Court drops charges against religious, civic leaders arrested at prayer vigil

Court drops charges against religious, civic leaders arrested at prayer vigil

A Washington city court on Oct. 11 dropped charges against a group of religious and civic leaders who were arrested in July during a prayer vigil for the poor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

The vigil, held at the height of the summer’s debt ceiling debate, aimed to stop Congress from cutting funding to programs that benefit the most needy in the U.S. and abroad.

“We are guilty of one charge: the promotion of social righteousness,” said J. Herbert Nelson, director of public witness for the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Nelson, one of the 11 people arrested for refusing to leave the rotunda, called the vigil an act of “civil disobedience.”

The court-approved settlement dismissed misdemeanor charges of “intention to disrupt Congress” as long as the group stays out of the Capitol for six months and submits to a drug screening.

“While we accept the agreement to resolve the charges against us, we do not regret or apologize for our actions,” said Bob Edgar, president of the advocacy organization Common Cause, and a former general secretary of the
National Council of Churches. (RNS)