This Country Must Change>/b>” width=”360″ height=”360″ />This Country Must Change
This month, Arissa Media Group released This Country Must Change – Essays on the Necessity of Revolution in the USA, a collection of essays featuring pieces by two current animal liberation prisoners: Jacob Conroy and Johnathan Paul.
Preview the book here.
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In even more Utah news, on July 16th, accused mink liberator Alex Hall had his bail revoked and was taken into custody. Police allege they found a “weapon” in his vehicle during a search, in violation of his bail conditions (which disallow possessing weapons). In the past, people facing trial in politicized cases have had their bail revoked for “weapons” such as kitchen knives in their bedrooms.
Alex has been placed in the same cell block as his co-defendant, William “BJ” Viehl. While seemingly a stroke of good fortune, it is a page from the FBI’s very old playbook to place co-defendants in jail together in the pre-trial phase, in what is an easily monitored environment, so as to listen to what is said between them to build a case for trial. While it is assumed BJ and Alex have nothing to say which could be incriminating, both their placement together and the back-to-back timing of the arrests have aroused suspicion among activists that there is an agenda behind these bail revocations.
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Citing bail condition violations, BJ Viehl has been taken back into custody by the US Marshalls and will likely be held until trial.
Prosecutors alledge BJ violated bail conditions (which call for no contact with anyone in the Animal Liberation Front or straight edge) by corresponding with animal and earth liberation prisoners. The judge also took objection to shirts made to raise funds for BJ and his Co-defendant Alex Hall (view / buy the shirt here). Prosecuters asserted the shirts “mocked” the court and the defendant’s bail conditions.
BJ says he is receiving vegan food, and his spirits are high.
Alex Hall and William “BJ” Viehl have been charged federally with one mink release and one attempted mink release in Utah late last year.
Background information: BJ and Alex Support Page.
After serving 3.5 months for contempt after refusing to answer questions at a grand jury investigating A.L.F. activity in Utah, Jordan Halliday has been released from federal custody.
The good news brings with it the bad: Jordan has now been formally indicted for criminal contempt, a charge which brings with it no maximum sentence. He has been released on bail, with the conditions that he not associate with the “Animal Liberation Front” and anyone “straight edge”. Translated, this means Jordan can have no contact with people the identity of whom no one knows, and anyone who does not drink or use drugs. This is identical in language and absurdity to the bail conditions of BJ & Alex, indicted in Utah for alleged participation in A.L.F.-claimed mink releases. (more…)
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Two U.S. activists facing charges for one mink release and one attempted mink release in Utah are in serious need of donations. As the date closes in on their trial, supporters of the two have announced they are down to the last $2,000 needed to retail a competent attorney to defend them against the zeal of federal prosecutors and a potential 5 year prison term.
Case background and donation info:
http://http://www.supportbjandalex.com/
http://www.myspace.com/supportbjandalex
Jordan Halliday
What follows is an account from an attendee of grand jury resister Jordan Halliday’s recent court hearing. Jordan is being held in contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating mink releases from farms in Utah. Jordan remains in jail.
Background info, news on Jordan’s imprisonment, and the jail address to write him can be found at:
Court date report from an activist in Utah:
“Today I and around 20 other activists attended Jordan Halliday’s
hearing regarding his Grumbles motion. (more…)
Alex Hall” width=”268″ height=”220″ />
