""With regard to policing protest during the DNC, Denver police sometimes got it very right, for which they deserve credit," said Mark Silverstein,ACLU Legal Director. "On this evening, however, Denver police got it wrong, very wrong. Although Denver often allows street marches to proceed without the required permit, the police chose to crack down on this one. But police failed to distinguish between street marchers and others who were participating or merely observing from the sidewalks, where they had a legal right to be. If there is a case where a large and potentially raucous public gathering threatens to get out of hand, police can issue orders to disperse and clear the area, but no suc...

""With regard to policing protest during the DNC, Denver police sometimes got it very right, for which they deserve credit," said Mark Silverstein,ACLU Legal Director. "On this evening, however, Denver police got it wrong, very wrong. Although Denver often allows street marches to proceed without the required permit, the police chose to crack down on this one. But police failed to distinguish between street marchers and others who were participating or merely observing from the sidewalks, where they had a legal right to be. If there is a case where a large and potentially raucous public gathering threatens to get out of hand, police can issue orders to disperse and clear the area, but no such order was issued that night."

Police ultimately arrested 106 people, the highest number of arrests in a single day during the convention.

Silverstein said that of the 54 persons who did not accept an immediate plea bargain for their charges, at least 38 were exonerated after jury trials or after prosecutors dismissed charges."