PHILADELPHIA _ Federal prosecutors withdrew their case Monday against four political protesters charged last month after scaling an 8-foot security fence outside the Wells Fargo Center during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
But authorities have given no indication that they intend to do the same for the seven other Bernie Sanders supporters arrested and charged under federal law during the raucous demonstrations outside the four-day event.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office did not respond to requests to explain the decision. But in court filings seeking the dismissal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Marston noted that the four protesters whose cases were being dropped had been issued civil citations by city police officers before their July 26 arrests by U.S. Secret Service agents.
"The (federal) government is declining further prosecution in favor of local prosecution," Marston wrote.
The seven other protesters charged with federal counts of entering a restricted zone were arrested the following day and did not receive police citations, said Paul Hetznecker, a Philadelphia civil rights lawyer representing several of the demonstrators.
Still, he said, Monday's decision offers hope for them, as well.
"My hope is that the U.S. Attorney's Office will evaluate that second set of cases in the same fashion," Hetznecker said. "The belief they all had was that they would not be charged criminally (for scaling the fence) and they would just be issued citations."
Throughout the convention, city police drew wide praise for relying more on their ticket pads than on handcuffs to bring unruly demonstrators under control. Officers appeared almost hesitant to detain all but the most unruly protesters. Those taken into custody by city authorities were detained only briefly, issued $50 civil citations, then released.
In all, 103 demonstrators were cited.
Yet those who scaled the fence marking the restricted zone designated by the U.S. Secret Service around the Wells Fargo Center fell under federal jurisdiction.
Police Commissioner Richard Ross acknowledged at the time that such distinctions might not have been clear to demonstrators and even suggested that the charges against the first four arrested demonstrators should be dropped.
"The reason we were concerned about it is because we don't believe those people knew" that climbing the fence would result in federal charges, he said last month. But after the first night of arrests, Ross said, those arrested the next night should have known better.
None of the 11 arrested demonstrators was from the Philadelphia area. Those whose cases were dismissed Monday were Anna Marie Stenberg, 69, of Fort Bragg, Calif.; Katherine Roberts, 37, of Georgia; Barbara Burns, 60, of Boston; and James Williams, 19, of Towson, Md.
