Prosecutors at the Thursday hearing dismissed the cases against 30 of the 43 Columbia protesters in the April 30 takeover of Hamilton Hall, citing their absence of criminal histories and a lack of evidence, given that the perpetrators wore masks during the siege. The district attorney's office also offered to drop the charges against another 13 defendants if they avoid arrest for the next six months, although the defendants rejected the deal and are scheduled to reappear in court July 25, according to the Columbia Spectator. The decision to let the suspects walk drew outrage from Jewish groups and Israel supporters, as well as comparisons to Mr.
Bragg's much-decried prosecution of former President Donald Trump on hush-money charges. He was found guilty last month on 34 counts of falsifying business records. "Pro Hamas protesters caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages and attacked a custodian at Columbia University," Joel Petlin, superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District in New York, said on X.
"How much damage do you need to do in order for the Manhattan DA to prosecute you if your name isn't Donald Trump?" Cleta Mitchell, senior legal fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute, quipped that "Alvin Bragg's creativity in fashioning bogus charges against Pres Trump seems to have vanished." Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican, said Mr.
Bragg "can fabricate charges against President Trump with ease, but gives actual criminals nothing but a slap on th.
