BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen should be thrown off a case against pro-Palestinian protesters because he called them antisemitic and raised campaign money on prosecuting them, a defense attorney argued today (April 27).
Rosen’s office is prosecuting five students who allegedly broke into the Stanford president’s offices, barricaded themselves inside and spattered blood throughout the building on June 5, 2024.
Deputy Public Defender Avi Singh cited Rosen’s response during a campaign interview to questions about “monetizing” the prosecution. Rosen said he hasn’t faced similar challenges in other cases.
“But in this case, because it’s about antisemitism, and it’s because I’m a Jew, it’s the oldest f***ing antisemitic trope. And that’s exactly what the defense attorney is doing in this case,” Rosen reportedly told the San Jose Mercury News on April 20.
The case would get dismissed if Rosen made a comment like this in a courtroom during a trial, and his allegations of antisemitism are “baseless,” Singh said.
“This is absolutely biased and hostile language,” defense attorney Tony Brass added.
Deputy Attorney General Sharon Lockner said Rosen’s office should remain on the case, and his comments have been neutral.
“There’s nothing wrong with campaigning on a case. That’s been done since the dawn of time,” Lockner said at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Judge Kelley Paul said she’ll announce a decision on Rosen’s recusal on May 7.
Rosen sent a fundraising email to 621 members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, according to records subpoenaed by Singh.
Rosen’s email said his father survived three concentration camps and was a refugee in post-war Europe before immigrating to America.
“My parents taught my brother and me to love four things: America, the State of Israel, the Jewish people and Judaism,” Rosen wrote.
The email included a donation button and a link to a Los Angles Times article about the case.
“Felony charges for pro-Palestinian Stanford students? Trump will love this,” the headline said.
Rosen’s fundraising efforts have put his office in a corner and created a financial incentive related to the case , Singh said.
Five protesters — German Gonzalez, Maya Burke, Taylor McCann, Hunter Taylor-Black and Amy Zhai — are facing felony vandalism and conspiracy charges. Six more protesters accepted pretrial plea deals or alternative sentences.
The protesters were “highly organized” and brought food, a ladder, plywood, crowbars, hammers and other tools for breaking in, Rosen said in a press conference when he announced the charges.
One Stanford employee had a photo of her deceased mother and kids destroyed by fake blood, Rosen said.
“Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal,” Rosen said at the time.
Singh argued the occupation was peaceful and only meant to raise awareness about Stanford’s investments in Israel.
A trial from Jan. 9 to Feb. 13 ended with jurors divided 8-4 for guilt on the conspiracy and 9-3 for guilt on the vandalism.
Following the verdict, Rosen said he would push for a retrial to have the five take responsibility for an estimated $300,000 in damage.
Be the first to comment