Updated:
Today after Magistrate Snodgrass reduced the bail to a still exorbitant $50,000 with a $25,000 property option, an emergency hearing in Circuit Court was scheduled for 4pm. Judge Willie Thompson reduced the bail to $25,000 each, with a $2,500 bond option. In addition, Martin and Bryant were offered a deal of 5 days time-served and 55 days community service, along with the conditions that they remain on house arrest for the 55 days, leaving only for community service hours, and plead guilty to trespass and conspiracy. Bryant took the deal and will be getting out of jail Monday.
EmmaKate did not immediately take the deal.
EmmaKate Martin smiles as she is escorted out of the Boone County courthouse. She and Ben Bryant appeared before Magistrate Snodgrass for a bail reduction hearing Friday morning; after Snodgrass reduced their bail to a still-exorbitant $50,000 each, they appeared in circuit court for an emergency hearing and pre-trial, where they were given a bail of $25,000 each. Photo by Peter Barrie.
“I didn’t want to plead guilty,” she said. A no-contest plea would not have satisfied the conditions. She has until Wednesday to decide but doubts she will take it.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen through your phone calls and donations.
Additionally, a friendly reminder to be respectful when calling public officials, especially towards those people who do not have a say in the decisions we are calling about. There were allegations in court today of threatening calls made to Magistrate Snodgrass’ secretary concerning the bail reduction. Again, we thank you for your support but ask that you remain respectful in keeping with the code of non-violence this campaign adopts.
This is very good news. They say good wins out over evil but I was beginning to have my doubts. My faith has been restored a bit.
EmmaKate you go girl. As women and the bearers of life I can’t fathom how any woman would allow this to happen without a fight. Any mother that condones what is being done in my opinion is a sorry excuse for a human being let alone a woman. When a woman knows that children are possibly being harmed and yet she continues to support it it really saddens me. By the way….the orange is very flattering for you.
em:
She looks like a sweet girl. ;o)
Go EK! I’m so proud of my little sister!
You people need to get out of the coalfields.
Exile is the instrument of a tyrant.
Chris M. you say, “you people” like we do not belong here. Sorry but I was born and raised here and I have just as much right to be here as you. And guess what? I’m not leaving and I’m gonna fight to save these mountains. Also, anyone else that wants to help me fight are my guests and can stay as long as they want. What ever happened to Appalachian hospitality. Shame on you. That was just down right rude.
I think he was referring to the “out of staters”.
Wonder how Chris M. feels about that “out-of-stater” who just ponyed up the lion’s share of the cost of a new Marsh Fork Elementary.
I think what he meant was “you out-of-staters who are shining a light on Massey’s dirty little secret need to get out of the coalfields.” Of course, we’ve heard that sort of thing before. They said it in Mississippi and Georgia and Alabama during THAT civil rights struggle.
I hope that any “community service” Bryant does will be accompanied by his ceaseless advocacy for mountain communities in the face of corporate predation.
No Bob I think he meant these “kids” that are coming in here to do these protest and that are not from here but yet come in here and do their thing and then get in trouble for it. I wished these “kids” wouldn’t get in trouble, I wished there was something that could be done as far as their jail time I don’t want no one to go to jail over this junk but people break laws everyday and get punished for them. And if people have did a crime all I can do is say well eventually they will pay for their crime, whether it be in jail or later on in life, it always comes back around to get you somewhere in life, people can’t buy their way out of trouble all the time;) I will be praying for EmmaKate, James and Fred, these people will need our prayers just the same as anyone else.
You guys Holler Massey, Massey, Massey what about all these other mines that break the laws, oh wait they are UNION mines! We wont go there!