My name is Art Laffin and I speak on behalf of Mane'I al Otaybi, a Saudi national who was 25 years old when he was taken into U.S. custody in Afghanistan. He died at the Guantanamo military prison on June 10, 2006 of a reported suicide. I stand with all my friends here in a long nonviolent tradition by people of faith and conscience who have acted on behalf of victims of violence. As I tried to say in my closing statement , what is at issue here is: What do we do when human law conflicts with God’s law?

My faith tradition tells me we must always uphold God's law. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 146:

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no salvation.
When they die they, too, return to earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord, their God,
who executes justice for the oppressed;
For the Lord sets prisoners free,
and opens the eyes of the blind;
the Lord raises up those who are bowed down
and loves those who do what is right.
The Lord watches over the strangers, refugees and homeless
and upholds the orphan, the widow and the immigrant.
But the way of the wicked are brought to ruin!
God is sovereign over all earthly rulers and powers.
Let all generations praise God.
Let us praise God forever!

You happen to be the judge, and Ms. Acevedo, the prosecutor. We never would have met had it not been for this trial. I appreciate that we met you. Unfortunately, the legal system puts us in an adversarial position. We reach out to you with all our hearts. We’d love to talk to you and take you out to lunch and discuss these matters further. We may not agree on everything and you might not even like our cooking but we could communicate in a more human way.

Here, Judge Gardner quipped, “Wait until I sentence you.”

A crime is being committed here. We’re trying to stop it. We are reaching out on behalf of the victims of this crime. God’s law supercedes this law of the court. In God’s name, in the name of justice, in the name of the victims, please join with us in doing what you can do to stop this crime.

After receiving his sentence, Mr. Laffin continued: I work and live at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. We serve the homeless and poor of Washington, DC. I have a wife and small child. I have a request, if possible. I have made a commitment to help a friend who is recovering from cancer. I request that I receive the same 10 day sentence that you gave others who are not able to comply with probation.

Judge Gardner replied that Mr. Laffin would have to to serve 29 days in jail if he did not comply with probation.

Also, I would ask that the stayaway from the Supreme Court be rescinded from June 29-July 2 because of an annual vigil and fast that is held there to abolish the death penalty. My brother was a homicide victim and I'd like to attend the vigil at the Supreme Court to repeal the death penalty.

Judge Gardner denied his request saying, and as Mr. Laffin was taken into custody and led away by the Marshals, he recited the Lord’s Prayer.