The California attorney general's office agreed to drop all criminal charges against five Stanford University students who occupied the president's office in June 2024. The resolution ends a two-year legal battle that included a February 2026 mistrial and the May 2026 recusal of Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen over fundraising conflicts. Under the deal, the defendants must complete 100 hours of community service and pay a combined $52,000 in restitution.
The June 2024 Stanford Protest
- ▪Police arrested 13 people on June 5, 2024, in connection with the Stanford building occupation, which the university stated caused extensive damage, including a broken window.
- ▪On June 5, 2024, pro-Palestinian demonstrators barricaded themselves inside the Stanford University president's office for several hours to demand that the university divest from Israel.
- ▪During the June 5, 2024 occupation, protesters renamed the Stanford president's office building after Adnan Al-Bursh, a Palestinian doctor who died in Israeli detention.
The September 2026 Resolution
- ▪Under the September 21, 2026 resolution, the five Stanford defendants must each complete 100 hours of community service at a nonprofit of their choosing.
- ▪On September 21, 2026, the California attorney general's office agreed to drop all criminal charges against five Stanford University students in connection with a June 2024 campus protest.
- ▪California Attorney General Rob Bonta's September 21, 2026 agreement required the five Stanford defendants to pay a combined restitution of approximately $52,000 to the university, which has been fully paid
- ▪As part of a September 21, 2026 agreement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office, three other Stanford students who previously accepted misdemeanor pleas will have their convictions withdrawn upon completing community service
Restitution and Charges
- ▪The five Stanford University students who occupied Stanford's president's office in 2024 faced felony charges of conspiracy to trespass and felony vandalism, which were the most severe charges brought against 2024 pro-Palestinian campus protesters
- ▪The $52,000 restitution is significantly lower than the $1 million initially threatened by prosecutors or the $329,000 each defendant risked being found liable for at trial.
Trial and Previous Plea Deals
- ▪In February 2026, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge declared a mistrial for the five Stanford students who occupied Stanford's president's office in 2024 after a month-long trial ended with a hung jury
- ▪Out of 12 protesters initially charged with felony vandalism, seven had previously accepted plea deals, diversion programs, or deferred entry of judgment before the 2024 Stanford protest trial
Disqualification of District Attorney
- ▪In May 2026, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul ordered the recusal of District Attorney Jeff Rosen and his office from the 2024 Stanford University protest case
- ▪Defense lawyers successfully argued for Jeff Rosen's disqualification by presenting evidence that Jeff Rosen used the pending prosecution of the Stanford protest case to fundraise for Jeff Rosen's re-election campaign
- ▪The California attorney general's office took over the prosecution of the Stanford students following the May 2026 recusal of the Santa Clara County district attorney.
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