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U.S. NEWS Friday 11 OctOber 2019

Killer of black man Alaska Supreme Court hears

in parking dispute youth climate change lawsuit

gets 20 years By DAN JOLING

Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)
By FREIDA FRISARO — An Alaska law promot-
A white Florida man who ing fossil fuel development
told detectives he was ir- infringes on the constitu-
ritated by people who ille- tional rights of young resi-
gally park in handicapped dents to a healthy environ-
spots was sentenced on ment, a lawyer told Alaska
Thursday to 20 years in Supreme Court justices on
prison for the fatal shooting Wednesday.
of an unarmed black man A lawsuit filed by 16 Alaska
outside a convenience youths claimed long-term
store. effects of climate change
Circuit Judge Joseph Bu- will devastate the country's
lone called 49-year-old northernmost state and in-
Michael Drejka a "wanna- terfere with their constitu- Esau Sinnok of Shishmaref, Alaska, speaks at a news conference
be" law enforcement of- This Aug. 13, 2018 file pho- tional rights to life, liberty after the Alaska Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday,
to provided by the Pinellas
ficer and a self-appointed County, Fla., Sheriff's Office and public trust resources Oct. 9, 2019, in Anchorage, Alaska, in a lawsuit that claims state
"handicapped parking shows Michael Drejka. that sustain them. policy on fossil fuels is harming the constitutional right of young
Alaskans to a safe climate.
space monitor." Associated Press The state's legislative and Associated Press
Jurors found Drejka guilty executive branches have
of manslaughter in August. McGlockton appearing to not taken steps to lower temperatures, changed it to West Coast Refineries,
Drejka showed no emotion step back and turn away greenhouse gas emissions rain and snow patterns, ris- for much of its revenue.
when the judge sentenced as Drejka fires the shot, and adopted a policy that ing seas, storm surge flood- Welle said state policy
him. which strikes McGlockton promotes putting more in ing, thawed permafrost, promoting fossil fuels, ex-
Drejka confronted Markeis in the side. the air, said attorney An- coastal erosion, violent pressed in a state statute,
McGlockton's girlfriend Bri- McGlockton's family hired drew Welle of the Oregon- storms and increased wild- should be declared uncon-
tany Jacobs in July 2018 for a lawyer and held a news based Our Children's Trust fires. stitutional because it harms
parking in a handicapped conference demanding group. Our Children's Trust is a non- young Alaskans by trading
space at a Clearwater justice, while U.S. Sen. Bill "This is an issue that is profit organization dedi- short-term financial gains
convenience store. Mc- Nelson asked the U.S. De- squarely within the court's cated to protecting natu- for long-term health prob-
Glockton had gone inside partment of Justice to in- authority," Welle said. ral systems for present and lems.
the store with his 5-year- vestigate. Authorities later Assistant Attorney General future generations. The The lead client in the case,
old son to buy drinks. As decided to charge Drejka. Anna Jay urged justices group in 2011 unsuccess- Esau Sinnok, has had his
the confrontation contin- The judge said he found to affirm a lower court rul- fully sued the state in 2011, constitutional right to
ued, a customer went into it most ironic that Drejka ing rejecting the claims. claiming the state failed to health and happiness de-
the store and alerted Mc- drove up, illegally parked Ultimately, the climate adopt measures to protect nied by state policy and
Glockton. Security video next to Jacobs' car and change issues raised by young people from climate lack of action on climate
shows McGlockton leav- then confronted her about Alaska youth must be ad- change. change, Welle said.
ing the store and shoving parking illegally in a handi- dressed by the political The judge in that case con- "His home village of Shish-
Drejka to the ground. Sec- capped space. branches of government, cluded that courts lack maref is literally wiped off
onds later, Drejka pulls out "He just seems to come out she said. scientific, economic and the map because of cli-
a handgun and shoots the of nowhere, kind of like a "The court does not have technological resources mate change," Welle said
28-year-old McGlockton as superhero, to see that he the tools to engage in the that agencies can use to before the hearing. "It's
he backs away. enforces the handicapped type of legislative policy determine climate policy endangering his culture,
Initially, Pinellas County parking spot," Bulone said. making endeavor required and it was best left in their the very existence of his
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said he Jacobs, along with Mc- to formulate a broad state hands. community, the health and
wouldn't arrest Drejka, say- Glockton's parents, spoke approach to greenhouse Anchorage Superior Court safety of him and his com-
ing the shooting was not before the sentencing. gas emissions," she said. Judge Gregory Miller re- munity members."
a crime under the state's "There are no words to fully The 16 youths sued in 2017 jected the current case a Justice Peter Maassen
'stand your ground' law, describe what his loss has and claimed damages by years ago. asked Welle if the energy
which allows someone to done to our family," said greenhouse gas emissions Alaska has no state sales or policy was balanced by
use deadly force if they Jacobs, who had four chil- are causing widespread income tax and historically other policies in state law,
believe it necessary to pre- dren with McGlockton. damage in Alaska. The law- has relied on the petroleum such as protection for
vent death or great bodily "Our youngest two children suit said the state has expe- industry, which extracts natural resources and the
harm. A security video from will never have memories rienced dangerously high crude oil and sends most of environment.q
the store, however, shows of their daddy."q