A 19-year-old student pled not guilty, while a second student entered no plea, at a hearing in Denver County Court Monday on charges of shoplifting at the DU Bookstore Jan. 6.

Naomi Marsh, a sophomore, was charged under Jasmine Naomi Marsh.

Julian Cabrera, also a sophomore, who was with Marsh at the time of the incident, asked for a continuation of his case so that he could get a lawyer.

Marsh entered her plea before Judge Howard L. Slavin. She asked that the charge against her be dismissed because Cabrera has signed a statement saying that Marsh was in no way involved in the incident.

“We cannot dismiss the case until we hear both sides of the story,” said Slavin.

Marsh requested a jury trial. Slavin said she would need to submit a written request and pay $25 in order for the court to grant her the trial by jury. Her new court date is scheduled for April 17.

Cabrera told the court that he would hire an attorney in order to get legal advice before he entered a plea.

Following the incident at the bookstore, Marsh charged that she was racially profiled by bookstore personnel because she is African American. Cabrera is Hispanic.

Marsh said she attempted to file a complaint with the Center for Multicultural Excellence that she was racially profiled by a bookstore employee prior to the shoplifting incident.

Tracey Adams-Peters, director and coordinator of African American services, could not be reached for comment on the matter.

Tristy Hillestad, executive director of the bookstore, said she is unable to comment about the incident at this time due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of student education records.

According to Marsh, she stopped by the bookstore with Cabrera on Jan. 6 to pick up some books that she had already paid for online.

After buying her books, she and Cabrera were walking around the store when Cabrera asked if he could hold her shopping bag for her.

“I thought he was just trying to be nice,” Marsh said. “I didn’t think twice about it.”

Marsh said that without her knowledge, Cabrera slipped two small paperback books into her shopping bag. As they were walking out, Patti Brasel, the loss prevention manager at the bookstore, stopped them. She asked them to walk to a back room with her. As soon as they were in the room, Brasel called Campus Security and the Denver police, Marsh said.

Campus Safety arrived and searched both Marsh and her friend. Marsh reached over to grab her shopping bag, and both Brasel and a Campus Safety officer grabbed her wrists. They put cuffs on her and waited for Denver police to arrive.

Marsh said that they never even asked her if she was involved.

“I didn’t even think that I was going to be charged with anything,” said Marsh. “I had no idea what my friend had done.”

Denver police arrived ten minutes later. According to Marsh, they took a statement from Brasel and then wrote both Marsh and Cabrera a citation for shoplifting.

“I told her that she was being racist and discriminatory because she wouldn’t even listen to my side of the story,” Marsh said.

She has also sent a letter to the Chancellor’s office, and a meeting time is still pending.

Jim Berscheidt, interim vice chancellor of university communications, said he cannot discuss students’ private matters.

“The University doesn’t comment on pending judicial matters related to DU students,” said Berscheidt.