Nine of 12 Jurors Who Convicted Occupy Protestor Cecily McMillian Ask Judge to Go Easy on Her
Anna Merlan
On Monday, Occupy Wall Street protester and New School graduate student Cecily McMillan was convicted of assaulting police officer Grantley Bovell during a demonstration on March 17, 2012, a felony that carries a maximum of seven years in prison. There's been widespread shock and outrage over that verdict, and the lengthy prison time McMillan could do, particularly in light of the fact that she maintains that the incident began when Bovell grabbed her breast from behind, causing her to involuntarily elbow him in the face.
Apparently, the jury in the McMillan case is just as shocked as everyone else. In a letter dated May 6, nine of them wrote to Judge Ronald Zweibel, the judge who heard the case and will sentence McMillan on May 19, asking him to be lenient. The letter reads, in part: "It serves no purpose to Cecily or to society to incarcerate her for any amount of time."
McMillan is currently incarcerated on Rikers Island, where she'll remain until her sentencing hearing. Martin Stolar, her lead attorney, had asked Judge Zweibel to allow her to remain free on bail. He refused. In a hearing yesterday morning, he appeared before an appellate judge, Angela Mazzarelli, and made the same request. The District Attorney's office was there and opposed the motion. It, too, was denied.
"I didn't receive any reason," Stolar says. "She didn't have to."
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/05/cecily_mcmillan_guilty_verdict_jurors_nine_of_12_occupy_wall_street_martin_stolar.php
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