Drum Circle Continues at Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market; Police Told to Back Off

Bradley Stuart Allen is a photographer, Indymedia volunteer and website developer living in Santa Cruz, California.   Read more

By Jessica M. Pasko — Mar 27, 2012
Santa Cruz Sentinel

In the letter to District Attorney Bob Lee, officials from SPJ NorCal wrote that they were "deeply concerned" about the decision to prosecute Allen, and by "assertions from your office that: 1) a reporter may be prosecuted for conspiracy simply by providing coverage of a newsworthy event and 2) Indybay is not a bona fide news organization."

The letter also states that it's inappropriate and unconstitutional "for a public prosecutor to single out representatives of a disfavored news organization for prosecution," and makes the statement that a Sentinel photojournalist was able to enter the occupied building and report from it without being charged. The Sentinel photographer was inside the building for less than 10 minutes on Nov. 30 at the beginning of the occupation.

Sentinel Editor Don Miller said the paper's photographer was on scene shooting photos of a news event - the occupation of the bank building by protesters.

By Jacob Pierce — Apr 3, 2012
Santa Cruz Weekly

The Society of Professional Journalists filed a letter on behalf of Allen shortly before his March preliminary hearing, as did the Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press. “Mr. Allen is a photojournalist and National Press Photographers Association member whose involvement in alleged criminal activity has amounted to no more than coverage of a newsworthy event,” wrote Lucy A. Dalgish, executive director for the Reporters Committee.

Assistant District Attorney Rebekah Young doesn’t see it that way and says a reporter’s resumé is no excuse for trespassing. “At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter,” Young says. “You could be Walter Cronkite and still be prosecuted. You could be the editor-in-chief for the New York Times.”

Independent media coverage from a photo-journalist and indymedia volunteer living in Santa Cruz, California. Contribute here or in the streets.