On July 12, 2010, Judge Whyte ruled to dismiss without prejudice the indictment of the AETA4 because the indictment does not specify the criminal conduct alleged to have been committed by the four defendants. The government still has the option to re-indict if they wish.

The scheduled July 19 court appearance of the AETA4 has therefore been canceled. We’ll keep everyone posted as soon as we have any developments in the case.

The legal battle is not over! The government still has the option to re-indict. Donations are still needed to help cover the legal fees!

If you’d like to donate to the AETA 4 Defense Fund, you can send check or money order to:

The AETA Defense Fund
PO Box 99162
Emeryville, CA 94662

Or through PayPal by sending the donation to support@aeta4.org

All funds go directly towards the costly legal battle of the defendants.

For all media requests, please email support@aeta4.org

The government filed their responses to the defense motions today. In addition to their responses to motions to suppress several illegal searches, they filed:

Response to defense motion to dismiss and for a bill of particulars:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/05/21/18648554.php

Response to defense motion for a determination of the scope of relevant evidence and for jury instructions:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/05/21/18648553.php

Defense attorneys today filed a motion for a bill of particulars. The motion can be downloaded at:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/05/01/18646326.php

AETA4 defendant Adriana Stumpo’s attorneys filed a motion for jury instructions and for a determination of the scope of relevant evidence for trial. The motion can be downloaded and read at:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/05/01/18646347.php

AETA4 defendant Adriana Stumpo’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss. The motion can be downloaded at:

http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/149150/index.php

Robert Bloom, attorney for AETA4 defendant Joseph Buddenberg, filed a motion to dismiss the indictment today. The motion argues that the indictment is vague and inadequate, in that it does not alert the accused to the crimes alleged to have been committed. This fact violates the U.S. constitution. The motion can be read at:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/04/19/18645116.php

Today, the government provided the defense with the Bill of Particulars, a formal statement of the accusations against the AETA4. To read, visit:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/04/09/18644223.php

Below is the call for a weekend of support for the AETA4. Get in touch with the support team at the contact info below if you’re interested in organizing an event. :

“February 19-20, 2010 marks the one year anniversary of the arrests of Joseph Buddenberg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope, and Adriana Stumpo — now collectively known as the AETA4.

The arrests of the AETA4 mark a dramatic escalation in the federal government’s continued war on dissent, and more particularly, animal rights and environmental activism. They are being prosecuted based on
allegations of political activities such as demonstrations and leafleting. Their arrests marked the first under the Bush Administration’s controversial Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, signed into law in 2006.

The AETA statute was introduced at the behest of wealthy biomedical and agri-business industry front groups. It passed with inadequate notice, and with only a handful of Congresspersons present for the vote.

To mark this symbolic occasion and to provide them with the much-needed moral and financial support as they continue to await a trumped-up federal trial, we’re calling for the weekend of February 19-21, 2010 to be a weekend of support for the AETA4. We’re calling on concerned activists, groups, and collectives to organize benefit events in their city for the legal fund of the four.

Please get in touch with the support team at support AT AETA4 DOT org if interested in planning an event, or with any other inquiries you may have.

A support flier can be downloaded/printed out for distribution at:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/09/18631943.php

And if you can’t organize/make it to an event, please consider donating to the legal defense fund.”