Charges Dropped Against May Day Protestor Maria Jannett Morales

By Keegan Hamilton Mon., Aug. 27 2012 Seattle Weekly

After reviewing YouTube video of the May Day riot, King County prosecutors dismissed all charges against a protestor accused of punching a bike cop.

 
Maria Jannett Morales, 30, was charged with assault in the fourth degree, a felony, for an incident that occurred near the intersection of First Avenue and Pike Street a few minutes before 6 p.m. on May 1, just as the day's rioting was starting to simmer down.

According to a probable cause statement statement submitted to prosecutors by Seattle police, bike cop Sonya Fry was ordering a crowd to move back when Morales walked up, said "okay bitch," and punched the female officer in the chest with a closed fist. Morales then allegedly kicked another cop in the leg.

SPD's version of events was called into question by amateur video from the scene uploaded to YouTube. The footage seems to show Morales walking past Fry, obeying orders. Then, after a brief verbal exchange, Fry grabs Morales by the shoulders and hair and pulls her down.On August 17, the charge was abruptly dropped. Dan Donahoe, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, says the video was a factor.

"We reviewed video of the alleged incident and felt that we could no longer prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt so the charge was dismissed," Donohoe says.

Aaron Pelley, Morales' attorney, says prosecutors had no business filing charges in the first place.
"Maria didn't really hit that officer," Pelley says. "There's nothing in my mind that thinks somebody didn't yell at that officer, or she didn't feel somebody hit her. But as far as I can tell, it wasn't my client."

Morales has no criminal record aside from a few traffic tickets. Nevertheless, Pelley says she lost her job as an emergency room technician in Bellevue because of the arrest.

"I don't know that she comes out ahead on all of this," Pelley says. "But we're certainly glad the prosecutors looked at the evidence and decided to dismiss."

Morales is the second May Day protestor to have charges dismissed because of YouTube video. Joshua Garland was similarly cleared of wrongdoing on May 15.

Two others have pleaded guilty. Robert Ditrani pleaded guilty on June 22 to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced July 6 and received a 90-day suspended sentence and 12 months of probation. Paul Campiche pleaded guilty on August 22 to attempted assault in the third degree. He will be sentenced October 5.

See an extended cut of the YouTube video that shows Morales arrest, and court documents associated with her case on the following page.
Maria Morales Order of Dismissal
Maria Jannett Morales Charges
This post was updated Monday, August 27, at 1 p.m. The original version mistakenly reported that Morales was charged with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, and rioting. Her charge was actually fourth-degree assault.

Court documents detail searches for May Day riot suspects

By CASEY MCNERTHNEY

Sunday, August 12, 2012 Seattle PI

• 
  Police say the man on the right vandalizing Niketown in a pair of Nike shoes has been identified as a 27-year-old Seattle man. Investigators, who were tipped by two people who provided his name and address, say they have clear evidence of him causing damage in downtown Seattle on May Day. But his case has not been forwarded to prosecutors. Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said Aug. 9 it's still an active investigation. Seattlepi.com does not typically name suspects until they're charged.
  Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM

A bandana, a pair of Nikes, a sex offender's chat with his corrections officer and tips from the public.
All have led police to narrow the search for those they say are responsible for the Seattle May Day violence.

Recently released police reports detail the investigation thus far. The detectives' statements also show just the cost of the May 1 riot.

Niketown repairs totaled $52,825.74; the Wells Fargo bank at Fourth Avenue and Seneca Street had at least $25,978.13 in damage and a Verizon Wireless store had $1,905.30 in damage.

Several other businesses, including American Apparel, Home Street Bank and Bank of America had thousands of dollars in damage. Damage to city property and the old federal courthouse also cost tens of thousands of  dollars.

Police say one suspect was identified after her sex offender boyfriend admitted to his corrections officer he was at the protest.

Investigators said the pair was photographed during the demonstration, though prosecutors have yet to charge either. Because the sex offender acknowledged being at the protest as a street medic and because he had red paint spatter on his clothing, "it is reasonable to believe he was either present or involved with the property damage," a detective wrote in a search warrant affidavit.

An initial search of their bedroom turned up a bandana and backpack matching the description of the one worn by the girlfriend during the May Day riot, according the recently released search documents. A bandana and backpack were among items taken later that day after Seattle police received the warrant.

