The jury spent days deliberating in the case of 10 students (11 were originally charged, but one of those cases was dropped) accused of disrupting a speech at UC Irvine by the Israeli ambassador to the United States. The case has stoked a spirited debate about free speech not just in the courtroom, but on campuses and in communities. Jurors were asked to decide whether students broke the law or were exercising a right to demonstrate freely. The students were facing misdemeanor charges of conspiring to disrupt a meeting and disrupting a meeting. If convicted, they could face sentences ranging from probation with community service and fines to a year in jail. What’s your reaction to the decision? What will the implications be for college campuses?
Guests:
David A. Lehrer, President of Community Advocates Inc, a non-profit that advocates innovative approaches to human relations and race relations in the Los Angeles area; former head of the Anti-Defamation League
Salam Al-Marayati, President, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
Shirley Jahad, KPCC Reporter