*******************

The stage was set for hope on April 23, 2013 during pre-trial hearings when for over an hour “Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark testified that continued production of nuclear weapons at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge could be considered unlawful, if not illegal, because it violates the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty signed in 1968 during his tenure at the Justice Department.” http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/2013/04/former-us-attorney-general-say.html#more

With that great news around 200 people, at least 55 from out of state, and a dozen reporters participated in some way during May 5^th to 10^th set of events around “The Trial of Transform Now Plowshares” (TNP3) for Megan Rice, Mike Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed. As Art Laffin so eloquently concluded: “Filled with a spirit of resurrection hope, we all sang together: “We Shall Not Be Moved” before entering the court.”

There were so many well written articles that I encourage you to read as many as you have time for, while most of the key articles can be found.  The latest information to follow the TNP3 so you can support them can be found on:   http://transformnowplowshares.wordpress.com/. On www.orepa.orgsee address and instructions for how to write to Megan, Mike and Greg (who are, as of May 23rd in Irwin County Detention Center a privately run jail in Ocilla, GA). You will also see how it is important to write to Judge Thapar via Bill Quigley and OREPA before September 23^rd. 

An easy action you can take is by signing the on line petition at the bottom of the online article by Clare Hanrahan (see below). As time goes on even more video clips, pictures and articles are coming out, so I’ve added a few more links.  If you want direct links to TV coverage see my e-mail from May 14^th (or reply to this to ask for it).

There was a lot of State, National & even international media coverage about the Transform Now Plowshares Trial. 

The main way to know the history and news around nuclear weapons issues at Y-12 is Frank Munger’s Atomic City Underground blog: http://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/

Several articles are on Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/search?blob=Megan+Rice 

May 11: AP “Nuclear Protestors, Including Sister Megan Rice, To Remain Jailed in Tennessee For Months” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/12/nuclear-protestors-sister-megan-rice-jailed_n_3262409.html

Dan Zak, writer of “The Prophets of Oak Ridge”, told us that it has been a long time since The Washington Post has printed the 1st 8 pages of their newspaper for one article. This is a masterpiece of research and team effort, giving more extensive coverage than any other media. See:http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2013/04/29/the-prophets-of-oak-ridge/

May 6 – 8, 2013, are three excellent reports of The Trial written by Ralph Hutchison, Coordinator ofOak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, www.orepa.org. The first report included this well-written description: “The redemptive parts of a day filled with tedious legal process of dubious value were the parts that sandwiched the hours in court. A rousing skit, simple, powerful and direct, on Knoxville’s Market Square drew curious onlookers as a bomb was transformed into a scenic landscape and dozens of supporters marched, chanting ‘Transform Now!’ and drumming on their way to the courthouse.”

A Japanese film crew was filming May 5^th & 6^th and will incorporate this in a special program in Japan!

May 13^th “Woe Unto the Empire of Blood –Transform Now Plowshares Convicted and Jailed” by Clare Hanrahan includes a link to a petition on The White House website.  I think three key paragraphs are [with my additions in brackets]:

“In courtroom testimony, Sr. Megan Rice said she felt led by the Holy Spirit, and was ‘more and more surprised’ to find herself reaching the highly enriched uranium materials facility, HEUMF,where they spray-painted on the bunker’s northwest corner, “Woe Unto the Empire of Blood.” The HEUMF stores as much as 400 tons of the radioactive material, [enough to make around 10,000 nuclear weapons] shipped from throughout the U.S. and the world, to a facility referred to several times in the courtroom as “the Fort Knox of uranium.” No one was there to greet them, despite a security apparatus costing as much as $150 million dollars a year. 

In Knoxville on May 8, after two days of argument and testimony and with just 2 1/2 hours of deliberation, the federal jury of nine [white] men and three [white] women found the three seniors guilty of both charges: damaging government property over $1,000, and injuring the national defense, a sabotage charge levied by the prosecution after the defendants refused a plea agreement on a trespass charge and asserted their right to a trial. 

