Morton County Judge Dropped State's Frivolous Riot Charge Against Amy Goodman

A Morton County judge rejected a frivolous riot charge against Amy Goodman from Democracy Now.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

October 17, 2016

Mandan, N. Dakota - On Monday, Morton County District 9 Judge John Grinsteiner dropped a frivolous state riot charge against Amy Goodman, 59, a journalist for Democracy Now. Goodman was previously charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass for the September 3, news coverage of a protest at a Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) site, which she and her camera man, John Hamilton recorded a vicious private security led dog attack on multiple Native Americans and a child who suffered dog bites. The DAPL security guards were not charged for any criminal intent to do harm by use of an animal.

The news coverage of the dog bites incident went viral on social media and the commercialized mainstream media. The trespass charged was dropped and Morton County State Attorney Ladd R. Erickson then filed a frivolous riot charge, which was rejected by Judge Grinsteiner on Monday morning.

Goodman told those at a press conference that many water protectors have been charged with minor misdemeanors and journalists have been charged with felonies in an attempt to suppress media coverage of the DAPL protests.

She says more than 140 have been arrested since August and charged. Several of those arrests included Sara Jumping Eagle, a Pediatrician for the Standing Rock reservation was taken into custody for disorderly conduct and booked at the MCSO jail and stripped search and Dave Archambault II, the Chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was also arrested for civil disobedience and booked at the MCSO jail and was also stripped searched, according to Goodman. Other water protectors confirmed that many of those men and women arrested by the MCSO and assisting law enforcement have been stripped searched as well.

Reports confirmed that some who had been arrested for felonies had their charges dropped recently as well.

Also Myron Dewey, an indigenous journalist who had his drone illegally seized by a MCSO Deputy Jonathan Moll was processed at the County jail for a open warrant for a frivolous misdemeanor charge for stalking DAPL private security and was released on a $350 bond. According to Dewey, the DAPL security were harassing Native Americans and were not wearing name tags, no badges and had no license plates on their vehicles so, he went to the scene as journalist and recorded their actions. He also said, that MCSO deputies and assisting police were nearby at the September 3 DAPL security dog attack on people and none of the deputies or police acted to stop nor prevent the attack on Native Americans. They just stood there and watched dogs bite people. 

In this case, Dewey says that Deputy Moll was seen taking photos of students at a school and was reported to police. Dewey is scheduled back in court on January 25.  

Shailene D. Woodley, 24, who was taken into custody on October 10 with 27 other water protectors at a DAPL site near St. Anthony is scheduled to appear in court on October 24 for several misdemeanor charges for criminal trespass and engaging in a riot. Woodley, an actress in the movie "Divergent" posted a $500 bond and was released.

Woodley was live streaming a peaceful DAPL protest on Facebook when she was targeted by a MCSO deputy and arrested.

Video of Monday's rally in support of Amy Goodman and Myron Dewey including all the water protectors that have been detained and charged. http://goo.gl/gBYGN3

Update: According to a photo posted by Rob Wilson Photography on his Facebook account, one person was arrested on Monday near the Morton County Courthouse after he told a law enforcement officer what sounded, "good luck drinking that poison water." Police grabbed him after the comment and was taken into custody. He was identified as Harry Kindness, but has not been charged yet, according to court records.