RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Nine people were arrested and charged in March after their pro-Palestinian protest brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 95 in Richmond. Now, the group — which has since adopted the name “The I-9” — is calling on the Commonwealth to drop their charges days before their court date.
On the morning of Monday, March 11, nine protesters were charged with stopping vehicles, obstructing free passage of others, unlawful assembly and being a pedestrian on the interstate. All nine are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, June 21.
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Representatives for the group sent out a press release condemning the United States government for sending weapons and resources to Israel and reiterating the purpose of the protest that led to their arrests.
“This genocide is only made possible by the tens of billions of dollars in arms, munitions and military gear the U.S. government is sending to Israel,” reads part of the release. “Such support is in violation of both the Foreign Assistance Act, which states that no assistance is to be provided to a government that ‘engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,’ and the Leahy Laws, which forbid providing such aid to foreign military units implicated in serious human rights violations.”
8News Legal Analyst Russ Stone reacted to the group’s release.
“Calling on the prosecutor to drop charges … that is not something that you see every day,” Stone said. “It’s almost – in some sense – it’s an admission that, ‘we did it.'”
8News asked Stone whether he thinks the release presents a legal justification for the charges to be dropped.
“Candidly — no, I do not,” Stone replied. “This is an expression of their views. They certainly hope that the charges would be dropped, but in 35 years of doing criminal work, [it’s] not unusual for a defendant or friends of the defendant to hope that the charges are dropped.”
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin has not yet responded publicly to the group’s demand, but Stone said it is unlikely to have any effect on the charges.
“The prosecutors and the judges are not going to make that decision based on people’s opinions of what’s going on in Israel and Gaza right now,” Stone said.
Stone explained how the demand could be interpreted from a legal standpoint.
“It’s a call to what I would characterize as mob rule,” Stone said. “If the court were to let this influence it, then the court is not deciding cases based on the law. The court is deciding cases based on public opinion and that’s just wrong. We don’t we don’t do that in this country.”
Virginia State Police told 8News in March that the demonstration put multiple lives in danger. Stone explained that that is one of many factors that will be looked at in the courtroom on Friday and that, ultimately, it’s not up to the court to evaluate the justness of the cause, but rather to look at the facts.
“The fact is, you can express your views, but be careful how you do it,” Stone said.
In their release, the group also called on the community to pack the John Marshall Courts Building on Friday.
Stone said that, while people do have the First Amendment right to protest, they should be careful, as if doing so were to disrupt the courthouse in a significant way, that itself could come with additional charges for the protestors involved.
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Nine people were arrested and charged in March after their pro-Palestinian protest brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 95 in Richmond. Now, the group — which has since adopted the name “The I-9” — is calling on the Commonwealth to drop their charges days before their court date.
On the morning of Monday, March 11, nine protesters were charged with stopping vehicles, obstructing free passage of others, unlawful assembly and being a pedestrian on the interstate. All nine are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, June 21.
PREVIOUS: Nine arrested following pro-Palestine protest on I-95 in Richmond
Representatives for the group sent out a press release condemning the United States government for sending weapons and resources to Israel and reiterating the purpose of the protest that led to their arrests.
“This genocide is only made possible by the tens of billions of dollars in arms, munitions and military gear the U.S. government is sending to Israel,” reads part of the release. “Such support is in violation of both the Foreign Assistance Act, which states that no assistance is to be provided to a government that ‘engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,’ and the Leahy Laws, which forbid providing such aid to foreign military units implicated in serious human rights violations.”
8News Legal Analyst Russ Stone reacted to the group’s release.
“Calling on the prosecutor to drop charges … that is not something that you see every day,” Stone said. “It’s almost – in some sense – it’s an admission that, ‘we did it.'”
8News asked Stone whether he thinks the release presents a legal justification for the charges to be dropped.
“Candidly — no, I do not,” Stone replied. “This is an expression of their views. They certainly hope that the charges would be dropped, but in 35 years of doing criminal work, [it’s] not unusual for a defendant or friends of the defendant to hope that the charges are dropped.”
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin has not yet responded publicly to the group’s demand, but Stone said it is unlikely to have any effect on the charges.
“The prosecutors and the judges are not going to make that decision based on people’s opinions of what’s going on in Israel and Gaza right now,” Stone said.
Stone explained how the demand could be interpreted from a legal standpoint.
“It’s a call to what I would characterize as mob rule,” Stone said. “If the court were to let this influence it, then the court is not deciding cases based on the law. The court is deciding cases based on public opinion and that’s just wrong. We don’t we don’t do that in this country.”
Virginia State Police told 8News in March that the demonstration put multiple lives in danger. Stone explained that that is one of many factors that will be looked at in the courtroom on Friday and that, ultimately, it’s not up to the court to evaluate the justness of the cause, but rather to look at the facts.
“The fact is, you can express your views, but be careful how you do it,” Stone said.
In their release, the group also called on the community to pack the John Marshall Courts Building on Friday.
Stone said that, while people do have the First Amendment right to protest, they should be careful, as if doing so were to disrupt the courthouse in a significant way, that itself could come with additional charges for the protestors involved.