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<font face="Helvetica, Helvetica" size=4><b>From: </b>Karen Pickett
<<a href="mailto:kp@igc.org">kp@igc.org</a>><br>
<b>Date: </b>May 25, 2006 9:51:26 AM PDT<br>
<b>To:
</b><a href="mailto:grandjury-request@lists.riseup.net">
grandjury-request@lists.riseup.net</a><br>
<b>Subject: Eugene press release about subpoenas<br><br>
<br>
</b></font>Don't know if this already was posted--sorry for delay. We
sent this out later in the day of the previous press release about Jeff
Hogg being called before the GJ, after he was found in
contempt. --Karen P.<br><br>
<br>
<font face="Times, Times" size=6>Civil Rights Outreach Committee<br><br>
<br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times, Times">For Immediate Release: May 18,
2006 4:45 p.m.<br><br>
<br>
<b>Contact</b>
: <br>
Lauren Regan, Civil Liberties Defense Center, Eugene, OR: 541-687-9180.
<br><br>
Alejandro Queral, NW Constitutional Rights Center, Portland, OR:
503-295-6400, 202-491-6204<br>
<br><br>
</font><font size=6><b>Local Student Jailed for Resisting Federal Witch
Hunt<br><br>
</b></font><font size=4><i>Eugene Resident Jeff Hogg Sent to Jail by
Judge Hogan for Refusing to Testify in Grand Jury Proceeding<br><br>
</i>Eugene, OR -- Local resident Jeff Hogg was held in
contempt by Judge Hogan this morning after refusing to testify before a
federal grand jury allegedly investigating the arson cases. Hogg walked
into the federal courthouse this morning after making a brief statement
before the media and supporters. <br><br>
“I am being forced to choose between betraying social change movements or
going to jail without committing a crime,” Hogg said. “It’s not a
fun choice to make and it makes you question everything you believe
in.” Hogg, a first-year nursing student who works with autistic
adults concluded: “But I won’t be coerced by the government to give
up my principles.”<br><br>
After refusing to testify, Hogg was walked by federal agents to the
courthouse for contempt proceedings before Judge Hogan.
Representatives from the Civil Liberties Defense Center, the NW
Constitutional Rights Center, as well as friends and family, were not
allowed into the courthouse after Judge Hogan unlawfully prevented
supporters from attending this public proceeding.<br><br>
“This is a further abuse of power where a judge, at his sole discretion
and without any basis in law, excludes the public from what is supposed
to be an open proceeding” said Lauren Regan, executive director of the
Civil Liberties Defense Center. “This exclusion of the public
further exacerbates concerns that this investigation amounts to a
‘kangaroo court.’”<br><br>
Although Mr. Hogg is not charged with any crimes, he will remain in jail
until September 30, 2006 unless his attorney, Paul Loney, is successful
in filing motions for his release.<br><br>
“Mr. Hogg has made it clear that he will not cooperate,” stated Mr. Loney
after the conclusion of today’s proceedings. “This is a misuse of
the grand jury system. The founding fathers never intended it to be
used by the government to prepare their case for trial.”<br><br>
The grand jury in Eugene is investigating acts of sabotage linked to the
underground Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front
(ALF). There have been grand juries convened in San Diego, San Francisco,
Seattle and Colorado affecting a broad sweep of environmental and animal
activists suspected of property damage. . Despite the fact
that no one was injured in any of the incidents, the FBI calls the
actions “terrorism.” Two additional people were charged in separate
indictments in Washington and California. <br><br>
A press packet of current related articles, background information,
historical examples of sabotage in the U.S., and a history of F.B.I.
repression of political activism is available. Please contact the Civil
Liberties Defense Center at 541-687-9180.<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><font color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.freedomarchives.org</a></body>
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