Twelve people arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas at Dallas last year enrolled in a Collin County pretrial diversion program, court records show.
The program gives the arrestees an alternative to trial that could lead to the expunction of their misdemeanor charges for allegedly constructing an illegal encampment on campus. Five participants were students at the time of their arrests, five were alumni and two were not connected with the school.
Two other defendants, who were also students at the time, have pending applications.
UTD Faculty Solidarity, an anonymous support group for those arrested, called the county's choice to bring the indictments "legal aggression" in a news release Friday.
"These students and community members are now undergoing a degrading and expensive process to ensure that they will not be further victimized by the DA's office." the group wrote.
Twenty-one students, professors and others were arrested May 1, 2024, at a protest and encampment with tents on the UTD campus. They made calls for UTD to divest from weapons companies that provided supplies to Israel during its war in Gaza.
Other protesters said the day began peacefully until Texas Department of Public Safety troopers equipped with face shields, batons and zip ties entered the crowd and began making arrests. A UTD spokesperson said protesters were warned not to block campus pathways or they'd face consequences.
Of those, 14 were indicted by a Collin County grand jury for obstructing a highway or other passageway, a Class B misdemeanor.
According to the Collin County District Attorney's Office website, the pretrial diversion program is a six-to-12-month probation path that teaches life and job skills to "put participants on a more successful path than the one that led to the offense."
The program only accepts "open-minded" first-time offenders with an eligible case and an attorney.
People accused of misdemeanors — like the indicted protesters — must apply for the program 30 days after their first court date. Prosecutors then review their case and the defense attorney is notified of their client's approval.
Participants are required to pay for their participation in the program — costs UTD Faculty Solidarity said many are "struggling to pay."
KERA News reached out to lawyers for the defendants and will update this story with any response.
Toluwani Osibamowo is KERA’s law and justice reporter. Got a tip? Email Toluwani at tosibamowo@kera.org.
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