SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Saratoga Springs City Court Judge Francine Vero dismissed the unlawful imprisonment and disorderly conduct charges against local Black Lives Matter activist Jamaica Miles. Until Vero the defense’s motion to dismiss on Monday, Miles had been the only member of the group still facing charges.
Video footage shows that on July 14, 2021 on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, demonstrators blocked traffic, delaying a driver who reportedly said they needed access to heart medicine. “Ms. Miles blocks the vehicle’s path for about three minutes while other protesters stand in front of the car for the duration,” Vero wrote in her decision, recounting an incident that prosecutors said lasted roughly 10 minutes.
Charges against other protestors—including those captured on video taking more direct action to block the vehicle—were already dropped. In the lead-up to Monday’s hearing, the ongoing charges left many questioning why the Saratoga County District Attorney’s office (DA) would apparently target Miles alone.
According to the DA, on the day in question, “law enforcement received several 911 calls, including one from a motorist who tried, but could not leave to get needed heart medicine, because many, including Jamaica Miles, were blocking his car.”
And In her decision, Vero said, “Blocking traffic is a serious matter” and that the footage showed her engaging in disorderly conduct, but that Miles’ background and other factors “weigh heavily in favor of dismissal.”
“Judge Vero’s decision is based not as much on the facts of the case involving Ms. Miles’ actions on July 14, 2021, but rather on the other factors involved in a motion to dismiss in the interest of justice. This decision is about Ms. Miles background and community involvement and not her actions,” said District Attorney Karen Heggen in a written statement after the dismissal. “I am concerned that this decision sends the wrong message that someone can violate the law and stop traffic, but if you have a background with involvement in your community and family, that can sway a court to dismiss the charges against you.”