Tag: innocent

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FOUR CLIMATE GROUND ZERO ACTIVISTS REMAIN JAILED ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES

CLIMATE GROUND ZERO

P.O. BOX 166 ROCK CREEK, WEST VIRGINIA 25174

(304) 854 7372 climategroundzero.net

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

FOUR CLIMATE GROUND ZERO ACTIVISTS REMAIN JAILED

ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES

At 3:47 pm Tuesday, December 29, four Climate Ground Zero activists were arrested for trespass at their homes in Rock Creek, West Virginia.

Mathew Louis-Rosenberg, Jacqueline Quimby, Kimberly Ellis and James McGuinness were taken to the Southern Regional Jail by West Virginia State Trooper Lt. Bowers. The charges stem from an October 10th demonstration at Walker CAT’s headquarters, which challenged Walker’s pro-coal advertising campaign. Gabe Schwartzman,19, and David German, 18, were arrested by City of Belle Police and cited for trespassing on a structure or conveyance. The two had unfurled a banner which read, “Yes, Coal is Killing West Virginia’s Communities.”

As of noon Wednesday, the four activists remain in police custody in the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, WV. They have yet to see a magistrate and have not been informed of their charges, other than trespassing, which, if proven, would result in a maximum one hundred dollar fine.

“This is outrageous behavior on the part of the Kanawha County prosecutors.” said Climate Ground Zero activist Mike Roselle.

“These four people are guilty of nothing. They were simply present during a
demonstration last October and none of them were ever informed at any time that they were trespassing. Usually in this type of case they simply write you a ticket or mail you a summons. To drag them out of their homes and refuse to allow any bail violates their most basic constitutional right to due process.”

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More information as the situation develops. For more
information, call Mike Roselle, Climate Ground Zero 304 854 7372.

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Roland: I hadn’t a clue that I’d done anything illegal that day

This morning, as I was sitting in the Governor’s reception room, in the State capitol, I was approached by a security officer and informed that a warrant had been issued for my arrest. And that a police officer was waiting at the door to take me to the magistrate’s court. In due time, I was escorted to a waiting patrol car, handcuffed and driven to the justice center. I was placed in a cell, and after about 20-to-30 minutes, the cuffs were removed, and I appeared before the magistrate whose name, I believe was Carole Kuhn. I’d been informed earlier that the charges were for trespassing on the property of Walker Equipment Company on Oct. 10, during the senior citizens’ march. When I professed my ignorance of being charged for said crime. I was told that notices to that effect had been sent to Rock Creek, Box 62. Not only was that the wrong address, but the people whose address it actually is claimed no such document addressed to me has ever appeared in that box.

My lawyer, Roger Forman, was on the scene during all this, and the upshot of all this was my release on my own recognizance. I returned to the reception room. The whole business, according to my own guess, was less than two hours. This all, however, came as a total surprise. I was recognized through the extensive media coverage yesterday, and even though I hadn’t a clue that I’d done anything illegal that day, Oct. 10, the system had kept the charges on the books and had reached me down here.