Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday dropped the prosecution of seven individuals charged with trespassing and resisting and/or obstructing a police officer for their conduct related to the police clearing of an encampment at the University of Michigan in May 2024.

The seven defendants were Oliver Kozler, Samantha Lewis, Henry MacKeen-Shapiro, Michael Mueller, Asad Siddiqui, Avi Tachna-Fram, and Rhiannon Willow. All seven pleaded “not guilty” on the charges.

Although Nessel noted that she stands by the original charges, which she claimed were issued based on the evidence and facts of the case, Nessel said that “baseless and absurd allegations of bias” have colored and delayed the proceedings, thereby forcing her hand to dismiss the charges.

Nessel added:

Despite months and months of court hearings, the Court has yet to make a determination on whether probable cause was demonstrated that the defendants committed these crimes, and if so, to bind the case over to circuit court for trial, which is the primary obligation of the district court for any felony offense. During this time, the case has become a lightning rod of contention…

And now, we have learned that a public statement in support of my office from a local non-profit has been directly communicated to the Court. The impropriety of this action has led us to the difficult decision to drop these charges.

These distractions and ongoing delays have created a circus-like atmosphere to these proceedings. While I stand by my charging decisions, and believe, based on the evidence, a reasonable jury would find the defendants guilty of the crimes alleged, I no longer believe these cases to be a prudent use of my department’s resources, and, as such, I have decided to dismiss the cases.

The “public statement” that Nessel is referring to came from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, which apparently defended Nessel against allegations of anti-Muslim bias. Nessel is Jewish herself and is affiliated with the Democratic Party. Nessel’s announcement apparently came just moments before Ann Arbor District Judge Cedric Simpson was about to announce his own decision on the defense motion to disqualify Nessel’s office over the bias allegations.

The said allegations apparently surfaced after a Guardian report in October detailed Nessel’s “extensive personal, financial and political connections” to university regents who allegedly bypassed local prosecutors and “recruited” Nessel to handle the prosecution.

Supporters of the defendants who were in the courtroom apparently burst out in jubilation at the announcement with chants of “Free Palestine.” Defense counsel welcomed the decision, stating that the charges should never have been brought in the first place and that they were really an attempt at criminalization of free speech.

After the announcement, defendant Lewis accused Nessel of being a “coward” for being unable to bear the embarrassment of a potential recusal and even went as far as labeling police and prosecutors as “bullies” and “top pigs.”