Evidence tape is blank, so woman’s case tossed

Olympia police made a video of people blocking streets to protest the use of the Port of Olympia to send vehicles and equipment to the Iraq war. Now they're prosecuting the protesters, but it turns out that their DVD is blank. Evidence tape is blank, so woman’s case tossed | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA, Sept. 27, 2008:

Municipal Court Judge Scott Ahlf ruled Friday that her ability to defend herself at trial would have been “unfairly prejudiced” by the loss of a video recording of the Nov. 10 protests."

The ruling may affect dozens of others being prosecuted. Two of the protesters are suing the city for civil rights violations -- the video might have been handy for them, too.