(Cleveland) - Nearly half of the criminal cases related to the rioting and looting in downtown Cleveland on May 30th have been dropped.
Cleveland.com reports that county and city prosecutors and judges have dismissed 53 of the 120 criminal cases, and of the 18 convictions, none resulted in jail time. Ten people who pleaded guilty to violating the curfew imposed by the city received fines. 49 cases are pending.
Curfew violations were dropped after a ruling by a federal judge that since it was Mayor Frank Jackson who imposed the curfew, those arrested were not violating a police order.
There are still a few federal charges pending, including a man accused of setting fire to a guard booth by the Justice Center, and a man accused of vandalizing a store on Euclid Avenue.
The rioting and looting on May 30th followed what had been a peaceful protest at the Free Stamp over the police-related death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Things turned ugly after the crowd marched down Lakeside Avenue to the Justice Center. That building and others nearby had smashed out windows, along with many on Euclid Avenue. Some cars were set on fire.
(Photo by Joe Raedle, Getty Images)
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