Prisoner claims ‘scholar’s privilege,’ stays in jail
SPOKANE (AP) — A
researcher claiming "scholar s
privilege" in refusing to testify
about a radical animal-rights
group marked his 131st duy in grit
last Tuesday, a chance for release
dashed by a U S. Supreme Court
justice.
lames Richard "Rik" Scarce
has been jailed sinc e May 14.
when a judge found him in c iv
il contempt.
Sc arc e1 refused to answer a
grand jurv's questions about
conversations In* may have had
with a person being investigated
in the vandalism of animal
research offices at Washington
State University in Pullman, HO
miles south of Spokane
Scarce claimed he was enti
tled to a "scholar's privilege"
under the f irst Amendment and
federal common law — similar
to that of a reporter — not to
divulge information he obtained
under promises of c onfidentiali
tv.
But a tederal appeals court
concluded no such right exists
and last Monday, U S. Supreme
Court Justice Sandra Day O'Con
nor refused to order Scarce's
release on bail.
Scarce, 35. is the author of
Hen- Warriors Understanding
the Radical Environment Move
meat, a study of Greenpeace,
Farth First! and other activist
groups.
A group calling itself the Ani
mal Liberation Front claimed
responsibility for the Aug. 12,
1991, raid that caused about
Slot),900 worth of damage at
U S. Department of Agriculture
offices at tiie university.
Scarce said the rulings against
him have only strengthened his
resolve not to compromise his
principles.
"I've grown angrier as this lias
gone on," lie said from behind
thii k glass m a Spokane Counts
Jail \ isiting booth "No one who
has claimed First Amendment
protection has ever been held
more than 4f> days for i ontempt
In the past 10 years, no one from
the press has ever served more
than 1H days
I've just finished my IHth
week and I'm stunned that this
would drag on for so long."
Si arce has acknowledged In
is a friend of Rodnev Coronado,
OSU fire
damages
fraternity
CORVALLIS (AF) — No one
was injured last Tuesday when
fire severely damaged a fraterni
ty house at Oregon State Univer
sity.
Students eating lunch in the
basement of the three-story Delta
Upsilon house noticed smoke
about 11:30 a m
Further investigation found the
fire burning on the third floor.
No one was on the upper floor
when the blaze broke out, offi
cials said. There was no imme
diate estimate of the dollar
amount of damage.
The fire appears to have start
ed in an exhaust fan on the third
floor, university spokesman Lynn
Spruill said.
The third floor was damaged
extensively bv the fire Other
parts of the building sustained
smoke and water damage.
Campus officials were attempt
ing to find alternate housing lor
the 47 students who lived in the
hniiCA
an activist and target of the
grand jury's investigation. Coro
nado, whose whereabouts are
unknown, was house-sitting
Scarce's Pullman home when
the Washington State offices
were vandalized.
Coronado was indicted this
year on federal charges in
Michigan stemming from an
arson at Michigan State Univer
sity in February 1U<)2 A grand
£ Banyan Iree
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In/amt • **’> • . • \Jnity
488 I 13th • 4880331
10 6 Mon '•»! * !•' ~ ‘■umt.is
jury in Oregon also is investigat
ing a similar break-in at Oregon
State University
Scarce hasn't said whether he
talked to Coronado or others
about the Washington raid, hut
contends the conversations
would have been jiart of his
research made under promises
of confidentiality
"I'm looking at my career
being trashed if I take any other
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course, Scarce said 1 simply
do not see how a judge could
continue to hold me "
In rejec ting S< arc e's claims, a
those-judge panel of the V)th U.S
Circuit of Appeals in San Fran
cisco last Friday cited a 1071
Supreme Court ruling that
reporters who witness a c rime
could he compelled to testifv
"The newsperson's privilege
that Scan e c laitned In analogs
did not exist." the panel ruled
U S Attorney lames Connells
said Tuesday . I think he's going
to have to testify if he wants to
lie released
heart e i mild he held until the
grand pus's term ends It is
st hed tiled to finish in I let em
ber. hut could he extended for
six months Congress has limit
ed contempt tailings to IP
months
Quit dreaming...
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