Kurt Isobe is Innocent

Kurt Isobe, his father Craig Isobe, and NCRR member Evelyn Yoshimura attended NCRR’s June general meeting.  Kurt, a personable, young student who was arrested at a rally against the Minutemen Project in Orange County, came to NCRR’s general meeting to talk about his arrest last year and the result of his recent trial. 

Kurt was one of five persons arrested on May 25, 2005 at a Garden Grove demonstration against the anti-immigrant Minuteman Project and its founder Jim Gilchrist.  Four of the other arrested protesters either had charges dropped against them or they accepted plea-bargains.  Kurt turned down the settlement offered to him because he would have had to admit to crimes that he hadn’t committed.  The most serious charges against him were felony charges of interfering with two police officers.  In court Kurt pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.  During the trial the D.A. based its case on the police officers’ testimonies.  Kurt’s friends and an independent videographer testified during the trial that Kurt had not interfered with the police.

The trial ended on May 31, 2006 with a hung jury.  Kurt was found not guilty on two misdemeanor charges and the jury was deadlocked on the charges of resisting arrest and interfering with the police officers.  The Court will set a date for the new trial on June 23.

Because the jury was deadlocked in Kurt’s favor, Kurt and his family hope that the charges will be dropped and that an expensive, new trial will not be necessary.  Kurt’s family appreciates the tremendous support given to Kurt by his friends, community organizations and by justice-minded strangers. 

NCRR is convinced that Kurt is innocent of the charges against him and believes that the Orange County police and District Attorney unfairly targeted him for demonstrating his support for poor, hard-working Mexican American immigrants.  Persons wishing to support Kurt are encouraged to attend his court appearance on June 23.

For more information about Kurt and the events leading to his arrest see the reprinted Rafu Shimpo article, Free Kurt Isobe at www.yellowbrotherhood.com.