Good Article on St. Patrick's Four

From ZNet:

SP4 Trials

....The peaceful and faithful demeanor of the defendants, who run the famous “loaves and fishes” soup kitchen in Ithaca and have lobbied congress for over 10 years against the use of depleted uranium and economic sanctions against Iraq make the prosecution's accusations of “force, stealth, and intimidation” all the more surreal. Their explanations as to the immorality of warfare, and the nature of “Hammering swords into ploughshares” and how damage to war machines is nonviolent has proven inspiring to the considerable audience in the courtroom, but the effect that such limited testimony will have on the jury is unclear....

Three out of four defendants are now found in contempt of court: Burns and De Mott for refusing to name the medical professional who drew their blood, and Theresa Grady for mentioning that there had been a previous trial. When asked for the names, Burns replied, “I will not take my thirty pieces of silver... ...I know the names, but I also know the name of Alberto Gonzales, who signed his name to a document declaring the Geneva conventions moot. I cannot subject my friends to prosecution under that man.” He was found in contempt of court and temporarily removed from the stand....

....Also disconcerting, FBI agents have been present in the courtroom, silently monitoring the case....

When Theresa Grady was questioned by the prosecution as to the “effectiveness” of her “forceful action of damage to government property,” she replied, “...I think I'm just a drop of water in a great swell of nonviolent civil disobedience... It was not conspiracy, but an open, peaceful, and strong warning to recruits, recruiters, and the larger community about the imminent shock and awe... ...My course of action created little more than a mess that can be washed away with ammonia and water. The blood on the hands of the US government can never be washed away.”

The prosecution closed the final argument in the case by alleging that the Ploughshares and Catholic Worker movements were “cults” that were “...antimilitary, anti-government establishment, and a threat to the order of society.” He also alleged that the defendants “sympathize with the 9-11 terrorists” and that they were “arrogant, self-righteous, and disrespectful of property and the rule of law.”

So let me get this straight. The defendants couldn't discuss the reasons for their actions, the war in Iraq, or the illegality of the war under international law, but the prosecutor could mention 9/11 in closing arguments? This is truly a kangaroo court. I pray for a hung jury.