2 lawyers in Minneapolis on helping protesters arrested by police - Business Insider

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The two lawyers say that the situation on the ground feels different from past demonstrations over police shootings, and that their legal work includes advocating for broader changes.Andrew Gordon is an attorney with The Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, MN. Since 2014, he leads its community defense program, which offers free legal advice and defense to juveniles and adults charged with anything from misdemeanor traffic infringements up to first-degree murder.

My specific role right now is helping to coordinate a legal support hotline around the Twin Cities. It allows folks who are being arrested at a demonstration to call in and say, "I've been arrested, you should know who I am, here's how you can keep track of me and help get me out.

Josh Esmay, Gordon's colleague at The Legal Rights Center, has been coordinating the direct response at jails, interviewing detained protesters and helping them navigate the system.I'm down at the jail meeting with people who're held in custody and helping them apply for bail relief from the Minnesota Freedom Fund if it comes to that.

I try to keep them focused on getting out of here. But I do think it's helpful for folks who are not well versed in the criminal justice system to hear about their trial rights and what to expect if they do end up going to court for their first appearance, which is sometimes called an arraignment hearing.

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