Jury Acquits Seriously Pissed Off Grannies in Anti-War Prosecution

After a three day trial, jurors in Multnomah County Circuit Court acquitted the Seriously Pissed Off Grannies, on charges of “unlawfully and knowingly causing substantial inconvenience to the United States” (also known as criminal mischief in the third degree). These charges arose from a silent vigil held by the Grannies on April 6, 2007 at the U.S. Army and Marine recruiting center on NE Broadway in Portland, OR, where they placed bloody handprints on the windows of the recruiting center with water-soluble red tempera paint. The defendants pled “not guilty” to charges of criminal mischief, each testifying to their belief that their actions constituted a symbolic act of political speech at a government office and resulted in no damage to the property. The jurors wisely chose to protect free speech rights and acquit despite the outrageous closing argument of the Assistant District Attorney, which included references to suicide bombers, 9/11 hijackers, and pipe bombs.

The National Lawyers Guild reports