Saturday, June 06, 2009
Walt Staton
A member of a humanitarian organization dedicated to helping migrants survive their treks across the Arizona desert was convicted in federal court on Wednesday on charges of littering on public lands. Walt Staton faces up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine for leaving water bottles out in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge southwest of Tucson. Staton is part of the group No More Deaths, which distributes food, water, and medical aid to illegal immigrants trying to cross the harsh Arizona desert on foot. Since October 1, 79 migrants have died crossing the border from Mexico to Arizona.
Staton said the conviction would not dissuade him from trying again to keep illegal immigrants from dying out in the desert. “We’re not asking permission from the United States to save people’s lives,” Staton told the media. “We never have, because we know they’d say no.”
Staton’s attorney, William Walker, said it made little sense for the federal government to spend precious resources trying his client. “This trial must have cost the government more than $50,000,” Walker said. “They say there aren’t enough agents on the border; that they can’t stop terrorists from coming into the country . . . and then they spend all of this time and money prosecuting a humanitarian who is putting out water to save lives.”
Staton is the second No More Deaths volunteer to be convicted of littering charges, after Daniel Millis was found guilty in September. Walker, who also handled that case, is appealing Millis’ decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He plans to also appeal Staton’s conviction once sentencing is over.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Conviction has Crossers' Water Supplier Defiant (by Brian J. Pedersen, Arizona Daily Star)
Total Deaths by Calendar Year (Arizona Daily Star)
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