Charges Dropped Against Stanford Student Journalist Arrested During Protest

Prosecutors confirm Dilan Gohill was acting as a journalist, ending a nine-month legal ordeal.

Dilan Gohill, a Stanford Daily reporter, was arrested while covering a pro-Palestinian protest on campus in June 2024 but will not face charges.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office determined there was no evidence Gohill participated in the protest, affirming his role as a journalist.
The protest caused $700,000 in damages, leading to the arrest of 12 protesters whose cases are still under review by prosecutors.
Stanford University initially supported criminal charges against Gohill but later dropped its internal disciplinary case after public criticism from press and civil liberties groups.
Press advocates, including the ACLU and First Amendment Coalition, argued Gohill’s arrest threatened journalistic freedoms and called for the charges to be dismissed.