Forty-three percent of the people Portland police arrested at protests against immigration enforcement have had their cases dismissed or dropped with no complaint or they’ve been acquitted, a WW analysis has found.
Of the eight defendants who went to trial, five were acquitted, and those convicted received only short probations. That suggests juries have largely found that the charges don’t pass muster.
“When arrests are made, they’re based on probable cause that a crime was committed by the person. When a public order situation is becoming dangerous, there are times where arrests are made based on probable cause to prevent a situation from further escalating,” says Sgt. Kevin Allen, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman. In response to questions about the high number of dismissals, dropped charges and acquittals, Allen writes, “There are a variety of reasons that cases may not ultimately lead to prosecution.”…