10Ęto 2 in favor of acquittal on manslaughter charges. Members of that same jury have since been out-spoken in their outrage that Bear had been brought to trial at all, as Mendocino County law enforcement attempted to lay the blame for this tragedy at the feet of a man who, so it seemed, would be unlikely to stand up and demand the truth be heard. Bear Lincoln and many of the citizens of Mendocino County have proven them wrong.
Still, District Attorney Susan Massini has chosen to proceed to trial on those manslaughter charges against Bear. His trial was set to begin on September 15, 1998. It was agreed by both the prosecution and the defense that the case would be postponed until January 15, 1999. The trial date will be set when the court convenes on January 15. Expect a trial date as early as April.
It will be extremely important for the prosecution to see and appreciate the continuing level of support which Bear enjoys throughout the community. Susan Massini's best hope would be that, as time passes, the level of concern for Bear will dissipate. A full house of Bear supporters at the hearing on January 15 will dash those hopes once and for all.
The shooting of Marvin Noble, so soon after the murder of Acorn Peters, demonstrates anew the importance of Bear's case for the whole community.
During the past year, we have all come to know Bear as a gentle and kind human being, not the vicious killer which Sheriff Tuso tried to portray. We all need to stand strong and be ready to join hands with Bear as January 15 approaches.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1998
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited