Group arrested at city council meeting

From The five young people who were arrested at a May 4 Greensboro City Council meeting had their day in court this past Monday, July 26. According to Morris, the group’s attorney, Becky Jaffe of Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, asked the judge for “a prayer for judgment,” which called for a dismissal of charges upon payment of court costs.

The five young people who were arrested at a May 4 Greensboro City Council meeting had their day in court this past Monday, July 26. According to Morris, the group’s attorney, Becky Jaffe of Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, asked the judge for “a prayer for judgment,” which called for a dismissal of charges upon payment of court costs.

Group arrested at city council meeting
by Yasmine Regester
Carolina Peacemaker
Originally posted 7/28/2010
The five young people who were arrested at a May 4 Greensboro City Council meeting had their day in court this past Monday, July 26. Cherell Brown, Clarence Bradley Hunt II, Jonathan Johnson, Wesley Morris, and Carlyle Phillips were arrested in the lobby of the Melvin Municipal Building after refusing to leave the building and were charged with second degree trespassing. Prior to their arrest, the five students and others occupied the dais during the council meeting’s recess.
According to Morris, the group’s attorney, Becky Jaffe of Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, asked the judge for “a prayer for judgment,” which called for a dismissal of charges upon payment of court costs. The judge ruled in favor of the group and each person was ordered to pay $126 in court costs and an extra $20 if they were unable to render payment the same day.
After being arrested back in May, the group was released from custody on a written promise to appear in court, given a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, and banned from city council meetings for two years. The curfew was lifted on May 24, but they are still banned from attending city council meetings.
Those arrested were members of the Spirit of the Sit-in Movement Initiative, a local organization advocating for accountability and bringing attention to social issues plaguing the community such as an alleged subculture of corruption in the Greensboro Police Department. Comprised of mostly local college students, but includes members of the community as well, the group currently has between 20 and 25 members.
Morris made a short speech at the group’s court hearing explaining their actions. “This act was not committed as an attempt to gain notoriety, political standing or to disrespect any individuals or personalities. It came from a firm belief that the larger Greensboro community, as diverse as any, required a sacrifice to urge its city’s leaders and to inform its public and to participate more fully in its city’s decision making process and oversight as it relates to the police department and city government. It also came with knowledge of the tradition of non-violent actions to petition for rights.”
Hunt said he felt a good decision was made on the judge’s part, “It always feels good to be vindicated, but this whole ordeal was a personal lesson for me that you must take responsibility for your actions. But I would do it again.”
Brown, one of the activists said of the court appearance, “The presence of our co-workers, elders, community members, brothers and sisters at our trial was both encouraging and reaffirming. The consequences we face in response to our act of civil disobedience pales in comparison to the injustices that our community, our family, is facing everyday due to a fragmented and corrupt system.”
Morris noted that the group will continue to work on Greensboro Justice Summer, a grassroots campaign to register voters and educate people about community issues. “When it comes to justice, what we stood for is still out there and it’s getting worse, particularly what Officer AJ Blake and Captain Charles Cherry are going through. This a minor burden compared to what others are going through. I’m glad we were able to do what we did,” said Morris.

Source: Carolina Peacemaker

From http://www.carolinapeacemaker.com/News/article/article.asp?NewsID=104453&sID=4&ItemSource=L