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August 10, 1984 John LaForge and Barbara Katt, house painters and peace workers from Bemidji, MN, dressed as quality control inspectors, entered Sperry Corporation in Eagan, Minnesota. Once inside they poured blood and hammered on two prototype computers designed to provide guidance and navigation information for Trident submarines and F4G fighter-bombers. In addressing Sperry's nuclear war preparations, they also served Sperry with a citizens indictment declaring that they are committing war crimes in violation of national and international law. After a two-day jury trial in Federal Court in which they were allowed to present a justification defense, they were convicted of destruction of government property. Judge Miles Lord imposed a six month suspended sentence and used the occasion to criticize the arms industry, and to cite Sperry's corporate corruption. He also recognized the legitimacy of the justification defense for civil disobedience trials and for the Sperry Software trial in particular.
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