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Innocent Revellers Challenge US Authorities

Author: Jonty Adderley
Saturday, December 7, 2002
147 clubbers caught up in the recent massive police raid on a dance music event in Racine, Wisconsin pleaded innocent to charges of being patrons at a disorderly house this week, presenting a potential logistical nightmare for authorities involved in the case.

441 clubbers were issued with $968 (£600) fines during the raid, despite the heavily armed jack-booted officers finding drugs on just 3 people present. In an attempt to force the clubbers to plead 'no contest' (ie guilty) Racine City Attorney Daniel Wright this week offered them discounted fines of $100, which would have left each innocent clubber with a serious criminal records. Lawyers from civil rights organisation the ACLU urged the defendant to reject the plea bargain.

"Freedom of speech includes freedom to dance, freedom of association," ACLU lawyer Erik Guenther told the Racine Journal Times.

"None of the people here have been charged with doing drugs or transferring drugs. They had no way to know they'd be doing something wrong by going to this party," he added.

Electronic music civil rights organisation EMDEF also lent their support to the clubbers, saying this week "EMDEF strongly urges all those cited to fight for their rights and challenge these meritless citations."

235 more people are scheduled to appear in court on December 9th and 16th and if they all plead Not Guilty, Racine's court and police services will be dramatically stretched.
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