"We were not intending to be arraigned on an indictment last week when we went into court, Johns said. We were expecting to have a public preliminary hearing that could be attended by members of the press, supporters, and others interested in the case that Stanford and the district attorney have against these activists. She said prosecutors went through this secret process to avoid public accountability."
"Grand juries are secret proceedings where no defendants or defense attorneys can defend themselves, Wozniak said. Using one for a protest case avoids public transparency."
Eleven people were indicted by a Santa Clara County grand jury on felony vandalism and conspiracy charges for the June 5 takeover of Stanford's executive building, when demonstrators demanded university divestment from companies tied to Israel's military actions in Gaza. The indictment charges each defendant with one felony count of conspiracy to trespass and vandalism and allows the case to skip a public preliminary hearing. Prosecutors say the takeover caused $360,000 to $1 million in damage; activists called that exaggerated. Twelve were initially charged and arraigned in May; one accepted a plea deal. Defense attorneys criticized the use of a secret grand jury and lack of public transparency. Judge Elizabeth Peterson set trial for Nov. 17.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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