Three Take Action to End Torture Training;

Sentenced to Community Service and Probation

Retired Catholic lay leader Betsy Lamb, Franciscan Fr. Jerry Zawada, and Mary Burton Riseley were found guilty by a federal magistrate in a Tucson, Arizona courtroom on Monday, February 4 for nonviolent witness against torture training at Ft. Huachuca.

Before sentencing, Judge Jacqueline Marshall allowed the defendants to address the court as long as they wished. Fr. Zawada, for example, spoke for 20 minutes about the impact of the training of US military personnel in torture techniques.

The judge then imposed on each a sentence of two years of supervised probation and 500 hours of community service (in lieu of a $5,000 fine). This is in contrast to sentences imposed on Pace e Bene staffer Fr. Louis Vitale and Fr. Steve Kelly, who received five months in prison for a similar action in November, 2006. Both priests are currently in the fourth months of their sentences.

The three defendants were represented by attorney Bill Quigley, who represented Vitale and Kelly and many defendants charged in connection with nonviolent action at Fort Benning, Georgia’s School of the Americas.

Lamb, Zawada, and Riseley were released after the court proceeding.

To see a statement from Lamb, Zawada and Risely, click here for a report from Torture on Trial.

Pace e Bene staff-person Peter Ediger attended the trail. Here is his pwerful report:

A brilliant rainbow arched over the Tucson sky Monday afternoon, February 4, offering a cosmic blessing to the conclusion of a trial in federal court for Betsy lamb, Mary Risley and Fr Jerry Zawada, who by their moving testimony, in effect turned the table on their prosecution and put torture on trial.

Guided by their veteran peace movement attorney, Bill Quigley, they had stipulated to the “facts” of their case, and were found guilty of trespass and failure to obey an officer.
Then, prior to sentencing, Judge Jacqueline Marshall allowed each of the defendants to speak at length about what had brought them to their prayerful nonviolent protest action at Ft Huachuca, the home of the U.S Army Intelligence Center and interrogation training school.

Despite their physical ills—-Mary in a wheelchair weak with the flu, Betsy and Jerry weary from having endured a sleepless night in cold overcrowded holding cells—each in turn spoke with articulate passion of their deep concerns, citing numerous sources documenting the practice of torture, and sharing from personal experiences with torture victims. Listening attentively and obviously moved by the testimony, Judge Marshall engaged the witnesses with good questions and some humorous exchanges in an hour long conversation. When Betsy suggested that it is really not the three of them who should be on trial here, and that the Judge instead should put the government on trial, she asked, “and how would I do that?”

In the end, Judge Marshall rejected the prosecution’s recommendation for extended incarceration for Fr Jerry Zawada, given his record of numerous previous actions, and ordered the same sentence for each defendant: Two years Supervised Probation, a $5,000 fine with option to do 500 hours of Community Service @ $10 per hour, and freedom to include in the community service their participation in education and protest actions promoting their cause as long as it is done legally.

A “Festival of Hope” celebration on the evening prior to the trial, attended by some 200 people, gave further witness to the growing movement to put torture on trial and reaffirmed strong expressions of support for Mary, Betsy and Fr Jerry, as well as Fr Louie Vitale and Fr Steve Kelly, who are to be released in mid-March from their five month incarceration for their earlier protest action at Ft Huachuca in November of 2006.