Inside the Current Issue

New Trial for Miguel Malo Begins

[note: after we went to press, The Advocate learned that Malo's trial has again been postponed, until October]

A new trial for embattled CUNY Hostos student Miguel Malo will begin on September 19th. Malo's first trial, for charges of misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct, was held in December 2003 but resulted in a mistrial. Charges of resisting arrest were dropped during the first trial.

The allegations against Malo stem from an August 2001 incident, when the then-Vice President of the Hostos Student Senate was arrested while protesting cuts in bilingual education at Bronx Community College. Malo and his supporters claim that he is innocent of the charges, and that CUNY ´Peace Officers' beat him after his arrest. He frequently appears at rallies for his own defense holding a poster of injuries he says were inflicted upon him by the officers.

After his arrest Malo was elected president of the Hostos Student Senate, and has drawn a wide range of support. For example, famed radical lawyer Lynne Stewart represented him at his first trial, at least until her own legal problems resulting from federal prosecution and conviction for aiding terrorism.

A variety of individuals and organizations have also asked that charges be dropped against Malo. In February, 2004, just after the first mistrial, the GC Doctoral Students' Council passed a resolution calling for Hostos and the DA to drop the charges, stating that "the circumstances under which Miguel Malo was arrested indicate a desire by CUNY administration to limit even peaceful protests carried out by students." The Professional Staff Congress, the University Faculty Senate, the University Student Senate, AELLA and several CUNY student governments have all issued statements in support of Malo.

A September 6th meeting in support of Malo drew 50 supporters, including Carol Lang, a City College employee who, along with three other students, was arrested in 2004 during an anti-recruiting protest. Also endorsing Malo's case are a handful of Hunter professors, as well as several Trotskyist groups such as the two CUNY Internationalist Clubs, the Revolutionary Reconstruction Club (at Bronx Community College) and Socialist Action.