50 hours of community service for highway protester

Saying that she didn’t agree with the state prosecutor’s request for a sentence of six months probation for a first time offense, on Tuesday Judge Christine Jabour issued Molly Kitiyakara, arrested for disorderly conduct during a #blacklivesmatter protests that blocked the highway on November 25th of last year, a filing and sentenced her to 50 hours of community service. Judge Jabour approved the filing and Kitiyakara’s nolo plea over the state’s objection after a lengthy and sometimes tense discussion between the prosecutor and defense lawyer Shannah Kurland at the bench.

The remaining four defendants, Tess Brown-Lavoie, Steven Roberts, Larry Miller and CBattle are due back in court on January 20 as prosecutors and defense counsel continue to negotiate.

You can read about their previous court date here.

Also appearing today, in another courtroom, was Servio Gomez, who is being tried separately from the other defendants, as he is being charged by the Providence Police, not the State Police. Gomez told me that his lawyer is still negotiating with prosecutors, and that he is due back in court on January 22.

Kitiyakara is the second of the PVD7, those arrested the night of the November 25 protest, to settle with the state. Charges against Tololupe Lawal were dismissed on December 17.