Monica Ussery has April 2020 protest charges dismissed
Y'all remember the infamous "Protesting is a non-essential activity" declaration by the Raleigh Police?
After nearly three years, Monica Ussery has finally had her charges dismissed after completing community service as part of a deferral agreement. Ussery's charges stem from the first Reopen NC protest, where she was charged with violating the governor's executive order for attending a peaceable protest against that same executive order.
Although it's already been quite the saga, Ussery tells me that she still intends to fight for accountability. From the body camera footage (which didn't show up till after she lost her bench trial) to the potential perjury of the police officer who testified against her, there's still quite a bit of this story which hasn't been told.
Editors note: Although I didn't actually meet her at that first Reopen NC protest where we were parked side-by-side, Monica and I became friends after protesting together at later events. If I could go back in time, I suppose I might have done more for the people of the Triangle with a camera and a pen than a picket sign and a flag. I won't claim the highest degree of objectivity as I continue coverage of this story, but I don't see anyone else with the same drive and connections to bring the facts into the public eye.