PORT TOWNSEND – Charges were dismissed on Tuesday against 37 people arrested outside the gates of Naval Magazine Indian Island in September.
Jefferson County District Court Judge Jill Landes dismissed charges of pedestrian blocking a roadway – an infraction amounting to a $72 fine – against 36 people, and one charge of disorderly conduct against a Seattle man.
The 37 people were arrested on Sept. 23 after they marched to the gates of the military installation in protest of the Iraq war and of depleted uranium stored at the base.
Naval Magazine Indian Island, which is just across the bay from Port Townsend, serves the Navy’s Pacific Fleet as the only munitions storage and transfer depot on the West Coast.
In dismissing the charges, Landis granted a motion made by Bellingham attorney Larry Hildes, who represented 34 of the 37 protesters arrested.
Hildes argued that no one could be charged with blocking the road since the entrance gates to Indian Island were closed at the time and no cars attempted to enter the base while the protesters were there.
No one from the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s office attended the hearing to argue against the motion.
“I would have preferred a jury trial,” said Doug L. Milholland, 55, of Port Townsend, one of those arrested.
“I regret that we didn’t get that opportunity, but this is a clear victory for the peace-loving people of Jefferson County.”
The charge of pedestrian blocking a roadway represented a reduction from the original disorderly conduct charge, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and/or $1,000 fine.
The charges were reduced in February by Jefferson County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ted DeBray.
DeBray, who is on vacation this week, had previously said that he was not going to exhaust county resources on prosecuting the 37 people arrested.
One of the defendants, Aldo Sardone, 41, of Seattle, pleaded guilty to the disorderly conduct charge in October.
The others had pleaded not guilty.
But Jefferson County District Court Judge Mark Huth told Sardone that he would wait to see what happened to the others before granting his guilty plea.
The charge against Sardone was dropped on Tuesday.
In addition to Sardone, Jesse Shultz of Port Townsend and Mary Parmenter of Bremerton also were not represented by Hildes.
Shultz represented himself and Parmenter choose to be assigned a public defender.
The other defendants. listed by hometown, were:
Port Townsend – Nancy Elizabeth Botta, 61; Raymond L. Parsons, 67; Daniel Paul Goldstein, 55; Elizabeth Rivera Goldstein, 49; Dennis H. Dutton, 60; Julia Barbara Cochrane, 55; and John Andrew Barr, 55.
Port Hadlock – Steven Livingston Durfee, 66; Bethel Alice Prescott, 46; and Darlene Faith Durfee, 61.
Sequim – Hank Maiden, 74, and Erika Lynn Hamerquist, 45.
Kirkland – Stacie K. Addison, 54, and M.A. Wilow Zachudi, 51.
Seattle – Rose Ellen Betz-Zall, 56; Carolina Noel Hathorn, 26; John Edwall Jacobson, 18; Karin Annette Mitchell, 55, Lela Lee Paterson, 72; Marjorie F. Prince, 68; and John Meredith Repp, 62.
Bremerton – Jessica Reed Bishop, 50; Patricia F. Lloyd, 70; and Jo Walter, 50.
Olympia – Molly Lee Gibbs, 52; and Bernard Edward Meyer, 69.
Vashon – Wallace E. Fletcher, 72.
Bainbridge Island – Nathaniel John Hong, 53.
Shoreline – Christine M. Lakey, 53.
East Sound – Alexandrina Ann Patty, 44.
Vancouver – Marion Janice Ward, 61.
Auburn – Dane Thomas Rettig, 21.
Tacoma – Sol Riou, 54.
Rivera Goldstein of Port Townsend and Prescott of Port Hadlock, will attend a pretrial hearing in Jefferson County District Court on June 6 on disorderly conduct charges stemming from an April 21 protest outside the Indian Island gates.
