Today seven defendants in the Brooklyn stop-and-frisk protest case were told to return once again, April 4, for the judge to consider, and likely grant, our motion for dismissal of disorderly conduct charges "in the interest of justice."  The judge who said weeks ago she would dismiss charges if the DA had no additional evidence against the defendants was not in court. 

The DA, however, said he "may" have more evidence against seven remaining defendants based on an "online" search.  Other than reports of people participating in a non-violent civil disobedience action on November 1, 2011 at the 73rd Precinct, there is nothing that could prove them guilty of disorderly conduct.

9:30 am at 120 Schermerhorn on Thursday, April 4, we will demand that the remaining charges be finally dropped, after fifteen appearances in this court.  It wasn't lost on us that April 4 is the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King; we spent a lot of the day talking about the police murder of Kiki Gray in Brooklyn, and the righteous protests surrounding it. 

Tomorrow, come out to Bronx Criminal Court for a hearing in the case against the NYPD officer who killed Ramarley Graham last February.

Wednesday, Noche Diaz goes to trial, also in The Bronx. 

Yesterday, Randy Credico, Noche Diaz, Christina Gonzalez, John Hector, Nick Malinowsky, Bob Parsons and Matthew Swaue were set for trial in Brooklyn.  We were told by Judge LaPorte to expect that she was going to dismiss the remaining charge of disorderly conduct, after the first five defendants were dismissed by herself and another judge.  The DA had said he had no intention to dismiss, and was ready for trial.  Police witnesses were brought in. 

However, Judge Douglass was on the bench.  She had to consult with LaPorte about the case, while we waited around, only to say that LaPorte wants to dismiss the charges herself, so people have to come back for a fourteenth appearance on Monday March 18.  Even after that, the DA tried to exact some revenge.  Nick had obtained permission from the judge not to appear -- and was at work in the Bronx Criminal Court -- and the DA tried to get a warrant for his arrest for not showing.

At this point we do expect a dismissal on Monday, with all charges to be over in Brooklyn from the 11/1/11 protest at the 73rd Precinct.  Meanwhile, protests have jumped off the last two nights in the 67th Precinct, East Flatbush, over the NYPD killing of Kimani Gray.  See NY Daily News today on the case. 

Monday March 18 is also the day Floyd v NYC, the class action suit against the NYPD for stop-and-frisk by the Center for Constitutional Rights, begins.  It's expected to go for 5-6 weeks, and it will make a difference if people represent there for an END to stop-and-frisk.  It's in Federal Court at 500 Pearl Street (east of Foley Square, just north of Chambers and all major trains.)  Some of us plan to go there as soon as court is done in Brooklyn.

Wednesday March 20 is a firm trial date for Noche in The Bronx, where the DA says they're ready to try him for disorderly conduct when he observed Jeffeth James being beaten by NYPD almost a year ago in Soundview.  It's really important to have a showing in court that morning.  8:45 am outside court; 9:30 am, probably in the Lower Level of 265 E 161st Street, Bronx Criminal Court.

Note:  This was received from the Alan Blueford Coalition back in October 2012, and we thank them, and apologize for the late posting.

The Justice 4 Alan Blueford Coalition (http://justice4alanblueford.org/) stands in solidarity with Jamel Mins, Carl Dix, Robert Parsons, Morgan Rhodewalt and their eight companions, standing trial in New York City on trumped-up charges brought by the Queens County District Attorney, Richard Brown, for peacefully protesting the unconstitutional Stop & Frisk policies of the New York Police Department.

Alan Blueford, an 18-year old black student, was murdered as the consequence of an illegal stop & frisk in Oakland, California on May 6th, 2012. Recognizing this, the Coalition has made the elimination of stop & frisk -- a de facto policy of the Oakland Police Department -- one of its five demands in seeking justice for Alan Blueford.

Countless youth and men of color have been harassed and their lives put in jeopardy by this police tactic designed to intimidate an entire generation. The Justice 4 Alan Blueford Coalition salutes all those in New York City who have taken up the battle against Stop & Frisk. We here in Oakland are watching as events unfold in New York City: every
march and every press conference, developments in each trial and lawsuit, and your struggle to legislatively end Stop & Frisk by enacting the Community Safety Act.

We call on everyone from coast to coast and in between to demand that District Attorney Richard Brown drop all charges a against these peaceful protesters, and we also ask everyone to sign the Stop Mass Incarceration petition calling for dismissal of all charges at stopmassincarceration.org/resolution.html.