A Wake County judge dismissed charges against two Moral Monday protesters on Friday.

District Court Judge Joy Hamilton dismissed misdemeanor charges against Douglas Ryder, 61, and Vicki Ryder, 71, of Durham. The husband and wife are among more than 900 people who were arrested during the mass protests at the N.C. General Assembly this summer.

Hamilton gave no reason for dismissing the charges, which were trespassing, failure to disperse and violating building rules. 

The Ryders, who were tried together on Friday, each took the stand and elaborated on why they were part of the demonstration in early May.

Douglass Ryder, a Vietnam veteran who moved to North Carolina about two years ago with his wife, said he joined the demonstrators on May 6 because he was concerned about new policies and laws adopted by the Republican-led General Assembly.

“I went to bring voice to the voiceless,” Ryder said, rejecting prosecution assertions that he went inside the Legislative Building on May 6 with the intention of being arrested.

There are more than 900 people with charges still pending, potentially setting the stage for months of trials. Hamilton left retirement to help handle the massive load of cases, according to the Associated Press.