FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
April 30, 2010

RNC 8 to Appear in Court for Evidentiary Hearings in Preparation for Trial in October

Supporters Will Pack the Courtroom to Show Solidarity in the Face of Ongoing State Repression

Contact: Jude Ortiz (RNC 8 Defense Committee), 612.886.4565,
press@rnc8.org; Attorney: Bob Kolstad, 612.387.2508

St. Paul — Beginning on Monday, May 3, the RNC 8 will return to court for
a series of evidentiary hearings leading up to their joint trial beginning
on October 25. Their defense lawyers will argue motions such as ones to
suppress evidence seized during the preemptive raids prior to the 2008
Republican National Convention and a probable cause motion. The hearings
will include testimony from witnesses, including police officers.

What: Evidentiary hearings in the RNC 8 trial
When: May 3rd-6th, 13th & 14th, 9am-4pm each day
Where: Ramsey County Courthouse, Courtroom 131-B, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd, St.Paul

Supporters will fill the courtroom to demonstrate the high level of
community support for the eight local activists who are facing politically
motivated charges as a result of their political organizing prior to the
2008 RNC. The May hearings are the first time the eight defendants have
been in court since their last pre-trial hearing on February 2. During
that hearing, Judge Teresa Warner scheduled the May hearing dates and the
trial date. Judge Warner also granted the motion to use a jury
questionnaire, which will hopefully result in a more thorough examination
of the jurors, and took under advisement other motions such as the one
regarding payments to FBI informants. Copies of the motions that will be
heard during the May hearings are located at www.rnc.org/info.

Background on the RNC 8 case:
The RNC 8 were preemptively arrested in a series of raids by heavily armed
SWAT teams on the weekend before the Republican National Convention
convened in St. Paul, Sept. 1-4, 2008. The criminal complaints are based
on the allegations of “CRIs” (confidential reliable informants) and an
undercover Ramsey County Sheriff’s deputy, who infiltrated the RNC
Welcoming Committee and conducted surveillance on the political activists
more than nine months before the Republicans met in St. Paul.

The RNC 8’s case continues to highlight the problematic prosecution of
dissent by the State. In the interim, on April 8, Ramsey County Attorney
Susan Gaertner dismissed “terrorism” counts against the RNC 8. The eight
defendants still face felony charges of conspiracy to commit riot in the
2nd degree and conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property in the 1st
degree. The continued prosecution of the RNC 8 represents the government’s
attempt to criminalize dissent and scapegoat a group of dedicated
political organizers for an over-the-top security regime that turned St.
Paul into a police state for the week of the Republican convention.

The RNC 8 may be available for media interviews and all inquiries and
requests can be sent to the contact information above. For more
information, visit http://www.RNC8.org.

Tags: Court Dates, court solidarity, ramsey county courthouse, RNC 8, RNC8