<p>Biology Professor’s wife claims his ill health made him vulnerable to plead guilty in mail fraud; that he used his credentials to bring in potentially dangerous
bacteria for use in an artist’s film. First Amendment Rights are of issue.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/182595.html[/url]”>http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/182595.html</a></p>
<p>Man, what a confusing story! It wasn’t the Buffalo professor who pleaded guilty, it was a researcher from Pittsburgh. The story says a Buffalo art professor is also involved, but it doesn’t say who or how.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, this looks typical of the efforts by our brave prosecutors to defend the homeland – prosecuting an artist and his friends for trivialities in connection with obtaining common bacteria for use in an educational film. The police discovered it by accident investigating something else. The man who pleaded guilty has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and has had several strokes since being charged; he was being threatened with a multi-year minimum sentence. Oooooh, I feel so much safer thanks to this prosecution!</p>
<p>It IS confusing! And, as often the case, JHS is a careful reader, much appreciated. </p>
<p>Here’s my attempt to untangle and correctly outline the news story: </p>
<p>Buffalo art professor needed to have some bacterium for a film topic or scene. As an artist, he’s not scientifically qualified to request it.</p>
<p>He requested and was given help from a biology researcher in Pittsburgh to order the bacterium, whatever it is…</p>
<p>The artist works on his film project.</p>
<p>Then the Buffalo art professor’s wife dies, and while in the home investigating, someone from law enforcement apparently noticed vials or biological material (unclear exactly what was noticed) in the professor’s home. Concerned, the law officer sends it on for analysis. (Art prof wife death was from natural causes, after all.) Something about this bacterium crosses a new threshold of concern re: Homeland Security relevant to bio-terrorism. It’s just in that category, on a list somewhere-- in what amounts, who knows… (I guess such details are the court case to come). </p>
<p>Emails between the two men and unknown technicalities about how it was requested and mailed result in a prosecutor building a case against the Art professor. The case now includes charges of mail fraud with possible Homeland Security issues folded in. </p>
<p>Pittsburgh researcher is ill and weakened by a severe neurological disease. Yesterday he pled “guilty” in court to his role in this episode. Family members say that the good man from Pittsburgh just caved in to pressure, too sick to fight the charges, although upon questioning by the judge the Pittsburgh researcher owns that his is a true “guilty” plea and not under duress. Families characterize it to reporter as “persecution” not “prosecution” given the man’s frail health. </p>
<p>Now the guilty plea from Pittsburgh adds to the state’s “evidence” against the bigger case against the U of Buffalo art professor. The art community, and others, are writing letters of protest. </p>
<p>IMHO: When government spends its resources building cases like these under Homeland Security laws, we are no safer. </p>
<p>The first news on local TV sounded frightening on an immediate level, as if I should go put on a gas mask (Local Art Professor Arrested; in his possession were hazardous biological materials of concern to Homeland Security…) Reminded me of Timothy McVeigh or the Anthrax crimes post 9/11.</p>
<p>Now I find the story alarming, but for different reasons, including the moving boundary between domestic security and free speech.</p>