Six Stanford students were arraigned in San Mateo County Superior Court on Monday, Feb. 23, on a single misdemeanor charge of violating Section 647c of the California Penal Code, which prohibits the willful obstruction of any person’s free movement in a public place. The charges stemmed from the San Mateo Bridge protest led by the group Silicon Shutdown on Jan. 19.

The students all pleaded not guilty. A pre-trial hearing date was set for April 21, to be followed by a jury trial on May 26. If found guilty, they may be sentenced to up to one year in county jail or a maximum fine of $1,000, or both.

Four more Stanford students are expected to be arraigned on the same charges on Tuesday.

Contact Arnav Mariwala at arnavm ‘at’ stanford.edu.