An attorney for one of the seven University of Michigan pro-Palestinian protestors says having all charges dropped is vindication for the accused and the First Amendment.
The protestors were charged with trespassing and resisting and/or obstructing a police officer, but, in court on Monday, the Attorney General’s office requested all charges be dismissed.
Attorney Amir Makled, who represented Samantha Lewis, says his client is ecstatic the charges were dropped but it doesn’t eliminate the burden she was put under.
“Certainly, it doesn’t erase the harm of the months of intimidation and anxiety she was feeling as a result of these charges being brought in the first place. But we all have said from the beginning this is not a case of public safety issues. This was a criminalization of free speech.”
In a statement, Attorney General Dana Nessel says she still stands behind the charges, but that the case has become a "lightning rod of contention," and what she called “baseless and absurd allegations of bias have only furthered this divide."
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on X (Twitter)
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