‘Clearly we were led by the Spirit in and around us’, Sr. Megan testified. ‘We needed to bring the truth…nuclear weapons are war crimes’. ‘They were the thermometer,’ Defense Attorney Bill Quigley said. ‘They didn’t cause the fever; they exposed it. Don’t blame the thermometer.’  http://www.opednews.com/articles/Woe-Unto-the-Empire-of-Bl-by-clare-hanrahan-130513-929.html

—————

On May 8^th Col. Ann Wright gave excellent testimony with such credibility that any rational unbiased jury surely would have found these three nonviolent well-intended & loving activists not guilty of sabotage. Some of her report:

“Nine months ago, on July 28, 2012, three persons, with the snip of four fences found themselves in the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons complex beside the most sensitive and dangerous of all buildings in the nuclear weapons program of the United States–the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility (HEUMF). Sister Megan Rice, an 83 year old nun from in Washington, D.C, Michael Walli, a 63 year old veteran with two tours in Vietnam and now a “missionary” for the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker house in Washington, D.C. and Greg Boertje-Obed, 5[8], a Vietnam era Army medical officer and now a Minnesota house painter were arrested and charged with harming the national defense and causing more than $1000 damage to a government facility. In the case of the Y-12 Oak Ridge trial, a federal judge reprimanded the three defendants and convicted them to the county jail, citing dangers they had caused to national security. No U.S. government official was charged with dereliction of duty for jeopardizing national security in the lack of protection for nuclear weapons at the Y-12 Oak Ridge Nuclear Complex.” http://www.alternet.org/authors/ann-wright-1

—————–

May 18^th, “Barbara Hickey: Judge should acquit Y-12 protesters on charges of sabotage”

The recent verdict of guilty in the Transform Now Plowshares case is a miscarriage of justice. All evidence presented at the trial showed incontestably that the three protesters are deeply committed to nonviolence and that all their symbolic actions were nonviolent, intended to bring a message of peace and healing to the bomb plant. Sister Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed have been convicted of intent to injure the defense of the United States. Because their July 28, 2012, break-in at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant inadvertently caused a security crisis and subsequent shutdown of the plant, we are told that they intended this shutdown and that it imperiled national defense. Nothing could be less true. Let us all pray that Judge Thapar will see his way to uphold law and freedom, for the sake of us all.” http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/18/barbara-hickey-judge-should-acquit-y-12-on-of/

******I apologize that in my first report on May 14^th e-mail I neglected to include Anabel and David Dwyer as part of the Michigan contingent. They were more involved than anyone from Michigan as Anabel was legal counsel,]; they attended all the pre-trial hearing and during the trial Anabel sat in the front row of the court room. Her report will be from a lawyer’s perspective.

I took 61 pages of notes during and around the trial. One of the main sentences I heard Judge Thapar say is that he could “understand why someone would want to stop nuclear weapons that can destroy all life”.

I shared with several key people during the trial the April 27^th article on Knox Newshttp://blogs.knoxnews.com/munger/ After the “Wen Ho Lee scandal at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Lee was cleared of charges and won a big settlement.… on his reaction to the Y-12 break-in, [Bill] Richardson [former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration] said, “Well, there are still some security issues, but I didn’t think it was of the same magnitude of the Wen Ho Lee case.”  [Frank Munger asked him] “Why’s that?” “It didn’t seem as severe,” [Bill] said. “I’ve read about some of the steps that have been taken to deal with it, and I think they’re good. [Bill concluded.]“

Some video clips:

May 5^th OREPA’s vigil by a Catholic female priest, Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska is on HeartoftheVision: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diI333zxiZ4 (where you can see 16 activists introduce themselves).

Knox News video clips:

1)    “Transform Now Plowshares protesters garner support on first day of trial”:        http://youtu.be/JMpvKiguyC4 (2:12 includes Denise Laffin, Megan Rice & Ellen Barfield) Published on May 7, 2013: “Scores of supporters were at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Knoxville today as the trial began for the three protesters who broke into the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant last July.”

