A racial justice advocate who serves on the Schenectady Board of Education appeared in a Saratoga Springs Court Tuesday and asked a judge to dismiss charges against her in the interest of justice.
Schenectady school board member Jamaica Miles is one of nearly a dozen protesters who were arrested last summer, accused of blocking traffic as they denounced remarks by John Catone, the city’s assistant police chief.
The charges of unlawful imprisonment and disorderly were not dropped Tuesday. Instead, Miles will reappear in court later this month for an evidentiary hearing.
What You Need To Know
- Jamaica Miles is charged with unlawful imprisonment and disorderly conduct stemming from protests last summer
- Her motion to have the charges dropped was neither granted nor denied
- The Schenectady School Board member will be back in court Jan. 20 for an evidentiary hearing
“To determine whether Saratoga will continue to threaten the First Amendment rights of those who speak out against government, that speak out against police,” Miles said.
Miles believes the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office is carrying out a promise made by Catone to stop protesters and put an end to their narrative.
It was a statement Catone made during a press conference over the summer, and one for which he would later apologize for making.
“These charges should’ve never happened in the first place. It is retaliation against the Black Lives Matter movement,” Miles alleged.
Miles said she’s prepared to go to trial if necessary, and believes the outcome of her case will have far-reaching impacts.
“It’s important for the movement of Black lives,” she said. “It’s important for all of the ways we fight for every individual to have access and opportunity to thrive and survive.”
