freespeechdefense.net | 09.09.2005 00:43

San Diego activists are currently serving time in prison for refusing to
testify at a secret federal grand jury hearing supposedly investigating a
public lecture held in August of 2003. Danae Kelley is one of the citizens
imprisoned for asserting her First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights.

San Diego activists are currently serving time in prison for refusing to
testify at a secret federal grand jury hearing supposedly investigating a
public
lecture held in August of 2003. Danae Kelley is one of the citizens
imprisoned
for asserting her First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights. These
fundamental rights are stripped from American citizens who are subpoenaed
for the government's anti-activist witch hunts, which are disguised as
investigations.

A hearing was held on September 7, during which lawyers representing these
individuals urged Judge Irma Gonzalez to order the release of their clients
after they had spent nearly a month and a half in federal prison. They
asserted that no amount of additional jail time would ever serve to coerce
Danae and others into cooperating with the unconstitutional grand jury
system. Federal prosecutors countered by saying that their testimony is
vital to the state's investigation, and that a few more months of
incarceration would surely force the grand jury resisters to testify. To add
insult to injury, they urged Judge Gonzalez to levy a $25 per day charge
upon the defendants for every day they spend locked up, further compounding
the personal and financial burden that they have been forced to endure for
simply asserting their constitutional rights.

Unfortunately, Judge Gonzalez denied the motion for release after consulting
with federal prosecutors during a secret sidebar meeting. She declined to
state her reasons for continuing to imprison the activists, citing only that
new information provided by the FBI gave her reason to believe the FBI's
investigation remains relevant and that valuable testimony could still be
coerced out of the detained.

Judge Gonzalez fails to see this grand jury proceeding for what it is: a
government tool used to disrupt and suppress San Diego environmentalist and
animal right groups. Furthermore, Danae and the others who are currently
resisting the federal violation of their constitutional rights have
repeatedly shown their commitment and dedication towards fighting this
government campaign to stamp out political dissent. Danae refuses to allow
the government to foster distrust among activists who are intimidated into
informing on their friends and associates, after they are threatened with
the prospect of serving up to 18 months in jail for simply declining to
testify. Stand in support with Danae and the others as they wait out what
could be a long and difficult, yet noble and worthy fight for the rights
that all Americans deserve. For more information and for ways you can help
please consult her website at www.freespeechdefense.net

Homepage:: http://www.freespeechdefense.net