in May hundreds of demonstrators rallied peacefully outside the courthouse of the same Superior Court where they were first informed of the order banning inhabitants assembly on court grounds Sheriff s deputies responded in riot gear then and threatened to arrest supporters if they did not disperse After which supporters moved their gathering to a inhabitants park Stanford s response to pro-Palestine scholar activism has drawn criticism from across the spectrum A university subcommittee detected evidence of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias on campus while a separate overview documented incidents of Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslim Arab and Palestinian students Stanford University attendee and defendant Hunter Taylor-Black right center talks with supporters outside of the Palo Alto Courthouse after a plea hearing in Palo Alto Calif on Thursday July A Santa Clara County judge deferred plea entry for twelve people charged with felony vandalism and other crimes stemming from a June protest at Stanford University s executive offices Jane Tyska Bay Area News Group