Political Grand Juries: Tools of Government Repression

Grand Juries are used by the United States government to frighten activists, create mistrust, drive people out of the movement, and cause others to inform on friends out of fear. There are at least six grand juries that are being employed to target activists around the country right now! These grand jury hearings are nothing more than modern day inquisitions where peaceful activists are targeted as "terrorists," with many of their basic constitutional rights stripped away. Activists from all over the country are being subpoenaed to these hearings and potentially facing months in jail for refusing to provide information on their comrades. Join San Francisco's Animal Rights Direct Action (ARDAC) for an evening session on the use of Grand Juries to with presentations from National Lawyer's Guild Attorney Mark Vermeulen, and Grand Jury Resisters Gina Lynn and Anita Carswell. Mark Vermeulen is a lawyer and a member of the National Lawyers Guild. He has represented activists and others accused of crimes in the state and federal courts since 1984. Through his work with members of groups such as ACTUP-San Francisco, Rainforest Action Network, The Ruckus Society, Homes Not Jails, and others, he has sought to keep people out of jail and in the streets, and to help get their message out. He also likes riding his bike in the morning. Gina Lynn founded the first ARDAC chapter and is a long-time animal liberation activist. She was targeted by a grand jury after federal agents were able to compel another activist to state that it was "possible" she might have been capable of sending a threatening letter. As a result of this absurd supposation, Gina spent 22 days jailed in federal custody for refusing to cooperate with the grand jury inquisition. Anita Carswell is a veteran activist currently working as Office Manager for In Defense of Animals. After being arrested and charged with smashing in the windows at Neiman Marcus (simply because she's a regular protestor there), Anita was subpoenaed to a Grand Jury in San Francisco. Instead of going into the Grand Jury room, Anita and scores of activists held a protest and press conference outside of the courtroom. The government doesn't like to be exposed for its use of grand juries to repress free speech and that was the end of that grand jury!