Extremist judge sentences Declare Emergency Beltway blockader to 60 days jail

ROCKVILLE, MD (November 30th, 2022) On Monday, Declare Emergency supporter Will Regan was sentenced by Montgomery County Judge Sherri Koch to 60 days in jail, for stopping traffic on the DC Beltway on October 10th. Judge Koch overruled the prosecution’s request for 4 days jail time, and handed down the maximum penalty.

Judge Koch also refused to give Regan credit for 45 days under GPS monitoring with a 7pm-7am curfew, which was imposed for Regan’s release following his October 10th arrest.

The DC Beltway disruption on October 10th was an act of nonviolent civil resistance by Declare Emergency supporters, to demand that President Biden declare a climate emergency and stop fossil fuel extraction on federal and Indigenous lands. It was held on Indigenous People’s Day, and included supporters from several Indigenous nations.

“Acting in nonviolent civil resistance to save the planet is the only way I can truly be able to look myself in the mirror at the end of the day. Every day we are confronted with distractions that allow us to forget the devastating impact we are having on the future of life on this planet”, said Will Regan, a 43 year old computer scientist from Redondo Beach, California. “The only appropriate action at this time is to bring the truth front and center. The time to do this was 20-30 years ago ... but we are here now. That's what's important.”

Six other supporters were arrested in the October 10th action, and they will be tried on December 13th with Judge Koch presiding.

In September, Judge Koch presided over a hearing for a similar action, which included Regan as a defendant. In that hearing, Judge Koch also exceeded the prosecutions’ requested sentence, and justified it by saying, “You can’t yell fire in a crowded movie theater.”

Standing before Judge Koch again on Monday, Regan responded to the judge’s September remarks:

“Yelling fire is the only thing to do, because the planet is on fire.”