2)    “Group shows support for protesters during trial”:http://youtu.be/1DICArw7tZY (3:18 )

3)    “Security guard confronts Y-12 protesters”:http://youtu.be/P8dQ6WTfKJE (1:22)

4)    “Reactions outside federal courthouse as jury finds Y-12 protestors guilty”: http://youtu.be/zvaITYO56do (2:00) includes Paul Magno, William Quigley, Ellen Barfield and circle of supporters singing “Keep on Walking” Published on May 8, 2013: “Supporters react outside the federal courthouse in downtown Knoxville as the verdict in announced that finds Y-12 protestors guilty of depredation of government property and inflicting injury to”

5)    “Songs, prayer vigil for Y-12 trio”:http://youtu.be/iZ29aiAy8Ik (1:07) with Art Laffin leading supporters in circle singing “We Shall Not Be Moved”

In time I plan to post some of my unique video clips to share on you tube as well, especially Megan, Mike & Greg’s sharings on May 5^th during Festival of Hope and the skit on May 6^th which became a fun dancing time then march to the courthouse.

Kim Joy Bergier, coordinator of Michigan Stop The Nuclear Bombs Campaign

http://michiganpeacenetwork.org/organizations/Michigan-Stop-the-Nuclear-Bombs-Campaign

**************************

TACOMA, WASH. – A noted Jesuit peace activist who has spent over a decade in jail for nonviolent protest actions, mostly over nuclear weapons issues, has been returned to prison for probation violations.

Fr. Steve Kelly, who has been on probation since June 2012 after serving a 15-month sentence for breaking into a nuclear weapons facility, was sent back to prison May 20 by a federal judge.Kelly, 64, was transported from the SeaTac Detention Center to the United States District Court, Western District of Washington at Tacoma, to receive the 60-day sentence. With time served, he is expected to be released May 29.

Jesuit Fr. Steve Kelly is seen in a 2007 file photo, taken outside outside Fort Huachuca in Arizona. (CNS photo/Felice Cohen-Joppa, courtesy TortureonTrial.org)

More than a dozen friends and supporters, including members of Tacoma’s St. Leo parish community and his Jesuit superior Fr. John Fuchs, attended the hearing. Some also attended a vigil outside the courthouse an hour before Kelly’s court appearance.

Kelly was arrested March 29, Good Friday, for blocking a road outside the Lockheed Martin missile plant in Sunnyvale, Calif. A trespassing charge was later dropped, but he was taken into custody for an outstanding federal warrant associated with probation violations.

Kelly was on probation for the 2009 Disarm Now Plowshares action, during which he and four other activists cut through multiple security fences and accessed highly sensitive areas of the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Weapons Facility, Pacific in Bangor, Wash., where more than 2,300 nuclear weapons are believed to be stored.

After serving 15 months in prison for that action, Kelly was released June 21, and his first probation violation occurred within 72 hours when he failed to contact his probation officer. He violated his probation again a couple months later when he traveled to Atherton, Calif., for the funeral of Sacred Heart Sr. Ann Montgomery, a longtime activist and friend who had been part of the Disarm Now Plowshares action.

In court May 20, Kelly made an emotional appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the healing of divisions between people. Other testimonies praised Kelly’s character and commitment to peace.

Fuchs addressed the judge on Kelly’s behalf stating, “Fr. Steve Kelly is one of my brother Jesuits … Our religious Constitutions commit us to working for peace and justice in our world, resisting all forms of violence and unjust war, following our consciences regardless of the consequences. Steve is being faithful to his vocation as a Jesuit.

“I know Fr. Steve very well, having directed him in a number of spiritual retreats, and I can assure you … that he is one of the most nonviolent, gentle and committed persons I know,” Fuchs said. “I only wish that I and the rest of us could be nearly as courageous as he has been in following his call.”

Over the past two decades, Kelly has been imprisoned for an estimated 12 years, according to St. Leo parishioner and friend Joe Power-Drutis. Kelly has been held often in solitary confinement because as a matter of conscience he refuses to work for the Bureau of Prisons while incarcerated.

Kelly discussed his unique witness in a 1998 interview with America magazine. “My hope is that the church will really become a peace church,” he said.

“I realize that what I’ve done is not what most people would call being an effective witness. I don’t expect the culture as a whole to change overnight. The people I would like to reach are people of faith and belief. As for what I’ll be doing in the future, as long as nuclear weapons are being made for use on human beings, I’ll try to resist their creation.”

