Amy Goodman's New Criminal Charges And Why You Should Care

Special Agent Lindsey Wohl wrote in her sworn affidavit that, "Amy Goodman can be seen on the video identifying herself and interviewing protestors [sic] about their involvement in the protest."

According to the North Dakota Criminal Code, Chapter 12.1-25-03, "A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if he engages in a riot as defined in section 12.1-25-01." That section defines a riot as "a public disturbance involving an assemblage of five or more persons which by tumultuous and violent conduct creates grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons or substantially obstructs law enforcement or other government function."

While it is clear that the protesters are engaged in tumultuous conduct, what isn't clear is if there was any danger, grave or otherwise, to any of the security personnel or North Dakota Pipeline equipment. And if Amy Goodman is guilty of being engaged in a riot, where are the charges against the numerous other individuals identified in the video?

The latest charges against Amy Goodman seem to be a move by the North Dakota government to keep reporters away from the sites of the protests, especially because very few of the protesters have been arrested or charged with any trespassing charges or riot violations. Instead, by targeting Goodman and others who are making videos and reporting on-site, they are sending a clear message that they are not welcome. It is troubling because the state's attorney specifically says that he doesn't feel that Amy Goodman was acting as a reporter despite his own office showing that she was interviewing protesters. This, in conjunction with Ms. Goodman's more than 20 years acting as an award-winning investigative journalist, should be more than enough credential to prove she was and is a reporter.

If North Dakota is successful in prosecuting a journalist for reporting on a story that a government official feels shows a bias one way or the other, what message does that send to other budding writers and reporters? Put another way, if Ms. Goodman hadn't reported on the story, who would have known what was going on? The resulting wave of publicity has reached so far that Bernie Sanders held a protest rally in Washington aimed at drawing attention to the plight of the Native Americans in North Dakota attended by thousands of people who would have otherwise not known about it. So, what is the real purpose of the criminal charges and the arrest warrant? That's what you should be concerned about: a government that will stifle and silence a reporter for airing a story that they don't agree with.

[Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images]