LYNN — A pre-trial hearing Wednesday morning for Ernst Jean-Jacques, also known as Shimmy, proceeded quickly and quietly, with many allies silently attending to offer their support.
Black Lives Matter activist Jean-Jacques is accused of assault after a December protest in Swampscott.
His lawyer, Murat Erkan, said in the hearing that because of the allegations, Jean-Jacques has lost his job and employer-supplied health insurance and has received multiple death threats. Because of these concerns, Judge Matthew Nestor granted Erkan’s request for a prioritized hearing track, scheduling the next hearing in the case for March 29.
“This ongoing prosecution is not a hypothetical matter. It’s affecting lives,” Erkan said following the virtual Lynn District Court hearing.
Despite this, the prosecution provided discovery materials to Jean-Jacques’ defense team by email minutes before the hearing began, Erkan said, making it impossible to review them in time. He explained that this delayed resolution in the case unnecessarily.
Supporters of Jean-Jacques have held weekly Sunday demonstrations outside of Swampscott Police Department, prompting an expanded police presence outside the courthouse Wednesday. However, instead of an in-person protest, more than 100 supporters attended the Zoom meeting where the hearing was held, many changing their display names to “FREE SHIMMY” and filling the text chat with hashtags like #DropTheCharges.
“I think it’s important for the court and the community to be aware that this is a matter of public concern,” Erkan said. “I’m grateful that so many people came to show their support for Mr. Jean-Jacques and his presumption of innocence, and I hope they continue to do so.”
While most of the comments in the chat were supportive of Jean-Jacques, not all were positive. Conservative radio host Dianna Ploss was also present, and sent several messages accusing the defendant of being a criminal, a communist and anti-Jewish.
Jean-Jacques was arrested after a December 12 incident outside of the Swampscott Police Station. He was participating in a counter-protest against a group of supporters of then-President Donald Trump when 80-year-old Linda Greenberg threw water from a plastic bottle at him. Police allege that Jean-Jacques punched Greenberg in retaliation; however, video from the scene leaves it unclear whether he did so or simply moved to take the bottle away from Greenberg.
