Colorado AIM: Trial of Columbus Day protesters to begin

Haven't been able to find another word about it, but in a May 27 post, the Colorado American Indian Movement blog said the trial of the remaining 80 protesters arrested at last year's Columbus Day parade was to begin the next day. (If you remember, and even if you don't, three protest ringleaders, including Glenn Morris, were convicted earlier this year of obstruction or something revolutionary like that.) No update of AIM's post, so the trial might well have been postponed again, but here's the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Denver’s Ultimate Persecution of Columbus Day Resisters Begins Tomorrow

Vindictive Trial of the Elderly and Disabled Shows City’s True Colors

There's that idiot meme Benjie and R68 have been pushing: the elderly and disabled (and children) endangered by rampaging cops.

On Wednesday morning, May 28, at 8:30am, in Courtroom 117M in the City and County Building, 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, the City of Denver will begin its final round of prosecutions of the 83 Columbus Day protesters, who were arrested on October 6, 2007.

In the final drama of arrests and trials, that Colorado AIM estimates have cost the city over $1 million [cheap at twice the price!], the City will embark on its most mean-spirited and cynical prosecutions to date. Wednesday’s case involves the persecution of:

• a 67-year-old American Indian elder, who is a diabetic amputee, and was arrested in her wheelchair the day of the protest (Irma Little)

• a 60-year-old European-American man, who was former Controller for the State of Colorado, and is a retired lawyer, professor and minister (Dan Whittemore)

• a 32-year-old, blind, Italian-American man who stood in solidarity with American Indians against the racism of the Columbus Day Parade (Nicholas Delmonico)

• a 63-year-old, European-American teacher who has protested the Columbus Day holiday, in an attempt to educate the Colorado public, for the past fifteen years. (Katherine “Kate” Goodspeed)

For my furriner readers (hi, Caz!), I should explain that in the U.S., leftists over age 60 are immune from arrest when taking part in otherwise unlawful protests. Moreover, according to the Whitmer-Wart-Recreate68 definition of "self-defense," younger, able-bodied protesters who witness such illegal arrests are within their constitutional and moral rights to physically attack the law enforcement persons doing the arresting. The release continues:

The prosecution of this group of social justice advocates is more evidence that the administration of Mayor John Hickenlooper, and the office of City Attorney David Fine, are not interested in the pursuit of justice, and are not interested in a principled resolution of the annual Columbus Day conflict in the streets of Denver. They are interested in the vindictive assertion of their power, through arbitrary arrests and prosecutions of peaceful dissenters. The City has admitted in these trials that it intends to set an example for future protests, including this summer’s Democratic National Convention.

And may they, with the aid of an intelligent jury, do just that.

The defense will be led by noted Denver attorneys Lonn Heymann of the law firm of Rosenthal and Heymann, and Qusair Mohamedbhai of the law firm of Killmer, Lane & Newman.

I'll utilize my extensive network of media connections to see if I can find out what, if anything, happened with the trial, but meanwhile: hey AIM (or Ward or Benjie)--what, if anything, happened with the trial?

Update: Confidential to Charley Arthur: you're right, I do take some of what AIM says as "entirely accurate." For example, I believe they were entirely accurate in saying the protesters' trial was set to start May 28. They had no reason to lie about it; in fact, good reason to tell the truth. Everything else in the press release, of course, is ridiculous bullshit.