Charges have yet to be filed against a woman arrested following a protest in San Luis Obispo last month.
Tianna Arata is facing eight charges in connection with a Black Lives Matter protest and march.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday said “The case is under careful review by this office. A decision will be made after fully reviewing all available evidence.”
Arata, 20, was arrested by San Luis Obispo police following the July 21 protest and was released from custody a short time later.
At one point during the protest, demonstrators blocked Highway 101 in both directions. San Luis Obispo police said Arata was responsible for leading the march and claimed that several acts of vandalism had occurred at the hands of protesters.
Arata's case has received national attention. A change.org petition has received more than 493,000 signatures from people who do not want charges filed against her.
Her attorney, Patrick Fisher, said in a statement:
The information I have received is that our District Attorney's Office has yet to make a determination as to whether they will file criminal charges against my client, Tianna Arata. Prior to making their decision, I am hopeful they will review and consider not just reports from the San Luis Obispo Police Department, but also reports my investigator will have prepared by the end of this week.
We are hopeful that, ultimately, our District Attorney's Office will decide that a criminal case against Tianna Arata is not warranted so that this community and this inspiring person, Tianna Arata, can begin to recover from her arrest and its aftermath.
The public attention this situation has attracted is understandable when one considers that what happened to Tianna hurts all of us. The arrest of peaceful protesters offends our country's core values.
The DA’s Office says a decision on whether any charges will be filed against Arata will be made before her court appearance, which is scheduled for next month.
