What’s next for the arrested student protesters?

Lebanon District Court prosecutors are moving forward with the criminal case against people arrested on the Green last week, according to Hanover Police Lt. Mike Schibuola. Arraignment dates are scheduled for July 15 and August 5.

According to a media release from the Hanover police, a total of 89 people were arrested during the protest on May 1st on the Green. According to a May 6 community-wide email from Dartmouth Student Government, 65 of those arrested were Dartmouth students, including two reporters from The Dartmouth. The state of New Hampshire has decided don’t pursue Charges were filed against the student journalists earlier this week, leaving 63 students facing possible criminal charges and possible disciplinary action by the college.

Schibuola said “almost all” of the people were arrested for violating state trespassing laws. According to New Hampshire state law, a person is guilty of a felony if he or she “knowingly enters or remains in any place” having received personal “direction to enter” the place from the owner of the place or another “authorized person.” to leave or not to enter”. .”

In addition to state charges, arrested students may also face disciplinary action from the College. Administrators in the college’s Office of Community Standards and Accountability are “currently reviewing available reports” to determine whether students violated the college’s standards of conduct during the May 1 protests, college spokeswoman Jana Barnello wrote in an email. Statement to The Dartmouth.

The CSA office declined to comment on specifics of individual disciplinary actions or outcomes. Barnello said the college hopes to communicate with individual students on the issue by early next week and will attempt to resolve the cases by the end of the semester.

The arrested students’ bail conditions prohibit them from entering the Green, 14 Webster Ave. – the residence of college president Sian Leah Beilock – and Parkhurst Hall, the administration building.

Students have expressed concerns that they may not be able to attend the Powwow or Commencement, which will be held on the Green on May 11 and June 9, respectively. A member of the Class of 2024 who was arrested during the protests — and requested anonymity because of his ongoing case — said he was worried he might not be able to attend his graduation ceremony.

“Flights are booked,” he said. “Reservations have been made. I would just feel terrible if I had to tell my grandparents that there would be no graduation because I was banned from the Greens. I have so much to thank them for and it would just be terrible if they didn’t get the reward when it all comes together.”

Under current bail conditions, affected students also cannot enter the Title IX office in Parkhurst.

Title IX Director Kristi Clemens said her office will continue to be able to offer resources to students outside of her Parkhurst office.

“If anyone needs to meet with us, we would be happy to meet via Zoom or at a location that is not Parkhurst,” Clemens said. “For me, the main thing is always that students are informed about resources and support measures and can access them.”

According to a May 7 campus-wide email from DSG, arrested students can request temporary exemptions from their bail conditions through a paper form filed with the Lebanon District Court. The college is assisting arrested students in seeking exceptions to their bail conditions for upcoming events, Barnello wrote. According to Schibuola, Grafton Assistant District Attorney Mariana Pastore has already approved “several requests” to allow arrested students to attend the powwow this weekend.

Beyond temporary exceptions, bail conditions are likely to remain in place at least until criminal proceedings begin this summer, Schibuola said.

Attorney and former National Lawyers Guild Vermont Chapter President Kira Kelley said state law classifies first-offense trespassing as a Class B misdemeanor, which carries no potential prison time under state law and a maximum fine of $1,200 . Kelley said it is “common practice” in New Hampshire for Class B misdemeanor defendants to waive their appearance at an arraignment hearing – the first court date and the official start of a criminal case. To do this, the defendant pleads not guilty and submits to the court a written waiver in which he confirms that he has received information about the allegations against him.

Once arraigned, the cases will be heard at a later date. Kelley said court dates will “likely” be scheduled for the fall if the charges are not dropped before then, although there is uncertainty about the timing.

“It is difficult to predict if and when the trials will take place,” Kelley said.

The Class of 2024 member said he hasn’t thought about legal representation yet because he hopes there will be a “mass reduction in fees” for students.

“If that doesn’t happen, then I’ll have to think about going to court first,” he said. “I guess I’m still at the stage where I’m hoping the charges will be dropped.”

While Kelley said the Vermont NLG chapter will not take on any of the pending cases in an “official organizational capacity,” a team of attorneys is volunteering to represent the students “to ensure that anyone who wants representation has access to it.” Kelley said that was the case represent Two students charged with trespassing in the fall.

According to Kelley, the NLG Vermont Division deployed approximately nine trained volunteer legal observers to serve as third-party witnesses during the protests. The legal observers present on May 1 were not associated with the protest or its organizers but were there to promote “safe, constitutional political expression,” Kelley said. They added that NLG officials opt to deploy legal observers when “interactions between police and protesters are expected.” According to the NLG website, observers wear bright lime green hats that identify them with the organization.

“Legal observers ideally serve as a deterrent, but they also often serve as documentarians of police brutality and misconduct,” Kelley said.

In an interview, Grafton County Prosecutor Martha Hornick said she could not comment on the cases, adding that it is the policy of Lebanon District Court prosecutors not to comment on ongoing cases.