Seven Years for Occupy Protester Cecily McMillan

[truedelphi]

http://www.alternet.org/occupy-wall-street/why-occupy-protester-cecily-mcmillans-guilty-verdict-travesty

The verdict in the biggest Occupy related criminal case in New York City, that of Cecily McMillan, came down Monday afternoon. As disturbing as it is that she was found guilty of felony assault against Officer Grantley Bovell, the circumstances of her trial reflect an even more disturbing reality – that of normalized police violence, disproportionately punitive sentences (McMillan faces seven years in prison), and a criminal penal system based on anything but justice. While this is nothing new for the over-policed communities of New York City, what happened to McMillan reveals just how powerful and unrestrained a massive police force can be in fighting back against the very people with whom it is charged to protect.

Snip

When the police moved in to the park that night, in formation and with batons, to arrest a massive number of nonviolent protesters, the chaos was terrifying. Bovell claimed that McMillan elbowed him in the face as he attempted to arrest her, and McMillan and her defense team claim that Bovell grabbed her right breast from behind, causing her to instinctively react.

But the jury didn't hear anything about the police violence that took place in Zuccotti Park that night. They didn't hear about what happened there on November 15, 2011, when the park was first cleared. The violence experienced by Occupy protesters throughout its entirety was excluded from the courtroom. The narrative that the jury did hear was tightly controlled by what the judge allowed – and Judge Ronald Zweibel consistently ruled that any larger context of what was happening around McMillan at the time of the arrest (let alone Bovell's own history of violence) was irrelevant to the scope of the trial.

In the trial, physical evidence was considered suspect but the testimony of the police was cast as infallible. Despite photographs of her bruised body, including her right breast, the prosecution cast doubt upon McMillan's allegations of being injured by the police – all while Officer Bovell repeatedly identified the wrong eye when testifying as to how McMillan injured him. And not only was Officer Bovell's documented history of violent behavior deemed irrelevant by the judge, but so were the allegations of his violent behavior that very same night.

[redwitch]

1. Ridiculous! What a perversion of justice! nt

[villager]

2. Cue the mewling cop apologists...

...who will tell us that it's just a few "bad apples" among an institution whose primary function is to serve as shock troops for banks, rather than the institution, and its participants, itself...

[heaven05]

8. you are correct

in all you said/wrote

[iandhr]

16. Chris Rock said it best

Since she wasn't doing anything mentioned in this video this is a travesty of justice.

[arikara]

3. That poor girl.

I hate how the courts can exclude evidence when it suits the banksters and their fracking pigs.

[nashville_brook]

4. this is just insane.

[Mnemosyne]

5. Insane. nt

[intheflow]

6. No. *Possible* seven year sentence.

You're exploiting Ms. McMillan with that misleading headline. Even the link doesn't state McMillan will get seven years. Of course it's insane she should have been found guilty or possibly face any jail time, but she hasn't been sentenced yet as your headline states.

[truedelphi]

9. You are right. Feel free to update with the news of the actual sentence.

I am swamped with work for the next week or two.

Always glad when "fine points" are put on things.

[heaven05]

7. fascist states

do these type of sentences. what a royal crock. hope she has appeal rights, still.

[rhett o rick]

10. If she hasnt been given a sentence, I wish you'd change your Subject line.

I agree this is a travesty, but your subject line is misleading. At least do the trick that the media uses (not that I approve) by putting a ? at the end.

I hope she gets off with a very light sentence and was heartbroken when I read your subject line.

[truedelphi]

19. I no longer give a friggin fuck.

The lying liars at the top lie incessantly on almost every issue out there.

Truth died a long time ago in this broken land.

Fingers crossed she doesn't get the full seven years, but the fact that it has come to this has me gagging 24/7

[heaven05]

20. I'm with you at that bucket full of vomit

caused by the total denial of rights, that americans did, by and large, with notable exceptions, enjoy at one time.

[KansDem]

11. Video

Victim assaulted at 0'22", lower left hand corner.

#t=23

[homegirl]

15. Chickenshit

bastard-he didn't go for taking down a man! She was targeted!

[tom_kelly]

12. The headline is misleading! She hasn't been sentenced yet.

[blkmusclmachine]

13. I have seen the enemy. And he is us.

[merrily]

14. Not allowing her to explain the reason/context for her instinctive reaction was bogus.

[Enthusiast]

17. Political prisoner.

[barbtries]

18. has she been sentenced?

when i read the headline i thought she was on her way to prison, but if she gets 7 years there will be some protesting going on i think. not to say that the proceedings against her and the verdict weren't travesties. they were.