Free Rick Larsen!

Judge Debra Lev points the way for Congressman Rick Larsen

(Press release from the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center)

Bellingham Municipal Court experienced a transformative opening at Ellen Murphy’s sentencing hearing today.  Statements made in the courtroom by Ellen and Gold Star mother Doris Kent are below.  CDs of the hearing and trial will be available at the peace and justice center later this week.

After Ellen, her attorney Joe Pemberton, and Doris Kent spoke in the courtroom, Ellen’s supporters, including many veterans, stood in silence to express their solidarity.  Judge Debra Lev took the necessary time and thought to fully explore the ramifications of this sentencing.  She recognized the profound difference between the actions and motivations of Ellen Murphy as compared to those of other defendants convicted of the crime of trespass.  Judge Lev sentenced Ellen to a $1,000 fine, with $1,000 suspended; and 90 days in jail, with 90 days suspended; 40 hours of community service; and $43 in court costs.

Today it was affirmed that civil discourse, expressed through true listening and sharing, still exists and can be upheld even in the courtroom.  So many of us in the movement have been feeling disheartened; but to know that this has happened in our community, and is happening in communities just like ours around the nation, reminds us that there is hope.  Victories such as these revive our hope in humanity and in our ability to affect the world.

Continue reading to see statements made by Ellen Murphy and Doris Kent.

Joe Pemberton, Ellen’s attorney, feels that Judge Lev “did what she could to point Rick Larsen in the right direction.”

Read the rest of this entry »

The prosecution in The City of Bellingham V. Ellen Murphy has motioned to change the charges.  Representative Larsen has responded to a subpoena with a 29 page motion to quash. The defense needs time to respond to these new motions;  thus the trial has been continued to April 17. Determination and spirits remain high, as this case, which should have been dismissed, wends its way hopefully  toward justice.

For a more complete report see http://www.nwcitizen.us/

The criminal trespass case regarding the arrest of Ellen Murphy and comcomitant exclusion forever from the Federal Building of Bellingham on October 20, 2006, was concluded in Municipal Court on Thursday, February 15, 2007, when Prosecutor Ryan Anderson asked Commissioner Smiley to dismiss the case entirely and with prejudice (meaning it can never be re-charged again–in effect, an admission of error).

Attorney Joe Pemberton, who represented Ellen in court, later explained the significance of the dismissal to friends and  activists who are involved  directly or as supporters in the Declaration of Peace “freelarsen.org” campaign for congressional accountability. (Seven people in all had been arrested in Larsen’s office). “This dismissal and the way it was done represents a wind of change in the City’s policy toward nonviolent acts of conscience,” he said, as members of the peace community shared cake in celebration. Read the rest of this entry »

All the charges against FreeLarsen activists have been resolved, except for those against Ellen Murphy. On Thursday, February 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the Municipal Court, Judge Lev is expected to consider a motion to drop the second arrest charge against Ellen Murphy. Grounds are that the first order from the police said Ellen was required to stay out of Rep. Larsen’s office. She was arrested the second time for breaking that order, but she had not entered the office and remained in the hall. If you would like to support Ellen, the Municipal Court is at 2014 C Street.

Letter to the Editor by Rena  Patty
San Juan County Democrats, State Committeewoman 

On Wednesday, Jan. 3, citizens, including three  parents of Iraq War veterans, gathered in Representative Rick Larsen’s office  to express our responsibility as citizens and taxpayers for the war in Iraq.   After meeting with staff, we read aloud the names of the 3000 service  men and women killed in Iraq, honoring their service and sacrifice.  I  ask for your consideration of my perspective and your support.
 
As  a citizen of this great country, I studied this war every step of the way.   I shared with elected representatives my doubts about the quality of  intelligence leading to war, horror and grief about the killing of civilians  by air strikes, dismay about counter-productive strategies alienating and  inciting violence by Iraqi fighters, and questioned whether arming Iraqi  police might lead to even more violence.  I offered opinions and  information on how to de-escalate conflicts and initiate conflict mediation  and resolution – while the situation in Iraq is unique, de-escalating conflict  and war has been done before.
  
Meanwhile, tens of thousands  of U.S. soldiers have been horribly injured.  Infrastructure in Iraq for  providing such basic services as water, electricity and security remains  devastated. A study by John Hopkins University estimates 654,000 excess Iraqi  deaths since March 2003.  Iraqis are now suffering with civil war.   The cost of this war for San Juan County taxpayers is over $19.5 million  – our share of the $355 billion.  Polls in both countries show majority  support for withdrawing U.S. military forces.  The only “winners” seem to  be corporate military contractors.
 
Constituents in Rep Larsen’s  office on Wednesday expressed concerns about the divide in our country between  our political and military leadership, and mystification about lack of  responsiveness from Democratic Party leaders to constituent concerns. While  honoring our soldiers, we also asked for Congress to cut funding for the war  and to withdraw U.S. forces. With the new balance of power in Congress, now is  the time to call for effective de-escalation of the violence in Iraq.   Please call Representative Larsen (202) 225-2605, Senator Cantwell (202)  224-3441, and Senator Murray (202) 224-2621 today.

