Lynne Stewart

As you may be aware, my trial is about to start, June 21 Jury selection and June 22 Opening Statements. I am anxious to organize around this date and get some momentum to carry us through the 4-6 month ordeal. As my teacher, friend and member of my advisory committee, Arthur Kinoy, always told us—we win these cases outside the courthouse.

Inside though, we are facing a vicious, no-holds-barred, Ashcroftian prosecution-persecution. By trying to link me with worldwide terrorism for my ethically-required lawyer to client behavior, they hope to see me in jail for 45 years. Michael Tigar, Jill Shellow Levine and the whole legal team are doing their utmost to prevent this. I continue to speak publicly demanding justice.

We need to enlist you, too. These are some of the things we hope you might be able to do:

1. Schedule a forum, or a vigil outside your local federal court to coincide with June 21, the day of final jury selection or June 22, the day of Openings. We can supply you with DVDs or videos of Lynne speaking, literature, an Opening Day Flyer to reproduce locally, etc.

2. Gather support signatures, addresses, with emails and addresses to get updates (daily by Blog) at the website.

3. We are considering a full page in the New York Times, at the beginning of Lynne Stewart’s testimony (sometime in August) We envision $200 contributions from 200 people to swing this. Let us know what you think—to whom it should be directed—content.

4. Organize people to attend the trial. We need a strong and steady presence. It is a long haul to sustain this, but so is the potential time I’m facing!! Get it out on your email list and to personal contacts. The trial week is Monday through Thursday, 9:30-4:30 with the 4th of July and Labor Day as 4 day weekends. If you’re coming to give Dubya a piece of your mind at the Republican National Convention, come on down to Foley Square—we’re air conditioned! Just check the web site for what is happening. We hope to have videographers and documentarians present on Monday and Thursday to record instant impressions, insights and good wishes. We hope to have events, entertainment and etc. during some evenings. But mostly we need PEOPLE to demonstrate their support by sitting (bring a cushion) in the Courtroom.

You can co-ordinate with Pat (212-625-9696 or [email protected]) if a large group is planning to come on a given day. You can designate your day ie. Quaker Day, Brooklyn Day, New Jersey Day, Feminist Rads day…. This is history and I invite you to join me in making it!

5. Always need money. Run a film or a strawberry festival to raise money for the Lynne Stewart Defense Fund. Everything costs, as we all know! Tax Deductible large amounts can be made payable to the National Lawyers Guild Foundation (just make sure to put Lynne Stewart Defense Committee on the memo line) and mail to the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee at 351 Broadway, 3rd fl., New York, NY 10013 or just make you donation payable to The Lynne Stewart Defense Committee and send to the same address.

A final word, now that summer is here and there is so much that is horrid confronting decent thoughtful, caring Americans—election of Bush II, the Iraq war, and the other flagrant issues—I do beseech you to remember USA v. Lynne Stewart and do whatever you can to protect the right to counsel—I need you—you need me—we all need each other! And WE CAN DO IT!

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Come and Fill the Courtroom for The Trial of Lynne Stewart.

United States District Court
Southern District of New York
40 Foley Square, New York, NY Rm. 110
(the old federal courthouse).