Were you in SEATTLE in 1999 at the WTO Protests?
Do you know someone who was?
Were you arrested?
Do you know someone who was???? Or someone who knows
someone who....?

There has been a victory from a class action lawsuit
and those involved need to take action now!!!! PLEASE
READ the message below and use your networks to get
this message out. AND join us in celebrating this
victory!

THANKS.
(Feel free to contact me (info below) for
clarification if you don't really know what this is
about.)

Hello all,

Please read this important messa ge (even
-?especially?- if you were not in this group of
arrestees)

Please help get information out to folks arrested in
the afternoon of Dec 1 1999 at 1st & Broad during the
WTO protests in Seattle.

As the attorneys explain below, the judge agreed to
the settlement so now people must TURN IN THEIR
PAPERWORK BY JUNE 22nd to be included in the class and
receive the $$ they are due. It's no longer just a
possibility, this is happening and the time frame is
short so please help now.

Yes, NOW is the time to work those networks to get
this information out to folks who might be out of the
loop. This is no small task and the attorneys can only
do so much:
We know folks.
We have websites on which we can post announcements
that arrestees might see (hint hint)
We have the networks and, without them, many will
never know that the city settled their case ...

LET'S USE THESE NETWORKS TO GET THE WORD OUT.
TELL FOLKS TO CONTACT the attorneys (info below) so
they can send them forms to complete. NOW is the time
to do it since they will only have until JUNE 22nd to
return the forms.

Wouldn't it be great is we could get everyone arrested
at 1st & Broad to participate!!!! What a great message
that would send.

It would also be great if folks would cc me their
information so I can reach them better next time, but
my own request and isn't a part of the legal stuff
directly ....it's up to them if they want to get my
occasional emails about this stuff.
... AND anyone arrested during WTO but not at this
location should also get their current info to me so
we can reach them better if the other case ever gets
resolved.

In solidarity,
Erica
Jane WTO #890
can@drizzle.com
206-568-7110

P.S. If you yourself were arrested at 1st & Broad and
you want to participate but haven't received your
letter yet, definitely get your current mailing
address to the lawyers... ASAP ...so they can send it
to you.

PPS. No apologies this time for duplicate posts. :-}
If you are getting this multiple times, it just means
you are still accessible this way. BUT many many other
folks aren't; I'd like every arrestee to get this at
least the one time they need so they'll know what's
up.
***********************

Message from Tyler Weaver, attorney who has worked on
this and made it happen!
If you could distribute this message to your email
list, I would appreciate it.

This is a message from the primary attorney on the
litigation against the City of Seattle over the WTO.
For those arrested at First Avenue and Broad Streets
on December 1, 1999, there have been two important,
recent developments in the case.

1. Judge Pechman finally gave her preliminary approval
to the settlement reached in January. As a result,
today we are mailing, to all of the class members for
whom we have addresses, a notice explaining the
details of the settlement and a claim form approved by
the court. If you have given us your address, you
should be receiving this sometime next week. To
receive a settlement award, you MUST a) be a member
of the class arrested at First and Broad, and b)
return your claim no later than June 22, 2004. If you
were arrested at First and Broad but do not receive a
notice in the mail within 10 days, please either email
us (at
Allison@hagens-berman.com
) or call us at 1-877-694-0660 (press 9, then 7).

If you are returning a claim form but were arrested
and booked as a John or Jane Doe, I strongly encourage
you to provide us with whatever other information you
have that indicates you are a class member, such as
your processing number or a copy of your processing
papers.

2. On our motion, Judge Pechman also recently ordered
the City to seal the arrest records for all of those
arrested at First and Broad, and furthermore to remove
all records of the arrests from the databases it uses
to give information to outside agencies. This should
help considerably in clearing the reco rds of those
who were arrested at First and Broad, although even
after the City cleans its databases, there may be some
residual effect in national databases that have the
old information. We had requested that the court order
the City to inform any such databases, but the order
did not go that far. A copy of the court's order is
attached to this email.

For those arrested inside the city's no-protest zone,
not at First and Broad, we continue to await the
decision of the Ninth Circuit. We hope to eventually
be able to send a similar email telling you that we
have also recovered on your behalf and that your
records have also been sealed. For now, all we can do
is wait and hope the court rules in our favor.

Tyler Weaver
Hagens Berman LLP