You may have heard about the climate activists who had charges and a trial pending over obstruction of commerce by blocking a coal barge to the Brayton Point electric power plant with a lobster boat? Well the DA just caved, and announced he drank the kool-aid, and is going on the climate march. Video follows
From WBGH Boston:
It was intended to be a show trial, with climate scientist-turned-activist James Hansen and 350.org founder Bill McKibben both slated to testify. Ward and O’Hara planned a necessity defense, arguing that climate change presented such a crisis – and federal climate action was so inadequate – that they had no alternative but to place their lobster boat between the barge and the power plant. Whether or not the defense was successful, it would be a statement.
Instead, Bristol County District Attorney Samuel Sutter made a surprise appearance in court Monday morning with a statement of his own. Sutter announced that his office was dropping all criminal charges, and that he, himself, would be attending the People’s Climate March in New York City later this month. He called climate change “one of the gravest crises of our time.”
Ward and O’Hara still face civil charges.
And from The Nation:
And what happened, the truly remarkable thing, was this: the prosecutor, Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, not only dropped the charges (which could have resulted in months, or even years, of jail time), he then proceeded out to the courthouse plaza where he made a statement to the media and to the hundred or more people gathered in support of Ken and Jay. Here’s what he said:
The decision that Assistant District Attorney Robert Kidd and I reached today was a decision that certainly took into consideration the cost to the taxpayers in Somerset, but was also made with our concerns for their children, and the children of Bristol County and beyond in mind.
Climate change is one of the gravest crises our planet has ever faced. In my humble opinion, the political leadership on this issue has been gravely lacking. I am heartened that we were able to forge an agreement that both parties were pleased with and that appeared to satisfy the police and those here in sympathy with the individuals who were charged.
I am also extremely pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that symbolizes our commitment at the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office to take a leadership role on this issue.
Source: http://bristolda.com/2014/09/statement-on-the-disposition-of-the-brayton-point-protest-case/
Another victim of noble cause corruption: Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter website: http://bristolda.com/
The definition of noble cause corruption is:
Noble Cause Corruption is a mindset or sub-culture which fosters a belief that the ends justify the means.
– source: Public Agency Training Council
A recent tweet says its something they feel strongly about:
https://twitter.com/NJRob973/status/509160517865570304
![LadyJusticeImage[1]](https://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/ladyjusticeimage1.jpg?quality=83)
Lady Justice was forced to take her blindfold off by this action:
Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favour, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and impartiality.
This was how the 14th amendment came about, when law enforcement officials would not prosecute racial crimes committed in the south.
Article VI requires that “all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution”. So this DA has, by this statement, arguably tendered his resignation from his office, since he is asserting that he will not be bound to his duties under the 14th Amendment. Someone should accept his resignation, on behalf of the people.
I do hope the voters remember that he discarded the law in favor of his own beliefs when it comes time for re-election.
h/t to WUWT reader Tom McClellan
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Leading by Obama’s example. Enforcing only the laws he personally approves of, or exempting from the laws whomever he wants.
Yes. This is corruption of the worst sort. The deliberate, arrogant flouting of the law, the oath of office, and ethics.
The Rule of Law is not perfect, but it is to be preferred over the ‘law’ of Rulers.
When rulers hold themselves above the law (and are permitted to persist in this by their ‘subjects’), not only do we lose the Rule of Law, but we start down the authoritarian high road to tyranny where the laws have no importance compared to the whims of self-important egomaniacal rulers.
Living in MA is so embarrassing
Come on down. We have jobs in Texas. Those that the Californian transplants haven’t beat you to…
I think this DA is a Nam Nutter…..!
Look at the bright side – Hansen et al have been deprived of their show trial and a good deal of PR at the public expense. The march to wherever was going to take place anyway and now will get even less attention.
Remove him!
So for at least the next 3 generations you have documented proof for corrupted, biased representativs of ‘LAW’.
Dont let this sword get rusted.
Hans
course the feds won’t enforce the blocking waterways laws on this one either.
Apparently, it is all about POLITICS, at least according to the NYTs:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/us/charges-dropped-against-climate-activists.html?_r=0
District Attorney is an elected position. He’s thinking about the big money donors he will lose if he follows through with actually enforcing the law.
Hey, wait a darn minute! I thought the big money was from the climate-change-d-word industrial-complex! What the heck is going on here?
I sent the following email to Sutter’s email contact person, ashley.l.bendiksen@state.ma.us, and asked her to forward it to District Attorney Sutter:
I am pretty sure that refusing to prosecute a crime based on your political beliefs or the political beliefs of the perpetrators is grounds to dismiss a DA in every single state in the union.
If your legal justice system is controlled by a political persuasion bent on using it to destroy their political enemies, you are living in troubled times. Armed insurrection will no doubt follow.
Bob, there was a time I was sure it was an impeachable offense to launch a war without Congressional authorization, or use the IRS to intimidate political opponents or to let an American ambassador be killed because the events on the ground didn’t match the president’s reelection store line.
by the same logic, me and my trusty cutoff saw can wreak havoc on some nearby eagle shredders/wind turbines.Timber!
Jeez what a jizzweasel (Sam Sutter)
Odd … if this was intended to be a show trial, why did the fervent DA louse up the show trial by dropping the charges?
The end result seems to be less publicity for the cause, and less credibility for the DA’s office. How is that a win for McKibben et al.?
What????? Bristol County District Attorney Samuel Sutter made a surprise appearance in court Monday morning with a statement of his own… that his office was dropping all criminal charges, and that he, himself, would be attending the People’s Climate March in New York City later this month????????
What an intolerable blatant conflict of interest!!!!!! I cannot believe this sort of behaviour is tolerated in the US.
Why hasn’ this man been stood down from his position for gross derelict of his legal duty… to remain impartial, objective and non-partisan?