Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell dropped felony rioting charges against state Rep. Attica Scott and 17 other protesters who were arrested two weeks ago during demonstrations in downtown Louisville.
O’Connell recommended dropping the charges when Scott and the others appeared in arraignment court on Tuesday afternoon. The judge hearing the cases went along with the recommendation.
The protesters were arrested after TARC buses were vandalized and a flare was tossed through a window of the main branch of the public library.
“While in these cases we do have evidence of property damage to some TARC buses and the library, we would need clear-cut evidence that these individuals before you today were working with those who committed that property damage. The evidence we have reviewed thus far does not support that,” O’Connell said in open court.
Scott is also charged with failure to disperse and unlawful assembly.
O’Connell said his office is reviewing the other charges but needs more time. He recommended that those charges be passed on to a future court date.
This story has been updated.
