Thursday 18 February 2016

Charges may be dropped for 111 Crestwood protesters

Schuyler County District Attorney Joseph Fazzary is asking a judge to dismiss trespassing charges against some of the people involved in protests at the Crestwood Midstream property on state Route 14 in the Town of Reading.

Fazzary sent a letter to Town of Reading Justice Raymond Berry asking that trespassing charges be dropped against 111 defendants in the case.

More than 400 people have been charged with trespassing and/or disorderly conduct at the Crestwood facility over the past 15 months as a result of protests against plans to store methane and liquified propane gas in underground salt caverns.

After reviewing hundreds of case files, Fazzary determined there is inconclusive evidence to support trespass charges in those 111 cases, he wrote to the judge.

Survey maps indicate the south gate of the Crestwood property, where protesters have frequently gathered, is actually on property owned by the state Department of Transportation, which does not wish to pursue charges, Fazzary said. Some videos and photographs taken at the north gate also show some protesters were not trespassing on Crestwood property, he said.

Some of the posted signs placed by Crestwood were actually located on state land, Fazzary noted.

The motion to dismiss only pertains to trespassing charges in those cases, and not any disorderly conduct counts.

A motion to dismiss the charges is not an indication Fazzary supports the cause of the protesters, he stressed. If the court grants his motion to dismiss, Fazzary said he is still has 260 cases pending that he is prepared to prosecute.

Resoucre: http://www.stargazette.com

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