Free Talk Live

What does a man who attempted to pay a juror $2,500 for a “not guilty” verdict have in common with a 79 retired college professor who handed out information on jury nullification to people entering a court house? This is not a trick question, both men have been charged with “jury tampering.”

Julian Heicklen was indicted of jury tampering last year and now faces federal charges. Heicklen, a 79-year-old retired chemistry professor, has often stood outside various courthouses holding a “Jury Info” sign and handing out brochures that inform jurors of their rights.

Julian Heicklen, libertarian activist and host of the Tyranny Fighters podcast, was arrested Friday morning, 2011-02-18, on a bench warrant issued after he failed to appear for an arraignment regarding a charge of jury tampering.

An order last week from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has revealed the FBI lied to the court about the existence of records requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), taking the position that FOIA allows it to withhold information from the court whenever it thinks this is in the interest of national security. Using the strongest possible language, the court disagreed: “The Government cannot, under any circumstance, affirmatively mislead the Court.”

The US government is charging FIJA activist Julian Heicklen with jury tampering. They may be doing this to keep us from informing juries of their power to find dissidents such as Assange and the anti war activists not guilty regardless of what the law says.

Jury nullification, a legal concept that dates back to 17th century England, remains perfectly lawful in the United States, according to a ruling by a federal judge last month.
U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood said 80-year-old Julian Heicklin, who was arrested by FBI agents for passing out pamphlets marked "Jury Info" from an organization known as the Fully Informed Jury Association to an undercover agent, was within his legal rights under law to do so. Prosecutors had argued that Heicklin was in violation of U.S. law, which prohibits influencing jurors through written communication.

It was obvious the US Marshals knew that FIJA activist Julian Heicklen was coming, then again we made enough noise on the Internet about it. As soon as they spotted him in the park near the federal courthouse they were watching. They watched and followed as we approached the court. Julian walked right into the middle of the bunch of them. He was arrested before he could even hand out one pamphlet.

"On June 18, Governor John Lynch signed HB 146, which reads:

a Right of Accused. In all criminal proceedings the court shall permit the defense to inform the jury of its right to judge the facts and the application of the law in relation to the facts in controversy."

The war drum against Iran beats louder, thanks in part to a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge George Daniels on December 15, 2011 ruling that Iran was linked to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

I must ask:
* will this court ruling be used as justification to invade Iran as part of the Global War on Terror?
* just because a Judge said that Iran was behind 9/11; does that make it true?

A glance at past court rulings will show that judges are not always right.

Julian P. Heicklen sat silent and unresponsive as his bail hearing began one day recently in federal court in Manhattan; his eyes were closed, his head slumped forward.