Durham DA: Highway protesters agree to probation, community service
Four protesters charged with impeding traffic in November along N.C. Highway 147 can avoid jail time if they complete the terms of an agreement reached with prosecutors this week, according to the Durham District Attorney’s Office.
A group known as Jewish Voice for Peace organized a protest in Durham on Nov. 2, 2023, to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Some members of the group marched to the highway, also known as the Durham Freeway, and blocked traffic during rush hour.
The Durham Police Department later charged four residents with impeding traffic: Olivia Linn, 27; Fatima Nur, 36; Jenae Taylor, 36; and Leah Whitehead, 28.
The charge is a Class 2 misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail, according to Sarah Willets, a spokesperson for the Durham County District Attorney's Office.
On Jan. 16, 2024, they each entered deferral agreements with the same terms: “Comply with three months of unsupervised probation, complete an in-person driving course, and complete 36.5 hours of community service,” Willets said.
“Under a deferral, the person admits responsibility to the charges, and if they successfully complete the terms of the agreement, the charges are dismissed,” she added.
If the terms of the agreement aren’t fulfilled, prosecutors can seek penalties allowed by law under the original charge. Prosecutors take a defendant’s prior criminal record into consideration when considering which penalties to pursue, Willets said.
