Oregon Ecodefense Prisoners Freed

On December 6, Stephen Marshall and Charles Jordan pleaded guilty to “improper storage of dynamite,” a misdemeanor, were fined $25 and released. They appeared with their court-appointed attorneys in front of Judge Garr M. King, who dropped all the other charges against them. While the charge carried a maximum sentence of one year in jail, the district attorney had only recommended six months. Both men are now free on time served. Marshall will be staying at the Washington County Restitution Center for six months of post-prison supervision. Jordan had been released to a halfway house by a judge’s order in August, and he is now staying with family members. Neither man was sentenced to probation.

In October 2004, Marshall and Jordan were squatting an abandoned farmhouse in Hillsboro, Oregon, that had electricity but no running water. The house was raided by the Hillsboro Police Department, in response to a trespassing call made by neighbors. During their search of the house, police found dynamite in the basement and a bowl containing nitroglycerin. The dynamite is said to have come from a nearby barn, discovered during a more intensive search of the property. Marshall and Jordan were originally accused of planning to destroy vehicles and equipment belonging to Morse Bros., a company that runs quarries throughout Oregon and operates a concrete materials and tool business.

Both men accuse Morse Bros, of polluting Rock Creek, which flows from the Tualatin Mountains to the Tualatin River. Rock Creek and its tributaries pass through rapidly urbanizing neighborhoods within the cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton, making water quality a vital issue.

The political aspect of Marshall and Jordan’s intentions were not discussed in court.