Occupy NH Activist Placed in Diversion Program
Prosecutors will revisit case in a few months.
An Occupy NH activist who allegedly attempted to enter the Capitol Center for the Arts during a Republican debate in Concord last month has agreed to a diversion program to avoid prosecution and trial.
Matthew J. Richards, 20, of Manchester, was in Sixth District Court on Feb. 13 to face a criminal trespass charge. However, before court proceedings could even get started, Richards was able to negotiate placement into a diversion program, according to a clerk. The clerk said that prosecutors would "revisit the case in a few months,” to see if Richards had stayed out of trouble during that time.
According to the Merrimack County Prosecutors Office website, the diversion is offered to first time adult offenders, as well as alleged perpetrators involved in non-sexual, non-violent, or non-domestic violence related crimes. Participants agree to weekly case management meetings in which they will remain drug and alcohol free and be gainfully employed at least 32-hours a week or enrolled in school full-time. Community service hours, up to 25, need to be fulfilled and a program fine paid.
Richards, who was wearing long johns, sandals, and a “We Are the 99%” pin into court, seemed pleased with the agreement as he left court without any comment.
Linda Dionne
2:27 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
Matthew is a young man that we should all be proud of and he is being treated like a criminal. I haven't known Matthew for very long but he is one of the finest kids I have ever met. Kind, sensitive, non-judgmental, intelligent, are just some of the words that come to mind. This should've been thrown out of court!
brenda
11:09 pm on Monday, February 13, 2012
It is a sad day when peaceful protesters are held arrested convicted and put intoxicated any kind of correctional program! This entire state entire country should be ashamed of what we have become.
Matt had every right to exercise his right under our u s constitution. Capital center for the arts deserves to be noted because of any point of the property owners they could have stopped this travesty. I am sure there are many who are lovers of art and culture who will not contribute to the new hampshire poetry team which matt was a member of instead of the capital center for the arts. Personally I would never donate to them.
At some point this year each of us ad americans are going to have to make up his/her mind whether we want to live in the kind of culture where other very rich very powerful people decide what we can and can't do, what news we are allowed to see, and what rights we will be a proud to have.
I believe this will be an interesting springs