Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto has stated that her office will not file criminal charges against most of the individuals arrested during the 2024 UCLA and USC campus protests. As reported by NBC Los Angeles, the decision came after over 300 protest-related arrests were reviewed by the City Attorney’s Office. The majority were dismissed for lacking sufficient evidence or due to the universities’ failure to assist with necessary identification and information for successful prosecution.
Only two individuals are facing misdemeanor charges, stemming from incidents classified as "separate and apart from protesting" on the UCLA campus, according to information obtained from The Daily Bruin. However, not detailed are the specifics of their crimes. Meanwhile, three others tied to these crucial events have been referred to a City Attorney Hearing, a diversionary tool intended as an alternative to typical prosecution.
Additional details shared by an official statement from the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office highlight that, of the UCLA-related arrests, 205 were from demonstrations on May 1 and 2, and 40 from May 6, all declined due to insufficient evidence. Likewise, no charges will be filed for the 93 arrests from a USC protest on April 24.
"After careful consideration, we are filing criminal charges against two individuals and sending three others to City Attorney Hearings," Feldstein Soto said in a statement obtained by NBC Los Angeles. Citing the importance of upholding constitutional rights, the City Attorney has expressed dedication to supporting lawful expression and peaceful assembly. Neglected, though, in her announcement was any discussion about the broader context and impact of these protests on the university communities at large.
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has welcomed the criminal charges filed against Edan On, the first person to be charged following the assault on the pro-Palestine encampment, as indicated by The Daily Bruin. Previously, District Attorney George Gascón reduced the charges against On from felony to misdemeanor, stating a lack of evidence for both injury to the victim and coordination with others during the incident.
