Sep 10, 2008 11:07 pm US/Central
Courts Deal With Heavy Workload From RNC Arrests
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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St. Paul City Attorney John Choi's office has hundreds of cases and the office space is full of files.
CBS
The delegates and protesters are long gone but clean up from the Republican National Convention has moved to the Ramsey County Courthouse.
St. Paul City Attorney John Choi's office has hundreds of cases and the office space is full of files. One pile is police tickets from just one night. Another box is full of the most serious cases like assaulting police and breaking property.
Choi said not all cases will be charged.
"I would be lying to you right now if I told you that we're going to vigorously charge every case and everyone's going to be prosecuted. The reality is that isn't going to happen," Choi said.
He said that's especially true for the mass arrests last week, like those on the Marion Street Bridge from last Thursday.
Choi said they have to make sure there's enough evidence and prove cases beyond a reasonable doubt.
Another challenge has been the fact that so many arrested are from outside Minnesota. The court is already taking calls from parents who say they can't afford to fly their children back for court.
As the cases have started to move through the court system, the majority have already asked their case to continue to trial, even those charged with lesser crimes. Ramsey County's Chief Judge Kathleen Gearin said she's not surprised because for many what they did last week was a matter of principal.
"There are strong feelings left from the RNC all around," Gearin said. "The courts, our viewpoint is we kind of have to stay calm, make sure that justice is done, that due process is given."
For Choi's office, the convention's still in Minnesota and he thinks it could be more than six months until it leaves.
St. Paul Police received a $50 million grant to cover security costs for the convention but none of that money covered anything in the courts. Ramsey County is still working on a total but it could cost taxpayers as much as $100,000 to clear last week's cases.
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