Tucson jury refuses to criminalize humanitarian aid -- Judge announces hung jury in Scott Warren trial
Tucson jury refuses to criminalize humanitarian aid
By Brenda Norrell Censored News
TUCSON -- Dr. Scott Warren thanked his family, supporters and attorneys after the judge announced a hung jury in his case on Tuesday. Warren urged support for migrants and refugees, as communities continue to face militarization in border communities. "I love you all," Warren said, after the jury did not convict him.
"Today it remains as necessary as ever for local residents and humanitarian aid volunteers to stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees. And we must also stand for our families, friends, and neighbors—and the very land itself—most threatened by the militarization of our borderland communities." Warren faced 20 years in prison after being charged with harboring migrants. No More Deaths said that after 15 hours of deliberation, a hung jury was officially declared, "demonstrating that there are Arizonans standing their ground for justice and kindness in an historic moment." Below, Warren's statement outside the Tucson courthouse after a hung jury failed to convict him for his humanitarian aid efforts out of Ajo, Arizona. Scott was charged with two counts of harboring and one count of conspiracy to harbor for providing food, water, clothes, and beds to two undocumented men crossing the border. The jury was split with 8 jurors for acquittal and 4 jurors for conviction.
Statements from Scott Warren and his lawyer Greg Kuykendall
STATEMENT BY SCOTT WARREN
In the time since I was arrested in January 2018, no fewer than 88 bodies were recovered from the Arizona desert. The government’s plan in the midst of this humanitarian crisis? Policies to target undocumented people, refugees, and their families. Prosecutions to criminalize humanitarian aid, kindness, and solidarity. And now, the revelation that they will build an enormous and expensive wall across a vast stretch of
STATEMENT BY SCOTT WARREN
In the time since I was arrested in January 2018, no fewer than 88 bodies were recovered from the Arizona desert. The government’s plan in the midst of this humanitarian crisis? Policies to target undocumented people, refugees, and their families. Prosecutions to criminalize humanitarian aid, kindness, and solidarity. And now, the revelation that they will build an enormous and expensive wall across a vast stretch of southwestern Arizona’s unbroken Sonoran Desert.southwestern Arizona’s unbroken Sonoran Desert.
Today it remains as necessary as ever for local residents and humanitarian aid volunteers to stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees. And we must also stand for our families, friends, and neighbors—and the very land itself—most threatened by the militarization of our borderland communities.
I’ve received enormous support from family, friends, and community. Thank you and I love you all so very, very much. If you can, get some rest and take some time for yourself! But the other men arrested with me that day, Jose Sacaria-Goday and Kristian Perez-Villanueva, have not received the attention and outpouring of support that I have. I do not know how they are doing now, but I do hope they are safe.
STATEMENT BY DEFENSE LAWYER GREG KUYKENDALL
Scott Warren remains innocent, both as a legal and as a factual matter, because the jury could not unanimously conclude otherwise. The government put on its best case and 12 jurors could not agree with that case. We remain fully devoted in our commitment to defend Scott’s lifelong devotion to providing humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, as a nation we have a long and consistent history of demonizing and otherizing those we fear. But just as deep and ever-present in America is a contingent of people – always a minority, at first – who are resolute people of conscience. People who love, honor and respect all other people, regardless of race or status. People who put to use in order to help the dispossessed their own birth privilege or their educational privilege or simply their privilege of being capable of making themselves heard – to ultimately create change in this country. We will do what our spiritual, religious and humanist teachers from every part of the globe, over thousands of years have taught: individually and as a community, we become better only by facing our fears, by understanding the roots of our country’s hatreds, and ultimately by putting the needs of the neediest ahead of our own needs; just like Scott Warren and all of you good people have been doing for decades now for the desperate souls dying in Arizona’s desert.
Unicorn Riot exposed from the court documents in this case, racist comments about migrants in messages between the US Border Patrol and US Fish and Wildlife agents. The documents show that No More Deaths volunteers were targeted by agents on the border.
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