Court Affirms 10 Month Sentence for Grand Jury Resister
Jordan Halliday must spend 10 months in prison for refusing testimony to a grand jury investigating the ALF.
An appellate court has upheld the 10 month sentence given to Jordan Halliday for his refusal to talk to a grand jury seeking indictments for Animal Liberation Front mink releases in Utah. Halliday must now serve the remainder of his 10 month sentence.
In late-winter 2009, Jordan Halliday received a subpoena compelling him to testify. Grand juries generally do not disclose the crimes they are investigating, but it became clear they were seeking indictments for two 2008 mink releases in Utah that had been claimed by the Animal Liberation Front. The grand jury would later indict Alex Hall and William Viehl for one of the actions – a release of 650 mink from a fur farm in South Jordan, Utah.
Halliday entered into the grand jury room on the date he was ordered to appear, but refused to answer their questions. In addition to questions about the ALF mink releases, he was asked questions outside the scope of the investigation, and it was clear the grand jury was being used as a fishing expedition to gather information on the animal rights movement in Utah.
It was not immediately clear when Halliday must report to prison. More details will be posted when available.
– Peter Young
Learn about how to best respond to a grand jury subpoena by reading If An Agent Knocks by the Center for Constitutional Rights.
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