Judge releases nun who broke into U.S. nuclear bomb facility

[bananas]

Source: Reuters

A U.S. magistrate judge on Friday ordered the release pending trial of an 82-year-old nun and another anti-nuclear activist charged with breaching security fences at one of the most sensitive U.S. nuclear facilities, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where weapons-grade uranium is kept.

<snip>

But U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley ruled the threat of violence was low and decided to release Rice, who according to her attorney has a thyroid and heart condition and has not been receiving her medication. The judge also released Walli. Both were given travel and other restrictions, and will stay at a private residence in Knoxville while court proceedings continue, according to defense attorneys.

Boertje-Obed waived his right to a defense attorney and will remain in detention.

All three defendants appeared in grey, striped prison clothes with orange plastic shoes, handcuffs, and leg manacles. Rice appeared frail and was suffering from hypothermia, according to her attorney, Francis Lloyd, Jr., who draped his coat over her. Court was recessed to allow time to find a space heater and a blanket for Rice.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48496831

[msanthrope]

1. I hope Sister Rice and her companions are acquitted. nt

[lovuian]

8. I think she is Awesome!

They brought to America's attention the lack of security

[happyslug]

12. She be convicted, but then the real problem for the Government kicks in, how do you "punish" her???

She knew what she was doing when she broke into the facility at Oak Ridge, She knew it was a restricted area, thus she is guilty of the crime she is charged with. She knew that she would be convicted and sentenced, and that is the WHOLE POINT OF THE ACT, to draw attention to what is happening at Oak Ridge and bring it to the Public's attention. When ever she is convicted and then sentence will bring to the air waves that she had trespassed on Oak Ridge, bring Oak Ridge to the public's attention at least two more times. That is what she wanted and what she will get. She does NOT expect anything else, for if the Government dismisses the case, that would permit the Government to keep Oak Ridge off the front page.

This is a PROTEST and a PROTEST is NOT effective unless the public knows about it, one way to get such attention is to commit a non-violent criminal act. That is what she did and she will gladly undergo whatever "Punishment" is handed out to her, she will wear it like a badge of honor, for that is what it is in her fight to end nuclear weapons.

[freshwest]

2. Good.

[SDjack]

3. DOE should give them cash awards. They just showed them

for free that security protection at Y-12 is a joke. You can't buy demos like that. (Source of funds to pay: take it from the security contractor's performance bonus.)

[99th_Monkey]

4. As everyone w/ at least 1/2 a brain knows

these people are heros, in the same way that Julian Assange
and Bradley Manning are heros.

Everyone with 1/2 brain knows that there are some super-
serious issues (like global warming, poisoning of the planet,
etc.) that can no longer be turned away from or ignored; as
every day ticks by, it becomes clearer and clearer that the
Occupy Wall St. phenomenon represented a watershed,
beyond which the genie was out of the bottle.

I imagine a day soon when judges, police personnel, members of
the armed services, simply begin refusing to be continually
compounding the problems that threatening our self-extinction.

[MNBrewer]

5. I'm not a Catholic, but I've heard that one does not "mess with" nuns.

[Nambe]

6. 10 years ago...

6 nuns were arrested for protesting the School of the Americas terrorist training camp.


The 26 defendants, ranging from a 19-year-old college student to an 88-year-old Catholic nun, were among 3,400 protesters who marched into the military post Nov. 19 to protest the School of the Americas. The protesters say graduates of the school have been linked to murder, torture and other human rights abuses.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0524-02.htm

[part man all 86]

7. Sometimes tennessee does something right.

Eventually in a room of chimps with computers they will write something coherent.

[midnight]

9. Glad to see this was posted. For some odd reason I looked at the posted date incorrectly

in Latest Breaking News.


So travel restrictions even though threat of violence is considered low. I don't know but is this considered normal restrictions for such an elderly group?

[cstanleytech]

10. Its not as violence issue its an issue of the case still be ongoing thus the restrictions. nt

[midnight]

11. I posted it after 12 hour mark... My fault.... I lost track of time... Things are moving quickly

these days...