Friday, January 18, 2008

Briana Waters Pretrial Conference Hearing

from Olympia Civil Liberties

Briana Waters pretrial Conference Hearing will be on January 25, 2008 at
9am. Please dress and act appropriate for court.

Briana Waters' trial will begin February 11, 2008.

The scope of the investigation has been targeted at several Olympia
residents and groups. It is important that Olympians create a presence
during the trial to bear witness to the events.

More info at www.portlandindymedia.org/greenscare

A Repost:

Tacoma, Washington, U.S. - U.S. District Judge Franklin Burgess today
refused to hear evidence that federal prosecutors and FBI agents had
conspired to and did manipulate evidence to make their case against
accused eco-saboteur Briana Waters. Less than two weeks ago, her lawyer,
Robert Bloom, filed motions that alleged that authorities committed
perjury in their effort to produce evidence that pointed towards Water's
guilt. Bloom asked for a conference with the judge to discuss his charges
against two federal prosecutors and two FBI agents, but was turned down
flat.

Waters was indicted two years ago, on charges that she aided in the
destruction of a research facility that was supposedly conducting
dangerous genetic engineering experiments. The action was claimed in the
name of the Earth Liberation Front. The state's case against her rests
largely, if not entirely, on the word of two admitted arsonists who helped
light the blaze and were caught or turned themselves in about two years
ago.

Previous article:

Seattle, Washington, U.S. - The lawyer of accused Earth Liberation Front
(ELF) lookout, Briana Waters, has charged that two federal prosecutors and
two FBI agents committed perjury to build a case against his client.
Attorney Robert Bloom filed motions for dismissal before U.S. District
Judge Franklin Burgess Wednesday.

Waters, 32, of Berkeley, California, is a violin teacher and the mother of
small child. She was arrested in early 2006 as part of the FBI's Operation
Backfire. Prosecutors say that she acted as a lookout for four individuals
who started a fire, at University of Washington research facility, in
2001. The action was claimed in the name of the ELF.

As for the four individuals prosecutors claim actually started the fire -
two, Jennifer Kolar and Lacey Phillabaum, have been co-operating with
investigators and aiding their efforts to indict others since late 2005
and early 2006. Bill "Avalon" Rodgers took his own life in an Arizona jail
shortly after his arrest and Justin Solondz has yet to be arrested and is
believed to be out of the country. The FBI considers Solondz a "fugitive
from justice."

Waters faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in federal prison,
if convicted of all charges. Her lawyer claims that the report from a
December, 2005 FBI interview with co-operating government witness Jennifer
Kolar was doctored to include Water's name, when it initially did not. He
also says that evidence of his client's innocence was suppressed. A trial
date is currently set for February 11th.

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