A separate suspect who had his residence searched weeks later – a man who allegedly wore Nikes while shattering a Niketown window – was identified after two people who knew details about him called police on the May Day tip line, according to the recently released public documents.
With that information, investigators say they verified his address from previous contacts with the suspect.

During a search of his residence, police say they confiscated a pair of Nikes they suspect the 27-year-old man wore while damaging the downtown Seattle Niketown. It was one of at least three searches in Seattle related to the May Day investigation.

Though some of the May Day vandalism suspects have been charged in federal court King County Superior Court, none of the suspects affiliated with three recent searches have had their cases forwarded to prosecutors.

"This is still very much an active and ongoing investigation," Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said Thursday, noting there are additional suspects police are investigating. "Our task force with several detectives is still in place and we are working diligently to identify all those responsible for crimes during May Day and hold them responsible."

The first of the three known Seattle police searches was May 24 at the sex offender's Shoreline home, where his girlfriend also was. The second search was June 15 in Ballard at the Niketown suspect's residence, and the third was July 10 at the Judkins Park rental home of at least one other suspect.
While some details of those searches have been reported, several details of what exactly led police to those homes and how specifically they gained authorization for the searches have not been.

Corrections officer helped identify suspect

During the first search on May 24, police were looking for clothing and clear plastic goggles they think the registered sex offender wore during the May Day violence.

That man pleaded guilty to communications with a minor for immoral purposes in September.
Investigators say footage reviewed by the May Day Task Force shows his girlfriend throwing a projectile at police, which hits an officer in the head before deflecting onto the head of another officer.

Law enforcement officers familiar with the sex offender's case recognized that 21-year-old woman, police documents show.

The man's corrections officer reported searching a bedroom dresser and finding a black bandana that appeared to be the one worn by the woman during the officer attack. A backpack the girlfriend also wore that day was also inside the home, according to police.

Detectives took their case to a Superior Court judge who reviewed police statements and photos of both the sex offender and his girlfriend allegedly at the May Day protest before authorizing the search. Police seized a black jacket, a backpack, black pants with red paint, two pair of goggles, two bandanas and a green sweatshirt.

Police: Vandalism suspect wore Nikes at Niketown

The 27-year-old man who police say wore a pair of Nike's while vandalizing Niketown was known to officers for multiple previous contacts, according to investigation documents.

On July 12, 2011, he was suspected of shoplifting from a Ballard 7-Eleven, but was never charged. The following September, the man was a passenger in a young woman's BMW when it was involved in a Magnolia crash.

The third incident was Oct. 16 when police say the man, who was with other Occupy Seattle protestors at Westlake Park, shoved an officer in the chest and fled. He also was not charged in that incident.

But investigation documents show two people spoke to Seattle police on the May Day tip line, giving the man's name and details about his home.

Investigators say video shows the suspect, who wore a purple undershirt and black jeans, running from the crowd to damage a Niketown window. They also report having footage of him jumping on the rear window of a car during the riot, frightening the driver.

"Multiple photographs of (the suspect) were obtained using various databases/sources and after reviewing the images I can say with certainty (he) is the subject seen in the video and still images located by the May Day task force damaging property throughout the downtown shopping district of Seattle," Detective Wes Friesen wrote in an investigation document.

Detectives say he also was seen striking a Bank of America window with a garbage can lid. The suspect failed to break that window, but another person spray painted an anarchist symbol on the bank. Later footage shows the Nike-clad suspect shattering a window at the Verizon Wireless store near Sixth Avenue and Olive Way, police say.

A King County Superior Court judge approved a search of his three-bedroom Ballard home.
Police seized a purple shirt form his bedroom, black jeans, two purple scarves, alleged anarchist solidarity paperwork, a backpack, two belts, a notebook, a Washington driver's license and an envelope with the suspect's address.

Police say they also took the pair of black Nike's with red spots he's suspected of wearing while vandalizing Niketown.

Third search

During the May Day riots, the third suspect who had his home searched kicked an officer in the way "that someone would do when trying to blow out a knee," Friesen wrote in an investigation document. The 23-year-old man allegedly kicked the officer as his attention was directed to a hostile crowd and investigators believe it was done to cause significant injury.

