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THREE NSA DRONE PROTESTERS ACQUITTED ON 1 CHARGE, LOW FINES ON OTHERS

A quick but comprehensive trial today in US District Court in Baltimore, MD,

for 3 women who protested drone targeting at the National Security Agency

at Ft Meade, MD, resulted in acquittal on one charge and conviction but low

fines on the other two charges.

Allowed to speak rather freely, in less than 3 hours Marilyn Carlisle and Ellen

Barfield of Baltimore, and Manijeh Saba of Somerset, NJ, and their activist

colleague Malachy Kilbride of Camp Springs, MD, essentially put NSA

surveillance for drone targeting on trial by showing photos, naming names and

mourning children killed by drones, and asserted their First Amendment and

Nuremberg justifications. As defendant Saba in the closing statement said,

"Why would we, in a democracy, be expected to obey an order that violates

exercise of our Constitutional rights and responsibilities?"

Refusing to comment on drones or the NSA, Magistrate Judge Timothy

Sullivan exclaimed that it was "way beyond my pay grade" to make rulings

on government policies. He did agree with the defendants that areas which

are generally open to public access cannot become "protected property"

when certain activities take place, and denied the "attempting to enter...",

essentially a trespass, charge. He convicted the women on failure to comply

and disorderly conduct charges, but gave respectively $25 and $5 fines,

which with fees for processing total $100, much less than the possible $1365

fines and fees the women had faced.

The testimony of potential witnesses Col. (Rtd) Ann Wright and Code Pink

leader Medea Benjamin, with expertise in the illegality and immorality of

drones, was not surprisingly ruled inadmissible.

The courtroom was gratifyingly full of over a dozen supporters, who Judge

Sullivan acknowledged as likely to join future NSA actions after he heard that

Keep Space for Peace Week, a frequent time to demonstrate at the NSA to

protest space weapons, is appropriately happening this week.

Connect.