Charges Dropped for One Journalist Arrested While Covering Trump Inauguration

By Jon Swaine, Guardian UK

28 January 17

 

Evan Engel of Vocativ no longer facing potential 10 years in prison

felony charge against one of the journalists arrested while covering Donald Trump’s inauguration was dropped by prosecutors on Friday.

The decision means that Evan Engel of Vocativ, who was detained while reporting on the unrest in the capital surrounding the president’s swearing-in last week, will no longer face a potential 10 years in prison and $25,000 fine.

Channing Phillips, the US attorney in Washington DC, filed a motion to the district’s superior court on Friday requesting a dismissal of the felony rioting case against Engel, who is a senior producer at the news website.

William Miller, a spokesman for the US attorney’s office, said in a statement that the decision had been reached following “a review of evidence presented to us by law enforcement”. It also followed widespread anger over the charges following reports by the Guardian on the arrest of six journalists during the protests.

In a statement, Ben Reininga, Vocativ’s editorial director, said Engel had been serving the public interest and welcomed the dismissal of the charge against him.

“Learning that one of our journalists was arrested while on assignment served as a chilling reminder that we must never take our first amendment freedoms for granted,” said Reininga.

Thanking his colleagues and attorneys, Engel said in a statement: “Today, my thoughts are with any other journalists who are facing charges for doing their jobs, as well as with journalists imprisoned around the world.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists said earlier this week that the charges had sent a “chilling message to journalists” and urged the authorities to drop the prosecutions. That demand was echoed by groups including Britain’s National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

“Arresting journalists is a disturbing move at the beginning of a new administration already mired in controversy, and we are calling on the authorities to drop the charges immediately,” Michelle Stanistreet, the NUJ general secretary, said in a statement.

At least five other journalists who were arrested during the protests continue to face prosecution under the rioting charges. Miller said the prosecutor’s office had “no comment on other specific individuals beyond our public filings” in his statement on Friday.

“We are continuing to work with the Metropolitan police department to review evidence related to the arrests on Jan 20,” Miller said. “As in all of our cases, we are always willing to consider additional information that people bring forward.”

Because the arrests occurred in Washington DC, the charges against the journalists are being handled by the US justice department, which may soon be led by Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a close political ally of Trump and his nominee for attorney general.

Asked whether Sessions would proceed with the prosecutions of the journalists, Sarah Isgur Flores, a spokeswoman for the senator, said: “At this point it’d be premature to comment on the specifics of any case until he is confirmed.”

Spokespeople for Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington DC, and her deputy mayor for public safety and justice, did not respond to requests for comment on the arrests and charges.