GRAND JURY:

On Friday, March 13th, 2009, Then 21-year old Jordan Halliday was taken into federal custody for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigating the animal rights community of Utah. He was held for nearly four months. On June 29th, Jordan was federally indicted with sui generis "criminal contempt of court" and released on pretrial. Jordan plead guilty to "criminal contempt of court" on July 27th, 2010. He is currently awaiting sentencing on October 19th, 2010. Since this charge has no guidelines and carries no maximum, it is entirely up to the judge to decide Jordan's sentence.

Jordan Pleaded Guilty to Criminal Contempt of Court on July 27, 2010.

He is currently awaiting sentencing on:
October 19th, 2010 at 2pm
At the Frank E. Moss Federal Court House.
350 South Main St.
SLC, UT 84101

TARGETED RESIDENTIAL PICKETING:

Jordan was found guilty of "Targeted Residential Picketing" on December 1st, 2009. He won the "Wearing a mask with the intent to commit a crime" charge when it was dropped after the Jury couldn't make a unanimous decision. On Monday June 28th, 2010, the prosecution amended the charge to an infraction. These charges arose from a 2008 demonstration in a vivisectors neighborhood. These charges are not related to the Grand Jury. He is currently appealing this verdict to the 9th Circuit Court.

His current court dates for this charge have also been moved again. The new court dates are as follows:

Motion Hearing: September 20th, 2010 at 2:00 PM

Third District Court House.
450 South State
SLC, UT 84111

Jordan recently released a statement about the charges on his lawyers blog. It stated:

"Salt Lake City created the Residential Targeting Picketing ordinance because our legal protesting against animal research was effective. We followed all the guidelines of the new ordinance and relied on the advice of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Nevertheless, the same police agency (Salt Lake City Police Department) arrested us & charged us despite informing us that we did nothing wrong by protesting the day before. Several co-defendants were found not-guilty by a jury. The four co-defendants who remain have had our right to a jury taken from us by dropping the charge to an infraction. I worry about the erosion of the right to peacefully protest and the right to a jury trial in America. Why is the prosecution wasting tax payer money to prosecute us for a crime we obviously didn't commit and for one in which we can not go to jail for?"

Statement of Jordan Halliday
June 28, 2010

PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SUPPORT JORDAN

Please speak out for Jordan and stay tuned to this website for ways you can help Jordan and other updates.

You can also financially support Jordan to ensure he has proper legal representation. Jordan's lawyer was a fellow animal activist who was representing Jordan free of charge. But so far he has spent nearly $3,000 in his own out-of-pocket expenses. Just the last appeal alone cost him over $1,000 in filing, copying, court costs, and traveling expenses. We must be able to pay him his own expenses for his work in fighting for the rights of Jordan. Any donations, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated and help tremendously.

Please send checks or money orders to:

Karen Halliday
PO Box 25581
SLC, UT 84125

Letters for Jordan can also be sent to this address and they will be forwarded to him. Thank you!

This website is established to expose the government's abuse of power and to help provide support for Jordan Halliday.

What are grand juries?
Grand juries are a threat to the rights of social dissidents and the rights of Americans generally. Grand juries ostensibly were established to be a curb on prosecutorial power but has instead resulted in greater misuse of prosecutorial power. Prosecutors have the unilateral power to subpoena anyone and compel them to answer questions under threat of imprisonment. At a grand jury, you have no Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. You also have no right to have an attorney present with you during the questioning. Grand juries almost always indict because no other side is allowed to present their argument against indictment.

You can download, print and read the "What is a Grand Jury?" Zine here.

Why was Jordan in jail and why was he indicted after serving time?
This particular grand jury was allegedly established for the purpose of investigating mink releases in Utah. However, the questions asked of Jordan went far beyond inquests on criminal activity. The prosecution is clearly using the grand jury as a witch hunt to investigate the activities of animal rights activists generally. These tactics are employed to chill free speech activities and intimidate people from standing up for the rights of themselves and animals. Jordan made a commendable principled stand for his refusal to cooperate with this abridgment of rights. He has committed absolutely no acts of violence or property destruction. The government has even expressed that he is NOT considered a suspect in the mink release or any other illegal activity. He was held in contempt simply because he refused to acquiesce to the abridgment of his First and Fifth Amendment rights. The government criminally indicted him now with criminal contempt of court to send a message to political activists that the weight and the authority of the government should not be resisted. This use of criminal law and federal subpoena power is a serious threat to our constitution rights of free association, free speech, and against self-incrimination..