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Mark · Site Admin Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 1052

San Diego Civil Disobedients Dismissed

Email from the Peace Resource Center:

San Diego Civil Disobedients win victory against trespassing prosecution!

Two members of the San Diego Civil Disobedients (SDCD, www.sdcd.org) Jackie Riekstins and Hal Brody were the only ones prosecuted of the five arrested in U.S. Rep. Susan Davis’ office in Sept. of last year. Vowing to get a pledge from Davis to not vote for further war funding before leaving, the activists settled in for “however long it would take.” They were arrested when they refused to leave after their first day of occupation.

The trial was scheduled for June 3rd, but at the last minute the DA requested a dismissal of the charges. No reason was given. Earlier, the DA had offered to reduce the charges from a misdemeanor to an infraction (a far less serious violation of law) but that offer was rejected by the defendants. They wanted to tell a jury of their peers why it was imperative that their actions were taken.

Eminent constitutional scholar, Marjorie Cohn had agreed to be a witness for the defense, testifying to the international and constitutional illegality of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her testimony, added to that of the defendants descriptions of the death, suffering, and environmental destruction that these conflicts are producing, would help convince the jury of the “necessity” of the trespass. A “necessity defense” is legally recognized and alleges that although a minor law was violated, a much larger good resulted. (Imagine prosecuting someone for breaking down a door to save people in a burning home.)

SDCD believes that “our house is burning” and encourages others of conscience to use all nonviolent means including the time-honored methods of civil disobedience to convince law-makers to cut off funding and thereby end these conflicts.

Mark · Site Admin Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 1052

I don't know why they're calling it a victory.

The defendants never got their day in court.

The Congresscriminal went right on voting for war crimes.

Where's the victory?