83-year-old Nun Convicted for Nuclear Site Break-in

An elderly nun and two fellow activists have been convicted Wednesday for breaking into a nuclear facility based in Tennessee.

Sister Megan Rice, Michael Walli, 64 and Greg Boertje-Obed, 56 have admitted to entering the Y-12 site in Oakridge Tennessee where uranium is being processed and stored.

After almost two and a half hours of deliberation, the jury came up with the verdict of 20 years in prison for the three.

Defense attorneys claim federal prosecutors have imposed overextended charges due to the shame brought about by the break-in.

According to Rice’s representative Francis Lloyd, the lack of security at such a dangerous place “has embarrassed a lot of people”.

While the verdict was being read aloud at a court in Knoxville, Sister Megan stood and smiled at the throng of people inside. Many of her supporters cried and some even sang a hymn as the judge left the courtroom.

Prosecutor Jeff Theodore however stands in disagreement that the break-in had helped improve the security of the nuclear facility.

Theodore said no one can “take the law in your own hands” and “force your views on other people”.

Source: bbc.co.uk, huffingtonpost.com