BURLINGTON, Vt. -- The charge was trespassing. But for four days, a District Court trial was transformed into a forum on international law, the role of protest in American democracy, and U.S. policies in Central America.
It ended late Friday when a jury acquitted 26 activists who said their sit-in at a government office was necessary to help end bloodshed in Central America.
The verdict, hailed as unprecedented by defense lawyers, marked a symbolic setback for Reagan administration policies in Central America - the focus of most testimony.
'We hope this declaration by a Vermont jury that our government is wrong will be heard across the country,' declared lawyer Olin McGill, part of the seven-member defense team of legal volunteers.
The defendants were among 44 people -- dubbed the 'Winooski 44' - who staged a three-day sit-in last March at the Winooski office of Sen. Robert Stafford, R-Vt.
They said the action was necessary to focus attention on U.S. involvement in conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador and persuade Stafford to oppose futher military aid to the region.
Five members of the original group were convicted earlier. Several refused to give their names when they were arrested and were not prosecuted.
The rest, facing maximum fines of $500 and 60- to 90-day jail terms, staged their unusual defense before a courtroom audience reminiscent of the 1960s.
Prosecutors said it was a clear case of trespassing, but the defense paraded more than a dozen witnesses to the stand to challenge alleged 'misinformation' produced by the Reagan administration.
Refugees testified about alleged atrocities committed by the U.S.-supported El Salvadoran government, and a former CIA analyst denounced assertions the Nicaraguan government is arming left-wing rebels in El Salvador.
The purported arms flow has been used by the administration to justify support for Nicaraguan contras.
'There was no substantial or continuing -- even at a minimal level - flow of weapons,' testified David MacMichael, who said he was sent to the region to analyze the situation for the CIA.
John Stockwell, former CIA operations chief in Angola, told jurors it is a 'major function' of the agency to disseminate false information to prop up U.S. policies.
And, Ramsey Clark -- U.S. Attorney General under President Lyndon Johnson -- testified for the defense as well, telling jurors a healthy democracy hinges on active citizen involvement.
'If the people want peace, if they don't want their government committing crimes in their name, then they have to learn to speak out on the issues,' said Clark, an outspoken opponent of U.S. Central American policies.