"There are multiple images of (the suspect) throughout the day's events on 05-01-2012 attempting to change/alter his identity by using different variations of his clothing," Friesen wrote. "It should be noted that multiple detectives reviewed a very large quantity of footage and at no time was any other subject seen wearing the unique clothing that (the suspect) was seen wearing."

That 23-year-old is believed to have fled from American Apparel wearing black goggles, police said.
Police authorized surveillance from outside the suspect's home in Judkins Park more than two weeks before their June search.

Investigation documents show the items seized during the July 10 search were: black goggles, a black sweatshirt with white strings, a pink scarf, a notebook, a black bandana, a back stocking hat, paperwork about anarchists in the occupy movement, a black glove and paperwork about a strike on May 1.

A blog report about the search by The Dissenter said the sweatshirt belonged to the suspect's girlfriend and a pamphlet taken was something that could have been picked up at any Occupy action. That blog also reported a pair of sunglasses was taken, but that is not listed in the search warrant return, which is a public document.

The Stranger spoke to one of the men at the Judkins Park residence when it was searched, and the search warrant return shows four people were present that day. Read the Stranger account here.

An Open Letter From May Day Anarchist Prisoners in Turkey to the Public

May 28, 2012 Infoshop News

As known, there had been attack to some banks and companies which are
around the MecidiyekÃy-ÅiÅli by some anarchists who are within the
Anarchist block on 1st of May 2012. We, as 9 of the 60 people who had been
taken to the custody with the blames of the Police Department. We, as 9
anarchist prisoners whom were arrested by the decision of the 9th Criminal
Court and had been put in to the Metris - Type T prison writing this
letter.

Most of us got under custody by the Counter-Terror Squads on 14th of may,
5 a.m. in the morning, and some on the following day. Our computers,
telephones, flash drives, books and many other personal stuffs' got seized
by the the police which were around 10-20 who came to our home. The claim
that have been by the police department to us was the "damaging public
property in the name of terror organization".

While, The individuals which have the pretty much different points of the
anarchist ideas and also who have seen the first time each other while
under surveillance were blaming for creating terrorist organisation, and
some of them was forced to make them agree on being the leader of the
terrorist organisation by the police during the interrogating.

Even though the leadership is totally contradictory to the anarchist idea
and thus is impossible that was the the claim by the police which is
tragic-comic imprudence, and also with that claim which is "being member
of the same terror organisation" makes things more comic. The people which
are claimed by the police of being a member of the terrorist organisation
had no arms or amuniton in their home. However, the books which can be
find on the every bookstore -for example books of the writers like
Kropotkin- had been claimed as an organisational documention on the
interrogation by the police. The articles which they had read and the
videos that they shared on social media were claimed as evidences to the
court by the police.

The membership of the people to a legal association which is working on
animal liberation, human rights and ecology issues also claimed as an
evidence by the police. All the pyschological pressures used over the
people who were under custody for 4 days and were not allowed to see their
family members, also were not allowed to call anyone -even their lawyers.
On of our LGBT friend had been attacked by "hate speeches". All the people
forced to agree the existence of the terrorist organisation and also
forced to give the fake speeches about the other people. However two
people who had been scared by the threats of 15-20 years of prison
sentence beacuse of the membership on the terrorist organisation declared
misstatements about the people that they never know anything about.

By the pressure of the police, they have blamed some people which the
police had no evidence over telephone, internet or any other communication
with each other, as leader of the organisation, and "identified" them as
attackers. Most of our friends got arrested just because of they have the
close model and coloured bag, shoes, belt etc. as millions of people can
have the same close type of with the people who are video taped on the
attack. Of course it is not proved that an anarchist terror rganisation
exists with that lacking and irrational evidences. Because of that we got
blamed by damage to the public property. We want to clear out that, we, as
anarchists who reject all the laws and authories and see all the states as
murderers, we don't care that if the state tells us we are terrorists or
not. We don't care that the state's mass killing of tens of people in
"Roboski", killing 11 year old UÄur Kaymaz with 13 bullets and giving no
punishment for that ones, than judging us. The state that had killed 34
people in 1977, did not even take any people to the custody. But had no
problem for taking 60 people to the custody and arresting 9 of them for
just 3-5 broken bank windows.

