LA Times |
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Ten Muslim students have been found guilty in the so-called Irvine 11 case. The students were convicted of illegally conspiring to disrupt and disrupting a speech by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren last year at UC Irvine.
Both charges are misdemeanors. Charges against an 11th student were dropped upon completing 40 hours of community service.
The jury heard two days of closing arguments. Orange County prosecutors said the protesters prevented Ambassador Oren from speaking freely when they stood up and shouted at him during his speech on U.S.-Israel relations. The defense contends that prosecuting the Muslim students was meant to quell criticism against Israel by Muslim Americans.
Both sides invoked the right to free speech.
Defense attorneys on Tuesday compared their clients to civil rights leaders and said that the students were defending the Constitution when they shouted in protest. They said the protesters peacefully walked out of the ballroom by 6:25 p.m., leaving Oren plenty of time to finish his speech. The ambassador did complete his speech, but canceled a planned question-and-answer session.
Defense attorneys conceded that the comments their clients shouted were impolite and critical of Israel, but that they were legally protected by the 1st Amendment.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Dan Wagner said the case is about how the defendants conducted themselves in a crowded room of 700 people. Wagner argued that the right to free speech is not absolute, and that some members of the audience became frightened and unsettled during the disruption.
Each of the 10 students faces up to six months in jail.
Both charges are misdemeanors. Charges against an 11th student were dropped upon completing 40 hours of community service.
The jury heard two days of closing arguments. Orange County prosecutors said the protesters prevented Ambassador Oren from speaking freely when they stood up and shouted at him during his speech on U.S.-Israel relations. The defense contends that prosecuting the Muslim students was meant to quell criticism against Israel by Muslim Americans.
Both sides invoked the right to free speech.
Defense attorneys on Tuesday compared their clients to civil rights leaders and said that the students were defending the Constitution when they shouted in protest. They said the protesters peacefully walked out of the ballroom by 6:25 p.m., leaving Oren plenty of time to finish his speech. The ambassador did complete his speech, but canceled a planned question-and-answer session.
Defense attorneys conceded that the comments their clients shouted were impolite and critical of Israel, but that they were legally protected by the 1st Amendment.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Dan Wagner said the case is about how the defendants conducted themselves in a crowded room of 700 people. Wagner argued that the right to free speech is not absolute, and that some members of the audience became frightened and unsettled during the disruption.
Each of the 10 students faces up to six months in jail.
