SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Sheriff's Department released the names of the arrested protesters and the charges they face, after police moved in to clear encampments on Monday at UC San Diego.
The University said 64 people were arrested, 40 of them students. They are facing a short list of misdemeanor charges, according to jail records obtained by CBS 8.
Sixty protesters face unlawful assembly charges; 39 were arrested on charges of unauthorized encroachment on public land; 34 were jailed on resisting arrest charges; 17 for violating UC San Diego curfew laws; and four for camping on university property.
The Sheriff's department said the students were booked and released from the downtown jail. Some individuals are facing a combination of three or four misdemeanor counts.
"The charges thus far been all misdemeanors. And I see the city attorney possibly even reducing a lot of these to infractions,” said local attorney Brian Watkins. He anticipates a lot of plea bargains.
“A lot of times they will reduce these (misdemeanors) down to what we call disturbing a piece infractions, a PC 415,” said Watkins.
“An infraction is much like a speeding ticket. It doesn't go on your criminal record. It subjects you to a fine. It doesn't subject you to any jail time,” said Watkins. “Even if they are convicted of a misdemeanor, they can do an expungement. And that's a process where you go and expunge the case off your record and get the charge dismissed.”
UC San Diego announced on Monday the arrested students would automatically face an interim suspension. Some 200 UC San Diego faculty members have now signed on to an open letter demanding that the suspensions be reversed.
UC San Diego did not respond to a request for comment on the open letter.
“Getting suspended from school. Yes, that will stay on your academic record. Of course, a lot of these kids are in college, and it may affect them as they go to graduate school. But kids who aren't going to graduate school, of course, an employer doesn't look at your college record. So, I don't think in a suspension is going to affect employment,” Watkins said.
Many of those arrested students have lower-level incomes, so they likely will qualify for public defenders, meaning taxpayers will pay for their legal defense.
The San Diego City Attorney’s office told CBS 8 via email that arraignment dates are still unknown for the defendants.
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