Above: Cecily McMillan screenshot of her being seized by police; with insert of her via Facebook.
A surprise development in the prosecution of Cecily McMillan, a case we have been reporting on. The trial, which was supposed to have started this week, was delayed until March 2nd because of new evidence that would undermine the credibility of the arresting officer.
Cecily suffered a seizure when she was knocked unconscious by the police during the 6 month anniversary of the occupation of Zuccotti Park. The conflict began when an undercover police officer grabbed her right breast and she allegedly elbowed the offender. She is currently being prosecuted for felony assault on a police officer which could result in up to 7 years if she is convicted. Cecily was 23 years old at the time.
In the video below her attorney, Martin R. Stolar, describes her as an innocent person and says no crime was committed in this incident. In my view, as an attorney, it sounds like the wise thing for the prosecutor to do would be to drop all charges against Cecily McMillan. The case hinges on the arresting officer and if he can not testify because of credibility problems, the case should not be pursued. And, even if the facts are as they have been reported there is no crime to prosecute.
Below is an update from the Justice for Cecily webpage which is urging various actions by her supporters between now and the trial.
Cecily’s trial begins on March 3rd at 10am at 100 Centre Street, Room 1333 part 31 Please attend if you can. We need to show widespread public support for Cecily in the courtroom.
To keep up with news on the trial:
Text 23599 with the message: @CecilysTrial
Tweet using #Justice4Cecily
Join the Facebook event Cecily’s Judgement Day
For any questions, email CecilysTrial@gmail.com
Kevin Zeese
Trial of Cecily McMillan set for Monday, March 3
Due to some new found evidence regarding the arresting officer, we have been given two extra weeks to prepare for Cecily’s trial. As activists, we need to take this time and get out there and organize! We will be holding two events in the coming weeks. The first will be for those who want to get involved in the organizing effort, and will be held on Friday, February 21st. The next will be a larger event, where we will host a potluck, and rally the community to stand together. The goal behind both is to invigorate our movements heading into the spring of 2014, and to make sure we fill the courtroom with supporters.
“When the public comes out, it shows the judge that people are watching. It shows the jurors too. If the public is present and watching it is important. It makes sure everyone is respecting the process and putting forth their best. So the fact that you are here is really important to the case.” Those were the words of Marty Stolar to those who came to support Cecily on Thursday, February 13th, the day we found out about the postponement.
Email us at cecilystrial@gmail.com to connect, or check out our Contact page.
More Videos on Justice for Cecily