[In all the excitement around the Jazz Festival, the Data Stream missed this important development. For those who also missed, it:]April 21, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Judge Dismisses Mail Fraud Case Against Bio-Artist Kurtz
Buffalo, New York
A process that has taken nearly four years may be coming to an end. On Monday, April 21, Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara ruled to dismiss the indictment against University at Buffalo Professor of Visual Studies Dr. Steven Kurtz.
In June 2004, Professor Kurtz was charged with two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud stemming from an exchange of $256 worth of harmless bacteria with Dr. Robert Ferrell, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.
Dr. Kurtz planned to use the bacteria in an educational art exhibit about biotechnology with his award-winning art and theater collective, Critical Art Ensemble.
Professor Kurtz’ lawyer, Paul Cambria, said that his client was “pleased and relieved that this ordeal may be coming to an end.”
The prosecution has the right to appeal this dismissal. How the prosecution will proceed is unknown at this time. If an appeal were undertaken the case would move to the New York Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City.
more from the CAE Defense Fund
earlier Data Stream posts:
Friday, October 12, 2007
Critical Art Ensemble Defense Fund Update
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Strange Culture: What happened to Steve Kurtz? | Sundance Film Festival
[graphic from google image search for 'Critical Art Ensemble']
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