Seven Blackwater protesters lose appeal in court

CURRITUCK, N.C. (AP) — Seven people arrested for trespassing at security company Blackwater Worldwide’s headquarters have lost their appeals and will be sentenced.

The seven were arrested in October at Blackwater’s headquarters in Moyock. They lost their appeals yesterday in Currituck County Superior Court.

They had been convicted in December in a District Court case where the judge closed the courtroom to the media and the public. They appealed that verdict and the case was tried yesterday before a jury.

Judge Russell Duke will sentence the seven this morning. They face maximum jail sentences of 60 to 80 days. All seven were convicted of second-degree trespassing; six were also convicted of resisting arrest.

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