Federal Trial of St. Patrick's Day Four Began Today

Today, in federal court in Binghamton, NY, the trial of four anti-war activists from Ithaca, New York (Catholic Worker members Peter DeMott, Clare Grady, Teresa Grady, and Daniel Burns) began.  I am writing this entry to encourage bloggers around the country to follow this story, and to ask you to feature links to the work of these brave and inspiring people in your own blogs. I also want to alert people to the fact that these four people are being charged on FEDERAL CONSPIRACY charges for peaceful, prayerful (local) anti-war protest actions, AFTER a local jury could not reach a decision. The DA for Tompkins County (George Dentes, up for re-election this fall) was so angered that he sent the case to a federal court on higher, federal charges.

Their act was to peacefully and prayerfully enter an army recruiting station in Tompkins County, NY on the eve of the Iraq War (St. Patrick's Day) and pour small vials of thier own blood carefully on a picture, the wall, and the flag.  They then sat down quietly, in prayer, and waited to be arrested.

Links and more beyond the flip.  Make the jump and recommend for justice.

They now face federal charges including jail sentences and $250,000 in fines.  It sends a chilling message to any of us engaged in political protest. (We will not be chilled.)

A complete update with news and bios (very inspiring read -- I heartily recommend the bios of these four protesters as inspirational reading for the day -- they are truly heroes of justice) and video-clips can be found on the website at:

http://www.stpatricksfour.com/

I was at the trial today and there is a counter-protest going on, with clergy and flags and soldiers in uniform and music.  The peaceful protesters are sitting in vigil outside the courtroom, since the number allowed inside is limited by space.
If there are other bloggers out there covering this, please contact me, as my search turned up nothing on DKOS about this.

The supporters of the St. Patricks Day Four (so called because their action was on St. Patrick's Day) are holding a Citizen's Tribunal on teh Iraq War all week long in Binghamton, NY.

I know these people.  They are truly inspiring people who work hard for justice and who come from generations of inspiring people.  They deserve our attention. They have earned my gratitude.

•  If this is the same trial blogged earlier. . ,

  . . . then they weren't acquitted but rather there was a hung jury.

  It's pretty clear that this is a case of what Freddy Ferrer might call "overindictment".  It's unlikely the protesters are in any significant legal jeopardy, but let's all hope they get off with the appropriate slap on the wrist.

  by LarryInNYC on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 01:10:39 PM PDT

  •  Thanks. I clarified that in an edit.

    But they ARE in grave legal danger of being sent to federa; prison and this is a real possibility.  The court will not allow their full arguments.

    by Percheronwoman on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 02:07:11 PM PDT

•  these are great people

  Recommend this important diary

  by walmas on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 01:10:48 PM PDT

•  Mike Stark has a thread on this.

  Here's a link to his thread.

  (You're quite right to have a different thread of your own, since you were at the trial today.  I'm just telling you this because you wanted to know who else was covering this case.)

  by lysias on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 01:11:03 PM PDT

  •  Thank you so much.

    by Percheronwoman on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 02:07:54 PM PDT

•  I'm sorry, but I think they deserve punishment.

  Vandalism is not peaceful protest.

  And when that vandalism consists of pouring "small vials of thier own blood" on property and walls, in this, the age of AIDS, it is not only no longer not peaceful or nonviolent, it is protest that risks endangering, perhaps even killing, others.

  These people make legitimate nonviolent protestors look bad.  

  by cityduck on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 01:22:00 PM PDT

  •  Two years in federal prison enough for you?

    How about 250K on top of that?

    Seems pretty excessive to me.

    by Percheronwoman on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 02:08:44 PM PDT

    •  C'mon.

      I seriously doubt that the punishments you are describing are mandatory minimums.

      I certainly am not wishing excessive punishment on anyone.  

      But, I do think that they deserve some punishment.  They were not engaging in peaceful protest.  These tactics are outrageous.  Do you really want to take a position that says its ok for anti-abortion protestors to smear human blood on the property and walls of clinics?

      Frankly, I think they are an embarassment to legitimate protestors.  
      

      by cityduck on Tue Sep 20, 2005 at 02:18:08 PM PDT

      •  Actually, I was wrong

        They stand to serve six eyars each, and the judge does not have much power in sentencing because it is a federal case.  I will let you know.

        The details of this case are much more subtle than your "anti-abortion" comparison suggests.  Also, there have been literally THOUSANDS of such protests where anti-abortionists have smeared blood, and a few cases of actual body parts. NOT ONE has ever been sent to a federal case, precisely because of the issue of religion involved.

        Why this case?  Why now?  It is a shame for George Dentes to have made a federal case out of this.

        I know these peple very well.  They are the backbone of the care for the homeless in our city.

        by Percheronwoman on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 02:04:43 AM PDT