Judge throws out ship-boarding charges against Greenpeace

CATHERINE WILSON
Associated Press

MIAMI - A judge Wednesday threw out federal charges against Greenpeace for a protest targeting a cargo ship carrying 70 tons of Amazon mahogany, but warned the environmental group about any future boardings.

In the nation's first federal indictment targeting an advocacy group for its protest tactics, Greenpeace was charged under an 1872 law - not used in more than a century - that was intended to keep bawdy houses from luring sailors off inbound ships with offers of prostitutes, strong drink and warm beds.

U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan ruled after the prosecution rested that there was not enough evidence for the case to go to the jury.

Greenpeace claimed the charges were payback for its criticism of what the group said is lax Bush administration enforcement of international restrictions on mahogany trade. The lucrative Brazilian wood was later unloaded in Charleston, S.C.

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http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/8706254.htm

"sailor mandering" anyone??

what a crock Ashcroft is

Wed 19 May 2004
UNITED STATES/Miami, Florida

In a stunning setback to the Bush administration's attempt to shut down Greenpeace, a Federal Judge in Miami has dismissed the government's case against us for exposing illegal mahogany shipments.

Judge Adalberto Jordan cited insufficient evidence in dismissing the case. Upon granting a jury trial last month, he expressed doubts about the Justice Department's ability to prevail against Greenpeace's claim that the criminal statute involved is unfairly vague. "It is not a good sign," he wrote, "when the government resorts to defining a phrase by repeating the phrase itself."

The prosecution was widely criticized as an attempt to silence Greenpeace. Al Gore called the case "highly disturbing" and Senator Patrick Leahy warned that a successful prosecution would "have a chiling effect on free speech and activism of all kinds."

http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=479599

I couldn't find a single CNN article on it. Had to go to greenpeace.org.