SANTA CRUZ, CA — El Fiscal Bob Lee ha iniciado un ataque frontal y total contra los medios independientes de Santa Cruz al incluir cuatro colaboradores regulares de Indybay.org en el grupo de once personas acusadas de múltiples delitos graves y delitos menores después de la ocupación de un edificio bancario vacío el 30 de noviembre de 2011. Al parecer, el Fiscal Lee cree que es su deber dictar cómo los medios deben reportar eventos tales como la ocupación del banco ubicado en la calle River 75. Si la cobertura no cuenta con su aprobación, los periodistas corren el riesgo de que la Fiscalía presente cargos en su contra.
Periodistas de Indybay acusados de delito grave: Conspiración para hacer los medios
Indybay Journalists Charged with Felony: Conspiracy to Make Media
SANTA CRUZ, CA — District Attorney Bob Lee has embarked on a full frontal assault against independent media in Santa Cruz by including four regular contributors to the independent news website Indybay.org amongst the eleven people charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors after the occupation of a vacant bank building on November 30th, 2011. District Attorney Lee apparently believes it is his duty to dictate how events such as the occupation of the vacant bank at 75 River Street should be reported on by the media, and if he does not approve of the coverage, then journalists risk the DA bringing charges against them.
Calif. photographer faces felony conspiracy, misdemeanor trespass charges for “Occupy” coverage
By Haley Behre — Mar 19, 2012
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
A California judge refused to dismiss a felony conspiracy and two misdemeanor trespassing charges against a photojournalist for his coverage of an “Occupy” demonstration in Santa Cruz.
Superior Court Judge Stephen Sillman did rule last week, however, that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence that Bradley Stuart Allen committed felony vandalism, another offense he faced as a result of his newsgathering activities, and dismissed that charge after a hearing last week, Allen’s attorney, Ben Rice, said in an interview.
KPFA Evening News Speaks with Bradley Stuart Allen
A Santa Cruz photojournalist is facing felony and misdemeanor charges arising from his coverage of a building occupation in Santa Cruz last November. Bradley Stuart Allen, a member of the National Press Photographers Association, and an Indymedia contributor, was charged with felony vandalism following his coverage of a three day building occupation by protesters affiliated with Occupy Wall Street.
NPPA & Reporters Committee Seek Dismissal of Charges Against Photojournalist Covering Occupy Protest
DURHAM, NC – The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (Reporters Committee) filed a joint Letter Brief seeking the dismissal of charges against Bradley Stuart Allen in The People of the State of California v. Becky Ann Johnson et al, Case No. F22194. The brief asserts that Mr. Allen, who is a photojournalist and NPPA member, should not be criminally prosecuted for trespass, vandalism and conspiracy. He was charged after his photographic coverage of an Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protest in Santa Cruz, California last year.
The Student Environmental Center’s 11th Annual Campus Earth Summit at UCSC
On March 3rd, the Student Environmental Center at UCSC hosted the 11th Annual Campus Earth Summit in the College 9/10 Multipurpose Room at UC Santa Cruz. This year’s Campus Earth Summit included student-led workshops on a wide-variety of subjects, live performances by the North Pacific String Band and spoken word poets, keynote talks by Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane and Eric Holt-Giménez of Food First, organizations doing outreach and delicious vegetarian food.
11 Minutes = Trespass ???
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.
Walter Cronkite, Not Sentinel ???
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.”
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- 420 2012 in Porter Meadow at UC Santa Cruz April 20, 2012
- Occupy Oakland Marches and Occupies Lot at 19th and Telegraph November 21, 2011
- Tierra y Libertad: Occupy Los Angeles, Day 57 November 26, 2011
- Vacant Bank Occupied at River and Water Streets in Santa Cruz November 30, 2011
- Port of Oakland Shut Down by Occupy Oakland December 12, 2011
- Dismissed: Judge Dismisses Charges Against Two Activist Journalists May 23, 2012
- California Judge Dismisses Felony Charges Against Photojournalists May 16, 2012
- ACLU-NC Submits Brief in Support of Indybay’s Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy May 4, 2012
- WILPF Condemns Local Law Enforcement and Supports Eleven Local Activists April 25, 2012
- 420 2012 in Porter Meadow at UC Santa Cruz April 20, 2012
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bradley: Hi Zach, Thank you very much, I really appreciat...
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Zach Rosenberg: Hey Bradley - awesome coverage of the UCSC events....
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bradley: On July 12th, the day after publishing about my in...
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Bira Ferreira: This is great picture. Its me and buddy Grady when...
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veronica: I congratulate you for your humanity and concer to...










