U.S.Sgt. Benderman Sentenced to 15 months for Refusing Redeployment to Iraq & Anti-War Updates

by Ciaron Thu Aug 04, 2005 13:51

http://www.soaw.org/new/newswire_detail.php?id=863

by Ciaron Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:03

The court cases of 11 peace actvisists arrested blockading US/OZ militray exercises in June (Shoal Water Bay, near Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia) start August 3rd.

Check link for background......


http://www.geocities.com/peaceconvergence/

by Frank - Des Moines Catholic Worker Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:36 001-515-282-4781

Iowa Catholic Workers, Brian Terrel and Fran Fuller appeared before Polk County Judge Moisan at the Polk Co Court House in Des Moines Iowa, Aug 1, ( a long with 20 support people) to answer to Probation Violation charges stemming from their Dec 2004
convictions for trespassing at the STARC Armory last Nov.

Both Brian and Fran refused to pay the $240 dollar non supervised probation fee and they did not report of the county run community
service program that they were ordered to do after their convictions last Dec.

In an surprise move Judge Moisan sentenced Brian to 3 days in jail less the 2 days he had already been credited with and Fran to 2 days to jail less the two days in jail that Fran had already been credited with.

Brian was taken out of the court room, hand cuffed and escorted by two police officers to serve his one day sentence in the Polk Co Jail and Fran was free to leave.

-----------------------------

Fran Fuller's prepared statement before Judge3 Moisan, Aug 1, 2005
Polk County Court House for Porbation Violation Charges

I'm a Catholic Worker which means I do community service every day for no pay.

Some days this community service looks like feeding the hungry and other days it looks like nonviolently protesting war. I've been doing this for 5 years with no salary. While my actions may appear insignificant, life and death issues are involved.

Because I'm fairly new to this work, I agreed to community service and probation when sentenced last January. While doing the community service, however, I realized that if the point is my rehabilitation, it is not working and it makes no sense to me to cooperate.

I plan to keep doing the things that have brought me here today: feeding the hungry and nonviolently protesting war.

I cannot in good conscience cooperate with probation or community service. I cannot pay any fees or fines.

I realize that you could sentence me to jail. Jail is not a place of rehabilitation either. It's mostly the poor who sit in jail, those
without money to pay their way out.

So, whatever your decision is today, it won't change my commitment to work for peace.

Thank you.

by Ciaron - PSP Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:14 087 918 4552

PLOWSHARES
*Sr. Ardeth Platte 10857-039

(41 months – out 6/06 or with good time, 12/22/05 with three years of supervised release to follow prison. For plowshares action on ICBM missile silo)

Federal Correction Institution
331/2 Pembroke Station
Danbury, CT 06811
USA


SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH PRISONERS (entered prison March 15, 2005) www.soaw.org

*Alice Gerard #92095-020 (6 months)
FCI Danbury
33-1/2 Pembroke Station, Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811
USA

*Lelia Mattingly #92460-020 (6 months)
FCI Danbury
33-1/2 Pembroke Station, Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811
USA


ANTI WAR RELATED ACTIVITIES ON VIEQUES

*José Vélez Acosta 23883-069 (33 months – out 1/27/06)
USP POB 1033
Coleman, Florida 33521
USA