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Three Link Thursday!

Hello John,

Trigger warning!

I want to be sure to give you plenty of warning this week about unconventional link #3.

I know not all of you will be into it, so I want to make sure you have plenty of opportunity to opt out before you click it. If you click on link #3 you will be taken to a YouTube video of a pretty hardcore metal tune in which a FIJA banner appears. You may hear foul language, see some provocative images, and it's pretty loud. Full disclosure (especially since my dad receives these emails—sorry, Dad!): the f-word is in there multiple times. Click at your own risk! It's last on the list to make it easy for you to bail out early if that's not your thing.

And now on to the links!

1

NEW on the FIJA Website!

Speak Up! ([link removed])

Even as courts slowly resume trials by jury, we are at a critical stage during which government officials continue to eye ways to leverage the pandemic as an excuse to further destroy our right to trial by jury and the benefits we are privvy to through that right. Most people neither wish to be called to serve jury duty, nor do they expect to need access to a jury trial themselves. So who is going to stand up in opposition when government takes action to dismantle trial by jury?

I hope your answer is that YOU are one of those who will! To help you make your voice heard in defense of jury rights in your community, I have been developing a new section of the FIJA website that is now getting pretty substantial. This section is called Speak Up! ([link removed]) and features helpful "how to" type guides with resources you can use to educate prospective jurors, policy makers, legislators, etc. in your community. So far I have resources for writing and submitting letters to the editor, opinion columns, and public comments on proposed policy and rules changes. Next up will be information on testifying before legislative committees.

I'm still in the process of expanding these resources, and I'd appreciate your input! Would you do me a favor and check out what is up so far in this section of the website and let me know what else you would find useful in both encouraging you to make your voice heard and providing resources to help you do that? Thank you!

2

Scotland ([link removed])

Why was the Speak Up! section particularly on my mind this week? I just read the above article on yet another attempt by Scottish government officials to do just what I've cautioned we must not allow here in the United States.

As you read this article relating the comments of Scotland's top prosecutor urging the government to throw jury rights under the bus for the sake of speed, please keep an eye out for anything explaining how individual rights and just outcomes would be protected without jury trials. Seriously, let me know if you found ANYTHING about that because I didn't see it.

There's a reason that trial by jury in the United Kingdom originated literally several CENTURIES ago, and it wasn't because the government was doing a bang-up job of delivering just verdicts. And there's a reason English colonists in America literally fought and died to defend our jury rights.

3

Jury Nullification/FIJA Banner Appears in a Music Video! ([link removed])

Fair warning: if you're not a fan of hardcore rap metal music, foul language, provocative imagery, etc. this might not be your cup of tea. Also, you might want to turn the volume down before you click if you're at work or in public or something.

Just as I was trying to track down a non-paywalled link on a breaking news story (which is now on my list for next week), FIJA supervolunteer Bob Smilie sent me a message from Texas that some friends of his asked him to bring the banner he uses in his educational outreach efforts to be in the background of a music video.

He sent me the link to the video for a song called Rise Up by Solid Hate featuring Microphone Killa. It's not often that metal music, Ronald Reagan (or at least his spirit), and juror rights education all meet on the same corner and rock out together, but they do today!

Thanks to the band for creating more fully informed jurors through this artistic medium and to Bob for making it possible with the awesome banner!

If you see any artistic or other creative ways people have spread the word about jurors' rights and responsibilities, please send me a link so I can check it out! 

For Liberty, Justice, and Peace in Our Lifetimes,

Executive Director
Fully Informed Jury Association





P.O. Box 5570 | Helena, MT 59858 US

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