Environmentalists’ $100,000 Bail for Civil Disobedience

by Will Potter on May 21, 2010

in Terrorism Court Cases

There is a bail reduction hearing this morning for two environmental activists who protested mountain-top removal coal mining and had their bail set at $100,000.

EmmaKate Martin and Benjamin Bryant took part in non-violent civil disobedience to blockade Massey Energy’s regional headquarters in Boone County, W.Va. They were charged with four non-violent misdemeanor charges of trespassing, obstructing an officer, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, and littering.

As Climate Ground Zero notes, violent criminals have had their bail set much lower:

This type of disproportionate response to non-violent activism isn’t an isolated instance. For example, when activists were arrested in their non-violent campaign against the I-69 highway project, the government argued for a high bond by saying that one of the defendants, Hugh Farrell, “advocated literature and materials which advocate anarchy.”

And as we have seen time and again on this site, environmental activists are hit with significantly higher sentences than apolitical, violent offenders. (See: “Environmentalist Sentenced to 21 Years as a “Terrorist”; Violent Racists Receive Half That.“)

I’ll keep you posted later today on the outcome of the hearing.

UPDATE:

Today after Magistrate Snodgrass reduced the bail to a still exorbitant $50,000 with a $25,000 property option, an emergency hearing in Circuit Court was scheduled for 4pm. Judge Willie Thompson reduced the bail to $2500 each. In addition, Martin and Bryant received a deal of 5 days time-served and 55 days community service, along with the condition that they remain on house arrest for the 55 days, leaving only for community service hours. Bryant took the deal and will be getting out of jail Monday. EmmaKate did not immediately take the deal but has until Wednesday to decide.

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  • http://www.goodsearch.com matt

    littering is a misdemeaner, but coal ash in the water is ignored?

  • kwertie

    Coal is king, or rather coal companies, in West Virginia, as long as conservatives are in charge. Get them out or get used to it.

  • the Reen

    It was careful planning to have the magistrate set it so high as this is what grabs attention then public interest in the story. Thankyou court system one up for the greens Dah!

  • Johnny Appleseed

    Unfortunately kwerty, it doesn't matter what political party holds the reins, it's money that matters. Check out this article on one of Obama's
    appointees. Big Brother would be proud.
    http://rawstory.com/2010/01/obama-staffer-infil…

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  • Massey

    Tsk, tsk, tsk, imagine people accusing a judge in West Virginia of schilling for a coal company, now I've heard everything; }

  • http://www.greenisthenewred.com Will Potter

    Ha ha. I'd NEVER suggest such a thing!

  • http://globalglassonion.blogspot.com/ rjs0

    nothing new here…same disproportionate bonds were set for anti-war poets who used 4 letter words in public in the 60s…

  • Cozmicseer

    What a bunch of political prostitutes to the coal industry. These people are no better than the mafia and Snodgrass along with the legal people involved in this deserve to have their citizenship revoked and told that if they come back to America, they will receive the death sentence. I hope they sue the hell out of the county and those involved.

  • QuadSlacker

    Watch as the public interest snowballs, then promptly melts into the West Virginia foothills. Be amazed at the inaction. Really, it would take an environmental catastrophe of unprecedented magnitude to get any meaningful legislation passed THIS YEAR. And after January 2011, you can forget about it.

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  • Bill

    That's the American justice system for you. Do they even want the next generation to believe in America? Do these judges think we don't see what they do in broad daylight? I guess with everyone watching American Idol and Lost, this sort of thing really does slip by 99% of the population.

    At least there's no wind turbines on Coal River Mountain. Blowing up mountains and killing employees through criminal negligence is business as usual. But wind turbines, in the viewshed?! Shield the children's eyes!

  • MagnusTheDestroyer

    Fascist America showing its true colors.

  • Bill

    Yeah really. I can just imagine one of the kids dropping a bag of doritos which is carried by the wind and deposited in the middle of a frickin billion gallon lake of toxic coal sludge. an officer paddles out to retrieve the bag and, bringing it back, confronts the perpetrator: “Do you know what the penalty is for littering?” “Well, using that gratuitous display of wanton corporate sociopathic behavior right behind you as a reference, I would guess it would be about… mmm… zero dollars?”

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  • tim34994

    Seems to me that all magiststrates and judges in coal country would be biased against an environmental crusdader. After all the coal is what supports their little 19th century fiefdoms.

  • sharonsj

    And where is Jay Rockefeller while all this goes on? Talk about incumbents bending over for the corporations….

  • NoOneYouKnow

    I'm sure Magistrate Snodgrass will be receiving a special tip of the hat from Massey and Blankenship for being their good little enforcer.

  • http://freedomsphoenix.com Fascist Nation

    Punishment before trial…kind of makes it harder to defend against the state too with no money versus the resources of the omnipotent state.

    R U paying attention?

  • http://historyindeed.com HIStory Indeed

    See, they don't mind so much when we're fighting with each other, it's when we get in the way of “their” progress they have have come down hard.

    The system protects itself, not us. Do you get it yet…

  • samba

    These guys should immediately file federal charges,for Conspiracy to Vilolate Civil Rights against the whole “justice” system in that county

  • Talis

    So Gov Perry of Texas talks sedition and nothing happens? Get the corps out of our government and legal system.

  • Scott

    This is not a problem of Conservatives or Liberals, its Corporatism in bed with 'the law'. We need to out this judge.

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