Protesters to proceed with class action suit

Oakland Tribune ^ | 3/26/12 | Matthew Artz

[SmithL]

A federal judge is allowing protesters to proceed with a class-action lawsuit against Oakland and Alameda County

U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson granted class certification Friday for the 150 plaintiffs arrested Nov. 5, 2010, while protesting the sentence given to Johannes Mehserle, the former BART police officer who shot and killed Oscar Grant III.

The plaintiffs, represented by the National Lawyers Guild, said Oakland police herded them into a residential block where they were arrested, denied bathroom access for eight hours and later placed into crowded county jail cells.

"California law requires most misdemeanor arrestees to be released at the scene or at the police station, but in Alameda County, even very minor charges often result in extended periods of time in jail," said the plaintiff's attorney Rachel Lederman.

The Nov. 5 protest was largely peaceful, although a prior protest following the verdict in the Mehserle case did become violent with some protesters damaging property in downtown Oakland.

[SmithL]

Henderson, Thelton Eugene

Born 1933 in Shreveport, LA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Nominated by Jimmy Carter on May 9, 1980, to a seat vacated by Cecil F. Poole. Confirmed by the Senate on June 26, 1980, and received commission on June 30, 1980. Served as chief judge, 1990-1997. Assumed senior status on November 28, 1998.

Education:
University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1956
University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1962

Professional Career:
U.S. Army Corporal, 1956-1958
Attorney, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1962-1963
Private practice, Oakland, California, 1964-1966
Directing attorney, East Bayshore Neighborhood Legal Center, East Palo Alto, California, 1966-1969
Assistant dean, Stanford Law School, 1968-1977
Private practice, San Francisco, California, 1977-1980
Associate professor, Golden Gate University School of Law, 1978-1980

[tomkat]

National Lawyers Guild

<insert steaming dogpile here>

The National Lawyers Guild is a non-profit federation of lawyers, legal workers, and law students. Since 1937, Guild members have been using the law to advance social justice and support progressive social movements.

With apology in advance to any FR lawyers, Shakespeare was about 90% right.

[Lancey Howard]

(shrug)
The cops should just let the animals roam free, disrupting everything and everybody they feel like disrupting. No joke. What’s the point of doing anything else, and besides, outside of the residents of the concentrated Democrat parasite nests (”cities”) who cares anyway? I sure don’t. Just let the “protesters” do whatever they want.

[saneright]

There is something strangely funny about lefty city officials being sued by lefty misguided social rejects who they initially expressed solidarity with.