David Segal
New York, New York, U.S. - 20 year old anarchist, David Segal plead guilty to felony "malicious mischief" in federal court Wednesday morning in relation to a January 31, 2005 attempt to burn down a Bronx military recruiting station. In return for the plea the prosecutor gave a sentencing recommendation of 10-16 months.
The judge is not required to abide by the recommendation and could sentence David to 10 years in prison, but David's attorney, Martin Stolar, president of the New York chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, believes that the sentence would adhere to the prosecutor's guidelines. Additionally, the judge could break up the sentence between jail time and home confinement.
David will have to wait until his December 16th sentencing date to know for sure. Until then he will be looking for a new job in the area of Litchfield, Connecticut, where he has been living with his parents since they posted a $15,000 cash bond to secure his release following his arrest. David is required to be employed as a condition of his release and would like to find an apprenticeship as a carpenter. He is also looking for people interested in caring for some of his eight guinea pigs while he is incarcerated. In a statement David thanked his supporters for "all the support and care you've all shown already. It means so fucking much."
David also expressed remorse that Brendan Walsh, who was convicted for a 2003 arson attempt on a recruitment center near Binghamton, NY, didn't receive an equally lenient sentence as the one that was recommended for David. Brendan was sentenced to five years behind bars, after which he faces three years of supervision.
Their cases are very similar. Both were 19 years old at the time of their crimes, and both acted alone, driven by their opposition to the ongoing war in Iraq. David however was fortunate enough to have a supportive community, in New York City, who were able to bring his case to the attention of Martin Stolar, a prominent civil rights attorney, who was interested in taking the case. Unfortunately, Brendan's case received little notice and support, leaving him with a poor defense lawyer who allowed him to plead guilty without an offer of leniency. David is asking that people interested in supporting him also consider offering support to Brendan as well.