[Julie Gunter is a Seattle-based freelance writer.]

###

Source URL: http://ncronline.org/news/peace-justice/jesuit-anti-nuclear-activist-back-jail-probation-violation

Steve, being arrested at Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale, Good Friday (2103).

Many of you reading this need no explanation of the reasoning behind Steve’s noncooperation with the terms of his supervised release.  Others might ask why Steve did not simply comply and get on with things; make it easy on himself.  For Steve to do so would be tantamount to cooperating with evil; his deeply spiritually grounded resistance to nuclear weapons knows no boundaries.  Essentially, the court that tried, sentenced and continues to attempt to control Steve holds no moral ground and cannot, therefore, hold any real control over him (other than its ability to continue to bring him into court and hand down sentences, as it will do on Monday).  These physical applications of control are meaningless to a person of such deep spiritual grounding.  Steve truly is untouchable; beyond reproach.  The system that continues with the threat of use of nuclear weapons is morally and spiritually bankrupt, in addition to being illegal under international humanitarian law.  The courts of this land that do not allow defendants like Steve (and other nuclear resisters) to mount reasonable defenses in their cases are NOT doing justice; rather they are defending the indefensible actions of a morally bereft government.

A number of attorneys have given of their time and energy to defend the actions of nuclear resisters.  Roger Hunko is one of these people; Roger was Steve’s standby counsel in the Disarm Now Plowshares trial.  Roger has written some beautiful and powerful words on Steve’s behalf, which are contained in the following statement for Judge Settle’s consideration in tomorrow’s hearing.

With Thanks and In the Spirit of Resistance,

Leonard

******************************

Case 3:10-cr-05586-BHS Document 258 Filed 05/18/13

The Honorable Benjamin H. Settle

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT TACOMA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff vs. STEVEN KELLY, Defendant

NO. 10 5586 BHS

DEFENDANT’S DISPOSITION MEMORANDA

__________________________________________

Father Steve Kelly comes before this Court on a violation of his Supervised Release.  The violation is a single count of his failure to report as directed in the original sentence. At the time of his sentence he informed the court that because of his conscience he could not comply with the supervised release provision of his sentence. As a result he did not report.

The sentence of Father Kelly did not come from a desire to commit evil, but to prevent evil. He and his colleagues wanted to peacefully protest our government’s proliferation and maintenance of the World’s largest nuclear weapon arsenal and the most advanced method of deployment. All in violation of international treaties and law. To that end Father Kelly and four comrades in peace cut through the fence at Bangor, Washington. The five committed participants traversed the distance to the area where the nuclear warheads for the missiles were stored. Supposedly Bangor is one of the most secure facilities in the world for storing such weapons of mass destruction. They were able to cut through two more fences without being detected and managed to put up a Plow Shares banner condemning the proliferation of nuclear weapons within feet of the igloos where the warheads were suspected to be stored. It was only after this prolonged journey that the Marines designated to secure the weapons arrived. Even though two of the committed peace activist were octogenarians and the rest were either in or close to their sixties. One of the five was taking nitroglycerin to prevent a heart attack. They were arrested, bags put over there heads and months later charged.

The five represented themselves with stand by counsel. I was standby counsel for Father Kelly. A task I am grateful to the Court for giving me the opportunity to meet this man and to participate in an attempt to assist him in his fight against nuclear weapons.

Father Kelly never denied what he had done. He was arrested while attempting to finish a prayer next to the weapons of mass destruction. He did not deny his purpose. He did not deny why he did what he did. His defense was that he was doing what was morally required to put his government and the general population on notice that the possession and deployment of such non discriminate weapons was a violation of international law and also the higher law of nature. He was not allowed to present that defense. He, of course, was convicted which he anticipated. At sentencing he informed the Court that he could not submit to the supervised release conditions because he felt he was doing the morally responsible acts.

He was arrested for failure to report on March 29, 2013. He has been held on a Federal detainer since that time.

At his first appearance he attempted to admit the violation, but Magistrate Creatura, deferred a finding till Your Honor could hear the matter. Father Kelly does not deny the allegation. He only avers that his conscience will not allow him to submit.

