FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BANGOR, ME- Today, jurors in the Case of the ‘Bangor Six’, the veterans for peace anti-war protestors arrested in the Margaret Chase Federal Building in protest of Senator Susan Collins for her refusal to end the war funding and occupation, brought back a decisive verdict of ‘not guilty’. Speaking as a juror, Derek Gordon said that the jurors felt that this case was “a good thing, that it got the message across peacefully.”

This is a divergence from the pattern set by previous cases; in October ’03, two people were arrested for occupying Senator Collin’s office, in an occupation similar to the one by the current six protestors, and were judged guilty of criminal trespass in that previous case.

The instructions to the jury in the current case were changed during the trial, which allowed the juror to decide whether the defendants knowingly violated Maine law, in their decision to remain in the building to visit Senator Collins. The protestors had hoped to show her 23 pictures of Maine’s military who died in the Iraq war.

The jury was allowed by the judge to decide whether the defendants believed that they were not guilty in making a conscious choice to break Maine law because they thought international law was being violated. The jurors decided unanimously that the protestors did believe they had the ‘license and privilege’ to act as they did, in rendering the ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Following the court victory, the defendents- Doug Rawlings, Dud Hendrick, Jon Kreps, Jim Freeman, Rob Shetterly and Henry Braun- celebrated with their lawyers, Phil Worden and Lynne Williams, and friends and supporters. “This is what we do-this is how good we can be,” said Shetterly, speaking about the trial results.

Judge Michaela Murphy presided over the hearing. Campaigns for Tom Ledue and Laurie Dobson were present at a rally held in behalf of the protestors, which was attended by anti-war activists from across the country. Ralph Nader’s campaign issued a statement of support, as did Military Families Speak Out, an anti-war military family’s organization and Veterans for Peace.

Jurors, advised by the judge not to ‘surrender an honest conviction’, appeared pleased with the decision. “A good thing was done here today,” said Emily Herrold, one of the jurors in the trial, who left the courthouse smiling.