Kings Bay Plowshares Defendants Reiterate RFRA Defense

January 21,2019

The Brunswick News

Kings Bay Plowshares Defendants Reiterate RFRA Defense

By Wes Wolfe

Between the seven of them, the Kings Bay Plowshares defendants filed 161 pages of supplemental briefs — plus one exhibit — further explaining that their actions in damaging property at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in April 2018 are covered under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as an exercise of their Catholic faith.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheesbro ordered the supplemental briefing following two hearings in November. Each defendant filed a common explanation as the first part of their filings, then arguments particular to each defendant in the second parts.

In their common explanation, they state the evidence shows it’s clear they’ve satisfied their responsibilities to prove they’re covered by RFRA, and the burden now shifts to federal prosecutors to prove they aren’t.

Between the seven of them, the Kings Bay Plowshares defendants filed 161 pages of supplemental briefs — plus one exhibit — further explaining that their actions in damaging property at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in April 2018 are covered under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as an exercise of their Catholic faith.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheesbro ordered the supplemental briefing following two hearings in November. Each defendant filed a common explanation as the first part of their filings, then arguments particular to each defendant in the second parts.

In their common explanation, they state the evidence shows it’s clear they’ve satisfied their responsibilities to prove they’re covered by RFRA, and the burden now shifts to federal prosecutors to prove they aren’t….

Read more at https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/kings-bay-plowshares-defendants-reiterate-rfra-defense/article_e240caaf-8a3b-5a28-923c-b6d609880152.html

 

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