Support Marie Mason

Marie Mason was transferred this morning from Newaygo Co Jail and is in transit again.

We recommend that you write a letter now and photocopy it. When she lands again, send it and keep the copy in case it does not reach her.

Mason is still at the Newaygo County Jail. We have no idea how long she will be there and she will probably be moved without warning. Please send her a letter but make a copy in case she is moved and your letter does not reach her.

Marie Jeanette Mason

Newaygo County Jail

[no longer here]

As of Wednesday, March 11, Mason has been transferred out of Clinton County Jail.

Information will be posted as it becomes available.

If you wrote Marie Mason in the last month or so and have not heard back from her, she probably lost your address. When she was transferred before the sentencing, she lost her letters along with the return addresses. Also, it is possible that some mail is being held by authorities. (Everything coming in the jail is read before she receives it.) So if you haven’t heard back from her in a while, she asks you to write her again!

Marie Mason
Clinton County Jail

[please note - Mason is no longer at Clinton County Jail]

A couple of interesting postings on Mason’s sentence.

Mason’s statement to the court at her sentencing is now available here.

Of interest is a piece from Will Potter’s blog www.greenisthenewred.com – “Environmentalist Sentenced to 21 Years as a “terrorist”; Violent Racists Receive Half That”.

And of special interest is a reply posted there by Mason’s attorney John Minock (comment #30):

“Marie Mason pled guilty, accepted responsibility, and expressed remorse. There was never any question but that there would be a substantial prison sentence. Her ex-husband, who taped conversations with her for the government, was sentenced to 9 years.

Application of the terrorism enhancement under the federal sentencing guidelines increased the advisory sentencing range 7 times over what the range would have been for arson without the enhancement. (However, she was facing a mandatory 7 year minimum sentence because of the danger to firemen.) The terrorism enhancement makes no distinction between intent to murder or, as in this case, property destruction, and because of its inflexibility provides little guidance.

There have been about 20 other similar cases in the country where property was destroyed but there was no intention to commit murder. The sentences in those other cases have been from 3 to 13 and a half years, principally because in those other cases the government recommended downward departures of twice as much as in this case. Comparing the facts of those other cases and the backgrounds of those defendants, the sentence in this case is more than double what it would have been.

The purpose of federal sentencing law is to achieve sentencing uniformity throughout the country, so that there are not vast differences from place to place. 22 years is the average sentence for murder in federal court. The average sentence for arson in federal court is 7 years. In this case, a considerable sentence was inevitable. 22 years is excessive and disproportionate.”

Mason’s lawyer John Minock has indicated that he intends to appeal her 22-year sentence, which is the longest one passed on a Green Scare arrestee.

Funds are needed to pay the legal fees for this.

(There are also many other costs as well: buying vegan food for Mason while she is in prison; the inflated price of phone calls from jail; expenses related to family visits, etc.)

Please consider making a donation so that we can work to reverse her sentence.

We encourage people to host a benefit show or other event  in your area. If you are on the East Coast and would like someone from supportmariemason to come and speak about her case, please contact us. 

Checks or money orders can be made out to “Karin Mason” and sent to:

Karin Mason
PO Box 352
Stanwood, MI 49346

If you would like to make a donation via Paypal, please contact us for more information: supportmariemason [at] gmail [dot] com.

As of 2/8/09, Mason is still being held at Clinton County Jail. Letters can be sent to:

Marie Mason
Clinton County Jail
1347 E Townsend Rd.
Saint Johns, MI 48879

Marie Mason received a 262 month sentence  (a little under 22 years) today. She was also ordered to pay $4+ million in restitution.

The prosecution had asked for 20 years and agreed not to appeal if the sentence was at least 15.

Mason’s lawyer John Minock had argued that, compared to the other Green Scare cases in Oregon, “a non-disparate sentence would be less than 10 years.”

Mason’s sentence is the longest given to any Green Scare defendant to date.

A court report will be posted soon.

Marie Mason’s lawyer John Minock has described the 20 year sentence sought by the prosecution as “hugely disparate” when compared to the Green Scare cases on the West Coast.

“The government acknowledges it is by far the highest recommendation for any defendant in the country,” said Minock; she “is only in the middle in terms of culpability compared to the other cases. By character, she is among the least likely to pose future dangerousness, and poses none.”

Click here to read the complete AP story.

As of today, Marie Mason is back at Clinton County Jail and her sentencing is still set for February 5th.

Marie Mason
Clinton County Jail
1347 E Townsend Rd.
Saint Johns, MI 48879

Marie Mason was moved today from Clinton County Jail.

Currently she is being held at the Newaygo County Jail. Her birthday is this Monday, so drop her a line:

Marie Mason
Newaygo County Jail
PO Box 845
White Cloud, MI 49349

At this time, her sentencing is still set for February 5th in Lansing, Michigan. Please contact supportmariemason@gmail.com if you are planning on attending and require further information.