SAN FRANCISCO — Mass court hearings were held Thursday for dozens of demonstrators as authorities began the task of prosecuting more than 1,500 people arrested last month in widely disruptive anti-war protests.
Officials have taken unusual steps to streamline procedures to cope with a flood of court cases not seen--even in this dissent-minded city--since the campus protests of the late 1960s.
On Thursday, 90 people appeared for arraignment in San Francisco Municipal Court, most of them charged with blocking streets, sidewalks and bridges. But only 28 of them pleaded guilty or no contest or had their cases delayed. The other 62 pleaded not guilty and asserted their right to a non-jury trial within 45 days.
The impending strain on the criminal justice system has forced authorities to adopt special procedures to speed the proceedings and even consider the use of an auditorium, if necessary, to conduct mass trials.
Meanwhile, scores of attorneys have volunteered to work with the National Lawyers Guild in providing protesters with free legal advice. Hundreds of arrestees have attended counseling sessions, learning their rights and what to expect in court.
On the other side, a number of private attorneys have volunteered to help as special prosecutors for the district attorney's office.
The massive prosecutions contrast sharply with some instances in the past in which large numbers of protesters have been arrested but then escaped unscathed as charges were dropped. Three years ago, for example, lack of evidence forced the dismissal of charges against 443 people arrested at a protest over U.S. policy in Central America.
Now, authorities believe they have better-documented evidence--such as videotapes of the blocking of streets or access to buildings--to support their cases against the protesters. This time around, prosecutors say, demonstrators should not expect many dismissals.
"People have a right to protest and police have been very solicitous of that right," San Francisco Dist. Atty. Arlo E. Smith said Thursday. "But we also are going to protect the right of other people to do their jobs or go to the doctor or otherwise conduct their business. We give protesters a lot of leeway here, but that doesn't mean they're allowed to go out and block the Bay Bridge."
Lawyers assisting the protesters deny that in refusing to plead guilty the demonstrators are trying to strain the courts to the breaking point. They contend that many people were innocently swept up by overzealous police and are entitled to trial to plead their cases.
