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National Lawyers Guild of Michigan Letter to Dr. Wilkerson

Dr. Catherine Wilkerson, M.D.

RE: People v Wilkerson

Dear Dr. Wilkerson:

I am pleased to inform you that at the April 19, 2007 meeting of the Executive Board of the Detroit and Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a resolution was unanimously passed in support of you and your defense against allegations that you interfered with police officers or emergency medical technicians during the protest of a speech by Raymond Tanter at the University of Michigan on November 30, 2006. We know that you have long been active ii protesting the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians and that protesting at the Tanter meeting was an extension of that activity.

Our understanding is that UM has a "heckling policy" in which all members of the community are free to express their opinion at public meetings, even if it might be unpopular or offensive, as long as it is not so extreme as to interfere with the free speech rights of the speakers or other members of the audience. The information available to us is that, rather then the campus police playing an independent and neutral role, they were in fact under the direction of the student organization that was sponsoring the event and that protesters were attacked at their pleasure, even though the protest activity did not in fact disrupt the event. We understand that some of the excessive actions of the police were caught on video and have received wide publicity.

Your situation, however, is unique inasmuch as you have certain duties as a medical professional, particularly when you see a situation that is dangerous or arguably life threatening. It was out of one such situation that the charges against you arose. You attempted to explain to police officers that their actions could have severe, if not fatal, medical consequences. Further, when you saw EMTs providing inappropriate medical treatment, you challenged and instructed them. That became another part of the charges against you.

We understand that the protocols for doctors and EMTs are such that it was their duty to yield to your superior expertise and that it might be a basis for the dismissal of the charges against you.

Just as troubling is the fact that, although others were charged, no prosecution was undertaken against you until you wrote to the authorities complaining of the actions of the officers. Then, rather than investigating your compliant, these criminal charges were brought. We consider that to be patent retaliation for the exercise of your right to petition for redress of grievances under the 1^st Amendment.

Your case has been endorsed as a project of the Detroit and Michigan NLG Chapter. Dennis Hayes and Hugh (Buck) Davis have undertaken your defense. Your article will be published in the local NLG newsletter In The Struggle and this letter will be posted on our website. You may use it to seek publicity and support.

For peace and justice,

Valerie Newman, President of the Detroit

& Michigan National Lawyers Guild

cc:Dennis M. Hayes

Hugh M. Davis