2 (de)Occupy protestors sent to prison

Two more (de)Occupy Honolulu protesters are serving jail terms for interfering with city crews attempting to enforce the stored property ordinance at Thomas Square.

Circuit Judge Patrick Border sentenced Catherine C. Russell to 60 days and Blade Michael Walsh to 45 days Monday for obstructing government operations.

A state jury found Russell and Walsh guilty Friday.

Russell said she was speaking for people who, like her, are homeless, and offered no apology Monday for her actions.

“My father would be proud to have me protecting people. He instilled integrity, charity and standing up for those who need help,” Russell said.

Walsh also offered no apology.

“I stand by what I did. I was there to defend free speech, defend the rights of the people who were staying there,” he said.

Their lawyers said Russell and Walsh will appeal their convictions.

Border gave them until Dec. 16 to begin serving their jail terms, if they each posted $11,000 bail.

State sheriff deputies immediately took both into custody.

Russell’s bail was $100 pending trial. Her lawyer, Jason Iokona Baker, told Border that Russell doesn’t have the money to flee, even if she wanted to, let alone to post the higher bail.

“Eleven thousand might as well be $11 million,” Baker said.

Pending trial, Walsh had been free on his own recognizance.

A state jury found Russell and Walsh guilty for refusing to get out of a tent that was on the sidewalk at Thomas Square on Sept. 26 last year. The city had tagged the tent for removal the day before.

Russell, Walsh and another person, Jehle Kae Phillips-Frankie, had chained themselves to a wooden forklift pallet and had their arms interlocked inside PVC pipe “sleeves.”

Phillips-Frankie failed to show up at a Jan. 20 court hearing and is wanted on a $250 bench warrant.

Border sentenced Madori Rumpungworn to 30 days in jail earlier this month after another jury found her guilty of obstructing government operations for getting in the way of a city employee attempting to enforce the stored property ordinance at Thomas Square on May 3 last year and for refusing to leave the portion of the park police had marked off with yellow tape for the enforcement.