Cecily McMillan Sentenced to Jail

Photo: EPA/Alamy.

Cecily McMillan, the Occupy Wall Street protestor who was convicted earlier this month of assaulting a police officer, was sentenced today to 90 days at Rikers Island.

Judge Ronald Zweibel of the New York Supreme Court handed down the sentence, which includes time served and five months of probation. McMillan had faced up to seven years behind bars for her conviction, a sentence that even some of the trial jurors felt was too severe.

The charge stems from an incident in March of 2012, when McMillan was involved in a scuffle with arresting officer Grantley Bovell. McMillan elbowed him in the face after he grabbed her breast, she claimed.

Today, Judge Zweibel noted that he "agrees with many of Ms. McMillan’s supporters that [she’s] capable of making a positive contribution to society." But, he said, he must take into “account the fact that Ms. McMillan was convicted of assaulting a police officer."

McMillan's 90-day sentence includes the two weeks she has already served, and she has a chance of early release based on good behavior. It's also far better than McMillan had prepared herself for. She told the Village Voice last week that she was expecting two years. (NYDN)

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