DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-08-05 Des Moines Register Article: ""U of I Student Cleared on Felony Count in Disorders""

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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-08-05 Des Moines Register Article: ""U of I Student Cleared on Felony Count in Disorders""

DMR 8/5/71

U of I Student Cleared on Felony Count in Disorders

By Larry Eckhold
(Register Staff Writer)

IOWA CITY, IA. - A University of Iowa student was cleared Wednesday of a felony charge filed in an incident that prompted a call for outside help to quell civil disorders here in May. 
   The 1971 Johnson County Grand Jury returned a "no bill" against Kent N. Simon - a U of I sophomore from Evanston, Ill., at the time of his arrest - who was charged May 7 with larceny over $20.
   Simon was arrested after allegedly attempting to steal Johnson County Sheriff Maynard Schneider's riot helmet during a two-hour stand-off between sheriff's deputies and young demonstrators on the U of I Pentacrest.
   Angry Crowd
   The previous night, a crowd of angry youths had gone on a window-smashing spree on the university campus and in downtown Iowa City.
   Simon's arrest followed a march to the Johnson County Courthouse, during which sheriff's deputies, equipped with riot gear, spread a thick cloud of "pepper gas" and chased the mob back to campus.
   Most of the crowd left during the two-hour confrontation and student monitors convinced Schneider to pull back his men in an effort to avoid further trouble.
   But Simon darted past the sheriff, who was visibly angered.
   80 Arrested
   "That does it," Schneider said, and he called for reinforcements. Some 200 city and state lawmen closed taverns, cleared streets and sidewalks and chased hundreds of people about the dark campus. 
   This all took place shortly after midnight May 7, a Thursday. Later that morning, a bomb blast shook the Iowa City Civic Center. A lull preceded two nights of violent confrontation the following Monday and Tuesday before peace was restored to this weary city.
   More than 80 persons were arrested during the disorders, and court records here show that about half of the cases have been dismissed so far.
   The 1972 Grand Jury also failed to return a "true bill" against Daniel Bernstein, then a U of I freshman from Chicago, Ill., charged May 6 with assault with intent to inflict great bodily injury and with resisting arrest.
   The Grand Jury, however, did recommend that Johnson County Atty. Carl Goetz file "appropriate misdemeanor charges" against both Simon and Bernstein. Goetz said Wednesday that such charges are pending. 
   Citizen Efforts
   Intense efforts are underway here by concerned citizens who hope that events which lead to confrontation can be nipped in the bud.
   Sheriff Schneider, responding to criticism that his men overreacted during the disorders, announced last month that his office will conduct a series of workshops exposing officers to "leftist" groups with the intent of discussing how to cope with civil uprisings.
   The Hawkeye Area Chapter of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) has asked Schneider if that group can be a part of the planning for the workshops, scheduled to begin this fall. 
   Civic leaders traveled to Lawrence, Kan., Wednesday to discuss mutual problems with officials from that city, home of the University of Kansas.
   The local chapter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom has requested city officials to develop and active police-community relations program.

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DMR 8/5/71 U of I Student Cleared on Felony Count in Disorders By Larry Eckhold (Register Staff Writer) IOWA CITY, IA. - A University of Iowa student was cleared Wednesday of a felony charge filed in an incident that prompted a call for outside help to quell civil disorders here in May. The 1971 Johnson County Grand Jury returned a "no bill" against Kent N. Simon - a U of I sophomore from Evanston, Ill., at the time of his arrest - who was charged May 7 with larceny over $20. Simon was arrested after allegedly attempting to steal Johnson County Sheriff Maynard Schneider's riot helmet during a two-hour stand-off between sheriff's deputies and young demonstrators on the U of I Pentacrest. Angry Crowd The previous night, a crowd of angry youths had gone on a window-smashing spree on the university campus and in downtown Iowa City. Simon's arrest followed a march to the Johnson County Courthouse, during which sheriff's deputies, equipped with riot gear, spread a thick cloud of "pepper gas" and chased the mob back to campus. Most of the crowd left during the two-hour confrontation and student monitors convinced Schneider to pull back his men in an effort to avoid further trouble. But Simon darted past the sheriff, who was visibly angered. 80 Arrested "That does it," Schneider said, and he called for reinforcements. Some 200 city and state lawmen closed taverns, cleared streets and sidewalks and chased hundreds of people about the dark campus. This all took place shortly after midnight May 7, a Thursday. Later that morning, a bomb blast shook the Iowa City Civic Center. A lull preceded two nights of violent confrontation the following Monday and Tuesday before peace was restored to this weary city. More than 80 persons were arrested during the disorders, and court records here show that about half of the cases have been dismissed so far. The 1972 Grand Jury also failed to return a "true bill" against Daniel Bernstein, then a U of I freshman from Chicago, Ill., charged May 6 with assault with intent to inflict great bodily injury and with resisting arrest. The Grand Jury, however, did recommend that Johnson County Atty. Carl Goetz file "appropriate misdemeanor charges" against both Simon and Bernstein. Goetz said Wednesday that such charges are pending. Citizen Efforts Intense efforts are underway here by concerned citizens who hope that events which lead to confrontation can be nipped in the bud. Sheriff Schneider, responding to criticism that his men overreacted during the disorders, announced last month that his office will conduct a series of workshops exposing officers to "leftist" groups with the intent of discussing how to cope with civil uprisings. The Hawkeye Area Chapter of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) has asked Schneider if that group can be a part of the planning for the workshops, scheduled to begin this fall. Civic leaders traveled to Lawrence, Kan., Wednesday to discuss mutual problems with officials from that city, home of the University of Kansas. The local chapter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom has requested city officials to develop and active police-community relations program.