Restitution Sought From TransCanada Protestors, Including 3 Brandeis Students

Prosecutors will seek "a considerable amount of restitution" from the eight current and former college students charged in Monday's sit-in at TransCanada's Westborough office, the assistant district attorney said today.

All eight, including a college student living in Waltham, were released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from that office after being arraigned in Westborough District Court this morning. Three of the the individuals arrested, Shea Riester, Lisa Purdy and and Dorian Williams all attend Brandeis University, according to their group's blog. 

Each individual was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct. Not guilty pleas were entered on their behalf. Their cases were all continued to March 4.

The individuals were: Shea M. Riester, 22, of 48 Brooksdale Road, Brighton; Devyn Weis Powell, 20, of 1260 Hideaway Lane, Lake Oswego, Oregon; Benjamin L. Thompson, 22, of 20 Watson Road, Durham, N.H.; Benjamin J. Trolio, 22, of 35 Fruitwood Drive, Burnt Hills, N.Y.; Lisa Rose Purdy, 20, of 26 Fisk St., Waltham; Allison J. Welton, 20, of 648 Highway 7, Tonasket, Washington; Dorian S. Williams, 20, of 5301 S. University Ave., Chicago, Ill.; and Emily Edgerly, 20, of 6 Douglas Road, Lexington.

The individuals chained themselves together, super glued their hands and condicted a sit-in at TransCanada's Northeast Regional Office, 110 Turnpike Road, Suite 203 on Monday, Jan. 7.

The group was protesting the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, according to the "Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline" website. The website describes the Keystone XL Pipeline as "a proposed 1,400-mile pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from the Canadian tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico. The southern leg is currently being constructed in the face of massive local opposition in Texas."

Attorneys Jeffrey Feuer, Benjamin Hiller and Neil Berman of the National Lawyers Guild are representing the group, pro bono, Feuer said.

The guild seeks "to bring together all those who recognize the importance of safeguarding and extending the rights of workers, women, farmers, people with disabilities and people of color, upon whom the welfare of the entire nation depends; who seek actively to eliminate racism; who work to maintain and protect our civil rights and liberties in the face of persistent attacks upon them; and who look upon the law as an instrument for the protection of the people, rather than for their repression," according to its website.

Feuer said during the arraignment that the attorneys hoped to resolve the cases against their clients on Jan. 9. The assistant district attorney then raised the restitution issue.