White Supremacists Make Death Threats Against Imprisoned Webmaster

I'm writing again with an update regarding the case of Sherman Austin, the
20 year-old who is now in federal prison because of a website, which was
authored by another boy and linked to Sherman's site (http://www.raisethefist.com)
on a free-hosting area Sherman provided there. Sherman's site has been an
open one, available to anyone wanting to post articles or use space, and
this other boy's site included crude instructions on how to make explosives.
Sherman was prosecuted under a 1997 law sponsored by Dianne Feinstein that
makes it illegal to distribute information related to explosives with the
intent to use that information in a "federal crime of violence." The boy
who authored the website with the bomb-making instructions has not been
charged with anything, but Sherman is now in federal prison. (That boy is
white and the son of wealthy Orange County Republicans; Sherman is African
American and the son of a single mother with no property.) The key element
in the case against Sherman hinged on the question of "intent," and because
Sherman's site espouses anarchism and is critical of US government policy,
police brutality, globalization, and racism, the prosecution and judge
maintained that his politics provided grounds for intent.

Sherman was told a PATRIOT ACT "terrorist enhancement" would be applied to
his case if he went to trial, This meant he would have been subjected to 20
years in prison if found guilty. Sherman accepted a plea bargain, which the
judge, a Reagan appointee, subsequently rejected, sentencing Sherman to a
term longer than what the prosecution suggested. Sherman agreed to a plea
that was rejected, but it's also important to question how voluntary his
plea was when he was threatened with the "terrorist enhancement."

This same judge ignored testimony from the court psychiatrist who said
Sherman poses absoutely NO threat to anyone and is more likely to be
victimized because of his peaceful nature. The judge also stated that he
wanted to "send a message" to other activists.

Last Friday, two days after entering prison, Sherman was moved into
isolation because of death threats made by white supremacist groups. He is
in a prison with a large "Aryan Brotherhood" population in San Bernadino,
California. While efforts are underway to plan a withdrawal of his plea,
his safety while in prison is of great concern.

Below you will find a press release from the LA indymedia site and ways to contact prison officials to
have Sherman moved to a safer location. Please spread the word and do
whatever you can to help ensure Sherman's safety. If you can, please make a
donation to Sherman's legal defense. You can make checks payable to
Jennifer Martin (Sherman's mother) or to Sherman Austin himself and mail
them to:

Jennifer Martin
12115 Magnolia Blvd. #155
North Hollywood, CA 91607

If you'd like to send letters of support to Sherman, you can also send them
to the address above. He will hopefully be moved to another facility soon,
and all letters sent to the North Hollywood address will be delivered to
him.

Dianne Feinstein is not only defending this application of the law she
sponsored, but encouraging prosecutors to use it more aggressively. You can
tell her what you think too. This law has not been used against the white
supremacist and anti-choice groups that host websites with more explicit
information of how to build bombs and carry out acts of violence. Sherman,
someone with no history of violence and who did NOT author the website with
the illegal information, is the first person to be prosecuted under this
law. If you'd like to convey a message to Sen. Feinstein, you can reach her
via:

http://www.senate.gov/member/ca/feinstein/general/email.html

Her DC office #s are:
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954


You can hear this morning's update on Democracy Now! at:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/09/09/151213


PRESS RELEASE:

Sherman Austin has been moved into protective custody at the San Bernardino
Central Detention Center. The guards moved him into isolation because of
death threats against him by white supremacists. In order to secure
Sherman’s safety, we are demanding his immediate transfer to a permanent
facility. The white supremacists responsible for this crime have been
located, and we plan on taking legal action against them. Please mail, fax,
and/or e-mail the attached letter to the following institutions and
follow-up with a phone call. If you have any questions please e-mail
jmi4678 [at] netscape.net.

Please send the attached letter AS IS. Please do not modify, alter or add to
its contents.

Institution where Sherman is being held:

Warden Captain C. Burris
Central Detention Center
Western Divison, San Bernadino
630 E. Rialto Ave., San Bernadino, CA 92408
Phone: 909-386-0969
Or send an email cdc [at] sbcsd.org
For more information regarding the Central Detention Center please go
to:
http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/sheriff/Det_Corr/CDC/CDC.asp

In addition, you can also send letters, emails, fax, and/or phone calls to
the following people:

Harley G. Lappin, Director of U.S. Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street
N.W. Washington , D.C. 20534
Phone: 202-307-3250
Fax: 202-514-6878

Harlan Penn, Regional Counsel
7950 Dublin Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Dublin, CA 94568
Phone: 925-803-4700
Fax: 925-803-4802

The first contact information is the most important! If you can only send
one letter, send it to the Warden at the CDC.


HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE LETTER. FEEL FREE TO COPY/PASTE IT INTO A WORD
DOCUMENT FOR MAILING. PLEASE DO NOT MODIFY IT IN ANY WAY, THANKS!

Date


Dear ,

I’m writing out of concern for the safety and welfare of Sherman Martin
Austin (Booking #0309300141), a federal prisoner currently located at the
Central Detention Center in San Bernardino County, California. He is due to
be transferred to a Federal penitentiary within six to eight weeks. However,
he is currently the target of death threats from several
white-supremacist groups and is being kept in solitary for the ostensible
purpose of protecting him from these hate groups, some members of which have
placed a price on Sherman’s head.

Sherman is a non-violent offender. He is only twenty years of age and has
been evaluated by a court-appointed psychologist as being completely
non-violent and idealistic. A county detention facility is not the place for
a non-violent offender who is in danger of being killed for his color and
beliefs. I am afraid that should Sherman remain in CDC he will be injured or
killed. We feel that by being placed in a Federal penitentiary there is less
likelihood of Sherman being harmed or even killed.

We demand the immediate transfer of Sherman Martin Austin to a Federal
detention facility, for his own safety and well-being, and in the meantime
the continuance of protective custody to ensure his safety and survival. I
will appreciate an immediate response concerning this letter.

Thank you,


THIS IS ONE OF THE POSTS THREATENING HIS LIFE:

One of the highlights of my days are coming to this site and seeing the post
about Sherman Austin's sentence. Now he's trapped, ready for the murdering
by his inmates, in which many of my colleagues are unfortunatly
participating in. One more of your "revolutionaries" has been taken from you
all. That is a sign of your weakness. My colleagues are there because they
showed no weakness. I read that in Texas, a nigger approached one of my
fellow party members, threatening him, and when the first punch was thrown
the pigs arrived, taking my fellow party member away for fighting. All
though he didn't through the punch, he was still arrested. What I find is
funny is two days later the niggers were found shot to death in their homes,
along with their nigger families, shows what niggers are. Dumb. Thinking
they could get away. But the man arrested is still there, waiting for some
black pride or "anarchist" to come along his path, possibly the same prison
as little ol' sherman. Good Luck old pal. It's also quite sad I have to put
Austin's name up to be considered relevant. FUCK YOU N*****S.
Hail Hitler
Himmler


PLEASE TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY!
WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!
SILENCE IS DEFEAT!

THANK YOU!!