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Sputnik International
17th Judicial District Attorney announces heâs dropping remaining charges against Aurora protest leaders
Charges stem from protest that happened outside Aurora police station on July 3, 2020
Denver7
and last updated 2021-05-06 18:54:51-04
BRIGHTON, Colo. â All remaining charges against five people who led protests in Aurora last summer outside the police departmentâs District 1 station calling for justice in the death of Elijah McClain have been dismissed by the 17
th Judicial District Attorney, his office announced Thursday.
Lillian House, Joel Northam, Whitney Lucero, Terrance Roberts, and Trey Quinn were facing several charges stemming from the events of July 3, 2020, including felony attempt to influence a public servant, inciting and engaging in a riot, as well as obstructing government operations. Those charges were filed by the previous 17
Mason, who took office in January, released the following statement on the decision.
“After a thorough review of these cases, I have decided to dismiss the charges against these five individuals. I have an ethical obligation to only proceed on charges my office can prove and to dismiss charges that we cannot prove. My job is to do the right thing. After considerable thought and reflection, I believe dismissing these charges is the right thing to do.
I believe in the First Amendment, the right to peaceably assemble and the right to peaceably protest. I also believe in the rule of law. These should not be in conflict with one another. Indeed, they should go hand in hand.”
On May 6, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office of Brian Mason moved to dismiss all remaining charges in his district against Lillian House, Joel Northam, Eliza Lucero, and Terrance Roberts. The office cited as the reason “an ethical obligation to only proceed on charges [the] office can prove and to dismiss charges that [they] cannot prove.” None of these four defendants, in an effort to have the charges dropped, agreed to give testimony against other people in the movement.
We certainly agree with Mason’s conclusion. It has been plain to people in Aurora and all over the country from the beginning of this prosecution that the charges levied against these organizers lacked any real basis. The prosecution has centered on a concerted effort to discredit these organizers and the peaceful and justified movement for justice for Elijah McClain. It focused on peripheral acts from individuals completely unrelated to the organizers or the vast majority of participants.