A judge has lowered the bail for several protesters arrested in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, following criticism from Black Lives Matter activists and progressive leaders.
Thirteen individuals, including one juvenile, were arrested as a result of the unrest in Lancaster on Sunday night into early Monday morning. Charges included “Criminal Conspiracy for Arson, Riot, Institutional Vandalism, Failure to Disperse, Obstructing Highways and Other Public Passages, and Disorderly Conduct and Defiant Trespass,” according to the Lancaster Bureau of Police.
Arrestees included Talia Gessner, 18; Taylor Enterline, 20; Kathryn Patterson, 20; Yoshua Dwayne Montague, 23; Jamal Shariff Newman, 24; T-Jay Fry, 28; Dylan Davis, 28; Lee Alexander Wise, 29; Barry Jones, 30; Matthew Modderman, 31; Jessica Marie Lopez, 32; Frank Gaston, 43; and one juvenile, 16.
Magisterial District Judge Bruce A. Roth originally set bail for nine of the defendants at $1 million but reversed course days later, revising the amount down after criticism. At the tine, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) called the bail amount “blatantly unconstitutional.”
According to Lancaster Online, Roth revisited the bail for the following defendants:
-Barry Jones M/30 – $1 million to $100,000 unsecured, he is on house arrest
– Jamal Shariff Newman M/24 – $1 million to $100,000 straight
– Talia Gessner F/18 – $1 million to $50,000 cash, if released, house arrest
– T-Jay Fry M/28 – $1 million to $25,000 straight
Additionally, Judge Dennis Reinaker reset the bail for five defendants:
– Yoshua Dwayne Montague M/23 – From $1 million to $100,000 cash or 10 %
– Kathryn Patterson F/20 – From $1 million to $50,0000 unsecured
– Taylor Enterline F/20 – From $1 million to $50,000 unsecured
– Dylan Davis M/28 – From $1 million to $50,000 unsecured; is on house arrest
– Alexa Wise F/29 – From $100,000 to $50,000 unsecured; is on house arrest
Organizers set up GoFundMe campaigns for some of the protesters, including Patterson, a student at Franklin & Marshall College, and Lee Alexander Wise, a transgender woman who organizers say is being held in the male section of a prison.
The Lancaster Patriot, a forthcoming “weekly conservative print newspaper covering Lancaster County,” shared a video on Twitter of what it said was a crowd “marching toward what they thought was Judge Roth’s address to intimidate him”:
This is video of protesters on Tuesday night marching toward what they thought was Judge Roth's address to intimidate him. Today he lowered bail for several of the rioters arrested Monday. pic.twitter.com/asMWuPyKCh
— Lancaster Patriot (@thelancpatriot) September 17, 2020
Did antifa intimidation figure into the decision to lower bail for rioters arrested Monday in Lancaster PA?https://t.co/qFq7uasTz2
— Lancaster Patriot (@thelancpatriot) September 17, 2020
The Lancaster protest saw several acts of lawlessness, including protesters smashing county vehicles, attacking the police station, and hurling projectiles at officers, calling them the “real KKK”:
Tonight in Lancaster, protesters are calling out police to a skirmish pic.twitter.com/j6WuJ8xZzu
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) September 14, 2020
PENNSYLVANIA: black bloc Antifa destroy the windows and body of a Lancaster detective’s car using a bricks
Black lives matter protesters join in and call to light the car on fire pic.twitter.com/3tdCL5zaYi
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 14, 2020
PENNSYLVANIA: “murderers…
you’re the real kkk”Protesters in Lancaster yell at police who have taken a defensive position. There has not been any violence, just words exchanged pic.twitter.com/oKlVYsNjMC
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 14, 2020
BREAKING: after partially destroying a police vehicle, black bloc Antifa attempts to light it on fire in Lancaster at a BLM protest pic.twitter.com/Hs5yhuDqTW
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 14, 2020
PENNSYLVANIA: Arsonists have now begun to light fires in the middle of the intersection in front of the police station pic.twitter.com/dPHTRHPJ6C
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) September 14, 2020
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