University of Virginia Library

Camblos Drops Charges On Charlottesville 68

By Peter Shea
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney John
T. Camblos announced yesterday that charges
against the remaining members of the
Charlottesville 68, arrested during the student
strike last May, have been dropped.

Mr. Camblos moved yesterday to have the
Municipal Court of Charlottesville nol prosse, not
prosecute, the cases of 25 persons pending since
the arrests last spring. In addition, the
Commonwealth's Attorney asked Charlottesville
Corporation Court to nol prosse the case of Arthur
Bud Ogle, an appeal of an earlier conviction in
Municipal Court.

Disorderly Conduct

Mr. Ogle and the other 25 persons had been
charged with an assortment of violations, mostly
disorderly conduct and failure to disperse. Mr.
Ogle had been convicted and sentenced to 6
months in jail and a fine in addition. The former
Student Council president was appealing the
decision.

The decision to nol prosse these 26 cases
pending in the Charlottesville courts finishes the
tale of the Charlottesville 68.

Bob Collector was convicted last summer on
charges of failure to disperse and fined $50 in
County Court. Downing Smith, Commonwealth's
Attorney for the county, reported yesterday that
Mr. Collector, a fourth-year student who has left the
University, had planned to appeal the ruling but, when
the appeal was heard in October in the Circuit Court, Mr.
Collector settled for the same sentence and his conviction
was upheld.

The 26 persons whose cases were dropped yesterday
were among 68 who were arrested early Saturday
morning, May 9, during the student strike at the
University. Except for Mr. Collector's case, the rest of the
cases were nol prossed previously.

In his statement released yesterday, Mr. Camblos said
that, "for various reasons: exams, summer vacation,
requests of defense attorneys, and a crowded court
docket," those cases dropped today had not been heard.

Week Of Lawlessness

The Commonwealth's Attorney listed several reasons
for not prosecuting the charges.

"First, the arrests in these cases were made because it
seemed, to the University officials and the police officials
concerned, to be the only way to stop what had become a
week-long period of lawlessness on the part of University
students and others who had joined them. The arrests
apparently accomplished, or helped to accomplish that
purpose, since no further violence occurred.

"Second, there is the fact that the futures of the
young men charged, most of whom were University
students, would be irreparably damaged by a criminal
conviction.

"Third, while I believe I could convict most, if not all,
of those charged, it is important to the University and to
Charlottesville that the University and the City do all we
reasonably can to maintain good relations between us.

Overlooked Transgressions

"Therefore, if we in the City can show the students a
willingness to overlook transgressions where we
reasonably can, I believe the mature students, who I
believe to be in the majority, will show an equal
willingness to recognize their obligations toward the City
and its citizens.

"Fourth, whether because of our action last spring or
some other factor, this fall the students seemed to me to
have taken a much more mature attitude towards those
who would disrupt the University and the community."

Mr. Camblos stated yesterday that "the decision to
move that these cases be nol prossed has been entirely my
own. While I have wanted to seek moral support from the
University in making it, I have felt that the responsibility
was mine alone and I have, therefore, discussed the
decision with others only after the decision was made.

"I have since conferred at length with University
officials and with the heads of the various police
departments concerned. While none of the persons with
whom I have discussed the matter has dissented from my

views, each has pointed out that he did not want to, or
feel it proper to, influence my decision.

"To the citizens of Charlottesville and everyone else
concerned I take full responsibility for this action. I hope
and I believe that my faith in the ultimate good sense of
the students of the University of Virginia is
well-founded."

No Police Misconduct

Following the announcement to drop the cases, some
of the persons who were involved stated that they wished
to thank the attorneys, and in particular ACLU lawyer
John Lowe, for their aid in the case.

The former defendants said that, while Mr. Camblos
claimed to have made the decision on his own, it was the
pressure applied by Mr. Lowe which forced the
Commonwealth's Attorney to nol prosse the cases.

Mr. Camblos said that his decision to ask that the
charges be dropped "was made more difficult by the fact
that so many students, in letters to various state officials
and to newspapers made completely false charges of
police misconduct in connection with the arrests.

"Careful investigation has not shown a single incident
of such misconduct, and both the police and I would have
liked very much to prove in court that all of the charges
were false."

Ultimate Good Sense

Mr. Camblos documented his claim that the students
at the University are showing their "ultimate good sense"
by citing cases in which "those among the University
student body who would like to cause disruption have
tried to arouse the students over several 'incidents'
without success.

"There was a case of Mr. (Tom) Doran, an ex-student,
who has now been convicted of destroying University
property and of perjury. It was claimed that his bail was
excessive. In making the claim no one mentioned the fact
that he was already under penitentiary sentence from a
federal court and had been twice convicted on prior
charges in a Charlottesville court."

Arson Charges

Mr. Camblos also cited the Jones case about the black
citizen "who was supposed to have been charged unfairly
with disorderly conduct. No mention was made of the
fact that at the Police Station his conduct was such that
his grandmother struck him and told him to behave. He
has since been charged with arson in Augusta County and
with grand larceny in Charlottesville."

Mr. Camblos pointed to these cases, claiming that
"apparently efforts to arouse the students over such
things have fallen flat on their face this fall.

"I cannot help but believe that this is because the
students generally are no longer willing to accept without
question everything the rabble rousers would have them
believe, and because the thinking ones among the students
realize the possible seriousness and irreparable damage to
their futures which might flow from the kind of
lawlessness which we had at the University last Spring."

Weekly Condemns Establishment

Mr. Camblos mentioned The Virginia Weekly, "one of
the University publications most prone to condemn 'the
establishment.' " as among the forces seeking disruption.

Among the persons whose cases were dropped
yesterday are: Richard B. Gwathmey, Derick V. V.
Coupe, William S. Creason, John H. Jay, Robert W. Olson,
Robert H. Bird, William W. Gearhart, and Brewster W.
Mosely.

Also involved are Bruce S. Wine, Carroll H. Ladt,
Charles T. Walker, Arnold J. Magid, Gary C. Parker, Allen
F. Layman, Lylette L. Ochsner, Daniel J. Layton, Richard
W. Michaels, and James Wonderley.

Others against whom charges have been nol prossed are
Alton C. Leake, Daniel D. Sullivan, Marlon A. Truslow,
Bobby Lee Cook, Jr., and his father Bobby Lee Cook,
Albert J. Hadeed, and Louis S. Trunzo.