Saturday, January 29, 2011

Grand Jury Probing Oren Speech Disruptions


by IPT News

A California grand jury reportedly is investigating possible criminal violations by members of the University of California, Irvine's Muslim Student Union (MSU) in connection with a plot to disrupt Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren's speech on campus last February.

Eleven students were arrested in a series of orchestrated disruptions. The university disciplined the students and suspended the MSU chapter for the fall term following an internal investigation.

Six members of MSU were subpoenaed to testify before the Orange County Grand Jury, Carol Sobel, the lawyer of the six students said on Southern California Public radio yesterday. The six were not among those arrested at the Oren speech, she said. By law, the Orange County DA's office has a year to issue indictments in the case. The speech took place Feb. 8.

Sobel and the UCI's founding law school dean speculated that the grand jury was pursuing a federal conspiracy charge, though the students were charged with misdemeanors when they were arrested.

"As far as the university is concerned, the MSU has completed the discipline that was meted out by our on-campus process and any further grand jury or charges from the DA's office is all handled out of there," said university spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon.

The grand jury will determine what, if any, criminal charges will be brought against the students.

Original URL:http://www.investigativeproject.org/2535/grand-jury-probing-oren-speech-disruptions

IPT News

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