TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Trespass charges against two high-ranking Florida Democrats were dropped Friday.
Chair of the Florida Democrats Nikki Fried and state Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book were among 11 people arrested outside Tallahassee City Hall in April.
They were protesting the new six-week abortion ban in Florida.
In a Friday legal filing about the dropped charges, State Attorney Jack Campbell said the following about the protesters:
"Put plainly, they wanted to be arrested and gained media attention by being arrested. The State has no interest in encouraging more unlawful behavior through extending their notoriety as they move through the court system."
Campbell noted the protesters were kind and lacked criminal history.
He doubted the courts would impose "any meaningful sanction."
In an interview Friday afternoon, Fried said the issue of abortion access was important enough she'd go through it all again.
Read Campbell's full legal filing below:
"You've got to stand up and fight back when you see an injustice in society, in the world," Fried said. "So, while I would not encourage people to go out and get arrested, sometimes that good trouble is necessary trouble — and especially on something like this."
Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature approved the six-week ban earlier this year with several exceptions. Members and the governor said they're seeking to protect unborn life.
The policy has yet to take effect as the state Supreme Court considers the legality of Florida's current 15-week ban first, which has been in effect since last year.
