Stand With Standing RockA judge has thrown out felony charges against some of the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters arrested during a raid of the northern camp in October.
After the event, 139 people were charged with one felony count of conspiracy to endanger by fire or explosion and two misdemeanor counts. The prosecutors filed a single complaint and supporting affidavit against all of them on Nov. 10.
The affidavit alleges protesters at least implicitly agreed to set multiple fires throughout the day, thereby endangering law enforcement, firefighters and nearby pastureland.
But South Central District Judge Cynthia Feland was not convinced the prosecutors had made a case against each person. She notes that the prosecutor failed to specifically name who committed the crime, how and when they committed it or how they agreed to commit the crime together.