Santa Clara County District Attorney (DA) Jeff Rosen could be removed from the case against five Stanford pro-Palestine protesters following claims that he used the case to raise donations. Santa Clara County Judge Kelley Paul is currently weighing the decision after public defender Avi Singh made a motion alleging prejudice against the defendants.
The five defendants are facing felony charges of vandalism and trespassing stemming from a demonstration in June 2024, when 12 protesters barricaded themselves inside the University president’s office, demanding consideration of a divestment bill. Three of the protesters have since taken plea deals. The five currently on trial face up to three years in prison and a $300,000 restitution payment. Several demonstrators also sprayed graffiti in Main Quad during the occupation.
The dispute over Rosen’s involvement follows a mistrial and a hung jury in the case.
In a motion filed on Feb. 25, Singh wrote that Rosen had used the high-profile case to solicit campaign donations, pointing to Rosen’s advertisement of the case on a subsection of his website dedicated to fighting anti-semitism.
Judge Paul ordered the DA to share more documents with the defense relating to the calls for recusal, saying they were necessary to ensure a fair trial for the defense.
The Daily has requested comment from DA Jeff Rosen’s office, public defender Avi Singh’s office and the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
“Our claim is actually quite focused. It’s about raising money by trading off a prosecution of a defendant,” Singh said during a hearing on March 18.
The motion for recusal also argued that the DA has caused a cumulative bias in the case. It referenced the questioning of one defendant about their views on the Holocaust and Oct. 7 attacks. Singh argued that this line of questioning sought to undermine the defendants based on their political views and was irrelevant to the case.
Rosen must now turn over information documenting how much money he has raised from advertising, as well as other details of his funding efforts.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office is responsible for investigating complaints against district attorneys, has opposed the motion to remove Rosen. If Rosen is removed, the case would then fall under Bonta’s discretion.
The Daily has reached out to the Attorney General’s Office for comment.