PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Inside the courtroom things were civil but right after outside emotions were high.
Some of the members of a group of people being called the "Portsmouth 19" had a court hearing Monday morning.
“That was the breaking of the law," said one woman wearing a green 'support Chief Greene' t-shirt.
Another man with the local faith based community says, "we’ve had to live in the fear of what is going to happen to us.”
Some sheriff’s deputies had to step in between members of the Portsmouth-19 and Chief Angela Greene supporters.
“For some reason they think because we support chief Greene that we are racist," said Sherry Myer.
In September Chief Greene was placed on paid administrative leave as investigations continued. On Monday a city official said she will be on leave "until further notice."
Myer says all she wants is law and order. “We don’t see the color of peoples skin, everybody is the same," she adds.
Some members of the Portsmouth 19 tell News 3 that these charges have everything to do with race.
“They are upset that we are getting our day in court," said James Boyd.
Louie Gibbs add, “it’s up to a judge to decide if someone is guilty or not.”
Some of the major takeaways from Monday were that Portsmouth Commonwealth's Attorney Stephanie Morales will be the prosecutor for all 19 cases.
Morales' attorney made a statement addressing her role in the court cases saying, "The judge denied the request for a subpoena be issued to Ms. Morales. The judge said that the police department is to transmit its investigative file to Ms. Morales. Ms. Morales will prosecute all of the matters under her constitutional authority as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney."
He added that Morales has no conflict in these cases and the police department must give her their investigative file. She will review the file by October 30 which is the deadline.
The attorneys present on Monday for the Portsmouth 19 also asked for additional time to gather evidence for the cases.
The cases Morales will prosecute stem from Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene announcing that Portsmouth Sen. Louise Lucas, NAACP members, school board members and public defenders were among several of the warrants issued in relation to a June Confederate monument protest where a man was severely injured.
In September Chief Greene was placed on paid administrative leave as investigations continued. On Monday a city official said she will be on leave "until further notice."
Morales previously told News 3 she never received the complete investigative report from police to determine if charges were appropriate but Chief Greene said Morales did not receive a complete investigative file because she was named as a potential witness, which would create a conflict of interest for the prosecutor's office.
The list of cases that were brought up in court Monday included:
L. Louise Lucas
Charges
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
PRINCIPLE 2ND DEGREE - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
James Boyd
Charges
PRINCIPLE 2ND DEGREE - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Louie Gibbs
Charges
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
PRINCIPLE 2ND DEGREE - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Lakesha Hicks
Charges
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Lakeesha Atkinson
Charges
PRINCIPLE 2ND DEGREE - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Kimberly Wimbush
Charges
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Dana Worthington
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Amira Bethea
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
CONSPIRACY - DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Brenda Spry
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Alexandra Stephens
PT GD
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Merdith Cramer
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Hanah Renae Rivera
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Raymond J. Brothers
Charges
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Harmony Y. Harris
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Lauren Patrise Jones
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
Hannah Cuevas
Charges
DESTRUCT PROP W/INTENT >=$1000
