Prosecutors in Portland dismissed 90 percent of the charges leveled against Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters arrested in September. Around 70 percent of protest-related charges since the demonstrations began in late May. Of the 213 people arrested in September, only 19 still have pending cases.
This information is according to a database compiled by local news outlet KOIN 6. They base their information on direct inquiries with officers and prosecutors and press releases put out by the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office and law enforcement agencies like the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the Oregon State Police (OSP).
The PPB and the OSP made a total of 213 arrests in September, down from 295 arrests made the previous month. This can be attributed to the fact that the wildfires ravaging the west coast made Portland's air quality hazardous for several days. Antifa and Black Lives Matter organizers made the decision then to end their nightly protest streak. This led to several nights, wherein there was little to no activity from rioters. This subsequently led to fewer arrests being made that month.
Most of the charges leveled against rioters in September include interfering with a peace officer, disorderly conduct and riot. Coincidentally, these are some of the charges that Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who took office in August, has decided to “presumptively decline to prosecute.”
This has led to most of the charges against arrested demonstrators being dropped – some of them were even let go on the same day they were arrested.
Some of the charges that are still open include riot, arson, attempted assault on a public safety officer, assault of a public safety officer, unlawful possession of a destructive device, and felon possessing body armor.
When Schmidt took office in early August, he announced that his office would not prosecute a whole host of crimes related to the riots. This, according to him, is to help the DA's office focus their limited resources on violent criminals, such as those who destroy property, assault police officers and participate in acts that create a risk of property destruction or injury.
Schmidt was elected after running on a platform of “criminal justice reform.” Noted groups and public officials like the Portland Police Association and U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Billy J. Williams have criticized this platform and his subsequent actions as Multnomah County's DA.
Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he talks about how Antifa and Black Lives Matter continue demonstrating in blue states like Oregon but, through the decisive use of force by law enforcement, are unable to organize in red states such as Texas.
Nearly 70 percent of cases referred to DA's office dropped
Since May 29, when the rioting in Portland began, the PPB, the OSP and other law enforcement agencies have referred 974 cases related to riots and demonstrations to the DA's office. Prosecutors declined to file charges against 70 percent of them. This information was compiled by local news outlet The Oregonian after looking through a tracking dashboard posted by the DA's office on their website. Only 23 percent of cases referred to the DA's office were not related to the ongoing demonstrations.
According to the tracker, the prosecutors have dropped 666 of the protest-related charges they received. They have also only issued 95 felony and 33 misdemeanor charges, while another 182 cases are still being reviewed. (Related: Oregon State Police officers in Portland deputized as federal officers to avoid having rioters repeatedly released by left-wing Soros-funded prosecutors.)
Of the 666 cases that Schmidt and the DA's office declined to prosecute, 543 of them were rejected “in the interest of justice;” 67 were dropped because the office needed more information before they were willing to prosecute; 44 were rejected because of insufficient evidence; and 12 were dropped because there was a legal impediment preventing the office from continuing the case.
Furthermore, from Monday through Wednesday, prosecutors announced that they issued felony or misdemeanor charges for 128 cases. However, court records show that they subsequently decided to drop at least 22 cases, with some of the charges dropped, including rioting, burglary and unlawful use of a weapon.
Many rioters released were charged with violent crimes
Joseph Sipe, 23, allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at a line of police officers on Sept. 23. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder, attempted assault in the first degree and arson.
All of these charges were dropped, he faces two less serious charges of riot and possession of a destructive device. He posted a $1,000 bail on Sept. 29. He was supposed to appear in court on Oct. 2 but failed to show. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest.
Sipe, 23, is identified as a homeless Marine with schizophrenia and an arrest warrant in Georgia for aggravated assault. Court records indicate that he has been unemployed for several years and has been sustaining himself on food stamps alone.
Sipe's story is not that different from the hundreds of other rioters being released either because their charges were dropped or because they were able to post bail.
At least 20 rioters arrested by law enforcement in September have been arrested before. Simona Arteaga, 39, and Rachel Myles, 34, for example, have both been arrested four times. But some, like Tracy Molina, 47, have been arrested at least six times. Molina and Arteaga are still being held by the county, as their cases are still pending.
Learn more about the revolving door of rioters coming in and out of jails in cities like Portland by reading the latest articles at Rioting.news.
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