Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

December 19, 2016

Standing Rock 10 Trial Granted Continuance until January, 2017


Courtroom sketches
Malia Hulleman outside court '
In Morton County Court today, in Mandan, North Dakota, the motion for continuance was granted for ten water protectors scheduled to go on trial today. A new trial scheduled for Jan. 31, 2017.

Prosecutor Ladd Ericksen, Asst. Staff Attorney; District Judge Cynthia Feland; and Malice Hulleman and Defense Counsel.




Before court began today, Water Protectors Legal Collective released this statement:
Water Protectors Headed to Court Continue to Assert Indigenous Sovereignty. Ten Defendants face first trial in spite of gross Constitutional violations.
Water Protector Legal Collective
Contact: Angela Bibens

www.waterprotectorlegal.org
Mandan, ND: The first trial of those charged in the resistance to construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) begins on Monday, December 19 in Morton County, North Dakota. Monday's trial is the first of multiple jury trials scheduled to occur during the last two weeks of December; all of the accusations stem from police response to the global outpouring of support for the resistance based out of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation and treaty territory. To date police have arrested more than 550 Water Protectors during incidents of prayer and disruption of the DAPL construction, and trials are scheduled to continue through the spring.
The Water Protectors scheduled for trial remain firm in their defense of the Standing Rock Sioux tribal sovereignty and the tribe’s desire to prevent the construction of DAPL on sacred land set aside for the Sioux by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. The Water Protectors’ actions arose in response to neglect by corporate, federal and state institutions of Standing Rock's right to self-determination.
To date the Morton County courts have denied requests made by Water Protectors that the courts recognize the Water Protectors’ actions as protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of religion and religious practice, and right to free assembly. The Morton County court has engaged in potential violations of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel through a pattern and practice of delayed appointment of defense attorneys for the Water Protectors until the eve of trial.
Last week Assistant State’s Attorney Ladd Erikson asked the Morton County District Court enter an order to prevent the accused or their attorneys from talking to the jury about issues of indigenous sovereignty and land rights during trial. The resistance to DAPL has garnered worldwide attention and support. In a request about evidence allowed to be presented at the first trial Erikson writes, “There is no relevance to any testimony or evidence regarding: Historical treaties between the U.S. Government and the Sioux Nation; [or] tribal sovereignty…”
“Erikson’s invisiblization of the genocide of the Indigenous people of this land cuts to heart of why DAPL chose this site to build and why thousands of Indigenous people and their Allies from around the world have felt compelled to resist.” Said Paul Estate, a supporter of the Water Protectors.
Angela Bibens of The Water Protector Legal Collective discusses North Dakota Prosecutor Ladd Erickson's Motions Against Water Protectors:www.vimeo.com/196233250
The Water Protector Legal Collective is the on-the-ground legal support team at the encampment adjacent to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, formed in opposition to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

RE DAPL and ETP.
Today it has been confirmed the Sunnoco is acquiring ETP.
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"Energy Transfer Partners

The S-4 has been filed for the Sunoco Logistics Partners (NYSE:SXL) acquisition of Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP)."
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What does this mean in respect to the USACE order and the requirement for a full EIS as ETP were the Original Applicants for the DAPL project through Enbridge in Canada. Sunnoco is a full US based company and originally was "SUN Oil"!

waterislife said...

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Artic & Antartic Ice
continues to
melt Disintegrate VANISH

due to increase in
Global
WORLDWIDE
Entire Earth
temperature.

Climate EMERGENCY.

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CLIMATE EMERGENCY:
EXTREME WEATHER WARNING!

What to expect:
Droughts; Floods.
Very Hot; Very Cold
High Winds; Raging Fires

Plants, Animals, Fish, Birds, Humans,
NEED HELP

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This is a message from the
Climate Emergency Alert.

Water Carriers, Water Protectors,
Water Healers
Have come to the Turtle Island
River, Missouri.
Not savages, not destructive, not criminals, not suicidal, not protesters,
(don't prosecute or blame the messengers)

CLIMATE EMERGENCY: WATER is NECESSARY for LIFE!

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP in NORTH DAKOTA REFUSES to come to the AID of the PEOPLE & EARTH.

This is a message from the EMERGENCY ALERT WATER COMMUNICATIONS,
B4 the internet is shut down & schools are only for the 1%.

POLLUTION IS DESTRUCTIVE.

The children of the politicians/business have to sue their own parents for poisoning their environment.

Solutions are possible.
RENEWABLE ENERGY is POSSIBLE.