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6 Democratic convention protesters guilty of trespass

Posted at 9:34 AM, Jun 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-15 09:34:21-04

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge has found six people who protested at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia guilty of trespassing on restricted federal grounds.

The judge on Wednesday acknowledged the constitutional right to protest. But he found the protesters crossed the line when one of them cut through the fence erected more than a quarter-mile from where President Barack Obama would address delegates last summer.

Prosecutors argued the demonstrators could have endangered Obama.

The judge fined five of the defendants $500 each. But he deferred sentencing the man who cut through the fence, saying he needed more time to consider the penalty.