 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Press Releases R2K LEGAL COLLECTIVE PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2000 CONTACT: Kris Hermes, R2K Legal (215) 925-6791 or John Sellers, Ruckus Society (510) 772-3168 (cell) http://www.r2klegal.org CHARGES AGAINST ALLEGED "RINGLEADERS" OF THE RNC PROTESTS WITHDRAWN AND DISMISSED -- EXPOSING FURTHER EVIDENCE OF OVER-REACTION BY THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA Prosecution withdraws case against John Sellers of the Ruckus Society Terrence McGuckin acquitted of multiple misdemeanors and will appeal guilty charges (Philadelphia, PA) As RNC trials heat up, two accused "ringleaders" saw one case withdrawn by the prosecution and another case saw most of the charges dismissed. John Sellers of the Ruckus Society and Terrence McGuckin of the Philadelphia Direct Action Group were charged with a combined total of twenty-one misdemeanors. As the results of this trial indicates, the City of Philadelphia has severely over-reacted to the events surrounding the Republican National Convention (RNC) held this Summer. "Both during and after the day of mass arrests, the police tracked down people who they perceived as leaders and arrested them," says McGuckin, arrested and charged with seven misdemeanors. Included in his numerous charges was "possession of an instrument of a crime" for carrying a cell phone. McGuckin was originally given a $500,000 bail. "Activists were given fraudulent charges not for the tactics that they employed, but for the message that they brought to the street," says Sellers. "Questioning the institutional racism of the US justice system is more of a threat than non-violently blocking a street." Sellers was charged with fourteen misdemeanors which also included "possession of an instrument of a crime. Sellers was originally given a $1 million bail. Both defendants adamantly defended their role as peaceful, non-violent activists that use direct action to demand social change. It was no surprise to them or the hundreds of people arrested on August 1st that the city of Philadelphia would crackdown on those calling for an end to the criminal injustice system. During the RNC, protesters ironically became victims of the same system they were attempting to change. As the fourth week of trials begin, the vast majority of cases continue to be thrown out of court due to weak prosecution. Case after case is either being dismissed, acquitted or withdrawn. After nearly thirty cases tried, only a handful of those arrested have been convicted. Of those convicted, all are appealing their verdict and demanding a jury trial--their right under Pennsylvania's constitution. Surprisingly, the City of Philadelphia continues to shell out money to try hundreds of cases, which historically don't even see the inside of a courtroom. The courts have proven defendants' claim of over-charging. Activists have won nearly 80% of the misdemeanor cases that have gone to trial. Half of those who have been charged with felonies have had them discharged, dropped or remanded to misdemeanors during pretrial hearings. "This is a war on dissent," says Sellers' lawyer, Lawrence Krasner, Esq. "There is no substance behind these charges, and they make no more sense than the unconstitutional bails." Over reaction to mass demonstrations against economic injustice in cities such as Seattle, Washington, DC and Philadelphia has become a national trend. Philadelphia spent over $5 million on law enforcement during the RNC. This outrageous expenditure of tax dollars resulted in police outnumbering activists by ten-to-one. The targeting of individuals for who they are and what they stand for is becoming a tactic increasingly used by law enforcement nationally. This sends a chilling message to those wishing to voice opposition to the status quo. Earlier this month, protesters won a victory as Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon ruled in favor of the defense on a motion for selective prosecution. The argument posed by R2K lawyers related the historical and contemporary consequences of civil disobedience to what occurred during the RNC. DeLeon's ruling resulted in the dismissal of five cases for activists from the School of the Americas Watch organization, setting a precedent for future cases. --030-- |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fair Use Notice of copyrighted material contained in this website.