Attorneys for another 10 people who were among 18 arrested during a protest on Commercial Street last month entered not guilty pleas at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland by Thursday.
Those 10 bring the total to 16 people who have pleaded not guilty. None of them has appeared in court in person, but rather, their attorneys filed paperwork with the court waiving a formal reading of the charges against them and entering their pleas remotely.
One protester, Leah Kravette, 25, of Portland, is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment on Sept. 8. Another is a 16-year-old juvenile, whose case is not open to the public.
Each of them has been charged with one misdemeanor count of obstructing a public way. The protesters blocked a busy section of Commercial Street late into the night on July 15 to denounce police violence against minorities. They were among roughly 150 people demonstrating against recent police shootings of black men.
The first six to enter their pleas were summonsed to appear in court on Aug. 12. They are Jenessa Hayden, 23, of Portland; Caitlin Vaughan, 29, of Portland; Kennedy Johnson, 22, of Portland; Shadiyo Hussain Ali, 23, of Portland; Mariano Angelo, 20, of Portland; and Sarah Lazare, 32, of Portland. Those six are next due in court on Oct. 26.
The next 10 were summonsed to appear Thursday. They are Idman Abdulkadir, 22, of Portland; Salma Hassan, 22, of Portland; Alba Briggs, 25, of Portland; Sable Knapp, 26, of Portland; Nasreen Sheikhyousef, 25; Kennedy Barteaux, 38, of Portland; Llewellyn Pinkerton, 21, of Portland; Barbara Van Derburgh, 22, of Portland; Karen Lane, 50, of Lewiston; and Lelia Saad, 24, South Portland. The upcoming court dates for these 10 were not immediately available.
All of those who have pleaded not guilty so far are represented by different attorneys.
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