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.
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