(3/19/2009 from RNC ’08 Report) “A Ramsey County jury today acquitted two defendants on seven counts arising from last year’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul. After a four day trial, the jury of six people found Ilana M. Radovsky not guilty of two counts of Unlawful Assembly, one count of False Name to a Police Officer, and one count of Fleeing a Police Officer on Foot. Gracia Logue-Sargeant was found not guilty of two counts of Unlawful Assembly and one count of Disorderly Conduct. Prior to deliberating, Judge Michael Fetsch, with the consent of the prosecutor, dismissed one count against each defendant of Parading without a Permit in violation of a St. Paul city ordinance.

Despite eyewitness testimony from Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jeff Jindra that Ms. Logue-Sargeant was part of a disorderly demonstration and personally pulled a newspaper box into the street, the jury refused to convict Ms. Logue-Sargeant of Disorderly Conduct. “Some of the police testimony was simply not credible and the remaining police testimony did not establish that any crime occurred,” said Bruce Nestor, attorney for Logue-Sargeant. “These two young women were simply trying to participate in the democratic process when they were swept up in a mass arrest by a military-style police operation,” he said. Ted Dooley of St. Paul, MN, represented Illana Radovsky. Both Dooley and Nestor are attorneys with the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

This verdict follows on the heels of the acquittal of seven defendants on unlawful assembly charges in a prior Ramsey County trial. Attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild urged St. Paul City Attorney John Choi to dismiss the remaining Unlawful Assembly charges being prosecuted by his office in light of the City’s failure to obtain a conviction on any charges to date that have proceeded to trial.

In addition, a second RNC related trial involving Sean McCoy is ongoing. Mr. McCoy originally faced four charges. Two charges, of Unlawful Assembly and Obstruction of Traffic, have already been dismissed by the court and trial is continuing on a count of Parading without a Permit and one count of Fleeing a Police Officer on Foot. Mr. McCoy was arrested at the same time and location as Ms. Radovsky but is being tried separately. He is represented by the Office of the Ramsey County Public Defender.”

For more information:

Ted Dooley    612-325-8433

or

Bruce D. Nestor

3547 Cedar Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN 55407

612-659-9019 – Phone

612-991-9488 – Fax

612-436-3664 – Fax