[Ppnews] Hung Jury in Favor of Acquittal in Rod Coronado Free Speech Case

[Political Prisoner News]

For immediate release ­ September 19, 2007

Contact: Karen Pickett 510-548-3113

Attorney Jerry Singleton 619-405-3056

Hung Jury in Favor of Acquittal in Rod Coronado Free Speech Case

San Diego, Calif.-After more than two full days 
of deliberation, a 12-person jury informed Judge 
Jeffrey Miller they were hopelessly deadlocked 
and determined that further deliberation would 
not deliver unanimity.  Outside the courtroom, 
attorneys were informed that the majority was 
voting for acquittal of the environmental and 
animal rights activist on trial for a speech he 
gave in San Diego in 2003. In order to convict 
under the obscure statute, (18 USC § 842 
(p)(2)(A)), which makes it a crime to demonstrate 
how to build a destructive device with the intent 
that it be used in furtherance of a crime of 
violence), the jury would have had to determine 
on three criteria: that his speech was 
instructive, that he had intent to incite those 
present to violent action, and that the 
incitement was to imminent action.  Otherwise, 
such speech is protected under the First 
Amendment.  A status conference was scheduled for 
September 28 in the same court to determine whether the case will
continue. Rod Coronado is headed home to Tucson, 
Arizona with his wife to reunite with his children and return to his job.

Omar Figueroa, an attorney on the legal team 
said, “We had a good jury and they upheld the 
Constitution. It’s a great day for Constitutional Rights.”

Attorney Tony Serra, also part of the legal team 
said, “If these prosecutors opt to re-try this 
case, then they are the puppets we know they are, 
in the business of suppressing Constitutional 
rights. We hung the jury probably 10-2 or 9-3 
(that specific information was not available from 
the jurors), so we know they can never win. So 
they would be fools to retry, but this is 
political and their agenda is political. If they re-try, we will win again.”

Attorney Jerry Singleton reminded those present 
that Coronado has not been an advocate of direct 
action since 2006, and in fact renounced the type 
of direct action he formerly participated in, and 
is opting instead to work on building sustainable communities with his family.



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