Closing Arguments Wednesday in Judi Bari v. the FBI

MEDIA ADVISORY
Closing Arguments Wednesday in Judi Bari v. the FBI

CONTACT: Jean Eisenhower, Kathy Glass, Steve Christianson, Tracy Katelman
(media team) and Darryl Cherney, Dennis Cunningham, Tony Serra, Alicia
Littletree (legal team) at 510/663-6330.

Artist sketches from the courtroom are available. Background documents
available at http://www.judibari.org.

OAKLAND, CA—With the conclusion of witness testimony today in the six-week
civil rights trial of Earth First! organizers Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney,
closing arguments are expected to commence on Wednesday, May 15, at 8:30 am
in Judge Claudia Wilken’s courtroom, Oakland Federal Courthouse. Media is
advised to arrive no later than 8 am to ensure a seat in the court room.
The plaintiffs will present their closing arguments first, with all three
attorneys addressing the jury: Dennis Cunningham, Robert Bloom, and Tony
Serra. They will be followed by counsel representing the defendants: the
FBI and Oakland Police Department. Plaintiffs will have the opportunity for
a rebuttal closing statement after the defendants’ attorneys have spoken,
then instructions will be given to the jury by the presiding judge.
The court day ends at 1:30, and it is unknown whether or not the closing
arguments will spill over into Thursday. It is also unknown at this time
what the jury deliberation schedule will be.

Plaintiff Darryl Cherney comments: “The good news is that by now it must be
painfully evident to the jury that the FBI is lying. The bad news is that
these are the guys running the country.”

The twelve-year anniversary of the May 24, 1990, car-bombing of Bari and
Cherney will be observed next Friday, May 24, by a “Fiddle-Down Rally” in
front of the Oakland Federal Building at noon. A verdict may have been
rendered by that point. Stay tuned!!
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