Ramsey County Charges RNC 8 Under State Patriot Act

[annm4peace]

In what appears to be the first recorded charge under the 2002 Minnesota version of the Federal Patriot Act, Ramsey County Prosecutors have formally charged 8 alleged leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Max Spector, face up to 7 1/2 years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge which allows for a 50% increase in the maximum penalty. Affidavits filed in support of the search warrants executed in raids over the weekend, and used to support probable cause for the arrest warrants, are based on paid, confidential informants who infiltrated the RNCWC on behalf of law enforcement. They allege that members of the group sought to kidnap delegates to the RNC, assault police officers with firebombs and explosives, and sabotage airports in St. Paul. These allegations appears to be uncorroborated by any evidence other than the claims of the informants. These charges wrongly turn stated public plans to blockade traffic and disrupt the RNC into acts of terrorism. The charges represent an abuse of the criminal justice system and seek to intimidate any person organizing large scale public demonstrations potentially involving civil disobedience. It is likely that the expressed "anarchist" political views of the defendants will be a major issue in any future legal proceedings. The last time such charges were brought in Minnesota was in 1918, against labor union organizers charged with "criminal syndicalism. "

[sakabatou]

1. Go Minnesota!

:woohoo:

[flvegan]

2. So it begins.

Lots of allegations, little evidence.

Even still, welcome to the Republican New World Order.

This, my friends, is what we're up against. And, it's why I donate to the ACLU when I can.