Therese “Patricia” Okoumou, who said she climbed the statue to protest Trump’s immigration policies, faces up to 18 months in prison.
A New York woman who scaled the Statue of Liberty to protest the Trump administration’s zero tolerance immigration policy was found guilty of three misdemeanor counts on Monday ― but said she’d do it all again if given the chance.
Therese “Patricia” Okoumou faces up to 18 months in federal prison after being found guilty of trespassing, interference with government agency functions and disorderly conduct following the July 4th stunt along the iconic statue’s base. She will be sentenced on March 5, ABC 7 News reported.
Okoumu pleaded not guilty to the charges before Federal Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein. She said she was motivated to take a public stand on behalf of immigrant children who were separated from their families and detained at the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year.
“Unfortunately, as long as our children are being placed in cages my moral values call for me to do something about it,” Okoumou testified in Manhattan Federal Court on Monday, according to the New York Daily News.
Therese "Patricia" Okoumou, who was arrested for climbing the Statue of Liberty in July, was convicted on Monday of trespassing, interference with government agency functions and disorderly conduct.
Prosecutors argued that she put not only herself at risk, but first responders as well.
New York City's Liberty Island was evacuated after Okoumu climbed up onto the Statue of Liberty's base on the Fourth of July to protest the Trump Administration’s immigration policy.
“Our laws sometimes lack morality and this is the perfect example of that,” she said.
Therese “Patricia” Okoumou was represented on Monday in part by attorney Michael Avenatii.
She was echoed by another one of her attorneys, Michael Avenatti, who’s perhaps best known for representing adult film star Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump.
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