Leslie Feinberg files for speedy jury trial

Minneapolis — Transgender lesbian activist Leslie Feinberg appeared in court in Minneapolis on Sept. 13 to face a charge of 3rd-degree gross misdemeanor for hir/her June 4 action in solidarity with CeCe McDonald.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

No judge was present at the Sept. 13 court appearance, nor has one been selected at this stage. However, the prosecutor has been picked — a former cop infamous for his zeal in pursuit of charges against progressive activists.

Attorney Bruce Nestor, from the National Lawyers Guild, legally defended Feinberg and filed a request for a speedy jury trial. The trial date and judge will be assigned after pretrial hearings are concluded.

Feinberg’s trial will likely take place in October — National LGBTQ/+ History Month. Feinberg states: “I will take every opportunity during the trial to support the struggle of CeCe McDonald against state hate crimes, to recall the historical lessons of the pink triangle, and to speak out against police brutality, the school-to-prison pipeline and racist mass incarceration in the prison-industrial complex.”

For more information on the campaign to free CeCe McDonald, see: supportcece.wordpress.com.