This Judge Tried to Limit a Former Pastor’s Free Speech
A district court judge in Mecosta County, Mich. has ordered a former pastor, Keith Eric Wood, to be arrested for felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor jury tampering.
His crime?
Wood distributed a pamphlet (available here) on jury rights and jury nullification—when a jury believes the defendant is guilty but returns a “Not Guilty” verdict in conscientious opposition to the law or application of law at hand— produced by the Fully Informed Jury Association from a public sidewalk outside the county courthouse.
Obstruction of justice charges are typically warranted when a criminal defendant says to a juror “I know where your daughter lives, and if you ever want to see her alive again, you’ll vote not guilty;” or “There’s five large waiting for you if you vote to acquit.”...