Subject: Fwd: Fw: [drugwar] Criminal Justice Reform Activists Face Hearing Over Jury Duty Refusal Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 15:38:03 -0500 To: lpny_discussion From: Bob Armstrong Here's a powerful tho potentially personally costly alternative to Jury Nullification as a means to fight the corrupt Judicial System . To the practices listed in the last paragraph , I would add inability to get a jury of peers because of the voi dire system of competent-juror rejection . --- Original Message --- From: "Preston Peet" To: =A0 Sent: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 12:57:35 -0500 Subject: [drugwar] Fw: News Advisory: Criminal Justice Reform= Activists Face Hearing Over Jury Duty Refusal Along with Ed Forchion and his own battles, these are guys also= putting it to the system in what I feel is brave and honorable fashion. We= need more people like Ed, and Dave and David whose actions are described= below. Peace, Preston ----- Original Message ----- From: "Katya Kruglak" To: Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 11:07 AM Subject: News Advisory: Criminal Justice Reform Activists Face= Hearing Over Jury Duty Refusal > NEWS ADVISORY April 1,= 2004 > > CONTACT: David Borden or David Guard (202) 293-8344, cell:= (202) 236-8620 > Katya Kruglak (703) 304-5075 > > Davids v. Goliath (U.S.) > Criminal Justice Reform Activists Face Hearing Over Jury Duty= Refusal > > WHO: David Borden, Executive Director of StoptheDrugWar.org:= the Drug > Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet), and David Guard,= Associate > Director for DRCNet > WHAT: Hearing on their refusal to appear for jury duty to= protest drug > laws and flawed justice system > WHEN: April 2 at 9:00am > WHERE: Superior Court of the District of Columbia [500 Indiana= Avenue], > Room 315 > > WASHINGTON, DC- David Borden and David Guard, leading social= reform > activists who refused jury duty in 2003, will appear in= Superior Court of > the District of Columbia for a hearing before Chief Judge Rufus= King for > not appearing for jury duty. They face up to a week in jail= and/or $300 in > fines. > > Last fall, calling the criminal justice system too flawed to= participate > in, David Borden, Executive Director of StoptheDrugWar.org: the= Drug > Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet) and David Guard, Associate= Director > of DRCNet, refused to appear for jury duty in protest of unjust= drug laws, > unfair sentencing (such as mandatory minimums), and to call= attention to > the corrosion wrought by such laws on the entire criminal= justice system. > > The two "Davids" sent letters to the Superior Court of the= District of > Columbia explaining that their consciences will not permit them= to serve > the US criminal justice system in its current state, and that= they are > aware of the possible penalties. They cite a tradition in= America of > principled civil disobedience to protest laws one considers= unjust. > Borden says that while he will not serve on a jury, he will= through his > refusal "serve society in a way that is more urgently needed by= raising > awareness of an urgent social and moral issue." > > Borden and Guard explain that the "war on drugs" has= systemically damaged > our justice system through all-too-common practices such as= compensated > informants, excessive sentences, the arrest and incarceration= of medical > marijuana patients and pain doctors, disproportionate targeting= of > minorities, and a massive build-up of people in jails and= prisons for > consensual, nonviolent, drug offenses. "We are not permitted= knowledge of > the possible consequences a defendant may face if we vote to= convict... we > cannot have faith that a judge will be able, even if willing,= to pronounce > a sentence that is just," Borden wrote in an open letter to DC= chief judge > Rufus G. King. Borden's letter to Judge King can be found at: > http://stopthedrugwar.org/openletter/. > > ### <]=3D-------------------------------------------------------------= ----------=3D[> [ Moderated by: Preston Peet | http://www.drugwar.com= ] | -=3D/[ To Subscribe: drugwar-subscribe@mindvox.com= ]/=3D- | | To Unsubscribe: drugwar-unsubscribe@mindvox.com = | [ DrugWar List in Digest Format:= drugwar-digest-subscribe@mindvox.com ] <]=3D-------------------------------------------------------------= ----------=3D[> --=A0 =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 Pix+ : .CoSy.MidWinterParty 17 =A0:= http://cosy.com/y04/MidWinter17.htm Computing Environment : =A0http://CoSy.com/CoSy/ A WTC vision : http://CoSy.com/CoSy/ConicAllConnect/ Libertarian Presidential Candidates =A0:= http://CoSy.com/Liberty.htm Restore our Right to Relax : =A0http://ny.lp.org/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?Against_the_Smoking_Ban =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02004/04/01 3:30:54 PM