Fascinating. Thanks for posting this, Tamara. Did you see Strange Culture when it was in NYC?
Tamara Wyndham wrote: > > You Can Sleep Well Again: Feds Chalk Up Another > Victory > Against Art > > CONTACTS: > Email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] d.org > <mailto:media%40caedefensefund.org> > Claire Pentecost: 773-383-9771 > Gregory Sholette: 212-865-3076 > Edmund Cardoni: 716-854-1694 > Igor Vamos: 917-209-3282 > Lucia Sommer: 716-359-3061 > Dianne Raeke Ferrell: 412-352-2704 > > SICKNESS, "ABSURD" DOJ PROSECUTION FORCE SCIENTIST TO > PLEAD IN > PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE > Scientist's Wife and Daughter Comment on Case > > Buffalo, NY - Today in Federal District Court, Dr. > Robert Ferrell, > Professor of Human Genetics at the University of > Pittsburgh Graduate > School of Public Health, under tremendous pressure, > pled guilty to > lesser charges rather than facing a prolonged trial > for federal > charges of "mail fraud" and "wire fraud" in a surreal > post-PATRIOT > Act legal case that has attracted worldwide attention. > > "From the beginning, this has been a persecution, not > a prosecution. > Although I have not seen the final agreement, the > initial versions > contained incorrect and irrelevant information, " said > Dr. Dianne > Raeke Ferrell, Dr. Ferrell's wife and an Associate > Professor of > Special Education and Clinical Services at Indiana > University of > Pennsylvania. "Bob is a 27 year survivor of > non-Hodgkin' s lymphoma > which has reoccurred numerous times. He has also had > malignant > melanoma. Since this whole nightmare began, Bob has > had two minor > strokes and a major stroke which required months of > rehabilitation. " > > Dr. Ferrell added that her husband was indicted just > as he was > preparing to undergo a painful and dangerous > autologous stem cell > transplant, the second in 7 years. > > The Ferrells' daughter, Gentry Chandler Ferrell, > added: "Our family > has struggled with an intense uncertainty about > physical, emotional > and financial health for a long time. Agreeing to a > plea deal is a > small way for dad to try to eliminate one of those > uncertainties and > hold on a little longer to the career he worked so > hard to develop... > Sadly, while institutions merely are tarnished from > needless > litigation, individuals are torn apart. I remain > unable to wrap my > mind around the absurdity of the government's pursuit > of this case > and I am saddened that it has been dragged out to the > point where my > dad opted to settle from pure exhaustion." (To read > Gentry Ferrell's > full statement, please visit: > http://caedefensefu nd.org/press/ ferrellplea. html > <http://caedefensefund.org/press/ferrellplea.html>) > > Dr. Ferrell's colleague Dr. Steven Kurtz, founder of > the > internationally acclaimed art and theater group > Critical Art > Ensemble, was illegally detained and accused of > "bioterrorism" by the > U.S. government in 2004 stemming from his acquisition > from Dr. > Ferrell of harmless bacteria used in several of > Critical Art > Ensemble's educational art projects. After a costly > investigation > lasting several months and failing to provide any > evidence of > "bioterrorism, " the Department of Justice instead > brought charges of > "mail fraud" and "wire fraud" against Kurtz and > Ferrell. Under the > USA PATRIOT Act, the maximum penalty for these charges > has increased > from 5 years to 20. (For more information about the > case, please see > "Background to the Case" below or > http://caedefensefu nd.org <http://caedefensefund.org>) > > JURIDICAL ART CRITICISM? > > The government is vigorously attempting to prosecute > two defendants > in a case where no one has been injured, and no one > has been > defrauded. The materials found in Dr. Kurtz's house > were obtained > legally and used safely by the artist. After three and > a half years > of investigation and prosecution, the case still > revolves around > $256 worth of common science research materials that > were used in > art works by a highly visible and respected group of > artists. These > art works were commissioned and hosted by cultural > institutions > worldwide where they had been safely displayed in > museums and > galleries with absolutely no risk to the public. > > The Government has consistently framed this case as an > issue of > public safety, but the materials used by Critical Art > Ensemble are > widely available, can be purchased by anyone from High > School science > supply catalogues, and are regularly mailed. > > PROFESSORS OF ART & SCIENCE EXPRESS ALARM > > "The government's prosecution is an ill-conceived and > misguided > attack on the scientific and artistic communities, " > said Dr. Richard > Gronostajski, Professor of Biochemistry at SUNY > Buffalo, where > Professor Kurtz also teaches. "It could have a > chilling effect on > future scientific research collaborations, and harm > teaching efforts > and interactions between scientists, educators and > artists." > > "It's deeply alarming that the government could > pressure someone of > Dr. Ferrell's stature into agreeing to something like > this. The case > threatens all Americans' Constitutionally guaranteed > right to > question the actions of their government," said Igor > Vamos, Professor > of Integrated Electronic Arts at Rensselaer > Polytechnic Institute. > > PLEA COMES AMIDST OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR > DEFENDANTS > > The plea bargain agreement comes at a time of > overwhelming public > support for the two defendants. A film about the case, > Strange > Culture - directed by Lynn Hershman Leeson and > featuring Tilda > Swinton (Chronicles of Narnia, Michael Clayton), > Thomas Jay Ryan > (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and Peter > Coyote (E.T., Erin > Brockovich) - has drawn widespread critical praise and > public > interest, with screenings in dozens of U.S. cities > after its > selection to open both the 2007 Human Rights Watch > International Film > Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival > documentary > section. An October 1 screening of the film at the > Museum of Modern > Art in New York City drew a crowd of 400 who stayed > for an hour > afterward for a discussion with Professor Kurtz, > director Hershman > Leeson, and actress Tilda Swinton. Special benefit > screenings of the > film in numerous cities have raised thousands of > dollars to offset > the two defendants' escalating legal costs. > > BACKGROUND TO THE CASE > > The legal nightmare of renowned scientist Dr. Robert > Ferrell and > artist and professor Dr. Steven Kurtz began in May > 2004. Professor > Kurtz and his late wife Hope were founding members of > the > internationally exhibited art and theater collective > Critical Art > Ensemble. Over the past decade cultural institutions > worldwide have > commissioned and hosted Critical Art Ensemble's > participatory theater > projects that help the general public understand > biotechnology and > the many issues surrounding it. In May 2004 the > Kurtzes were > preparing a project examining genetically modified > agriculture for > the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, when > Hope Kurtz died of > heart failure. Detectives who responded to Professor > Kurtz's 911 call > deemed the couple's art suspicious, and called the > FBI. Within hours > the artist was illegally detained as a suspected > "bioterrorist" as > dozens of federal agents in Hazmat suits sifted > through his work and > impounded his computers, manuscripts, books, his cat, > and even his > wife's body. > > CASE DEPLETES PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RESOURCES > > The government has pursued this case relentlessly for > three and a > half years, spending enormous amounts of public > resources. Most > significantly, the legal battle has exhausted the > financial, > emotional, and physical resources of Ferrell and > Kurtz; as well as > their families and supporters. The professional and > personal lives of > both defendants have suffered tremendously. A trial > date has not yet > been established. > > For more information about the case, including > extensive > documentation, please visit http://caedefensefu nd.org > <http://caedefensefund.org> > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ > Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with Yahoo! > Autos. > http://autos. yahoo.com/ index.html <http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html> > > >
