“Continued and endless contempt”: Jerry is Free!

Good news, friends! A couple days ago Jerry Koch was released from MCC here in New York. He’d been in there for the last eight months after refusing to talk to a grand jury. I’ve talked about the shitfuckery of grand juries before.

His lawyer, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, who has worked with many friends of the shipwreck over the last few years, filed a “Grumbles motion” (lulz), which argues that the grand jury resister’s imprisonment is punitive, which is illegal, rather than just coercive, which is some how legal. Judge Keenan finally agreed, writing that

the Court finds it more likely that Koch will only derive increasing grim self-satisfaction from his position. The more unstable he gets, the more he will be presented as a martyr and perceive himself as such. Koch has already decided that this type of notoriety is more valuable than his health and freedom in the short run and the Court sees no basis to conclude that he will reverse that calculus.

You really must read the entirety of Keenan’s ruling, available at the Village Voice link below. It’s remarkable horrible. If you can’t stomach it, try the tag #ShitKeenanSays on Twitter.

Read more about Jerry’s release:

• The Village Voice
• NYC Anarchist Black Cross
• The New School Free Press (by friend of the Shipwreck Shawn Carrié)

About oneofthelibrarians

Respectable mid-career librarian by day, dirty street librarian by night & other days.

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