Protesters speak out after charges dropped by Harris County

HOUSTON - Hundreds of Houstonians who were arrested while protesting say having the charges against them dropped is actually only the first legal hurdle. They still have to get the charge cleared from their record.

When Jamail White, his wife and kids, ages 23 and 19, took to the streets to protest inequality after the death of George Floyd and the entire family was arrested. "That was a very scary feeling for peacefully protesting and here we were being treated like we were some type of criminals,” explains Jamail White.

"I was literally like this is not happening. They did not arrest us because we were protesting after someone was murdered,” says 23-year-old Danielle Sherman.

RELATED: Charges dropped against nearly 800 Houston protesters

"My son has a heart condition and I was very fearful for his life that night because someone on the bus, as they were transporting us, passed out and I didn’t know if it was him. The whole thing was just traumatizing. They apparently turned the heat up on the bus after we arrived at the jail. It was extremely hot and uncomfortable. They left us there for about 30 minutes like that,” says Tiffany White.

“When I don’t take my medicine I start feeling something in my chest and I get kind of nervous. I just didn’t like how unfair it all was,” adds 19-year-old Omar Sherman II.

The family and hundreds of others were charged with Obstructing A Roadway. ”We were all on the sidewalk and that’s when they decided they were going to place us under arrest. No one asked us 'hey go on and leave’. It was very disheartening,” says Mr. White.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has now dismissed the charges against 796 protesters.

"This dismissal is part of a bigger conversation that’s happening nationally. Prosecutors must be part of it. I know our young prosecutors feel very strongly about what’s happening. They had some conflicted inner feelings about prosecuting people who wouldn’t leave the street. I listened to those feelings,” Ogg explains. 

"I can just close my eyes and see the box of officers around me,” says 23-year-old Danielle who is studying for the MCAT to enter medical school. She fears the arrest could hurt her chances of being accepted. "I was able to see first hand the mistreatment for trying to fight for what’s right. Fighting against racial inequality, the fact that police are able to use their authority to get away with anything, that’s literally what we were fighting for and that’s literally what we ended up living through. Just left me feeling like I wasn’t treated as a human. I just told my mom, we were in jail for protesting. That is insane".

“My son is a student at Texas State. When he graduates and he goes out and looks for a job I’m concerned that’s going to be on his record. Also, I still live with the stress of everything that happened. I was so afraid that my husband and son, well my daughter too would get hurt by the police. That in itself is a scary feeling,” says Mrs. White. 

Although the charge has been dropped those who were arrested still have to hire an attorney to get it expunged from their record, which also comes with a nearly $300 court cost. Several attorneys are fighting to get that waived.

Ogg says after prosecutors reviewed roughly 850 cases charges against all but 51 were dropped. Those people are charged with things such as assault, assault on a police officer and possession of a weapon. "We decided it was the fair thing to do to take the people charged with simply refusing to leave and dismiss their cases and get to our greater job of reforming this system so that we have equal justice so it can be applied to everyone in an equal fashion. I was interested in going after any real criminal that tried to hijack this lawful protest". 

Ogg also says protesters pleas are not falling on deaf ears. "I hear them saying they want a world where the laws are applied equally to everyone. Whether it’s police, judges or public officials. They want us all to operate on the same set of rules and I think that’s a fair demand".