Trial set for Ohio man who rushed Trump stage

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio college student still faces trial next month after his arrest for rushing the stage at a Donald Trump rally.

Magistrate Sharon Ovington met Wednesday with both sides for a status conference. A prosecutor told her earlier this month that they were discussing “resolution of this matter,” but no agreement has been reached yet to avoid trial scheduled for May 31.

Thomas DiMassimo, 22, has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of illegally entering a restricted area. It carries a potential one-year prison sentence with conviction and possible fines.

DiMassimo was arrested March 12 at a Dayton-area rally for the Republican presidential candidate at an airport hangar.

Attorney Jon Paul Rion has said the Wright State University student was only trying to ensure that his political views were heard.

“There are interesting constitutional issues surrounding the event itself,” Rion said after Wednesday’s conference. He said among issues under discussion is restricting attendance from future events.

Video from the rally shows that DiMassimo touched the stage where Trump was speaking as Secret Service agents and other security converged. The rally was Trump’s first after well-organized students succeeded in keeping him from taking the stage for a Chicago event.

“Passions are high in this election,” Benjamin Glassman, acting U.S. attorney for southern Ohio, said earlier about the DiMassimo case. Regardless of whether people attend political events to support a candidate or to protest, it’s important that everyone is safe, he said.