Thursday, March 6, 2008

Accused Oakland Ecoterrorist Awaits Judge's Ruling

Law Enforcement & Crime / Environment Anneli Rufus — Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 12:04 PM

After four days of deliberations, a jury in Tacoma, Washington is currently deadlocked on some charges in the case against 32-year-old Oakland violin teacher Briana Waters, although they have reached unanimous decisions (as yet undeclared) on other charges. Federal Judge Franklin Burgess is expected to decide today whether to accept a partial verdict or send the jurors back for further deliberations.

Waters, now a mother of a toddler, was indicted in the May 2001 Earth Liberation Front firebombing of a University of Washington horticulture building where it was wrongly believed that plants were genetically engineered.

Two women convicted in the case say Waters acted as a lookout during the firebombing; Waters denies it. Her ex-beau, Justin Solondz, is now a fugitive; the FBI calls the 150-pound freelance carpenter "armed and dangerous and an escape risk." Another man charged in the case committed suicide. The damaged building cost $7 million to repair.

At Indymedia and Students for a Democratic Society web sites, activists were urged to attend the trial: "Our presence will be the support she needs. Please come dressed and leave the wacky at home."

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As much as I too lament the rise to power of homeland security and the distortions of justice it represents, I'd be interested to know, Berkeley Boy, where I can find the information you seem to have access to that allows you to so freely exonerate the accused. I ask more out of genuine interest than from any desire to outwardly discount your claims.

It would seem - based on the Seattle PI's article announcing the verdict - that Ms. Waters at the very least had intimate knowledge of the plan and may have provided material support. And what about Justin Solondz? Where's the virtue in running and allowing those marginally involved to be blamed for a crime you have perpetrated?

I hope you've saved some indignation for him and for the foolish and devastating war ELF continues to wage, that unfortunately, in this instance, was against an institution that is to a large extent dedicated to the ethical stewardship of the Earth. Earth liberation - which is a prepostorous idea, by the way, for a number of reasons - has distorted and smeared the otherwise worthy cause of finding a harmony between human and natural processes.

While I do hope that Ms. Waters receives a lenient sentence and hope for her family, her story provides a cautionary tale regarding the excessive actions of radical ecology and the proportionally excessive response of a state dominated by the fear of insurrection.

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Posted by better solutions? on 03/06/2008 at 5:27 PM

"In the name of the Father" comes to the USA. We should all be ashamed of our "legal" system, which allows bullying "witnesses" into falsely condemning the innocent in exchange for reduced prison terms.
"I'll give you 2 choices: multiple life sentences with no chance of parole, or testify against Briana and get out quick." That is not the kind of deal the government should legally be allowed to offer.
Now we will put the innocent behind bars and leave her still-breastfeeding daughter motherless, and her not-even-accused-of-being-guilty family and friends with a great burden to shoulder.
Prosecutor Andrew C Friedman shame on you.
Jennifer Kolar and Lacey Phillabaum you have a great weight on your conscience for lying your way to "freedom."
That's what happens when you set up a bunch of bureaucrats in "eco-terrorism" division of the "homeland security" office with a budget and nothing useful to do. Innocent people are set up and imprisoned.
Of course, let's also remember that arson is not "terror" in the first place. Do we want our government to have the power to lock people up FOR LIFE for committing a crime in which nobody was hurt, or intended to be hurt? This case represents one more step in the erosion of our freedom: Now we must be afraid even to associate with people who think radical green.
Andrew C Friedman, it will be your guilt we remember, not hers, those of us who know and love the real Briana, as we dedicate our time and energy to cleaning up the mess you've made of a beautiful beloved family.