A letter to the editor of the Chicago Sun-Times:
Chicago “NATO 3” trial limits public access
The public’s right of access to trials is not absolute and, where specific threats exist, restrictions may be imposed to address them. In this case, public access is vital. Since the day the defendants were arrested, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office has attempted to control the public narrative, repeatedly picturing the defendants as “domestic terrorists” rather than protesters. This is a “high-profile” trial only because the state has inflated misdemeanor attempted vandalism charges into trumped-up terrorism charges. There is no apparent reason to suspect any threat to security.
The high profile of this case is no reason to stymie access to the trial or to intimidate members of the public who want to attend to show their support for the defendants. The public should not know the least about the cases that matter the most.
