Protesters Given Secret Trial and Criminal Conviction ..!!!!WTF!!!

[annabanana]

UN-fucking believable!

Pioneering Blackwater Protesters Given Secret Trial and Criminal Conviction

http://www.alternet.org/rights/75244/
Protesters who re-enacted one of Blackwater's worst civilian massacres in Iraq got jail time, while the real killers remain free.
~snip~

When their day in court arrived, on Dec. 5, the activists intended to put Blackwater on trial, something the Justice Department, the military and the courts have systematically failed to do. Their action at Blackwater, the activists said, was in response to war crimes, the killing of civilians and the fact that no legal system -- civilian or military -- was holding Blackwater responsible. The Nisour Square massacre, they said, "is the Iraq war in microcosm."

But District Court Judge Edgar Barnes would have none of it. So outraged was he at Baggarly, the first of the defendants to appear before him that day, that the judge cleared the court following his conviction. No spectators, no family members, no journalists, no defense witnesses remained. The other six activists were tried in total secrecy -- well, secret to everyone except the prosecutors, sheriffs, government witnesses and one Blackwater official. Judge Barnes swiftly tried the remaining six activists behind closed doors and convicted them all. It was as though Currituck, N.C., became Gitmo for a day.

How on Earth is this even MARGINALLY legal??

[Solly Mack]

1. Is it really that unbelievable?

:(

[zanne]

2. The second time I've been flabbergasted by a D.C. judge...

The first time was when a judge in Florida ruled that the Republican disruptors at the recount were innocent, because they were not "tresspassing". (He was one of those Florida Dems).

[global1]

3. K&R.......nt

[zabet]

4. Damn..

K and R

Think for yourself
as long as you can...
before that is illegal
too.
:banghead:

[Dhalgren]

5. What "rights" do you think these criminals have?

They are obviously anti-American criminals and as such they have no "rights". Nor do people who defend criminals like this. What was your name, again? Why is it that you choose sides against your own country?

Welcome to the USA! Shut up, do as you're told, enjoy your stay! We're number one! We're number one!

[Javaman]

6. Welcome to soviet criminal code 58. for those of you who have read

Gulag Archipelago, you know what I'm talking about.

[file83]

15. Amen.

[LeftCoast]

7. They shouldn't have waived a jury trial

That's the only way this could have happened. Otherwise the case would be overturned.

[ThomCat]

8. How is that legal?

No defense witnesses?

A blatantly rigged trial? x(

[hootinholler]

9. Didn't Sibel Edmonds face a similar thing?

Her case was civil, not criminal, but she and her attorneys were locked out of the courtroom during the hearing regarding invoking States Secrets.

-Hoot

[annabanana]

14. But these were a bunch of PROTESTERS! Not a secret anywhere

to be seen... No "sensitive" information.. No reason to do this.

[Richard Steele]

10. Grrrecommended.

[wildbilln864]

11. kick goddamnit! n/t

:grr:

[bbgrunt]

12. k and r. out rageous.

[area51]

13. kick. (n/t)

[RufusTFirefly]

16. You must be one of those silly throwbacks who still believes in the Rule of Law

How Quaint!

[allalone]

17. loss of habeas corpus

rule of law? how quaint. :sarcasm: