Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel (D.) on Monday dropped all charges against seven anti-Semitic protesters arrested last year at the University of Michigan, a move that shocked even the protesters’ lawyers.
Even though Nessel acknowledged that “based on the evidence, a reasonable jury would find the defendants guilty of the crimes alleged,” she said the case had devolved into a “circus-like atmosphere” following months of court delays and allegations of bias on her part, Detroit’s FOX2 reported. Nessel stood by her original decision to pursue felony and misdemeanor charges but said the proceedings were no longer a “prudent use of my department’s resources” and moved to dismiss the cases.
Nessel, who became Michigan’s attorney general in January 2019, has been no stranger to controversy.
She came under scrutiny in 2023 for taking a lavish island vacation with a major campaign donor, according to emails and photos obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. In 2022, she called for “a drag queen for every school” and threatened to jail a Republican opponent who criticized her refusal to enforce Michigan’s abortion ban.
Nessel’s Monday decision to drop charges caught many off-guard, including the protesters’ own attorneys. “Inside the courthouse, the decision to drop the charges stunned defense lawyers, who were prepared to offer closing arguments in a preliminary exam that began in February,” the Detroit Free Press reported.
The seven defendants were among dozens of activists who set up a month-long encampment at the University of Michigan last spring, part of a broader wave of anti-Israel campus demonstrations nationwide. When police tried to clear the site, the protesters used “physical force to counter” officers, Nessel said when she first filed felony charges. According to police, the protesters ignored commands, linked arms, and threw tables and chairs to obstruct the clearing effort.
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