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Rick Young’s been getting a first-hand education in jurisprudence. That’s what the second year Boalt Hall law student said Monday in a telephone conversation with the Daily Planet from inside Santa Rita Jail. 

Sunday morning was Young’s third arrest since April 30, when he began camping out in the Underhill parking lot, protesting UC Berkeley’s push to build a 1,000- to 1,400-car parking garage rather than housing at the site. 

Young’s case will make its way to the Berkeley City Council tonight, when Councilmember Kriss Worthington will ask his council colleagues to approve a resolution to support the protester. Young, 33, said he had expected to see a public defender, then to be arraigned Monday. He said he was brought to the Berkeley courthouse, along with other prisoners, and waited for an arraignment. But a guard told him that he had no court date and would not be arraigned. Young said he doesn’t know when he will see an attorney or a judge. 

“I have no idea what’s going on,” he said. 

Young was first arrested on “lodging in public” charges Friday morning, after a Thursday evening protest where a car was smashed in the Underhill lot. He was bailed out of jail, then went back to the parking lot where he was arrested on trespassing charges Saturday. 

Once again, he returned to the lot after getting out of jail. Sunday morning, police were about to arrest his at a little before 5 a.m., but Young said he thinks the arrest was put on hold when officers were called to the large fire in West Berkeley. They came back at 9 a.m. and arrested him for trespassing. 

Young has vowed to keep returning to Underhill, even if that means arrest, until Chancellor Robert Berdahl agrees to meet with him. 

Young said his goal has grown beyond getting the university to build housing rather than parking in the lot. He wants the university to “take the environment seriously.” 

“I appreciate the council’s support,” he said.