Bay Area Lawyers Guild Rallies Around Lynne Stewart

Bay Area Lawyers Guild Rallies Around Lynne Stewart
Calls on Attorney General Gonzales To Halt Attack on 6th Amendment Freedoms

San Francisco – Members of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) in the Bay Area are calling on local attorneys, legal workers, law students as well as legal and social justice organizations to sign on to a Pledge Of Resolve in solidarity with a “National Day of Outrage” across the country to protest the conviction of NLG Member Lynne Stewart. Stewart was convicted last Thursday in a New York Federal District Court on the bogus charges of conspiracy, providing material support to terrorists, defrauding the government and making false statements.

In response, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said, “The convictions handed down by a federal jury in New York today send a clear, unmistakable message that this department will pursue both those who carry out acts of terrorism and those who assist them with their murderous goals.”

“Attorney General Gonzales' statement is inflammatory, inaccurate, and threatening,” said NLG San Francisco Executive Director Carlos Villarreal. “There is no logical way to interpret the actions of Lynne Stewart as assisting anyone with 'murderous goals.' It is strong language designed to frighten criminal defense attorneys from taking on such cases and providing competent counsel to people the government would rather put away without a fair trial.”

A number of defense attorneys are concerned about the effect this verdict will have on 6th Amendment freedoms. “Everyone concerned with the right to counsel should be alarmed by this verdict and the statements from the Justice Department,” said Marc Van Der Hout, an NLG member and immigration attorney with the San Francisco firm Van Der Hout, Brigagliano & Nightingale, LLP. “In this case the Bush administration spent hours eavesdropping on what should be private attorney-client communications, and then prosecuted Lynne by attempting to associate legitimate advocacy and dissent with terrorism. Those of us who represent individuals accused of terrorist associations in some way will not be intimidated and will continue to represent our clients vigorously in the face of, often, outrageous government prosecutions.”

The student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild at Golden Gate University Law School will be “tabling” this Thursday, February 17, from 9 am until 3 pm to educate fellow students and law professors and to add names to the Pledge of Resolve for Lynne Stewart.

The Pledge Of Resolve includes the following language: "We, the undersigned members of the legal community, express our outrage at the recent verdict that found attorney Lynne Stewart guilty on all counts against her. We see the prosecution of Lynne Stewart as an attack not only on a cherished colleague but also on all members of the legal community who represent unpopular clients and causes ... We will not be intimidated and this prosecution has only strengthened our resolve to oppose the repressive attacks this government has made on the civil liberties of everyone in this country. In particular, we resolve to continue our zealous legal and political support to those unfairly targeted by the government as possible terrorists solely because of their skin color, country of origin, or religion."