photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Trinity Carpenter

A prominent University of Kansas student activist has been arrested on several outstanding warrants.

Trinity Carpenter, 30, was arrested Thursday afternoon at 1420 Research Park Drive regarding two failure to appear warrants issued out of Lawrence Municipal Court, according to the Douglas County Jail’s online booking logs. She was released from jail later that same day after posting a $520 bond.

The two warrants stem from accusations of misdemeanor traffic violations and a misdemeanor theft conviction, said Lawrence Municipal Court Clerk Jennifer Pfeiler.

Carpenter is an active member of Lawrence’s Black Lives Matter group. She was a part of the group who staged a sit-in at a Lawrence City Commission meeting last September. The group demanded from the commission letters of solidarity with BLM and with the American Indians protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. She was also a part of the group who took over a Lawrence school board meeting in December, causing the board to adjourn prematurely.

Carpenter has also been involved in other activities around Lawrence, including a candlelight vigil held last July to honor Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men killed in police shootings.

Representatives from the Lawrence Police Department did not immediately respond to questions seeking more details about Carpenter’s arrest.

Douglas County District Court records show Carpenter has several criminal convictions on her record. Between 2005 and 2008 she was convicted of offenses including conspiracy to commit robbery, criminal damage and obstructing the law enforcement process.

I report on crime and courts for the Journal-World. I can be reached by email at cswanson@ljworld.com, by phone at (785) 832-7284 or on Twitter @Conrad_Swanson.