I was appointed to represent him on his supervised release violation

I have been practicing law for the last thirty four years. Almost exclusively in the field of criminal defense. I have never represented a man like Father Kelly, wholly devoted in trying to prevent an evil from hurting his fellow man, whether American or anyone else. A man totally committed to peaceful resistance. A man who is willing to risk his life to show others the right path.
In deciding what I could do to represent a totally conscientious person in a violation where he fully admitted both at sentencing and by his actions afterward that he would not submit to supervised release, I was at a loss. I then thought of going back to philosophers, intellects and others to see what defines a conscientious person.

I came up with the following:

1. Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it. Albert Einstien

2. Justice is a temporary thing that must at last come to an end; but the conscience is eternal and will never die. Martin Luther

3. The person that loses their conscience has nothing left worth keeping. Izaak Walton

4. Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one. Justice Louis D. Brandeis

5. Pity the poor, wretched, timid soul, too faint hearted to resist his oppressors. He sings the songs of the damned, ‘I cannot resist, I have too much to lose, they might take my property or confiscate my earnings, what would my family do, how would they survive?’ He hides behind pretended family responsibility, failing to see that the most glorious legacy that we can bequeath to our posterity is liberty! Old Chinese Proverb

6. Non-violent resistance implies the very opposite of weakness. Defiance combined with non-retaliatory acceptance of repression from one’s opponents is active, not passive. It requires strength, and there is nothing automatic or intuitive about the resoluteness
required for using non-violent methods in political struggle and the quest for Truth. W. Vaughn Ellsworth

7. A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi

8. Any attempt to replace a personal conscience by a collective conscience does violence to the individual and is the first step toward totalitarianism. Mahatma Mohandas K Gandhi

9. What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; that is the whole Law: all the rest is interpretation. Hermann Hesse

10. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law … That would lead to anarchy. An individual who breaks a law that his conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law. Martin Luther King

11. The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. Martin Luther King

12. Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero . Tecumseh

I then compared these words to what Robert Oppenheimer said on his successful test of the first atom bomb. “I am Vishnu destroyer of worlds.”

But of course the Court must decide what to do with Father Kelly. In doing so it must consider U.S.C. 18 § 3553. The most appropriate section in this case being Section 6. The need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct.

Under this cause number the Court has already sentenced Susan Crane on a similar violation. The Court ordered her to do 60 days in custody and terminated her supervised release. A similar result should be ordered in this case.

Dated this 18th day of May, 2013.
/s/ Roger A. Hunko
Attorney for Father Steven Kelly

###

Editor’s Note: You can read this entire document as entered into the official public record at https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzRG1crlv8YMcGpaQ2w4VEtKaVE/edit?usp=sharing

It begins with Dr. John Findlay, UW Dept. of HIstory professor discussing the history and impact of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and then moves on to the Trident ballistic missile submarines based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Kitsap County.  Interviews with Fr. Steve Kelly (of the Disarm Now Plowshares action) and Senji Kanaeda (a Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Monk) provide perspectives on Trident and nuclear weapons issues.  There is also footage of the Pacific Life Community vigil and nonviolent direct action at the Main Gate of the Bangor submarine base on March 4, 2013.

Please note that there is at least one error in the video: Lynne Greenwald was unable to give an interview not because she was in prison – she was not in prison at the time the video was being made – but because of her work schedule.

As I write this our dear friends Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed of the Transform Now Plowshares are in the thick of the second day of their trial in Federal District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Yesterday was jury selection. Today they get down to the real business at hand.

Bix travelled back to Knoxville to be with them, and based on the photo I saw of him whooping it up with Sr. Megan during yesterday’s street celebration, it should be quite a week.

This trial is NOT – although one might not know it from nearly any of the media coverage – about lax security at a major nuclear weapons production facility (although one might ask questions about that).

