Two more RNC protesters acquitted
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Two more protesters were found not guilty Thursday in St. Paul after a four-day jury trial. Ilana M. Continue Reading
Texas RNC activist pleads guilty to making Molotov cocktails
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David Guy McKay pleaded guilty this morning – again.The Austin, Texas–based activist acknowledged producing eight Molotov cocktails and conspiring to violently disrupt the Republican National Convention in September. For another RNC-related story, see RNC Eight informant faces criminal charges
McKay initially attempted to plead guilty to the three felony counts Monday, but his admission of guilt was rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Michael Davis. The reason? McKay continued to insist that a government informant, Brandon Darby, was partly responsible for producing the incendiary devices. McKay had initially pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. Continue Reading
RNC Eight informant faces criminal charges
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Andrew Clark Darst was scheduled to appear before Hennepin County District Court Judge Daniel Mabley at 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. The 30-year-old Minnetrista resident faces five criminal charges that include burglary and assault.
According to the criminal complaint, Darst showed up at a Minnetrista housewarming party on Jan. 11 looking for his wife, with whom he’d quarreled earlier in the evening. Darst allegedly kicked in the door of the home and physically assaulted two individuals attending the party. “The defendant appeared to be full of rage and anger,” the complaint states. Continue Reading
RNC civil rights suits filed in St. Paul
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Mike Whalen and reporters sit, handcuffed, in his backyard. (Photos by Mary Turck)Eight people filed lawsuits in federal court in St. Paul February 26, suing the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Ramsey County, and about two dozen named police officers and several other officers yet to be identified for violation of civil rights immediately before and during the Republican National Convention (RNC). Describing the charges in the lawsuits, attorney Ted Dooley said “you get to the point … Continue Reading
Spin cycle: Attorneys trade barbs in RNC Eight cases
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The RNC Eight, accused of a criminal conspiracy to wreak chaos during the Republican National Convention, are unlikely to go on trial for at least another six months. But the battle to shape public opinion on the high-profile case has been taking place since the moment of their arrests on the eve of the St. Paul convention in early September. At a hearing Tuesday afternoon before Ramsey County District Court Judge Teresa Warner, attorneys for the prosecution and defense traded charges over which side had stepped over the line in attempting to manipulate media coverage. Previously Judge Salvador Rosas, who is no longer hearing the case, had warned both sides to be cautious in their public relations machinations. Continue Reading
FBI vet Rowley rips RNC report, readies WAMM complaints, pursues police data
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FBI whistleblower-turned-activist Coleen Rowley is on a roll. She ripped into the City of St. Paul’s report on Republican National Convention law enforcement in a commentary that appeared Friday at MinnPost and today at The Huffington Post. Tomorrow, as court hearings start in the cases of the RNC8 protesters, Rowley and individuals from Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and other groups will file formal complaints against the city, state and Ramsey County over police tactics. And Rowley’s inquiries into what she suspects was overbroad surveillance during the RNC are starting to bear fruit — or at least what she calls a first “non-responsive” response from Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher’s office. Continue Reading
Freedom is a very big deal
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Comment on RNC Aftermath It amazes me how much some people mention the huge sacrifices that have been made for the freedom we have in this country, yet they believe it is somehow “whining” to even notice its loss. If our rulers are truly allowed to lock up anyone who disagrees without even a crime being committed, then what was the value of all those sacrifices? Continue Reading
RNC aftermath: No charges from 323 arrests on final day
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Charges will not be filed against 323 people who were arrested on the Marion Street and Cedar Street bridges during the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, the St. Paul city attorney’s office announced today. An additional 20 cases stemming from the mass arrest on the final day of the gathering are still being investigated. “There was a lot of confusion for a lot of people that night,” said City Attorney John Choi in announcing the decision.var mnindyHeadline = “MORE FROM”; var mnindyHeadline2 = “Michigan Messenger”;
“Ultimately this decision reflects specifically our prosecution standard: Can we prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt at trial? We’ve come to the conclusion that, for the cases involved the Marion Street bridge and the Cedar Street bridge, that would not be the case.”
However, Choi defended the St. Continue Reading
RNC: One on trial, seven others see charges dismissed
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Just before the first federal case went to trial, the first Ramsey County RNC trial ended in dismissal of all charges against seven defendants on January 23. Judge Michael Fetsch dismissed the charges at the end of the prosecution’s case, ruling that even if the jury believed all of the prosecution’s evidence, there was not sufficient evidence to support a conviction. The charges, which included obstruction of legal process, disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly and blocking traffic, cannot be refiled. The seven defendants in this trial were arrested on September 1 on charges of blocking the intersection at 9th and Wacouta in downtown St. Paul by using bungee cords and string. Continue Reading
VOICES | RNC 8 prosecuted for thinking terroristic thoughts
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On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, the Ramsey County Sheriff executed search warrants on three houses in the metro area. They arrested eight young people who had been associated with the Republican National Convention Welcoming Committee: Luce Guillen-Givens, Max Specktor, Nathanael Secor, Ervy Trimmer, Monica Bicking, Erik Oseland, Robert Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald. The RNC 8 are charged with Riot in the Second Degree, a felony. The Ramsey County Attorney alleges that between Nov. Continue Reading