9/29/05 - Helena, Montana

FIJA (Fully Informed Jury Association) was a source of information and strategy in building the defense for the \\\"St. Patrick\\\'s Four\\\" - Binghamton New York war protestors who spilled their own blood from vials they brought onto a Lansing military recruiting office. The \\\"Four\\\" were charged with conspiracy to impede an officer, property damage, and trespassing on military property.

FIJA educational materials, which describe the rights and duties of Jurors and the rights of defendants to an informed jury, played a significant role in obtaining the \\\"not guilty\\\" verdict on the government\\\'s most serious charge: \\\"conspiracy to impede an officer of the United States.\\\" A \\\"guilty\\\" verdict on that count could have landed the protestors in jail for years. The father of one defendant had been freed by a jury nullification verdict when he was tried for similar protests during the Vietnam era.

The lesser charges are misdemeanors, and are unlikely to carry more than a few months of jail time, plus fines.

Unlike the ACLU, FIJA does not directly represent clients in court. Rather, FIJA promoted public education campaigns through the distribution of literature, posters and through interviews and speeches. FIJA also provides an extensive reference library of historic quotes and study materials which have educated many potential jurors, defendants (and their attorneys) regarding their rights and jury authority, and the true powers of the Jury -- powers which are routinely ignored or denied by courts throughout the land.

FIJA takes no stand for, or against the St. Patrick\\\'s Four protestors, or any defendants who use FIJA\\\'s materials. FIJA\\\'s primary mission is to educate all potential jurors of their right to vote their conscience and to protect fellow citizens from bad laws and unfair prosecutions. FIJA also educates lawyers, judges, and the general public (which forms the Jury pool) about the true powers of the informed Jury. FIJA\\\'s educational books, pamphlets and research are available at www.fija.org, or by calling 1-800-TEL-JURY.