• It is about the total lack of security provided by the continued pursuit of nuclear weapons.
• It is about the fundamental immorality of weapons that kill indiscriminately and on a massive scale, and leave a continuous trail of death far into subsequent generations.
• It is about the fact that it is impossible for nuclear weapons and true human security to co-exist.  Nuclear weapons are against all that is human, and do not fit within any moral framework.
• It is about why the United States continues to consider itself above our own laws, international humanitarian law and treaty obligations.
• It is about asking questions such as how does the continuing buildup (by the US) of its nuclear weapons infrastructure along with the production of new weapons systems (example: the new generation of ballistic missile submarines in research and development) move us towards a nuclear weapons free world???
• It is about whether we will we choose to base our nation (and our world) on a culture of peace or a culture of violence?  And nuclear weapons are truly the taproot of violence.

The Transform Now Plowshares has a website/blog where you can keep up with trial developments on a daily basis.  While you’re at the  blog you can sign up (see the upper right hand column) to get updates by email.

Let’s hold Greg, Megan and Michael and all who support them through their trial in our thoughts and prayers this week and beyond.

In Peace,

Leonard

Transform Now Plowshares URL: http://transformnowplowshares.wordpress.com/

Our Friends Megan Rice, Greg Boertje-Obed and Michael Walli (of the Transform Now Plowshares) will begin their trial next Tuesday, May 7th in US District Court, Knoxville, Tennessee for their July 28, 2012 Plowshares action at the Y-12 uranium facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The Washington Post did a major feature article in last Sunday’s edition about Transform Now Plowshares.  The article titled “The Prophets of Oak Ridge” is well worth reading.  You can also view a Photo Gallery containing additional photos at The Washington Post.

National Public Radio also did a piece on today’s All Things Considered. Of course, just like most every other media outlet, they focused on the lax security at Y-12 rather than the issues raised by Transform Now Plowshares.  Listen to Trial Begins For Protesters Who Broke Into Nuclear Complex.

Artwork from The Washington Post article on Transform Now Plowshares

Judge Amul Thapar issued a gag order ruling out using the necessity defense, any use of the Nuremberg principles, the first amendment, or any testimony about faith, religious or other good motives.  Not much left, is there?!?!?!  The judge will, however, allow the defendants to speak to their intent, which is good considering they have been charged under a little used sabotage law which includes, as an element of the charge, the intent to injure the national defense of the United States.  Geeeez!!!!!

May we all be in solidarity with and pray for these brave souls as they attempt to put the real culprits on trial next week – NUCLEAR WEAPONS and the policies of the US Government that continues to threaten other nations with the use of nuclear weapons.  May true justice be done.

The Fruit of Justice is Peace.

Leonard

It’s two down and two to go as it pertains to charges against the Transform Now Plowshares!!!  The update from Ralph Hutchison (read below) is good news.  Who knows; maybe they will drop that silly “sabotage” charge next.

Peace,

Leonard

*********************

Government drops one count against Transform Now Plowshares activists.

[April 25, 2013 • Knoxville, TN]  Since entering the Y12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in July of 2012, Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice and Michael Walli have faced four charges ranging from trespass to sabotage. In November, the government dropped the trespass charge. Today, April 25, the government dismissed a second charge:

COUNT TWO

The Grand Jury further charges that, on or about July 28,2012, within the Eastern District of Tennessee, the defendants, MICHAEL R. WALLI, MEGAN RICE, and GREG BOERTJEOBED, aiding and abetting each other, at a place within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, namely, the United States Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Y-12 National Security Complex, did willfully and maliciously destroy, injure, and attempt to destroy and injure, a structure, and other real and personal property within the Y-12 National Security Complex, in violation of Title 18, United States Code,ı Sections 1363 and 2.

The charge carried a possible sentence of 5-10 years.

With this dismissal, two charges remain:

• one count charging damage to federal property in excess of $1,000 which carries a maximum ten year sentence

• one count under what is commonly known as the sabotage act charging intent to injure the national defense of the United States which carries a maximum 25 year sentence.

Jury selection for the Transform Now Plowshares case is scheduled for 1:00pm on Monday, May 6 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 before Judge Amul Thapar.

The defendants are awaiting a ruling, due within a week, from Judge Thapar on what testimony, if any, will be withheld from the jury during the trial. Judge Thapar heard testimony from former Attorney General Ramsey Clark on Tuesday, April 23, and received written testimony from several other experts, including Col. Ann Wright (USAF, ret) Dr. Ira Helfland (past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility) and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Archdiocese of Detroit.