A central California police department this week filed criminal charges against a man who helped escort student protesters during a protest against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, but the case quickly dissipated when local prosecutors said they would not pursue it.
The Clovis Police Department on Tuesday referred Alfred Aldrete, 41, for one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for his role in a February high school student walkout.
“During the investigation, Aldrete was identified as being present during the walkout and allegedly involved in directing student activity and entering the roadway, which impacted traffic flow,” Clovis police said in a press release. “Investigators also identified Aldrete as being present during a separate student gathering in Clovis on Feb. 5 that occurred outside of school hours.”
Aldrete had long suspected he was the target of police interest. He told CalMatters last month that police approached him during the march and asked for his name, date of birth and phone number.
He and a small group of volunteers escorted about 50 high school students on a walkout in protest of immigration enforcement in February in Clovis, population 128,000, where Donald Trump won every precinct in the 2024 presidential election — some with more than 70% of the vote.
Within a day of the walkout, Clovis police said they were considering charges against up to six adults under Section 272 of the California Penal Code, which is most often used to prevent chronic truancy. The Los Angeles Police Department has also said it’s considering charges against people who joined immigration-related protests under the same penal code section.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has filed about 20 such charges each year for at least the last five years. Those charges are usually related to harboring runaways, providing alcohol to minors or involving minors in other crimes, like theft.
A representative for Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp in a written statement said prosecutors would not file charges against Aldrete. The Fresno Bee first reported the district attorney’s decision not to move forward with the case.
“As with every case submitted to our office, prosecutors evaluate whether the available evidence meets each element of the alleged offense and whether those elements can be proven in court,” said Taylor Long, the spokesperson for Smittcamp’s office. “In this matter, a charge under Penal Code section 272 requires proof that an adult encouraged or caused a minor to become delinquent. Based on the evidence submitted, that element could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
via CalMatters https://ift.tt/MqW6i37
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