LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Federal officials on Wednesday approved most of Alaska’s four-y [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
At an hour-long work session with the Assembly Tuesda [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
The story behind a classic, though often misunderstoo [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
The state government risks losing millions of dollars in feder [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday signed a bill that promise [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, known for its steep mountains [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing Wednesday in competitive division City League volleyball matches, Ca [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 27
At 2:36 p.m. a dead [ ... ]
This Week in Girls on the Run
By Sitkans Against Family Violence
and The Pathways Coalition
During th [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitkans Hear Lawyer for Principled Defendants
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Juneau climate change activist Kelsey Skaggs addressed an interested audience of about 50 Sitkans Friday in a presentation at Centenial Hall.
Skaggs, a Harvard-trained lawyer and co-founder of the nonprofit Climate Defense Project, provides legal services to people who engage in non-violent civil disobedience in the name of environmental protection.
The roots of Skaggs’ involvement in climate law run deep. Raised in Juneau, she spent substantial amounts of time in the West Chichagof Wilderness.
“Growing up and living it have been really important in shaping how I think about people’s relationship to the natural world,” Skaggs said in an interview with the Sentinel.
In 2010, Skaggs spent a summer working with the Sitka Conservation Society on Kruzof Island, where she catalogued “the different ways Sitkans use Kruzof.”
Lawyer Kelsey Skaggs speaks about the “climate necessity defense” during a presentation at Harrigan Centennial Hall Friday. (Sentinel Photo)
In regard to the relationship between people and the natural world, she believes that “we’re really part of it, not something separate.”
She attended law school with an interest in environmental or climate law, but found herself “pretty disillusioned with the options.” She noted that “there is no inside game that is going to work. You’re not going to out-lobby the fossil fuel industry.”
This realization and disillusionment led her to pursue other goals, and to the founding of the Climate Defense Project. The project offers free legal defense to individuals arrested while breaking the law to protest climate change. Skaggs noted that “our clients are generally people who are interested in having political trials.”
The CDP’s legal arguments hinge on what is known as the “Necessity Defense.” In this argument, a defendant admits to breaking a law, but claims having no other choice, as to obey the law would result in a great negative impact. This form of thought somewhat mirrors self-defense law and theory.
The necessity defense was put to the legal test when the Climate Defense Project worked with defendants in the “Valve Turners” case. In this 2016 action, individuals in four states shut off oil pipelines “in response to calls for solidarity from Standing Rock,” Skaggs said. The protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation hinged around the potential construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Those arrested were charged with trespass, burglary, and other violations. Valve turners in Washington, North Dakota, and Montana have all been acquitted with help from CDP lawyers. The defendant in Minnesota has yet to receive a final verdict.
Skaggs noted that the necessity defense has yet to receive a full legal test in America. First, a trial judge has to allow the defense to be used at all, which isn’t always granted. Then the defense has to convince the jury to acquit. Only in the pending Minnesota case has the judge approved the use of the necessity defense.
Despite the official denial of the defense by judges in three states, Skaggs said, the CDP has “been able to use the arguments and in some form and to win very good outcomes.” Notably, the judge in Washington State disallowed the necessity defense, but did allow the defendant, Ken Ward, to elaborate on personal motives for his actions.
Ward was convicted of burglary in April 2019, but the Washington Supreme Court overturned this decision on September 5. This court ruling also established that a climate protester in Washington has the right to use the necessity defense, which had previously been denied.
Skaggs noted the long history of peaceful civil disobedience in America, from the Civil Rights Movement to anti-Vietnam War protests.
She said that the Climate Defense Project intends to continue “working with, partnering with, and providing info to attorneys in communities.”
Skaggs and her organization plan to keep up their work. Being a Southeast Alaskan, Skaggs said that fighting climate change is both professional and personal to her. She said “for me, it’s my home.”
Login Form
20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.