Drone Resister Sentenced to One Year in Prison- Base’s Order of Protection Begs Judgment

[G_j]

http://vcnv.org/drone-resister-sentenced-to-one-year-in-prison-base-s-order-of-protection-begs-judgment

On July 10, grandmother of three, Mary Anne Grady Flores was sentenced to one year in prison for being found guilty of violating an order of protection. A packed courtroom of over 100 supporters was stunned as she was led away, and vowed to continue the resistance.

These orders of protection, typically used in domestic violence situations or to protect a victim or witness to a crime, have been issued to people participating in nonviolent resistance actions at Hancock Air Base since late 2012. The base, near Syracuse NY, pilots unmanned Reaper drones over Afghanistan, and trains drone pilots, sensor operators and maintenance technicians. The orders had been issued to “protect” Colonel Earl Evans, Hancock’s mission support commander, who wanted to keep protesters “out of his driveway.”

Mary Anne began her sentencing statement with, “Your honor, a series of judicial perversions brings me here before you tonight.” She concluded that the “final perversion is the reversal of who is the real victim here: the commander of a military base whose drones kill innocent people halfway around the world, or those innocent people themselves who are the real ones in need of protection from the terror of US drone attacks?”

The orders of protection are being challenged on many legal grounds.

Mary Anne had been issued a temporary order in 2012. The next year, she photographed a nonviolent witness at the base, not participating herself because she did not want to violate the order. The irony is that those who actually participated in the action were acquitted, while Mary Anne was charged with violating the order.

Even though the pre-sentencing report recommended no jail time, Judge Gideon sentenced Mary Anne to the maximum of a year in prison. As he imposed his sentence, the judge referred to his previous Hancock decision. He had stated then and insinuated now, “This has got to stop.”

In addition, Mary Anne was fined $1000 plus a $205 court surcharge and a $50 fee to have her DNA collected.

Her verdict is being appealed.

For information on how to support Mary Anne, contact Ellen Grady at [e-mail]


Mary Anne testifying in DeWitt Township Court

[G_j]

1. --

[woo me with science]

2. The criminalization of dissent against criminal policies. It is out of control.

These orders of protection, typically used in domestic violence situations or to protect a victim or witness to a crime, have been issued to people participating in nonviolent resistance actions at Hancock Air Base since late 2012. The base, near Syracuse NY, pilots unmanned Reaper drones over Afghanistan, and trains drone pilots, sensor operators and maintenance technicians. The orders had been issued to “protect” Colonel Earl Evans, Hancock’s mission support commander, who wanted to keep protesters “out of his driveway.”

What this country is being perverted into is truly frightening.

[etherealtruth]

4. "What this country is being perverted into is truly frightening."

Sadly, true!

[msanthrope]

7. A court order is a court order...she was told to stay away from the guy, and she didn't.

She could have appealed the court order....and she chose instead to violate the order, and a jury found her guilty...in fact, it took them only 5 minutes to find her guilty.

Now, why did she get the year jolt? Because she demonstrated contempt to the court by refusing to pay prior fines for prior violations.

I understand that her devout Catholicism motivates her protests, but I have to maintain a non-hypocritical stand here: whether you are protesting abortion at a clinic, or use of drone warfare, you have to obey a court and use the due process available to you to overturn what you think is infringement.

She should appeal the sentence.

[woo me with science]

3. kick

[xchrom]

5. ...

[woo me with science]

6. Kick. This is important.

[woo me with science]

8. Absolutely disgusting, abuses of orders of protection to silence dissent.

A year in PRISON.

These orders of protection, typically used in domestic violence situations or to protect a victim or witness to a crime, have been issued to people participating in nonviolent resistance actions at Hancock Air Base since late 2012. The base, near Syracuse NY, pilots unmanned Reaper drones over Afghanistan, and trains drone pilots, sensor operators and maintenance technicians. The orders had been issued to “protect” Colonel Earl Evans, Hancock’s mission support commander, who wanted to keep protesters “out of his driveway.”

A year in PRISON. This country is becoming unrecognizable.