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Many Occupy LA protesters have funneled their energies into anti-foreclosure activities and bank protests since their encampment on the lawn of LA City Hall was broken up on November 30th, but those who were arrested that night have also been busy in the courts. The City of Los Angeles led by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich continues to pursue legal action against most of the 300-plus protesters who were swept up by police for refusing to vacate the camp. The National Lawyers Guild, a non-profit legal defense organization staffed by practicing attorneys who volunteer their time, has been negotiating for less punitive resolutions to thousands of cases around the nation. In Los Angeles this means fighting Trutanich, who has regularly pushed for severe penalties of long jail sentences and hefty fines for non-violent activists throughout his three years in office. The controversial City Attorney recently announced he will run for District Attorney, breaking a campaign pledge he made to stay in his current position for two terms and leading to continuing speculation that targeting activists is part of a political agenda. Trutanich has had a hard time securing convictions of protesters. The LA Weekly reported earlier this year that the City Attorney’s office may be overwhelmed with cases and that most Occupiers are refusing to take plea deals. A handful of cases have been shown to have no merit at all, brought against bystanders who were arrested away from the protest site, with no intention of participating in civil disobedience. For those protesters who are not contesting their involvement, the National Lawyers Guild has been working to negotiate a reduction in the legal penalties proposed by the City Attorney.

GUEST: Cynthia Anderson-Barker, a Civil Rights Attorney with the National Lawyers Guild

Visit www.nlg.org for more information.