FBI/ DOJ caught lying in case of Briana Waters, falsely accused of "ecoterrorism"
by Wildcat Monday, Jan. 07, 2008 at 12:54 AM

Briana Waters is a devoted, loving mother and partner, a dedicated musician and violin teacher, and a caring friend to many. It has come as quite a shock to everyone who knows her that she has been wrongly accused of participating in a politically motivated arson at the University of Washington. These charges carry a draconian mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison should she be convicted. Briana pled not guilty to the charges, first brought on March 15, 2006, and was released pending trial.

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On Dec. 26th, 2007, attorneys for Briana Waters, a Berkeley mother and violin teacher accused of acting as a lookout for eco-saboteurs during an arson in 2001 at the University of Washington, filed a motion asserting that the prosecutor and FBI agents on the case committed perjury and obstruction of justice. In the court filing, attorney Robert Bloom charges that the Seattle-based federal agents and prosecutors suppressed evidence of Waters' innocence and prepared false FBI summaries of a witness interview incriminating Waters, and asked the court to conduct an inquiry into the misconduct.

The government is currently using the threat of extremely harsh prison sentences to coerce people into becoming informants. It is possible that the testimony of a person or people under this sort of pressure led to Briana's indictment. It is very unfortunate that people are being forced to make these choices.

The Waters case is scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 4th, 2008, in Tacoma, Washington before U.S. District Judge Franklin Burgess. Waters, who faces a potential 35 years in prison for alleged involvement in the "ecoterrorism" incident, steadfastly maintains her innocence.

* Read the full indybay.org story & the US District Court Motion at
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/29/18469229.php

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