Originally scheduled for Dec. 6, the pre-trial hearing for Ellen Murphy’s civil rights trial in Municipal Court has been postponed.  This was a case of wrongful arrest for allegedly breaking a no-trespass notice. Ellen was also banned for life from the entire building where Congressman Larsen’s office is located. It’s important to remember that Ellen’s behavior was orderly and peaceful at all times when in the vicinity of Larsen’s office. Joe Pemberton is a lawyer assisting in Ellen’s defense.

A defense fund has been set up by the mother of a soldier in Iraq, Dominique Coulet du Gard.  Checks  made out to her, marked “Ellen Murphy Defense Fund” at the bottom, can be dropped off at the Whatcom County Peace and Justice Center, 100 E. Maple, corner of Cornwall.  If you call first, someone will be sure to be there: 734-0217.  If you’re just going to be there a few minutes, you can park across Cornwall in the Opportunity Council parking lot, if you need to.

By Ellen Murphy

I forgot to attend Rick’s victory party.  Something about that word.  Victory.  Even today, the day America woke up, Bush was still calling for it.  It means to win.  How can you win an occupation?  Rick has spouted, no, mumbled, these same talking points.  Military objectives.  Victory.  When Iraq is stable.  When the Iraqi government stops the militias.

That last one is like a bully setting up another kid  as his front man, then blaming the other kid for all his victims. I preferred Rick over Roulstone.  Roulstone couldn’t be counted on to throw us a bone once in a while. But at least Roulstone is who he is.  Have to give him credit for that. Rick’s a Republican in disguise.  A Republican who appreciates trees and votes liberal when there’s no risk.

Some people told me tonight that they wrote my name in instead of voting for Rick.  Believe it or not, I did vote for Rick. It makes me more duty bound to hold his feet to the fire. But I forgot to attend his victory party. I was out gathering kindling, and it just slipped my mind.

By Dotty Dale

Doris and I went to Fantasia around 3:30 on Friday, November 3, but no one was there. We checked out Larsen’s office on the 2nd floor of the federal building - no one. The usual Friday sign was on the door – Please Knock. Doris and I decided that we shouldn’t skip a week. I had barely touched the glass to knock, when smiley Luke emerged from his office door and came down the hall. He acknowledged immediately that he knew we were there for the answers that Louie had promised us. However, he said they were still being “worked on” (of course we knew they would not give us anything, particularly in writing, before the election). Luke said that if we would give him our names and addresses, he would mail them to us as soon as he received them. I think we shrugged our shoulders and he pranced back into the other door and came back out with pad and pen in hand. I asked if we could go into the office and do this at a proper desk or table. We got the usual reply - we need to keep the office locked on Friday because a group entering disrupts our work with other constituents. To which I said that we were only two persons. Luke replied that 2 could be a group! We gave him our names and addresses and I preached at him about how disrespectful this was to make 2 older women in very wet coats stand in the hall to do business. You can hear his standard reply: “I understand, I understand.” Afterwards I wondered if perhaps we should have refused to conduct our business in the hall. But I remembered that Ellen had said that this could have been used as an excuse to ignore our requests and not follow through with the answers to our questions. Besides, my curiosity took over, and I want to see the mailing from Larsen. We wonder if it will ever materialize.

From Carolyn DeSilva

Congressman Rick Larsen claims repeatedly that he listens to his constituents and addresses their concerns. Well, let’s test that claim.
For seven plus weeks, a group of peace activists has been peacefully requesting answers from Mr. Larsen, and asking for a meeting, or a telephone conference, or a written response - to no avail.  And in that same time period, there have been 8 arrests, 4 trespass orders, numerous protests, pleas and other futile attempts to get Mr. Larsen’s attention.  Eventually, we so distress his office staff with our peaceful presence and requests to see our elected representative that they lock the door and forbid our entry. Then and only then, when it is transparently clear that we will not cease our efforts, are we finally offered an impromptu meeting with a member of Mr. Larsen’s Washington staff, however not in the office but in the hall [no, we say], in the street [no, we say] and finally a public restaurant amid the clatter of coffee cups and a background of pop rock. With no time to prepare or to gather our entire group, we must accept these conditions since it is clear that this is our only chance for discourse.  And what if we had not engaged in the seven week campaign?  We have no doubt that our questions would have been forgotten, our requests ignored, our concerns dismissed. Constituents should not have to jump over these sorts of hurdles to get answers from their elected representatives.  Of course, the monied ones and favored ones do not.  The actions of Mr. Larsen’s Bellingham staff seem designed to discourage all but the relentlessly determined.

(The minutes of that October 27 meeting are posted here as Day 8.)

Meeting with Louis Lauter and Luke Loeffler on Friday, October 27, 2006 in Fantasia, beginning around 4 pm.

Present were Alfred, Brad, Carolyn, Doris, Dotty, Ellen, George, Glen, Janet, Margie, Marie, Mary, Sage, Sarah, Vic, Wyoming, and Yoshe. Several others came in later.

Louis stated that Rick Larsen has clear views on the war. Asked to articulate, he said:
• Mr. Larsen does not support a timeline for withdrawal [i.e. a specific date]
• He supports benchmarks [events that need to happen without specific dates]
• Reconciliation
• Training of Iraqi forces
• Much political rhetoric followed. Your recorder rested.

Louis assured the group that Mr. Larsen is working on written responses to the questions we hand delivered to his Bellingham office on October 20. Read the rest of this entry »