Texas 2: Trial Scheduled for Jan. 26th, Support Info

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20090105210456610

The following mainstream media story has been confirmed by the RNC Felony Working Group. We are calling for those who are able to make it to come out and pack the courtroom, and for those who can't to support the defendants in whatever ways they can, whether it be by sending mail, acting in solidarity in whatever ways people see fit or simply monitoring the outcome of this case. These cases, like all RNC-related cases, affect us all.

Trial date set for men accused of making Molotov cocktails
by Elizabeth Stawicki, Minnesota Public Radio
December 23, 2008
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/12/23/molotov_cocktail...
St. Paul, Minn. — A federal court in Minneapolis has set a trial date for two Texas men accused of trying to disrupt the Republican National Convention with Molotov cocktails.

Court documents say Bradley Crowder and David McKay will go to trial on Jan. 26 before U.S. District Chief Judge Michael Davis in Minneapolis.

A federal grand jury indicted the two men on firearms charges this past September.

Crowder and McKay pleaded not guilty to charges they had manufactured homemade explosives to hurl at police cars during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. That information was based on two FBI informants and audio and video surveillance.

Both men have been in custody since the RNC because the judge ruled the men could be flight risks or dangers to the community.

The address of the trial's location is 300 S. 4th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Contact us or call the federal courthouse at (612) 664-5000 and give the defendants' names for detailed information about room number, time, etc.

As the above article points out, the Texas 2 (along with the third person facing federal felony charges relating to the RNC, Matt DePalma), have been in custody since September. We highly encourage everyone to send Bradley Crowder and Matt DePalma letters and books in jail!

According to the jail's website (http://www.co.sherburne.mn.us/sheriff/criminal/visitation.php), these are the guidelines for receiving books and other mail at the jail where the Texas 2 and Matt are currently in custody:

Books

Books must be sent to the Sherburne County Jail from Amazon.com. They must be soft cover and new. We will not accept any used or hard cover books. Pornographic material or literature will not be accepted.

Inmate Mail

All correspondence and paperwork that requires an inmates signature must be delivered through the U.S. mail. All mail coming into the Sherburne County Jail will be processed through the U.S. Postal Service and will be delivered to the housing units. Inmate mail will be checked for contraband and then delivered to the inmate the following day.

Examples of contraband that are not allowed are:

* letters or pictures written in crayon or gel pens
* stickers, glitter, glue
* gang graffiti or symbols that could be considered gang graffiti [FWG note: symbols such as circle A's have been designated by many jails as "gang graffiti"]
* lewd and lascivious pictures
* pictures depicting gang signs

Mail addressed to an inmate who has been transferred or released will be returned to sender. Incoming certified or registered mail for inmates will be processed as other mail and will be signed for by jail staff. All incoming mail should be addressed as follows:

Inmate's Name
Sherburne County Jail
13880 Highway 10
13880 Business Center Drive
Elk River, MN 55330-4601

Use common sense when writing to any inmate; assume that anything you say will be read by cops or other government agents. Practice good security culture and never say anything incriminating about yourself or others. It's also best not to discuss their or others' cases.

Thank you all for reading, and for your support!

In Solidarity - the real kind, not the Brandon Darby perversion of the word,
RNC Felony Working Group

As always, questions, concerns, love letters, or whatever else can go to rnc08felonies@riseup.net.