[Freethe SF8] Rally held for SF 8; court dates set for Francisco Torres

[SF-8 case]

A Spirited Rally and Packed Courtroom for Francisco Torres

Some one hundred supporters rallied on October 9  for the court  
appearance of Francisco Torres, the last of the SF 8 defendants to  
face charges. San Francisco Supervisors John Avalos and Eric Mar  
joined the rally. Five of the SF 8 were present –  in addition to  
Francisco Torres, Ray Boudreaux, Richard Brown, Hank Jones, and  
Richard O'Neal participated in the enthusiastic picket line.

Status Conference December 3

In a brief hearing before a packed courtroom, Judge Philip Moscone set  
a status conference for December 3 to pick a date for oral argument on  
the motion to dismiss the charges. The judge’s decision was welcomed  
by the defense, as until now  Moscone had indicated that he would not  
hear a motion to dismiss until the preliminary hearing had been  
completed.

Preliminary Hearing in February, Maybe

The judge also tentatively set February 18 for the start of the  
preliminary hearing, in case he does not rule in favor of the motion  
to dismiss. Such a hearing would be expected to last two to three weeks.

The motion to dismiss might be heard in January, although delays and  
changing dates are common, so please check the SF 8 blog and web site  
as those dates approach.

Support Continues Strong
Organizers were upbeat about today’s developments, stating that in the  
last week alone the publication of the new Open Letter in the SF Bay  
Guardian signed by hundreds, the fax and  phone campaign on October 5  
that resulted in the Attorney General's fax machine and phone closing  
down – as well as the tireless work of outreach and calling – are  
examples of the  pressure that we have to keep on building.

Photos of the rally will be posted on the SF 8 blog over the next few  
days.
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