RULING ON OCCUPY CHICAGO MOTION TO DISMISS

Nearly a year after the mass arrests of Occupy Chicago activists, the Circuit Court of Cook County is set to rule on the Motion to Dismiss Charges based on First Amendment grounds.  Tomorrow, September 27, Judge Donnelly, the judge presiding over the case will issue a ruling as to whether the City’s restriction preventing the occupation of Grant Park violates the First Amendment rights of Occupy Chicago and other activists who wish to protest economic inequality.  The court date will occur at 10:30 am in Room 1307 at the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington in downtown Chicago.

The motion has been pending since February of this year, when oral arguments were heard in the case.  On Wednesday, September 13th, Judge Donnelly issued an order on the City’s Motion to Strike Affidavits, its motion to strike portions of the affidavits, and a motion for discovery. The Judge denied the City’s motion to strike the affidavits in their entirety, but granted its motion to strike certain sections of several affidavits. The Judge also denied the motion for discovery. Please see the order, which is available here, for more information.

The Motion to Dismiss was drafted by attorneys and legal workers at People’s Law Office, in collaboration with other lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago.  We developed this strategy as a response to our clients who were arrested and wished to challenge the charges and advocate for their right to demonstrate for economic justice.  This fight is part of the long legacy of People’s Law Office representing progressive and radical activists advocating for social justice.

To read more about our work defending dissent, visit the Protest and Free Speech Page on this site.