DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Student protests, 1972-1973 | 1972-03-17 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Charges Dismissed in '70 Arrests"" 1972-04-04 Daily Iowan: ""Monitor system is being formed""

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Student protests, 1972-1973

1972-03-17 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Charges Dismissed in '70 Arrests"" 1972-04-04 Daily Iowan: ""Monitor system is being formed""

P-C 3/17/72

Last of 225 Charged-
Charges Dismissed in '70 Arrests 

The dockets were finally cleared today of the remaining six persons out of 225 arrested for disorderly conduct stemming from mass arrests May 8, 1970. 

Those persons whose charges were dismissed today are Roland Schembart, Stanley J. Mortensen, Ronald Spruill, Roy Churchill, Charles James and James Belcher. 

Police Court Judge Joseph Thornton ruled the city ordinance then being used did not cover the charges filed. The disorderly conduct ordinance was replaced in May 1971. 
Kingsley Clarke, Schembari's attorney, argued the ordinance was too vague too general and unconstitutional. Attorney Philip A. Leff, representing four of the defendants claimed the words in the ordinance could not be defined. 
The ordinance reads that no person shall "provoke a breach of peace, any unsemly, profane, indecent or obscene language, or with such intent make use of or be guilty of any violent of offensive conduct."

The mass arrests occurred following two days of protests against the United States invasion of Cambodia and the killing of four Kent State students. 

Charges against 19 of the original 225 arrested were dropped in January, 1971. The city dropped charges against 192 persons in August that same year. 
Of the remaining 13 seven persons had their charges dropped several weeks ago. Those persons are Omar Hazley, James Lincoln, Jerry Stevens, Robert Marks, Jeff Steinbeck, Steven Frank and Larry Kronick. 
Of the 225 persons arrested May 8, 1970 none were convicted of disorderly conduct. 

DI 4/4/72

To 'cool' campus unrest
Monitor system is being formed

By BOB CRAIG
Daily Iowan Staff Writer
Nearly 500 University of Iowa faculty and staff members have volunteered to serve in a new permanent system of monitors being established by the university's Campus Security Committee. 
According to Eugene Spaziani, professor of zoology and a member of the committee, the monitors will be faculty and student volunteers who will try to keep things "cool" in the event of campus unrest. 
A notice which was sent to all UI faculty and staff members last week asking for volunteers has received nearly 500 responses Spaziani said. 
The names of those who volunteer to serve as monitors will be placed into a pool and drawn at random in the event of campus unrest, or in anticipation of it, he said. 
In about two weeks a similar request will be made for student volunteers. 
The duties of the volunteers, who will be clearly identified  as monitors by devices such as bright arm bands include:
- Being a "presence" at strategic points when a confrontation appears probable. 
- Communications, including "rapping" with receptive groups of demonstrators off and on campus, including in dormitories. 
- Helping to cool situations by quietly encouraging clusters of people (especially onlookers) to return to residences. 
- Neutral observation; i.e., as witnesses of events (not as informants against individuals)
Spaziani said, "The monitor system will not be used to protect anything. We don't want any volunteers hurt. We will not get in the way of a crowd bent on violence or in the way of the police, if a confrontation is going to take place."
When asked if the recent incident when a controversial professor tried to speak here had anything to do with the formation of the monitor system, Spaziani said, "The Security Committee, a policy making and advisory body to the president, had been discussing the monitor system off and on for about a year; the Hernstein incident just hurried us along a little."
The monitor system, which will be functional before the end of the school year, is being supported by state, county and city law enforcement agencies, according to Spaziani. 
Emmett Evans, acting Iowa City police chief said, "The police department is very much in favor of the monitoring system. If trouble develops, the monitors have great potential. The monitors did an excellent job of preventing violence last spring."

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P-C 3/17/72 Last of 225 Charged- Charges Dismissed in '70 Arrests The dockets were finally cleared today of the remaining six persons out of 225 arrested for disorderly conduct stemming from mass arrests May 8, 1970. Those persons whose charges were dismissed today are Roland Schembart, Stanley J. Mortensen, Ronald Spruill, Roy Churchill, Charles James and James Belcher. Police Court Judge Joseph Thornton ruled the city ordinance then being used did not cover the charges filed. The disorderly conduct ordinance was replaced in May 1971. Kingsley Clarke, Schembari's attorney, argued the ordinance was too vague too general and unconstitutional. Attorney Philip A. Leff, representing four of the defendants claimed the words in the ordinance could not be defined. The ordinance reads that no person shall "provoke a breach of peace, any unsemly, profane, indecent or obscene language, or with such intent make use of or be guilty of any violent of offensive conduct." The mass arrests occurred following two days of protests against the United States invasion of Cambodia and the killing of four Kent State students. Charges against 19 of the original 225 arrested were dropped in January, 1971. The city dropped charges against 192 persons in August that same year. Of the remaining 13 seven persons had their charges dropped several weeks ago. Those persons are Omar Hazley, James Lincoln, Jerry Stevens, Robert Marks, Jeff Steinbeck, Steven Frank and Larry Kronick. Of the 225 persons arrested May 8, 1970 none were convicted of disorderly conduct. DI 4/4/72 To 'cool' campus unrest Monitor system is being formed By BOB CRAIG Daily Iowan Staff Writer Nearly 500 University of Iowa faculty and staff members have volunteered to serve in a new permanent system of monitors being established by the university's Campus Security Committee. According to Eugene Spaziani, professor of zoology and a member of the committee, the monitors will be faculty and student volunteers who will try to keep things "cool" in the event of campus unrest. A notice which was sent to all UI faculty and staff members last week asking for volunteers has received nearly 500 responses Spaziani said. The names of those who volunteer to serve as monitors will be placed into a pool and drawn at random in the event of campus unrest, or in anticipation of it, he said. In about two weeks a similar request will be made for student volunteers. The duties of the volunteers, who will be clearly identified as monitors by devices such as bright arm bands include: - Being a "presence" at strategic points when a confrontation appears probable. - Communications, including "rapping" with receptive groups of demonstrators off and on campus, including in dormitories. - Helping to cool situations by quietly encouraging clusters of people (especially onlookers) to return to residences. - Neutral observation; i.e., as witnesses of events (not as informants against individuals) Spaziani said, "The monitor system will not be used to protect anything. We don't want any volunteers hurt. We will not get in the way of a crowd bent on violence or in the way of the police, if a confrontation is going to take place." When asked if the recent incident when a controversial professor tried to speak here had anything to do with the formation of the monitor system, Spaziani said, "The Security Committee, a policy making and advisory body to the president, had been discussing the monitor system off and on for about a year; the Hernstein incident just hurried us along a little." The monitor system, which will be functional before the end of the school year, is being supported by state, county and city law enforcement agencies, according to Spaziani. Emmett Evans, acting Iowa City police chief said, "The police department is very much in favor of the monitoring system. If trouble develops, the monitors have great potential. The monitors did an excellent job of preventing violence last spring."