Judge Questions Government’s Persecution of DADT Activists (emptywheel)

[chill_wind]

Just got a report from Paul Yandura who is at the Federal Court House where the arraignment is for the 13 DADT protesters. As reported yesterday, the protesters, who were arrested on November
Excerpt:

15, 2010 in front of the White House, are facing tougher charges than usual for cases like this. The government’s lawyers intend to prosecute the 13 defendants for “violating the orders of a federal law enforcement officer,” which could result in jail time. This is the first time DADT protesters have been in federal court. The other defendants were processed for minor misdemeanors in DC’s court system.

At today’s arraignment, Mark Goldstone, the lawyer for the 13 protesters, explained to Federal Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola that the statute under which the defendants are being charged was unusual. He noted that it had not been used in recent past against people engaging in civil disobedience at the White House. For whatever reason, the government has decided to pursue the more serious criminal charges.

What happened next was surprising to those in the Courtroom. Judge Facciola got up out of his chair, while pacing, gave a speech about the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. He intimated that there were trumped up charges back in the 50s and 60s, too. And, he evoked the Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham case, Martin Luther King’s “letters from the Birmingham jail” and how civil rights protesters were often brought to court to face stricter charges. The judge clearly linked the protest over Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to those earlier civil rights protests.

Judge Questions Government’s Persecution of DADT Activists
By: emptywheel Friday March 18, 2011 8:50 am
more: http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/03/18/judge-questions-governments-persecution-of-dadt-activists/

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Snoutport]

2. civil rights are civil rights

Thank you Judge Facciola!

[DeSwiss]

3. Now throw the damned prosecutors in jail.....

...for malicious prosecution.

:mad: - Boy am I sick of these assholes!

K&R