by Diane Hughes
August 29, 2006
On 8/25, we attended our second court hearing for the criminal trespass to property charge at the Military Entrance Processing Center at Great Lakes Naval Base on July 5. At that time, Jeff Leys, Cey Mooney and I entered the Base parking lot to read the names of US soldiers and Iraqi civilians who have died in the Iraq War Missing from the court scene was Mike Ferner, held in Ohio at the insistence of his by-the-book probation officer from another anti-war related charge. Although Mike had not intended to cross the line, the GLNB police had a different interpretation of his nearby presence. At this court appearance, his case was incorporated with our charges.
Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Hannigan offerred us a year’s court supervision (no nonviolent civil disobedience — or even traffic violations — for a year), forty hours of community service and court costs in exchange for a guilty plea. Jeff and Cey declined the offer, though Cey did make a counter offer which wasn’t accepted.
Weighing my options and not being comfortable pleading guilty, I asked for consideration of a stipulation of the facts of the case, otherwise known as the Alfred plea. That meant I would enter a plea of not guilty, but agreeing to the facts of the act of tresspass. The judge found me guilty of tresspass. Through this plea I was able to make a statement for the purpose of my action, in which described my philosophical and spiritual background for the action, conveyed the seriousness of the ongoing war in Iraq; the loss of lives - both US soldiers and Iraqi civilians - and resources; and that continued losses call for individual citizens like me to take such action as I did. Then I was sentenced to court supervision, thirty hours of community service in my work as a parish nurse at St. Joseph Church in Springfield, a $100 fine and court costs. When I complete this sentence, the conviction will be removed from the books.
My reasoning for taking this alternative was that a disposition of my case would allow me to participate in future nonviolent civil disobedience at the earliest possible time. Continuing with the court case, which could go on for a year, would have delayed this opportunity; and if I were found guilty, whatever sentence I receive might further delay involvement in future actions and reduce my involement in local peace and justice work.
Finding relief from that decision, I continue in solidarity with my brothers in the 7/5 action I plan to travel to Waukegan for the next court date on 10/11 to support Jeff and Cey who, for now, intend to continue on for jury trial.
