Charges dropped for 2 Occupy Charleston suspects

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A Charleston judge has dropped trespassing charges against two more Occupy Charleston participants who were arrested in November.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reported (http://bit.ly/Nw6ddQ ) a Charleston city judge dropped the charges Monday against Ramon Caraballo and Tyreece Washington.

Seven other Occupy Charleston protesters arrested on trespassing charges at the same time agreed to a deal in January where the cases would be dropped if they stayed out of trouble for six months.

Caraballo says he’s disappointed the charges were dropped because he wanted to present his case to a jury.

The maximum penalty on the trespassing charge is 30 days in jail or a $500 fine.

The nine protesters who were arrested had refused to leave Marion Park to comply with an 11 p.m. curfew.

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Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.com