UC Muslim students get probation, fines

http://www.ocregister.com/news/speech-318635-students-defense.html

A jury Friday found 10 Muslim university students guilty of disrupting a speech by an Israeli diplomat at UC Irvine last year, in a case that focused on free speech.

Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson sentenced each student to three years of probation, which would be cut to a year if each completes 56 hours of community service by Jan. 31. He also ordered them to pay $270 in fines.

Wilson said jail time was not warranted because evidence showed the students were "motivated by their beliefs and did not disrupt for the sake of disrupting."

The jury of six men and six women deliberated about two days before finding the students guilty on one count each of misdemeanor disturbing a public meeting and conspiracy in connection with the Feb. 8, 2010, talk by Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States.

"We're delighted the jury saw this the same way we saw it," Assistant District Attorney Dan Wagner said.

Wagner argued the defendants used a "heckler's veto" to thwart the free-speech rights of the speaker, while the defense attorneys contended the protesters lawfully exercised their right to free speech.

The jury disagreed.