member of Peace Fresno attends Pre-Trial hearing of RNC 8, infiltrated organizers charged w/felonies

[annm4peace]

I am a founding member of Peace Fresno that was spied on for 6 months by Fresno Co. Deputy Sheriff before he was killed in motorcycle accident.

I now live in Minneapolis since 2002.. and in when RNC announced the Convention was to be in Minnesota, they local law enforcement, SS, FBI, etc when to work to infiltrate the peace and social justice groups.

They targeted young people. I stand with these people in the name of Peace Fresno.

These young people face felony charges based on keystone cop infiltrators and a funny video.
It has been an outrage the waste of our tax dollars and of these young people lives, just to try an intimate those who organize.

http://rnc8.org/ ** go to the left side to see the updates of the PRE-TRIAL.

Here is from yesterday's hearing:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2010

Contact: Jude Ortiz (RNC 8 Defense Committee), 612.886.4565, [e-mail]; Attorney: Larry Leventhal, 612.333.5747

Deputy Jay Maher Testifies to Lack of Evidence to Substantiate RNC 8 Conspiracy Charges

Informant Chris Dugger to Testify Today Despite State’s Case Weakening as Police Officers Testify

St. Paul, Minn. — Yesterday, Ramsey County Deputy Jay Maher testified that he found no evidence of a conspiracy to commit riot or cause criminal damage to property despite his extensive surveillance of the RNC 8 and other alleged members of the RNC Welcoming Committee.

Maher’s investigation took him to five states, from Maryland to California, where he photographed people coming and going from meetings that were open to the public. In testimony yesterday, Maher revealed that his investigation focused on activities protected by the right to freedom of association guaranteed by the First Amendment. Maher also testified that he asked law enforcement officers in several departments to assist his investigation by orchestrating traffic stops of the subjects of his surveillance to identify them and gather intelligence on them.

“Maher’s sweeping investigation did everything to repress the expression of dissent and freedom of association, and nothing to protect and serve the community,” said Melissa Hill of the RNC 8 Defense Committee. “The tremendous waste of state resources to fund his excursions across the country to photograph people engaging in Constitutionally protected activities is both mind boggling and characteristic of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department’s conduct prior to and during the Republican National Convention.”

Prosecutor Derek Fitch focused much of his cross-examination of Maher on the satirical video “We’re Getting Ready” that the Welcoming Committee released in 2007. Maher testified that he did not see satire in the video and thought it could be evidence of criminal behavior even though he could not point to any criminal acts within it. Rather than having evidence of criminal conduct, Maher only offered his opinions of the video and other political statements published on the Welcoming Committee’s website to substantiate his claims that the RNC 8 are guilty of the conspiracy charges they are facing.

“The complete lack of substance in Maher’s testimony underscores the political motivations behind these charges,” Hill continued. “And Fitch’s continued attempts to characterize a satirical piece of free speech as proof positive of criminal intent shows how few straws there are for the state to grasp at.”

The RNC 8 will return to court this morning at 9am to continue the probable cause hearing, which could determine whether their cases go on to trial in October or not. Paid informant Chris Dugger is expected to take the stand at 9am. The court also expects to discuss the serving of the subpoena for FBI informant Andrew Darst, who was expected to testify this week, and the date for the make-up hearing in June. Motions to suppress evidence are also expected to be heard today. Yesterday, Judge Teresa R. Warner denied the motion to return the bail posted for the defendants.

Copies of the motions and detailed notes from the hearings are located at http://www.rnc8.org/info.

The previous May hearing press releases are located at:

May 4: http://rnc8.org/2010/05/for-immediate-release-rnc-8-argue-motion-to-dismiss-felony-conspiracy-charges-for-lack-of-probable-cause/

May 5: http://rnc8.org/2010/05/for-immediate-release-three-ramsey-county-sheriff%e2%80%99s-deputies-take-the-stand-in-full-day-of-rnc-8-probable-cause-hearing/

May 6: http://rnc8.org/2010/05/for-immediate-release-undercover-deputy-marilyn-hedstrom-testifies-to-lack-of-evidence-against-the-rnc-8/

Stay up-to-date on the latest developments by following us on Twitter: @defendthernc8.