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Nato 3

Last Incarcerated NATO 3 Member May Die In Prison

January 24, 2016 Kevin Gosztola, www.shadowproof.com , , ,
By Kevin Gosztola for Shadowproof. Jared Chase is the last member of the “NATO 3,” who remains in prison. Chase suffers from Huntington’s disease and faces additional charges for alleged aggravated battery against a prison guard. He is set to go on trial in April. Chase, Brian Jacob Church and Brent Betterly came to Chicago in May 2012 for protests against NATO. They became known as the “NATO 3” after they were targeted by undercover Chicago police and arrested on May 16. The state of Illinois accused the “NATO 3” of making explosives. On February 7, 2014, after a lengthy trial in which the key role of undercover cops became even more apparent, a jury acquitted the “NATO 3” of all terrorism charges. But they were found guilty of arson-related offenses and “mob action” charges. Betterly, who was released from prison in April 2015, was last with Chase while they were beat up by guards during their arrival at the Stateville prison’s receiving center. During a recent pretrial hearing on December 7, 2015, Chase showed up to court with a black eye and a swollen face. Betterly said he’s lost a considerable amount of weight, perhaps fifty pounds.

Harsh Sentences For NATO 3

April 27, 2014 Kevin Gosztola, www.dissenter.firedoglake.com ,
The “NATO 3″ were sentenced by a judge today for mob action and possession of an incendiary device with intent to commit arson offenses. They each were given prison sentences, but they were much shorter than what prosecutors from the state of Illinois wanted. Brian Jacob Church, Brent Betterly and Jared Chase, came to Chicago for protests at the NATO summit at the end of April in 2012. They were targeted by undercover police and arrested for their alleged involvement in making Molotov cocktails late in the evening on May 16, 2012. They were labeled terrorists by the State’s Attorney Office in a criminal complaint that was a fantasy of radical terror. On February 7, after a rather lengthy trial,a jury found the the three men not guilty of all state terrorism charges including material support for terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possession and manufacturing of an incendiary device with the intent to commit terrorism.

Defense Puts Government On Trial In NATO 3 Case

January 31, 2014 Kevin Gosztola, www.dissenter.firedoglake.com , ,
Prosecutors from the state of Illinois are deeply bothered by defense attorneys’ focus on police conduct in the criminal investigation into the “NATO 3″ and the surveillance operation conducted prior to targeting the defendants. It would seem the prosecutors’ panic is a reaction to media coverage and commentary on the trial and not merely what effect it could have on the jury. The media has been focusing on police tactics, which have been the subject of defense cross-examinations of witnesses. The Chicago Tribune’s Eric Zorn wrote that the “NATO 3″ might be “three stooges.” He added, “The picture that’s emerging from the coverage is of a trio of inept stoners with inchoate violent impulses and delusions of grandeur and feck who were egged on by undercover cops and then grossly overcharged by an overheated state’s attorney’s office.” “So far I’ve seen no evidence of the menace and scheming implicit in the charge of terrorism,” Zorn added.

What I Learned About Obama’s Surveillance State at the NATO3 Show Trial

January 24, 2014 Joe Scarry, comehomeamerica.wordpress.com , ,
OK, we’re getting used to our government conducting their affairs in secret. (By the way, that is one of the bizarre features of a “show trial” — it is conducted for maximum publicity but there is nothing truly “public” about it.) Under our increasingly secret-driven government, the people get to see NOTHING about the conduct of the government. On the other hand, the government sees EVERYTHING about us. And so, if just one shred of truth manages to get into the public view as a result of this trial, it should be the way surveillance was used by the Obama administration against the Occupy movement.

Why Is Illinois Putting ‘NATO 3′ On Trial For Terror?

January 23, 2014 Kevin Gosztola, www.dissenter.firedoglake.com ,
Unfortunately for the defense, the judge denied a motion to prohibit the state from using these charged words, which could be used to instill fear in jurors. The state prosecutors sought to prohibit the defense from arguing at trial that the “NATO 3″ were victims of vindictive prosecution. They also sought to preclude the defense from arguing an entrapment defense. The judge granted the motion to prohibit arguments that the three were being vindictively or even selectively prosecuted while allowing an entrapment defense. Last week, it became clear that the court would be limiting public access to the trial. “Spectators” or members of the public were informed that they would have to go to the courthouse on Friday if they expected to attend the first day of the trial on Tuesday.

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