Two of the arrested friends couldn't enter the final exams on their
university, there's a possibility of that there can be an investigation by
their universities and they can get a punishment of suspension or
dismission. One of our friends is preparing for the general exam for the
entrance of the university, it's pretty clear that it's not possible to
study enough on the prison. One of friend who is studying M.A/M.S on
university would not continue on the thesis of very own. We got news that
3 friend got sacked after they got arrested. Since we're taken to the
custody we've experienced the legal system which the states always tells
what great it is, actually is no more than a pressure and normalizing tool
and notions like justice, right is just on the theory. We want to be out
now. But let us explain that neither we ask to anyone nor we beg to
anyone. We know that we're in prison just because of our policial ideas.
Because of that, we are not regretfull for the anything we did or we did
not. The reason is for writing that letter is just telling truths to the
public to know and to help them to learn what is going on.

We know the purpose of the ones who arrested us, is not just fearing us
for joining an action, they also like to turn us into the ones who are
scared of to resist for their very own rights. But the thing that they do
not know is that the prisons of their disgusting civilization will not be
able to suppress our ideas and we feel stronger than ever before.

We see all the anarchists in the world as our fellows and sending our
greetings, loves and solidarity call to all the insurrectionarists of the
world who has freedom fire on their hearts and who are from Athens, Amed,
Chiapas, Gazze, Toronto or Seattle... Let you know that you are not alone
and there are people in that lands who is struggling too. We thank every
one of them, for the solidarity and for the actions that support us. It's
not possible to define our feelings for to describe the local anarchists
who are supporting and made actions for us, as the rest of the world,
-these pages are very limited for our thank to them. We hug them all with
our very dearly greetings. Let them know that we know that they are with
us, and we are never feeling alone, even a moment. With wishes of us for
many long days with insurrection and solidarity.

Anarchist Prisoners:

Beyhan ÃaÄrÄ TuzcuoÄlu
Burak Ercan
Deniz
Emirhan Yavuz
Murat GÃmÃÅkaya
OÄuz Topal
Sinan GÃmÃÅ
Ãnal Can TÃzÃner
Yenal YaÄcÄ

Two anarchists charged in pre-May Day vandalism

May 21, 2012 Seattle PI

Two Seattle residents accused of vandalizing the Moore Theater and several
other buildings prior to the May 1 protests are now facing felony charges.

King County prosecutors contend Kristin L. Sposito and Brian P. Greenwood
painted anarchist slogans on downtown buildings weeks before May Day, when
black-clad protestors smashed windows around downtown Seattle.

Writing the court, Deputy Prosecutor Benjamin Carr contended Sposito, 32,
and Greenwood, 30, caused about $14,400 in damage during a spray painting
spree in the early hours of April 16. Among their additions to the
cityscape, according to charging documents, were the slogans “Kidnap the
mayor” and “Burn (Expletive) Mayday!” as well as various anarchist
symbols.

According to charging documents, the vandalism was first discovered at
midnight by a garbage collector working near the Moore Theater.

The man spotted two vandals – since identified as Sposito and Greenwood –
spray painting “General Strike Mayday” and a circled letter A on an alley
wall of the theater, Detective Chris Young told the court. The pair ran as
the garbage collector called 911.

Minutes later, a security guard at an office complex in the 1300 block of
Second Avenue also spotted a man painting the anarchist symbol on that
building, the detective continued. A woman appeared to be acting as a
lookout; both fled after the guard spotted them.

A Seattle police officer patrolling the area stopped Sposito and Greenwood
just before 1 a.m. At the time, Greenwood was wearing a black mask over
his face.

Young told the court that both tried to run from officers. Sposito is
alleged to have dug her fingernails into the hand of one arresting
officer, and was brought to the ground and handcuffed.

Officers recovered two cans of spray paint from Greenwood’s backpack, and
noted Greenwood had bright green paint on his hands, the detective
continued. The paint matched graffiti found at several locations downtown.

The guard and trash collector identified both as the vandals, Young added.

Greenwood and Sposito, both of Seattle, have been charged with
first-degree malicious mischief and third-degree malicious mischief.
Neither is currently jailed in the case.