[Ppnews] Carrie Feldman - Released after 4 months resisting a Grand Jury

Thu Mar 18 18:22:37 EDT 2010

After four months, Minneapolis activist released from Iowa jail

Carrie Feldman, 20, was jailed in November for 
refusing to testify about a 2004 break-in at the University of Iowa

By <http://www.startribune.com/bios/19363479.html>ABBY SIMONS, Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/local/88470962.html?page=1&c=y

Last update: March 18, 2010 - 4:56 PM

An animal rights activist jailed four months for 
refusing to testify about a break-in at a 
University of Iowa laboratory has been released.

A judge in Davenport, Iowa, signed an order 
Thursday to release Carrie Feldman after the U.S. 
Attorney for that region informed the court that 
her grand jury testimony was "no longer necessary 
the public interest" and asked that she no longer 
be held in civil contempt of court, said her attorney, Jordan Kushner.

No further explanation was given for Feldman's 
release. Friends and family members were expected to pick her up Thursday.

A call to U.S. Attorney Clifford Cronk in 
Davenport was not immediately returned.

Feldman, 20, of Minneapolis, was jailed in Iowa 
on Nov. 17 for refusing to appear before a grand 
jury that was looking into the November 2004 
break-in. The Animal Liberation Front released 
video of themselves entering the lab, taking 
hundreds of rats and mice, smashing computers and 
dumping chemicals. Damages totaled $450,000.

Five years later, authorities subpoenaed Feldman 
and her former boyfriend, Scott DeMuth, 22, also 
of Minneapolis. Both were jailed for refusing to 
testify, and a grand jury later indicted DeMuth 
for animal enterprise terrorism. Feldman, who was 
15 at the time of the break-in, said she knows 
nothing about what happened. DeMuth says he's innocent.

Judges denied two appeals for Feldman's release 
before Cronk's office asked that she be released.

"My belief is this is the end of this particular 
matter for her," said Feldman's attorney, Bruce Nestor.

On Monday, FBI agents raided a Salt Lake City, 
Utah, house where some animal rights activists 
were purported to live. The agents were acting on 
a search warrant issued in the same southern 
district of Iowa where Feldman was held and 
DeMuth was charged. The warrant authorized a 
search for computers, photographs, cell phones 
and documents "relating to animal enterprise terrorism."

Kushner said it's unclear whether information 
gathered in that search led to Feldman's release.

Abby Simons • 612-673-4921

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