Update after the second pretrial hearing

By Skip Schiel, written on September 17, 2005

At our second pretrial hearing (September 15th)—I was excused from attending because of my travels to California—there were no real conclusions. The prosecutor, acting under the direction of the city of Cambridge, insisted on maximum penalties. The city has not yet completely complied with our American Civil Liberties Union lawyers’ motions of discovery, to disclose information about the arrangements the city made to host the US Army in what many of us believe was a major recruitment effort. Also we wish to know what long term agreements were made between the city and the Army.

We have another hearing on October 27th at the Middlesex County Court House in Cambridge. We hope then to resolve most of the procedural details and set a trial date if needed. We still think this might lead to a jury trial, with a possible lawsuit against the city for curtailing First Amendment rights to publicly dissent from governmental policy.

Meanwhile, thanks to Cindy Sheehan and the Iraq Veterans Against the War, United for Justice with Peace, Military Families Against the War, and other groups, hundreds of people cleansed the Cambridge Common of the ill activities of June 12, 2005 (when the Army came to Cambridge). On their way to Washington for the rally, march and lobbying on Sept 24th, they stopped over in the Boston area. They camped on the Common.

My earlier writing and photography on this topic

Current events on the Common

United for Justice with Peace

American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts