Plea Bargain

Accused “Animal Enterprise Terrorist” Scott DeMuth Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charge

Scott DeMuth pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge for releasing ferrets from a Minnesota farm. As part of the deal, he will no longer be charged with conspiracy to commit “animal enterprise terrorism” in relation to a University of Iowa Animal Liberation Front raid.

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B.J. Viehl Pleads Guilty to ALF Fur Farm Raid

B.J. Viehl has changed his plea to guilty and admitted releasing hundreds of mink from a Utah fur farm as part of an Animal Liberation Front raid. Viehl and his codefendant, Alex Hall, were charged under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. He now faces up to 5 years in prison. Alex Hall is still taking [...]

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Snitch Hunt

After reading the federal complaint for the arrest of animal rights activists on Animal Enterprise Terrorism charges, which I wrote about yesterday, this case still doesn’t add up. Some of you have posted comments that if these activists had actually assaulted someone, or if there was an imminent threat of violence, they would have been [...]

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The Government’s 7-Step Process for Convicting Environmentalists as Terrorists

Despite my deep-seated distaste for all things Baltimore (my apologies to folks in Bawlmor, but your town and I don’t seem to get along), I’ve been watching HBO’s The Wire on Netflix. The series—created by David Simon, a 13-year-veteran of the The Baltimore Sun—is structured so that each episode is a small piece in a [...]

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Feds Hope to Set an Example With “Eco-terrorist” Who Refused to Snitch: Marie Mason Faces 20 Years

Before Marie Mason ever set foot in the courtroom, before the ink on her indictment had even dried, the government was smearing her as a “terrorist.” At a press conference announcing her arrest, an FBI agent said “domestic terrorism is a top priority of the FBI.” A police chief called the 1999 Earth Liberation Front [...]

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Tre Arrow Accepts Plea Deal

Blessings to all of you. Perhaps you’ve heard that I’m set to take a plea bargain on June 3rd. In the aftermath of Briana Waters’ and Eric McDavid’s trials, I have weighed the options and decided that i don’t want to take the risk of potentially being convicted and spending the rest of my life [...]

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How the FBI Used “Anna” the Informant to Entrap Eric McDavid and other Environmentalists as “Terrorists”

The FBI paid a young woman, known as “Anna,” to befriend environmentalists Eric McDavid, Lauren Weiner, and Zachary Jenson and pressure them into illegal activity.

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“Cooperator,” “Snitch,” or Something Else?

Darren Thurston’s support committee has posted an open letter responding to what seems to be widespread condemnation by other activists that Thurston and others “snitched,” or cooperated with the government (as opposed to the non-cooperating defendants), in hopes of receiving reduced sentences in the Operation Backfire cases. Here’s an excerpt, or also take a look [...]

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“Operation Backfire” Plea Bargains: Admission of Guilt, or a Survival Strategy?

Two more Green Scare defendants pleaded guilty this week to involvement in property crimes claimed by the Earth Liberation Front, including a 2001 arson at the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture. In return for the pleas, and for cooperating with the Feds in a broader investigation, Lacey Phillabaum and Jennifer Kolar received significantly [...]

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