Over the summer months, UIUC police and Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz joined forces to send a clear and heavy-handed message about how they intend to handle pro-Palestinian student speech going forward. Rietz — who has been on the faculty of UIUC’s law school since 2009 — began issuing summonses starting in July 2024, to students who are alleged to have participated in the encampment. A great deal of effort and resources seemingly went into targeting these students: University police utilized surveillance technology, including the use of license plate readers, as well as students’ social media posts and body camera footage. And the resulting summonses were not for misdemeanors — they contained mandates to appear in court for Class Four felony mob action charges, which carry up to three years in prison. Several students were charged, including one Palestinian student.

On August 16, 2024, Rietz publicly stated during a local radio spot that these charges were pursued at the direct request of the university. However, the decision to prosecute these students for a felony under the mob action statute was ultimately a prosecutorial decision, despite Rietz’s public claims that free “speech is absolutely a protected right.” While Rietz was elected by the community to serve the best interests of Champaign County, her private affiliation with the university raises questions about the lens she is using to review the evidence of these cases. Some UIUC faculty fear that Rietz is advocating on behalf of the university first, instead of the county, and that the university is leveraging its connection with her to legitimize its mistreatment of students in the eyes of the public.