U.S. Supreme Court
34 Convicted for Supreme Court Demonstration
Posted May 30, 2008, 06:49 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Thirty-four people who demonstrated at the U.S. Supreme Court to protest treatment of Guantanamo detainees have been convicted of misdemeanor charges.
Demonstrations are banned at the Supreme Court plaza, where the protesters gathered, the Washington Post reports. Judge Wendell Gardner Jr. of the District of Columbia Superior Court rejected arguments that the First Amendment protected their January demonstration, the story says.
The defendants were not represented by lawyers. One protester was arrested for contempt of court when he stood up and turned away from the judge, the newspaper reports. As he was led from the courtroom, the defendant shouted, “You have committed a crime against justice." Another protester asked for a moment of silence for the detainees, a request that led to a quick objection from the prosecutor.
Sentencing is set for today. Gardner said those without prior convictions will probably be sentenced to probation.
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