Capitol Correspondent
EAST LANSING – The two protestors charged with felonies for their participating in a protest against Nativist Extremist leader Chris Simcox at MSU in April, plead guilty to misdemeanor charges in 54-B District Court Tuesday.
Terry Olson, attorney for Jose Villigrans a 21-year-old MSU student, said his client took the plea deal because he wanted to get back home to his family in Texas. Villigrans plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor disrupting an educational event. The misdemeanor is an MSU ordinance.
Judge David Jordon agreed to sentence Villigrans Tuesday, following the plea deal. Following a sentence recommendation from the probation department that included 6 months probation, hundreds of dollars in court fines and fees and substance abuse screening.
However, Olson said that Jordan dismissed the recommendations of the pre-sentencing department. "He called this a crime of conscience and noted that my client was not drunk or under the influence when this occurred. He was acted on his conscious and I think that is a fair characterization."
Jordan ordered Villigrans to pay a fine of $100 and $40 for court costs as the penalty.
Raul Perez, the other felony defendant, will be sentenced at a later date. Neither Perez nor his attorney could be reached for comment.
