Statement on Duarte Square Arrests

June 7, 2012

UPDATE (Monday, June 18, 6:30 pm): Like many churches, Trinity has a long and active history in addressing social and economic inequities. While we are sympathetic to many of the OWS protestors' stated goals, we do not support the seizure of private property. Trinity urged the District Attorney's Office to offer non-criminal dispositions before trial and to request non-jail sentences for those defendants who chose to proceed to trial. All protestors received sentences of four days of community service, except for one defendant who was convicted of additional crimes and had several open cases unrelated to Duarte Square. We continue to support the basic principles underlying the Occupy movement, and will continue to welcome protestors, as we welcome all others in our community, to our facilities in the Wall Street neighborhood. 

UPDATE (June 7, 4:51 pm): After protestors refused to accept the District Attorney’s offer of a non-criminal disposition without fines or incarceration, the District Attorney withdrew the offer. Trinity thereafter reached out and asked the District Attorney to re-offer the non-criminal dispositions to all (except those with multiple open cases or additional crimes.) The District Attorney agreed to do so, giving the protestors up to the date of trial to make their choice.

FIRST POSTING (June 7, 1:30 pm): Trinity Church is not seeking retribution or punishment as a result of the OWS actions of December 17th at Duarte Square.

Trinity has contacted the District Attorney’s office requesting that non-criminal dispositions without fines or incarceration be granted to all. The District Attorney has advised us that they have offered non-criminal dispositions without fines or incarceration to all except for three individuals who have either multiple open cases or additional crimes. The offers, though made on numerous occasions, were consistently refused.

Trinity fully supports the District Attorney’s decision to offer protestors non-criminal dispositions without fines or incarceration, and also respects the protestors’ right to make a choice.

Trinity has welcomed and continues to welcome OWS members, like all members of its community, to its facilities in the Wall Street area. However, Trinity unequivocally does not support the seizure of private property.



--James H. Cooper, Rector



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