Biography
James Ricks is a peace activist from Ithaca, New York who participated in the October 2012 protest at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base near Syracuse, where activists trespassed to protest the U.S. drone warfare program. Hancock trains MQ-9 Reaper drone pilots responsible for lethal strikes in Afghanistan and other countries. Ricks was convicted of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 15 days in Onondaga County Jail in 2013.
Initial Hancock custody, October 25, 2012
The Upstate Coalition statement dated October 25, 2012 named James Ricks among thirteen people still held in jail late that afternoon after a blockade of Hancock Field near Syracuse. The statement reported trespass and disorderly-conduct charges and bail between $250 and $1,000. Four other named participants had already been released on their own recognizance. It does not establish the physical release day for the thirteen still held. This initial October 2012 custody must not be extended through later 2014 sentencing or conflated with other protest cases. No new release date or measured days imprisoned are inferred from this report.
The December 14, 2012 report identifies James Ricks among eleven defendants convicted of trespass by Judge Jokl in DeWitt Town Court on December 13 over the June 28 Hancock gate action. It explicitly says Ricks began his fifteen-day sentence immediately in Onondaga County Jail; it gives no actual discharge date or completed duration. The June 28 date describes the underlying action; this report does not independently fix this person’s arrest date. The four original protesters not among these eleven defendants are not identified.
The October 25, 2012 participant report individually names James Ricks among thirteen Hancock air-base protesters still held in jail late that afternoon after DeWitt Town Court hearings. All seventeen arrestees had been charged with trespass and disorderly conduct and served with protection orders concerning Earl A. Evans; the report says four other people were released on recognizance. It gives no final release date or completed duration for James Ricks. This is the initial pretrial custody reported that afternoon.
The June 28, 2012 contemporary press release individually names James Ricks among the fifteen people arrested at Hancock Air Base at 1:41 p.m. It reports release without bail for the participants other than the three explicitly held for prior community-service noncompliance. This identifies the initial arrest underlying the separately reported December 13 verdict and sentence; it does not establish an additional prison admission or completed custody duration.
The contemporary Jerry Berrigan Memorial Drone Blockade report individually names James Ricks among twelve people arrested at Hancock Field on January 28, 2016. It reports one misdemeanor and two violations for each participant without naming those offenses. An individual jail admission, physical release, imposed sentence and completed custody duration are not established by this account. Contemporary report, The Nuclear Resister.
The March 2017 report states that a New York jury acquitted James Ricks, Daniel Burns, Brian Hynes and Ed Kinane of all charges arising from their March 19, 2015 protest at Hancock. The article does not state the exact calendar day of the verdict. Contemporary report, The Nuclear Resister.
The September 21, 2015 Hancock drone-base report individually names James Ricks among five people arrested during the gate blockade and released around noon that day. The reported charges were trespass and disorderly conduct. The announced October 14 hearing was prospective; no final court outcome or measured whole-day imprisonment is established here.
Sources: Contemporary report.
The March 19, 2015 Hancock report names James Ricks among seven people arrested after blocking the base gate with oversized books representing anti-war and human-rights texts. It does not establish this person’s individual statutory charge, release date, admission date or detention duration. The activists’ citizens’ indictment is distinguished from an indictment issued by a court.
Sources: Contemporary report.
Hancock trial in November 2011
A November 7, 2011 courtroom report quotes this defendant’s opening statement at the Hancock drone-protest trial. It says the trial began November 1, closing arguments were heard November 5, and Judge Gideon’s verdict was still expected in December. The account does not establish the eventual verdict or a completed jail term. Contemporary courtroom report.
