Editorial: Drop the charges

On Friday, 11 UC Davis students and one faculty member went to court for an arraignment on the charges of the obstruction of movement in a public place and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor.
While it will be up to a judge to determine whether the protesters are guilty of going beyond the limits of the right to free speech, the fact of the matter is these 12 individuals should never have had to step foot in court in the first place.

The decision to go forward with the prosecution was ultimately up to the Yolo County District Attorney, but it was the University that recommended the charges and provided the information for the prosecution.

According to an article from UC Davis News & Information, on March 16, “UC Davis police had forwarded six cases to the Yolo County district attorney’s office, recommending prosecution for violating Penal Code sections that make it a misdemeanor to ‘willfully and maliciously’ obstruct the free movement of any person on any street, sidewalk or other public place, or to intentionally interfere with any lawful business.”

That UC Davis personnel initiated and recommended the prosecution of its own students is a loathsome set of actions to add to the list of wrongdoings the administration and their cohorts have taken against students this year. Alleging a “malicious” intent by the protesters that could lead to these individuals facing 11 years in prison and $1 million in charges is a hugely disappointing and inappropriate step by UC Davis. This seems to go against the Principles of Community the University should be trying to promote.

In a letter released last week, Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter wrote that UC Davis “only wishes to see the rights of everyone on campus preserved.” Yet, we fail to see how allowing students to face time in jail is a proportionate way to preserve the rights of the campus community.

This is not about whether or not we agree with the motives of the protesters blockading U.S. Bank, but the failure of the administration to properly handle the situation. The administration should have dealt with the situation directly rather than through retroactive charges passed down by a district attorney.

After what has happened this year, we would expect that the leaders of this campus would have learned from past mistakes and be actively engaging with students.

It is unacceptable that Lieutenant John Pike is still on paid administrative leave after pepper spraying students in their faces, while UC Davis students and faculty are facing prison time for blocking a doorway. It is time that the University gets their priorities straight and decides under what type of principles of community they really want to operate.