Over 150 Harvard law students will go to Washington this weekend to serve as law marshalls during Saturday's anti-war march. As marshalls they will walk along with the marchers, keeping demonstrators on the prescribed route and giving on-the-spot legal assistance in case of arrests.
"We hope the presence of law marshalls will deter authorities from using excessive force or making illegal arrests," said Edward Radlo, a first-year law student and one of the group's organizers. He added that although few arrests are expected, the law students wanted to have adequate legal representation available.
Radlo said the entire group from Harvard and a majority of the 2000 other law students from other schools will act as field marshalls on the march route.
If a policeman begins to arrest a demonstrator. Radlo said, a marshall will inform the demonstrator of his rigorist, record the officer's badge number, and phone the circumstances of the arrest into the appropriate police precinct.
Law students from Washington area colleges will act as prescient marshalls staying at police precinct where they will interview arrested demonstrators. get them lawyers, and oversee bail arrangements. "We hope this will prevent judges from setting exorbitant fines or bail," Radio explained.
Other law students will keep records on any arrested demonstrator in the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, head-quarters for legal operations.
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