A Superior Court judge in Portland has denied state prosecutors' request to re-file charges against 17 Black Lives Matters protestors arrested during a street protest last year.
The charges had been suspended while the protesters and police attempted to hold a "restorative justice" session. When that meeting broke down, prosecutors asked to reinstate the charges, but Justice Lane Walker now says the state still has an obligation to try to make the restorative justice effort work.
It's not clear yet how that might proceed. Tina Nadeau, an attorney representing two of the protestors, says some believe they have already lived up to their part of the bargain.
"Our hope is, obviously, that our clients can walk away from this incident with no criminal convictions and with the ability to have their version of events heard as well," Nadeau says.
Representatives at the Cumberland County District Attorney's office could not be reached for immediate comment.
This story will be updated.