[Ppnews] NLG on Davenport Grand Jury Repression

[Political Prisoner News]

nlgmidwest at nationallawyersguild.org
12/1/2009 2:53:21 P.M. Central Standard Time
Press Release Concerning Davenport Grand Jury Activity from Minnesota 
Chapter NLG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Person: Sara Grant sgrant04 at hamlineuniversity.edu ; 651-230-6513


On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth of
Minneapolis were subpoenaed before a federal grand jury in Davenport, Iowa
in the most recent use of Green Scare tactics by the United States
government. These subpoenas go beyond the prosecution of violations of
federal law to broadly seek information about activists, in an attempt to
intimidate political and social activists and disrupt radical animal rights
and environmental movements.

Carrie and Scott refused to cooperate and testify and were found in civil
contempt of court by District Judge John Jarvey, who had them taken into
custody immediately. Scott was subsequently charged with conspiracy to
commit property damage under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA).

The National Lawyers Guild has a long history of standing beside
environmental and animal rights activists, who the government unjustly
labels "eco-terrorists" in an effort to push a specific political and
corporate agenda. Both Carrie and Scott have made it clear that
incarceration will not coerce them into submitting to potentially wide
ranging questioning about their political beliefs, their friendships, and
their political associations. The Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers
Guild supports their refusal to assist in the government's prosecution of
alleged vandalism in the guise of terrorism. The National Lawyers Guild
condemns the use of civil contempt and incarceration to conduct wide ranging
investigations which threaten to invade liberties protected by the First
Amendment and the Constitution. Use of civil contempt under such
circumstances is punitive as there is no reasonable likelihood that these
committed individuals will be coerced by state power into cooperating with
this government investigation. The subsequent indictment of Scott Demuth
serves to illustrate that the grand jury process is being used in an attempt
to obstruct his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild supports the immediate
release of Carrie and Scott and demands that the government abandon its
attempts to punish them for their political beliefs. We stand in solidarity
with Carrie, Scott, and all those who are imprisoned for their political
beliefs. More information about Carrie and Scott is available at
http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com, including the opportunity to donate
to their support fund. We call on the legal community and all people of
integrity and conscience to support Carrie and Scott in their resistance to
the political oppression being perpetrated by the United States government.

In solidarity,

National Lawyers Guild, Minnesota Chapter

For Further Information: Please see nlg.org <http://www.nlg.org/> web-site
and download or purchase a copy of the pamphlet "Operation Backfire: A
survival guide for environmental and animal rights activists".



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