Respected jury independence activist Julian Heicklen was arrested this morning at the Orange county courthouse in Orlando, Florida. The arrest is ostensibly for violating Chief Judge Belvin Perry‘s order banning “first amendment activities” in or near his castle courthouse. (Here is a PDF of that order.) Perry has caged Julian until September 1st, at the earliest. Please join the call flood demanding Julian’s immediate release. See below for details.
Julian Heicklen is a 79-year-old former Penn State chemistry professor whose activism entails visiting courthouses nationwide to further the cause of jury independence. (Just last month he visited Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon and California.) Jury independence, or fully-informed juries, is the idea that jury members are legally entitled to judge not just the facts of a given case, but also the law. They may ignore the law and find a defendant not guilty of the charges against her, if they feel that verdict better serves justice.
Heicklen’s efforts are nothing short of heroic. He faces down cops and jail without losing his nerve. He has been arrested more than a dozen times. His sacrifice has earned my support.
Please join the call flood, today August 23rd, 2011.
- Call Judge Belvin Perry’s office at 407-836-2008.
- Call arresting officer Ray Shulte of the Orange County Sheriff’s
office at 407-836-6069. - Call the Orange County Sheriffs Office at 407-836-4357.
Together we are stronger.
6 replies on “Julian Heicklen Arrested, Please Join the Call Flood”
5 cops to take out 1 79-year-old man who wasn’t even resisting. That’s just sad. I wish the video had shown how he ended up face down on the ground in the first place. And what’s with all the people just walking by as if nothing was happening?
I just can’t believe that this was even allowed to happen with all of the first amendment jurisprudence in this country.
What a joke! And our court system is supposed to be the best in the world!…Only if you are a Judge or an Attorney!
Police Officers, Prosecuters and Judges alike all have forgotten 2 very important words…”DUE PROCESS”!!!!!! And when “WE THE PEOPLE” try and correct that, we are persecuted!
TERRIBLE!!!!!
Nicely said guys, thanks for commenting.
Very sad.
What’s being done about reinstating Habeas Corpus?