Above: 2013 Monsanto protest in Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza
“The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to
protect its free expression should be our first object.”– Thomas Jefferson
(inscribed at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza)
Last Friday the Civil Liberties Defense Center filed a motion challenging […]
The CLDC’s work on behalf of the Valve Turners continues this summer. On April 8, 2019, the Washington Court of Appeals ruled in Ken Ward’s favor and affirmed his right to present a climate necessity defense to a jury of his peers. Soon thereafter, the State of Washington sought […]
BREAKING NEWS
April 8, 2019
Today the Washington Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the conviction of climate activist Ken Ward and sent his case back to the lower court for a third trial because Ward was denied his Sixth Amendment right to present the necessity defense to a jury of his […]
Anti-Fascist Action Flag
Last week in San Francisco, Attorney Cooper Brinson of the CLDC, along with co-counsel James Wheaton of the First Amendment Project, argued that a subpoena issued by OG Analytical (a cannabis testing company based in Eugene, Oregon) […]
On Monday we had our appeal hearing in front of the Washington Court of Appeals on behalf of Valve Turner Ken Ward, who turned off a Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline in Skagit County two years ago. We appealed the judge’s decision to deny our client the […]
Current SLAPP Suits:
Resolute Forest Products and Kasowitz Law Firm SLAPP Stand.earth and other Environmental Organizations
On May 31, 2016 Resolute Forest Products filed a $300 million (CAD – Canadian dollars) lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia alleging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt […]
We are pleased to announce a victory in our Minnesota Valve Turner case! This trial was a rollercoaster with many twists and turns, but all three defendants were acquitted of their charges this morning in court. They were acquitted, not on the necessity defense, but because the prosecution could not meet the […]
Watch Lauren Regan’s interview recapping the victory in the Minnesota Valve Turner trial.
Starting on October 8, 2018, CLDC along with co-counsel, will be defending the Minnesota Valve Turners, Annette, Emily, and Ben by presenting the climate necessity defense to a Clearwater County jury. We have been developing this cutting edge legal strategy with help from many other lawyers around the country for […]
Lauren Regan is headed to Clearwater County MN, to argue the Necessity Defense along with co-counsel Tim Phillips of Minneapolis and Kelsey Skaggs, on behalf of brave Valve Turners, Emily and Annette Klapstein, and climate activist (and repeat CLDC client) Ben Joldersma. Two years ago they turned off 2 pipeline […]
