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Many arrested protesters are released on no bail
Saturday, December 2, 2000
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF
Scores of World Trade Organization protesters, legal observers and onlookers swept up in late-night arrests were released on personal recognizance yesterday.
Activists and their lawyers denounced the arrests as unconstitutional, predicting they wouldn't hold up in court.
About 100 people held a late-morning rally yesterday outside the King County Courthouse to condemn police tear-gassing and clubbings during the WTO conference a year ago.
Led by a stilt-walking Statue of Liberty and a baton-wielding Robocop, they marched to City Hall to file claims for damages.
A few blocks away, the people arrested on misdemeanor charges Thursday night were slowly getting released from the county jail. More than 90 of them were charged with failure to disperse or pedestrian interference. A few posted low bail, but most didn't have to.
In a flashback to WTO 1999, Seattle Municipal Court Judge Anne Levinson ruled that boilerplate police affidavits filed in most of the cases failed to provide the probable cause needed to keep demonstrators locked up.
A year ago, charges wound up being dismissed against the vast majority of the more than 600 people arrested. City prosecutors said then that police filed fill-in-the-blank affidavits because they were too overwhelmed to do otherwise.
Seattle attorney Dmitri Iglitzin, who works with the Lawyers Guild, said yesterday that police apparently didn't learn their lesson.
City Attorney Mark Sidran could not be reached for comment. But an office spokeswoman said there was probable cause to file the charges and the cases will not be dropped.
Iglitzin said most of those arrested Thursday night were trying to disperse when they found themselves surrounded by police in riot gear. He said one woman was waiting for a bus when officers handcuffed her.
Lawyers Guild volunteer Legrand Jones said he was arrested last night near Fourth and Blanchard. He was with a group of demonstrators that was slowly making its way to a labor rally.
"We got boxed in," he said. "The only option would have been to break windows and go into a business."
Jones, a 30-year-old Seattle University law student, said he and other monitors were among the first to be arrested, further interfering with their responsibility to observe how police were dealing with demonstrators. This morning, he was released on personal recognizance.
"I'll take my lumps," he said, "but it definitely wasn't a justified arrest."
The legal observers were wearing identification tags and bright green caps emblazoned with the organization's logo.
Also arrested were several prominent labor leaders, including Steve Williamson, executive secretary of the King County Labor Council, and Robbie Stern of the Washington Labor Council.
The American Civil Liberties Union said it is investigating the circumstances of the arrests. Eyewitnesses are asked to report any improper conduct by police. Forms are available online at www.aclu-wa.org.
Jailed demonstrators and alleged troublemakers were arraigned throughout the day in courtrooms at the county jail and Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Those booked after midnight yesterday will make their court appearances today, officials said.
Most people were immediately released on personal recognizance if they had no prior criminal record, gave authorities positive identification and their home address, and promised to make their next court hearing.
Levinson released a demonstrator charged with reckless endangerment and possession of fireworks -- a young Seattle chef -- over the objections of a city prosecutor.
But Levinson stopped short of dismissing any of the WTO II charges, noting yesterday that prosecutors still have 48 hours to bolster their cases under state law.
Police still couldn't provide an exact count of the number of arrests last night, blaming jail-processing delays. Of the approximately 140, 16 were juveniles, according to police spokesman Sean O'Donnell.
Among those charged with a felony is Gregory Lewis, 30, who was charged with harassment for making e-mail threats to public officials. He made his first court appearance yesterday.
A 20-year-old Edmonds man was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of assault on a police officer. A plainclothes officer saw the masked suspect throw something at Capt. Ron Mochizuki, causing a serious injury to Mochizuki's right eye, according to a police report. Police jumped into the crowd at Fourth and Pine to make the arrest shortly after 8 p.m.
About 175 claims were filed against the city of Seattle yesterday by people seeking compensation for injuries or damages they sustained during last year's WTO protests. The claims ranged from $1,000 to $7,000.
Rick Fellows of Olympia said he was tear-gassed while protesting peacefully and wants Seattle police held accountable.
"I don't want to live in a police state," he said.
Arnie Knudson, a 48-year-old state employee, said he filed his claim because police restricted his movements last year after spotting his "No WTO" button.
"'Wearing a button makes me a criminal. That is what the city is saying," he said. 'It's a denial of basic civil rights; that puts us on a slippery slope."
Prior to yesterday, the city had received about 75 claims stemming from WTO 1999, according to Dick Lilly, spokesman for Mayor Paul Schell.
Of those, 10 have been settled for a total of about $20,000, Lilly said.
About 140 people were arrested during the WTO anniversary demonstrations, including King County and state labor leaders, and 11 National Lawyers Guild volunteer monitors. Of those, five faced felony charges.
Handcuffed to a wall, Amanda Grace Custer of Seattle waits for her arraignment yesterday in Judge Anne Levinson’s municipal court. Custer was arrested during the Thursday WTO protests for failure to disperse and pedestrian interference. Levinson ruled that there was not probable cause to detain Custer but did set a hearing date. P-I Staff
"It was harassment a year ago, and it's harassment now," he complained.
Protesters raise their fists and yell "Power to the people!" yesterday at a rally at City Hall Park. Many filed claims against the Seattle police for officers' actions a year ago during the WTO riots. Mark Sobhani/ P-I
Reporters Mike Spain and Jim Newkirk contributed to this report.
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