Jury selection for trial of peace activist nuns begins

By COLLEEN SLEVIN

Associated Press Writer

DENVER (AP) - Potential jurors in the case of three Roman Catholic nuns accused of vandalizing a nuclear missile silo were asked in federal court Monday whether they believe people have a right to protest war during the U.S-led invasion in Iraq.

All 31 men and women agreed that people were entitled to protest.

U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn also called on several jurors by name to ask them what they felt about ''women who talk about peace'' and whether they had an enmity toward ''women who seek the world of weapons of mass destruction.'' None raised any objection to people with such views.

Jury selection continued through the afternoon and opening statements were expected Wednesday.

The Dominican sisters, Ardeth Platte, 66, Carol Gilbert, 55, and Jackie Hudson, 68, cut through the fence at a Minuteman III missile site on Colorado's northeastern plains on Oct. 6, drew crosses with their blood and pounded the silo's tracks with hammers. They said they wanted bring attention to the United States' refusal to rule out the use of nuclear weapons.

They are accused of interfering with the national defense and causing more than $1,000. If convicted, they face 30 years in prison.

Blackburn excused three potential jurors, including a man who works for defense contractor Lockheed Martin and has worked on missile silos.

One man said his religious beliefs did not permit him to pass judgment on another and another man said he didn't think he could convict the women regardless of what evidence was presented.

About 40 supporters packed into the courtroom, sharing bench space with potential jurors.

During a break, U.S. Marshals allowed the nuns to talk to their supporters but they had to keep several feet away from the bar separating them from spectators. They were excited to see Sister Anne Montgomery, who was arrested with them at Peterson Air Force Base in 2000 and who had just returned from a stay in the West Bank.

They talked about the war in Iraq. A few minutes later, a woman who had just walked into the courtroom approached the bar to give Hudson a hug.

''We can't touch, that's why my hands are back here,'' said Hudson, her arms wrapped behind her back.

One supporter inside the courtroom decided to cover the ''Take No Prisoners'' message on his t-shirt with duct tape rather than have to leave the courtroom.

Outside the courthouse, a handful of peace protestors held banners with messages such as ''Practice Peace,'' drawing an occassional honk from passing drivers.

The nuns represented themselves in previous legal proceedings. At this hearing, all but Platte have retained lawyers because they are accused of sabotage, not simply property damage, Montgomery said.

''It's risky for what this would mean for any kind of nonviolent actions in the future,'' she said.

Gilbert and Platte both lived at Jonah House, a communal residence for pacifists founded by Philip Berrigan in Baltimore. Hudson belongs to a similar group in Poulsbo, Wash.

AP-WS-03-31-03 2052EST