Tag Archives: trial

Jury finds two protesters guilty of trespass during pipeline construction

October 24, 2017 by Emma Schmit
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Link to original article: http://thegraphic-advocate.com/content/jury-finds-two-protesters-guilty-trespass-during-pipeline-construction Coverage by The Graphic-Advocate, Rockwell City, Iowa, October 24, 2017 A six-person jury deliberated more than two hours Thursday evening before finding a Rockwell City woman and an Omaha man guilty of trespassing on a pipeline construction easement. Emma Schmit, of Rockwell City, and Tosun Mahmud Fitil, of Omaha, said they were disappointed with the verdict, which their attorney plans to appeal. “This is a clear case of the 1 percent versus the 99 percent,” Schmit said, referring to descriptions Continue reading →

Pipeline protester convicted of trespassing

October 4, 2017 by Emma Schmit
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Link to original article: http://thegraphic-advocate.com/content/pipeline-protester-convicted-trespassing Coverage by The Graphic-Advocate, Rockwell City, Iowa, October, 4, 2017 A second person who was arrested last fall for protesting the Dakota Access pipeline has been convicted of trespassing on the work site. A jury convicted Kriss Wells, 65, of Minneapolis, on the misdemeanor charge after a brief deliberation. Five witnesses, including Wells, took the stand in the trial – three were law enforcement officers who testified about how Wells stepped on to the disturbed soil within Dakota Access pipeline’s Continue reading →

Dakota Access Pipeline protester found guilty: Court takes judicial notice of DNR position on climate change

July 7, 2017 by Emma Schmit
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Link to original article: http://www.messengernews.net/news/local-news/2017/07/dakota-access-pipeline-protester-found-guilty/ Coverage by The Fort Dodge Messenger, Fort Dodge, Iowa, July 7, 2017 A pipeline protester has been found guilty of trespassing after a jury trial in Calhoun County Thursday. Heather Pearson, of Logan, was one of the protesters who entered land being worked on by Dakota Access LLC on Oct. 29, 2016, as the company was building an oil pipeline across four states, including Iowa. Although she admitted being on the land, Pearson and her defense attorneys claimed she was Continue reading →