Judge Dismisses Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Indictments Against Activists

[Hissyspit]

Source: Center For Constitutional Rights

Judge Dismisses Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Indictments Against Activists

June 13, 2010, New York, NY – Yesterday, the United States’ first prosecution under the little known Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) was derailed when Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the Northern District of California dismissed the indictments of four animal rights activists. The Court ruled that the U.S. government could not proceed under the current indictment because the charges were so vague and general as to fail to provide defendants with notice as to what they were alleged to have done to violate the law.

- snip -

CCR, the Civil Liberties Defense Center, and defense counsel filed the motion to dismiss the indictments on behalf of the activists, Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope and Adriana Stumpo, also known as the AETA 4, who were indicted for alleged conspiracy to commit “animal enterprise terrorism” as a result of their alleged participation in conduct including picketing, writing with chalk on the sidewalk, chanting, leafleting and the use of “the Internet to find information on bio-medical researchers.”

The indictments alleged that each defendant engaged in a “course of conduct” involving some combination of threats, vandalism, property damage, trespass, harassment or intimidation, but did not provide any specific detail. Judge Whyte agreed with defense counsel that such allegations are far too vague to satisfy due process, especially where the “behavior in question spans a wide spectrum from criminal conduct to constitutionally protected political protest.”

“These activists are peaceful individuals exercising their rights as guaranteed by the United States,” said attorney for the AETA 4 Bob Bloom. “This law is a blatant attempt to silence dissent and curb fundamental rights in the interests of industries that abuse our natural resources. ... To characterize protest and speech as terrorist activities is ludicrous,” said CCR cooperating attorney Matthew Strugar. “It is no surprise that these indictments were vague and general - otherwise it would be obvious to the public and the courts that the prosecutors are casting peaceful leafleting and protest as terrorism.”

Read more: http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/judge-dismisses-animal-enterprise-terrorism-act-indictments-against-activists

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Thank goodness!

[villager]

2. Be interesting to see what our "Changeful" DOJ does now...

n/t

[T Wolf]

3. Better be prepared for the army of animal rights enemies here on DU to attack this activist

judge for coddling terrorists. The fact that laws like this were ever enacted is bad enough. That charges were filed is worse.

Oh well - they are only animals and deserve no protection.

Here in PA there is a new law that also protects those who torture and abuse animals by making protests such as these illegal. And we are supposed to respect and obey the law? Not from where I stand.

[Jefferson23]

4. Good on the Judge! n/t

[Metta]

5. Good news in our increasingly fascist state.

Where business and the militarized police take greater steps to ignore the Constitution.

[denverbill]

6. Wow, shoot and kill a doctor who performed operations you disagreed with=not terrorism.

Writing on a sidewalk and chanting=terrorism.

Who the hell passed this law? Oh wait, let me guess. Shrub and friends.

[Tempest]

7. Yet another failed Bush persecution

On February 19th and 20th, 2008, the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI arrested four animal rights activists as “terrorists.

It was Bush's people who went after these people.