The Story
On August 15th, two friends on a summertime road trip were stopped by police in rural Illinois. What should have been a routine check of license and registration turned into an illegal vehicle search.
While Kevin Johnson and Tyler Lang sat handcuffed, Woodford County sherifs combed through their car and trunk without probable cause.
Why?
Because Kevin's name is on a list of "suspected domestic terrorists." He is an animal rights activist, and for years, he and Tyler have been outspoken opponents of things like fur farming, vivisection, and animal slaughter.
The charge resulting from that night was "possession of burglary tools"—for having in their trunk things like camouflage clothing and bolt cutters. Keep in mind, Kevin and Tyler were not caught in the commission of a crime, nor were they suspected to have committed one. Yet because of their backgrounds, they wound up in jail with exorbitantly high bail ($200,000 for Kevin and $100,000 for Tyler).
Fortunately, a group of talented young attorneys from the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago stepped up for Kevin and Tyler. Thankfully, after three months and a lot of hard work, Tyler was released.
But Kevin is still sitting in jail. Help us get him out.
(Read the full, still-unfolding timeline at supportkevinandtyler.com)
How You Can Help
We want to pay these lawyers the little bit they're asking for in order to say thank you and to help them keep up an excellent defense for Kevin and future defendants. These funds will allow the attorneys continue taking cases for other activists and those with few resources for legal help.
- After IndieGoGo fees, the remaining money will be split among five attorneys to compensate them a small amount for their time, ensure they're financially able to take on more cases like this one, and cover their travel expenses to Eureka.
- When you donate $25 or more, Kevin will send you a personalized letter or card. (Yeah, it's coming from jail—but that's pretty cool, and you can show it off to your friends for street cred if you want.)
- Donate $100 or more and you'll get an exclusive invite to Kevin's release party in Chicago...hopefully sooner than later!
The Impact
Supporting the lawyers means you're supporting Kevin. Supporting Kevin means you're supporting the fight against activist repression and the infringement of civil liberties.
Other Ways You Can Help
- Throw a benefit! And if you do, please let us know by contacting us through the website: supportkevinandtyler.com.
- Send Kevin a book. Reading is his only pleasure in jail, and he loves just about anything non-fiction, particularly on psychology, natural history, and animals.
- Spread the word. Share this fundraiser and the website with everyone you know. Because today it's Kevin...tomorrow it could be any one of us.
