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 Legal Updates 11/29/00 Update from: R2K Legal Court Update Motion arguments continue concerning the van case and the puppet cases. All day Tuesday we heard testimony from an undercover state trooper who had worked in the warehouse with three other undercover agents on building the "corpzilla" float and who had been driving the van when it was pulled over and 19 activists were arrested. These motions concern outrageous police misconduct, prior restraint and possession of an implement of crime. Today we heard testimony from Lt. Bivens who was coordinating the undercover operation and the director of License and Inspections who was in conducted the massacre of the puppets and the destruction of property following the police raid. Defense attempted to establish that the Philadelphia Police Department instructed L&I to destroy evidence and property. Tomorrow there is likely to be other testimony from the other undercover agents. Hopefully by Friday the defense will present it's argument. One of the major tactics of the prosecution is to portray us, the activists who came to Philadelphia to protest the RNC and the criminal injustice system, as a group with no message. They continue to try to discredit our activities as having nothing to do with the first amendment. The undercover state troopers are testify that even while being in the puppet warehouse they were unaware of any purpose to our day of direct action. With the motion argument today two defendants went on trial who were arrested at the puppet warehouse on August 2nd. They sat down in front of a trash truck filled with our property and puppets in protest of the illegal seizure and destruction that was taking place. Both had the same defense, but one was found not guilty, and one was found guilty and given a $100 fine. She filed for appeal. Good News!: Two defendants who had their felony charges remanded to high level misdemeanors went in front of Judge McCafferty for trial today. Right before the trail the prosecution offered ARD with fines to both defendants but it would only be granted if they BOTH took it. They decided to reject the ARD and got to trial. They were found not guilty because of lack of identification. In Solidarity, R2K Legal |
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