Originally published to The Virginia Defender Facebook page on the date given. Reproduced here for archival purposes.

By Phil Wilayto

RICHMOND, VA, June 24 — Eight of the nine Richmond-area antiwar activists arrested March 11 for blocking Interstate 95 to draw attention to the genocide in Gaza will have to serve a day or two in jail and pay a $300 fine.

The sentences were handed down today by General Court Judge Mansi Shah in a courtroom packed with supporters at the John Marshall Courts Building in downtown Richmond.

Originally, nine activists were charged with four misdemeanors. Three of the charges were dropped at the beginning of their trial on June 21, leaving one charge of “Stop(ping) the vehicle of another for the sole purpose of impeding its progress on the highways, except in the case of an emergency or mechanical breakdown.” The Class One misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine.

One of the original nine defendants opted at trial to plead no contest and was sentenced to a day in jail, which they began serving immediately.

Judge Shah sentenced the remaining eight to 90 days, with 85 suspended for a period of 12 months. That would leave five days to be served. Each also was fined $300.

But Katherine E. Poindexter, one of three attorneys representing the defendants, explained that other factors affect the exact amount of time each defendant will serve.

“In Virginia, you only serve half of misdemeanor time,” Poindexter told the Defender. “So if it were exact numbers, that would be two-and-a-half, but ordinarily it’s two days. For those who came in to the magistrate’s office and did not make bond, they would get credit for the time they spent in jail, usually equal to one day. So some might get one day, usually overnight.”

Judge Shah allowed each activist to pick which days they would serve. Most will report to jail within the next few weeks.

A fund has been set up to help the activists pay the fines and court costs and make up for lost income while they serve their sentences. Supporters can make a donation here.

Meanwhile, other Palestine solidarity activists arrested at a protest outside a book signing by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and on April 29 at Virginia Commonwealth University when campus, city and state police broke up a peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment are scheduled to begin their trials soon. The Defender will report details as they become available.