The dispositional hearing Monday morning for the 17 student protesters arrested last May was pushed back to March 3. The students are facing charges for criminal trespassing after they refused to disperse at a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Main Building last year.
This is the sixth hearing that has been extended since the students were arrested. The first hearing was scheduled for June 28, 2024. Subsequent hearings were postponed to later dates and the hearing on Oct. 25, 2024 was cancelled.
At Monday’s hearing, the students were not physically present in the courtroom and were instead represented by their attorneys.
The Observer granted anonymity to student defendants to discuss the sensitive nature of the ongoing case. One of the students explained that the hearings have continued to be delayed as prosecutors requested more time. Initially, the case was set to be heard by a judge who is a Notre Dame alumni, but he later recused himself. The students have had to wait for a new hearing so the replacement judge can get up to speed on the case.
“It’s incredibly frustrating, especially considering our efforts to organize faculty allies to attend court in support of us,” the student said. “The constant changes to the hearing dates make it nearly impossible for us to ensure their presence and to ensure we give adequate notice to our professors about our absence.”
Aside from Fr. Jenkins’ statement last May, the students said they have not received any official communication from the University regarding their arrests. “What is clear, however, is that the University has repeatedly refused to drop these charges,” the student said. The University did not respond to a request for comment.
Before the next hearing on March 3, the students have to decide if they will take their case to trial. If they do, the hearing currently scheduled will be rescheduled and a trial date will be set.
As of now, the next hearing is scheduled for March 3 at 9 a.m. in the St. Joseph Superior Misdemeanor Division located on the second floor of Courthouse 2.
