Hosken in Court on Assault Charge

John M. Hosken '73, a member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), is scheduled to stand trial this morning in Suffolk Superior Court on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer, and two counts of malicious destruction of property.

The state has accused Hosken of attacking two police officers and destroying a policeman's watch and pair of pants during a welfare demonstration in downtown Boston last May 7. The demonstration had been organized by the Progressive Labor Party (PL) to protest cutbacks in the Massachusetts Medicaid program.

Eight other people, including Harvard students Carroll S. Dorgan '71 and Coleman P. Harrison '74, were arrested at that demonstration and charged with assault and armed robbery.

Last November Harrison was convicted of larceny of the person and simple assault and battery: he received a one-year suspended sentence and a three-year parole.

Hosken, who will defend himself, said last night that he would request a delay in the trial. "I've got plenty of witnesses, but many of them just can't make it tomorrow," he said. "Furthermore, I need more time to build political support for the trial."

Hosken also said that he would file a motion to have a joint defense with the seven other protesters--including Dorgan--who are scheduled to go to court in March. "The state deliberately separated me from the other defendants to weaken my position, and I'm not going to let them get away with it," Hosken said.

"If the judge says I have to stand trial alone tomorrow. I'll just refuse and face contempt-of-court charges," he added.

The May 7 arrest of Hosken and the eight other protesters came after officials permitted ten welfare mothers to enter the Department of Public Welfare. As the women entered the building, the defendants, along with 70 chanting demonstrators, attempted to break through police lines and accompany them.