The following is from Support Carrie and Scott! Resist State Repression!
Appeal for Carrie's Release Denied and Other News
1. Update on Carrie Feldman
2. Update on Scott DeMuth
3. Update on the Third Person Subpoenaed to the Davenport Grand Jury
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1. Update on Carrie Feldman
On Friday, January 22, we found out that the appeal of the motions for Carrie’s release was denied. This decision means that she will remain a hostage of the state for an indeterminate length of time, up to the remainder of the grand jury (9 more months).
Carrie was taken hostage after refusing to testify before the grand jury in Davenport last November 17 and appeared before a judge on December 8 for the hearing on the motions filed for her release. On December 16, the judge issued his decision denying the motions for her release, at which point an appeal was filed. The court originally scheduled the appeal decision deadline on a date that was further than 30 days from the appeal date, which would have required them to release her pending the appeal. When called on their violation of the rule they created, they simply moved the decision deadline up so she would have to remain in custody.
But the dirty tricks didn’t stop there. The appellate judges also asked the prosecution to file an additional reply to the appeal, which is a rare move and leads one to speculate that the judges felt they needed more to substantiate the decision they wanted to make–to keep Carrie in custody. They also allowed the prosecution to file secret evidence that not even Carrie’s lawyers can see.
Although this appeal has been denied, the fight for Carrie’s release is not over. We’ll keep you updated on future motions filed for her release as we have more information.
2. Update on Scott DeMuth
Thanks to the tremendous generosity of scores of people, as well as a personal loan, we were able to make the retainer payment for Scott’s lawyer, Michael Deutsch. Scott was able to meet with him earlier this month and is working on his defense now.
Thank you to everyone who stepped up to help Scott when he was faced with such a large amount of money to raise! While his legal costs will continue to grow and he will continue to need support, he feels that Michael Deutsch will be an excellent addition to his legal team.
More funds are needed to help pay for ongoing legal costs for both Scott and Carrie, so you and your friends can continue to donate online through PayPal by clicking on the Donate button at the right or by mailing checks or money orders made out to Coldsnap Legal Collective with “EWOK!” in the memo line to Coldsnap Legal Collective, P.O. Box 50514, Minneapolis, MN 55405. Thanks!
3. Update on the Third Person Subpoenaed to the Davenport Grand Jury
Leana Stormont, currently a lawyer in Virginia, was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury last Wednesday. Her lawyers are fighting the subpoena and there is no indication that she is cooperating with the state.
An outspoken animal rights activist when she was a law student at the University of Iowa, Leana experienced overt harassment by the FBI after the ALF action in 2004. She chronicles her experiences in a 2006 article entitled “Caring About Animals is Not a Crime” (available at http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/5425).
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