DeWitt, NY - DeWitt Town Justice David Gideon Friday evening sentenced 12 people to jail and ordered them to stay away from the Hancock Air Base after he found them guilty of disorderly conduct during a protest in October 2012.

The defendants, who are members of Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars, were immediately taken into custody in the courtroom, told to give any personal things to loved ones to hold and whisked away to the Jamesville Penitentiary to begin their 15-day sentence.

As they left the suburban courtroom about three dozen supporters began singing "Courage, brother, you do not walk alone. We shall walk with you and sing your spirit home."

The defendants were part of a group of 16 people arrested and charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct in a protest at the Hancock Air Base in October 2012. They were protesting the use of drones operated from the base in combat in Afghanistan. Such operations violate international law, the group said.

After several days of testimony in January, the judge Friday said he was dismissing the trespassing charge because of conflicting testimony given over the location of the base's boundaries.

However, the protesters were convicted of disorderly conduct after the judge found that they had stopped vehicles and pedestrians from entering the base.

The protests appear to be escalating, Gideon said. In one of the tapes offered in evidence, the judge said he saw someone get out of a car and confront the protesters.

"I do not know where this stops. It seems to be escalating, and in a bad way," the judge said. He added later "at some point you're going to be confronted by an individual who's violent."

The judge allowed the defendants to speak before passing sentence. Several thanked Gideon for his fairness during the trial, even as they spoke against the use of drones.

The judge issued an order of protection barring the defendants from going near Col. Earl Evans, the mission support group commander at the 174th Attack Wing of the New York Air National Guard. The permanent order bars the defendants from going near Evans, his home, family and his place of business for two years. In essence, the order bars the defendants from the base whether Evans is there or not.

All of the defendants in the courtroom refused to sign the order.

Defendant Elliott Adams of Sharon Springs was not in the courtroom and was sentenced in absentia.

The judge fined each defendant $250, the maximum amount he said he was allowed by law, plus a $125 surcharge.

Then he sentenced them.

"I have to send a resounding message to stop," Gideon said, before sentencing the defendants to 15 days in the Jamesville Penitentiary.

Prior to the beginning of court some of the defendants said they were willing to go to jail if ordered to do so.

"I am willing to go to jail or I wouldn't be here entrenched in this cause," said defendant Judy Bello of Rochester. Then she added, "I wouldn't say I'm eager."

In addition to Bello the others who went to jail Friday were:

Mark Colville of New Haven, Conn.

Clare Grady of Ithaca

Mary Anne Grady Flores of Ithaca

Martha Hennessy of New York City

Brian Hynes of Bronx

Ed Kinane of Syracuse

Rae Kramer of Syracuse

James Ricks of Ithaca

Mark Scibilia-Carver of Trumansburg

Patricia Weiland of Northampton, Mass.

Contact Charley Hannagan by phone at 315-470-2161, by email at channagan@syracuse.com, on Facebook at Neighbors West or on Twitter @charleypost.