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| photo by Judson Felder |
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State v. Pan:
DK Pan is going to trial and needs your help. In the coming months, we'll have a series of social engagements to raise awareness and funds to push back on the state surveillance abuses perpetrated on DK and fellow free people of Seattle. This is an opportunity to support the right of a low-income artist to receive a fair trial. It is also an opportunity to support a public trial that will call into question the use of domestic spying by law enforcement.
Beginning in 2007, the Seattle Police Department instigated a "domestic terrorism" investigation that targeted our friend, DK Pan, and others from the Seattle community.
For DK and others, the investigation resulted in charges of "professional gambling" based on allegedly illegal poker games that were held periodically at several well-attended "speakeasies" where DK and others also staged musical and art performances, art installations, events, and parties.
DK has decided to exercise his constitutional rights to face these charges.
The SPD's investigation involved extensive use of government surveillance, infiltrators, and duplicity to track the innocuous activities of artists, performers, political advocates, and others. The continued prosecution now for any allegedly illegal poker is an attempt to mask the misguided law enforcement pursuit of its baseless suspicions about "domestic terrorists." While others have decided for personal reasons to reach a plea deal with King County prosecutors, DK feels that without a trial, yet another instance of improper and unseemly government invasion into ordinary citizens' lives will be swept under the rug.
DK has decided to face the charges and make the state give a public airing of its evidence and motivations.DK cannot afford to take this case to trial without your help. He is being charged in King County Court for alleged activities related to "speakeasies" in Seattle. The cost of the trial will be $150,000.
David Whedbee and
Tim Ford at the law offices of
MacDonald Hoague & Bayless have agreed to represent DK at considerably reduced rates.
DK Pan has been active in the Seattle arts community for over 15 years as a performer, producer, curator, and installation artist. He is the recent recipient of
The Stranger Genius Award for Visual Art for 2011.
DK Pan Legal Defense Fund Trust has been established. All donated funds will go directly to the Defense Fund. Anything left at the conclusion of the case will be donated to the
American Civil Liberties Union. DK Pan Legal Defense trustees are Andy Fife and Paige Weinheimer.
NEWSTrial date is scheduled for January 16, 2012. The Stranger's Brendan Kiley has posted an article on the case. Check it out here:
"The Long Con Anatomy of a Two-Year Undercover Sting and What It Has to Do with the law enforcement’s Habit of Wasting Large Amounts of Money on Investigating People for Their Social Habits and Political Beliefs"
