Davis Dozen Update: motion filed to investigate officer misconduct

At the Yolo County Courthouse this afternoon, the Davis Dozen filed a motion to allow the court access to the personal files of police officers involved with the case.

The Davis Dozen are students and faculty of UC Davis who allegedly blockaded a corporate bank that appeared on their campus last fall. As part of the bank’s aggressive marketing strategy, students were issued new ID cards that doubled as debit cards, while students who received financial aid were temporarily blocked from receiving their funds unless they opened an account with the bank.

Students and educators began blockading the entrance to the bank in January, preventing the branch from operating for nearly two months. In response to the protest, the bank branch closed its doors on February 28.

It is estimated that up to 200 people participated in the alleged blockade, but only twelve of them are facing criminal charges. They are being charged with 21 counts of misdemeanor, including conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor. They face up to 11 years in prison and $1 million in fines.

Several of the twelve were pepper-sprayed by University Police in November, in an act of police brutality that garnished international attention.

According to one witness, the police officers involved with the charges against the Davis Dozen were also directly involved with the pepper-spraying incident.

Today, the Davis Dozen and their legal team filed a Pitchess Motion, which alleges that the officers in the case used excessive force or lied about the events surrounding the defendant's arrest. This will allows the court access to the officer’s records, allowing confirmation of past use of excessive force against the defendants.

The next court date has been set for August 24th, 2012.

For a more detailed account of the Davis Dozen court case: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/06/02/18714550.php

To support the Davis Dozen:
http://davisdozen.org/