After a widely watched four-year legal battle, the Critical Arts Ensemble (CAE) Defense Fund was officially dissolved, with its remainder of unexpended funds—nearly $109,000— donated to the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).

The CAE Defense Fund was created to raise funds for legal bills incurred by SUNY Buffalo professor of visual arts Steven Kurtz and University of Pittsburgh professor of human genetics Robert Ferrell. The CAE argued the case was politically motivated and threatened the constitutional rights of every citizen.

The two were indicted for mail and wire fraud in June 2004 (see related story in the May/June 2008 issue of The Voice at www.uupinfo.org). After an arduous four-year struggle, in April 2008 the indictment against Kurtz was dismissed by Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara as “insufficient on its face.”

Ferrell pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in October 2007 after recurring bouts of cancer and three cerebral strokes suffered during the course of the case prevented him from continuing.

In all, the fund raised close to $350,000. When the case was dismissed, $108,930 remained.

The CAE Defense Fund—in consultation with artists, curators and others centrally involved in the fundraising efforts—voted to disburse the remaining funds by awarding $87,150 to CCR, and $21,780 to NYCLU.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to know that these funds can now be used to defend others who do not have the kind of support we had,” Kurtz said.