Pacific Lumber SLAPP Suit Continues in Humboldt County Court

NORTH COAST EARTH FIRST!

For immediate release - March 15, 2006


Pacific Lumber SLAPP Suit Continues in Humboldt County Court
Dramatic Video tape of Protest is Shown in Third Week of Trial

Eureka, CA-The trial of Pacific Lumber Company vs Kim Starr in the
Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP suit) brought
by the Texas-based timber company against forest activist Starr,
continued into its third week. Defendant Starr, who is representing
herself in pro per, began her defense phase against the civil suit
filed by the timber company in 2002.

The SLAPP suit stems from a demonstration on August 5, 2002, at
Pacific Lumber (PL) headquarters in the company town of Scotia in
northern Californa. PL attorney Russell Gans opened his arguments
with a video tape made by County Sheriffs. On the tape, jurors saw an
older model Cadillac sedan parked on the sidewalk in front of the PL
office building. Three protestors, using metal sleeves called
"lockboxes" were locked inside the car. Jurors appeared increasingly
uncomfortable as the scene unfolded on the courtroom screen. Scotia
volunteer firemen arrived and covered the vehicle with black plastic
sheets and a tarp, cutting off airflow and creating an oven for those
locked inside on that hot summer day. Later, county sheriffs used a
jaws-of-life saw to remove the top of the car and then cut the
activists out of their lockboxes with a power grinder. One young
man's arm bled as the grinder broke through the metal sleeve and cut
him. He was then pulled from the car, thrown face down on the ground
and hand cuffed as an officer kneeled on his back. Another woman and
Starr were also removed.

PL's witnesses--Security Chief Carl Anderson, land manger Richard
Bettis, and Scotia Fire Chief Broadstalk--all testified they were
afraid of a possible "eco-terrorist attack" because they saw "smoke,
steam, and liquid " pouring out from under the car's hood. But the
Sheriffs' video showed no steam, smoke or liquids. Defendant Starr
introduced another videotape taken by activists at the scene showing
the event from a fuller perspective. No steam, smoke or liquids were
visible in that tape, either. Both videos showed protestors
dialoguing in a relaxed manner with PL officials, law enforcement and
bystanders with the exception of one Scotia resident who cursed the
activists.

The prosecution's witnesses were forced to amend some of their
testimony after reviewing the videos during cross-examination on
Friday. Early this week, Ms. Starr brought defense witnesses who had
taken part in the Aug. 2002 protest to testify under oath as to the
nonviolent nature of the protest. They reiterated that they had
chosen the location (PL headquarters) as the most appropriate for the
protest because PL President Robert Manne had refused to meet with
them to discuss their concerns after inviting the public to do just
that in a series of press statements at the time.

This SLAPP suit is one of three suits filed by the timber company
against those opposed to their liquidation logging practices in the
Mattole and Freshwater watersheds. The others are set to go to trial
later this spring.
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