About 200 Occupy Wall Street protesters appeared in Manhattan criminal court today to deal with summonses, most of which were handed down by police during September’s mass arrests on the Brooklyn Bridge. Hundreds more demonstrators are expected in the coming days as a judge and D.A. prosecutors deal one by one with the protesters, who are being represented by members of the National Lawyers Guild. The volunteer lawyers, Reuters reports, offered two options for their piles of clients: an ACD, which has the charges dismissed and the arrest sealed after six months if the defendant is not arrested again, or pleading not guilty and going to trial. One lawyer advised that the protesters have a “very good chance” of winning. Plus, occupying courtrooms for days on end, while less visible, might be a bigger headache for the city than taking over the bridge for one afternoon.
