Federal judge: Seattle police lacked cause in WTO arrests

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www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?ID=12408

Federal judge: Seattle police lacked cause in WTO arrests

By The Associated Press
01.01.04

SEATTLE — A federal judge has ruled that Seattle police were unfounded in their arrest of protesters during the World Trade Organization riots in late 1999.

The Dec. 29 decision by U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman could leave the city vulnerable to a class-action lawsuit.
Pechman ruled that police had no probable cause when they arrested 157 protesters in downtown Seattle during the WTO conference held in December 1999.

The city maintained protesters were arrested for pedestrian interference only after they failed to disperse. Attorneys for the city could not be reached by The Seattle Times for comment for this report.

Protesters' lawyers argued that the arrests violated their clients' First and Fourth Amendment rights, guaranteeing free speech and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.
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