September 22 marked the final pre-trial hearing for the remaining four defendants of the RNC 8. Important details such as the jury selection process, outstanding issues with the evidence in the case and lists of witnesses and exhibits, the table arrangements for the defendants and defense attorneys during trial and other matters were all discussed. [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2010 Contact: Jude Ortiz (RNC 8 Defense Committee), 612.886.4565, press@rnc8.org; Attorney: Larry Leventhal, 612.333.5747 Deputy Chris Dugger Confirms Lack of Evidence to Support RNC 8 Conspiracy Charges FBI Informant Andrew Darst Evades Initial Subpoena, May Be Compelled to Appear on June 9 St. Paul, Minn. — On Friday, Ramsey County [...]
On Friday, we heard the testimony of Chris Dugger, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Deputy. Dugger started attending Welcoming Committee meetings in November of ’07. He was told to “listen and figure out what they were up to.” He didn’t start getting paid until spring of ’08, and was deputized at the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department after [...]
Today was the fourth day of the RNC 8 hearings. Most of the day was spent questioning Sergeant Jay Maher of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department Special Investigations Unit, who conducted extensive surveillance leading up to and following the RNC, worked with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department informants and supervised some of the raids. Chris [...]
The newest RNC documentary, produced by the Chicago Independent Media Center, features RNC 8 co-defendants Rob Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald and Luce Guillen-Givins; RNC 8 attorney Robert Kolstad; volunteers/arrestees from the Community RNC Arrestee Support Structure (CRASS), and others impacted by the convention. One year after the 2008 Republican National Convention, the Chicago Independent Media Center [...]
http://www.fightbacknews.org/2009/09/rnc8-defending-right-to-dissent.htm The RNC 8: Defending the Right to Dissent By Meredith Aby St. Paul, MN – Even though the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC) has been over for a year, eight Twin Cities activists are still caught up in its aftermath. The weekend before the RNC, local police led raids on the Convergence Space and [...]
One year after the fact, much of the corporate media has unsurprisingly looked to the official RNC narrative of the events of August and September, 2008. As one letter to the Minneapolis Star Tribune rebutted: Last year’s Republican National Convention may have given the Twin Cities a [supposed] $168 million economic boost (Star Tribune, Sept. [...]
GAERTNER DROPS TERRORISM ENHANCEMENTS, CONTINUES CRIMINALIZATION OF DISSENT RNC 8, FRIENDS OF THE RNC 8 SPEAK ABOUT POLITICAL MANEUVERING UPDATE: View the amended complaint (PDF) April 9, 2009 Contact: Celia Kutz, press@rnc8.org, 612-886-4565 In the surest sign yet of the power of post-RNC court solidarity, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner has dropped two of four [...]
Max Specktor and Rob Czernik’s talk at the San Francisco Anarchist Bookfair last weekend was recorded by Bay Area Indymedia. Download the mp3 audio here (20:22) or listen on Indybay.org. Max, Rob and Max’s attorney Larry Leventhal also appeared on Flashpoints, a nationally syndicated radio show based from 94.1 KPFA in Berkeley. Download the mp3 [...]