Citizen grand jury
Encyclopedia
A citizen grand jury is, in United States
parlance, a non-actionable, non-governmental organization that assumes a responsibility upon itself to accuse an individual or groups of individuals of having committed actionable crime
s, in a similar aim as that of official grand juries
. Such organizations have been organized by those who espouse conspiracy theories
regarding certain events or the individuals who are accused by the citizen grand jury, and most citizen grand jury applications to official judiciary systems at the federal, state, or local and municipal level tend to be thrown out for lack of evidence
.
Modern citizen grand juries were organized in the 2000s to accuse government officials of complicity
in the September 11 attacks, and others were organized in the late 2000s and early 2010s regarding the accuracy of President Barack Obama
's "natural birth" as a U.S. citizen
.
The earliest so-called 9/11 citizen grand jury, the 23-member "Los Angeles Citizens' Grand Jury on the Crimes of 9/11/01," was organized in 2004 by activist Lynne Pentz. By October of that year it had launched an "indictment" accusing George W. Bush
and other administration officials of complicity and foreknowledge of the attacks. Among the experts offering testimony at the event were Webster Tarpley, Barbara Honegger, Don Paul
, Jim Hoffman
and Christopher Bollyn. Similar citizen grand juries were organized in San Diego later in the 2000s.
The "citizen grand juries" are based on the Fifth Amendment
's premise that "no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury." Although the activists managed to hand out copies of "indictments" to Congressional staff, the courts have not regarded the "citizen grand juries" favorably. In June 2009, a group of 172 campaigners declared themselves to be a "Super American Grand Jury" and voted to charge Obama with treason and accused him of not being a U.S. citizen.
Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth
of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
dismissed the "indictment" on July 2, 2009 and declared "[T]here is no authority under the Rules of Procedure or in the statutes of the United States for this court to accept [a presentment]... The individuals who have made this presentment were not convened by this court to sit as a grand jury nor have they been selected at random from a fair cross section of this district. Any self-styled indictment or presentment issued by such a group has no force under the Constitution or laws of the United States."
to indict the Montana Human Rights Network, a local anti-racism organization. Gharst, previously active in the Aryan Nations
and currently founder of a group called Kalispell Pioneer Little Europe, claimed that the MHRN was a "Jewish Defamation Organization" and part of a "Jewish terrorist network".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
parlance, a non-actionable, non-governmental organization that assumes a responsibility upon itself to accuse an individual or groups of individuals of having committed actionable crime
Cause of action
In the law, a cause of action is a set of facts sufficient to justify a right to sue to obtain money, property, or the enforcement of a right against another party. The term also refers to the legal theory upon which a plaintiff brings suit...
s, in a similar aim as that of official grand juries
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
. Such organizations have been organized by those who espouse conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
regarding certain events or the individuals who are accused by the citizen grand jury, and most citizen grand jury applications to official judiciary systems at the federal, state, or local and municipal level tend to be thrown out for lack of evidence
Evidence (law)
The law of evidence encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence can be considered by the trier of fact in reaching its decision and, sometimes, the weight that may be given to that evidence...
.
Modern citizen grand juries were organized in the 2000s to accuse government officials of complicity
9/11 conspiracy theories
9/11 conspiracy theories are theories that disagree with the widely accepted account that the September 11 attacks were perpetrated solely by al-Qaeda. These theories arose because of what proponents of the conspiracy theories believe to be inconsistencies in the official conclusions or some...
in the September 11 attacks, and others were organized in the late 2000s and early 2010s regarding the accuracy of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's "natural birth" as a U.S. citizen
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories about the citizenship of Barack Obama claim that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore not eligible to be President of the United States under Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Some theories allege that Obama was born in Kenya, not...
.
9/11 citizen grand juries
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and other administration officials of complicity and foreknowledge of the attacks. Among the experts offering testimony at the event were Webster Tarpley, Barbara Honegger, Don Paul
Don Paul
Don Paul may refer to:*Don Paul , former linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams*Don Paul , former cornerback for the Chicago Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns...
, Jim Hoffman
Jim Hoffman
Jim Hoffman is a website engineer in Oakland, California, who created several web sites about the September 11, 2001 attacks that analyze and suggest alternative accounts for the events of that day, often described as 9/11 conspiracy theories. His primary website, , serves as an archive of...
and Christopher Bollyn. Similar citizen grand juries were organized in San Diego later in the 2000s.
Obama citizenship citizen grand juries
Some campaigners, led by Georgia activist Carl Swensson, have sought to, "finally expose the conspiracy behind President Obama's birth certificate," by forming what they term "citizen grand juries" to indict Obama.The "citizen grand juries" are based on the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
's premise that "no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury." Although the activists managed to hand out copies of "indictments" to Congressional staff, the courts have not regarded the "citizen grand juries" favorably. In June 2009, a group of 172 campaigners declared themselves to be a "Super American Grand Jury" and voted to charge Obama with treason and accused him of not being a U.S. citizen.
Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth
Royce C. Lamberth
Royce C. Lamberth is a federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, serving as its Chief Judge....
of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a federal district court. Appeals from the District are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a...
dismissed the "indictment" on July 2, 2009 and declared "[T]here is no authority under the Rules of Procedure or in the statutes of the United States for this court to accept [a presentment]... The individuals who have made this presentment were not convened by this court to sit as a grand jury nor have they been selected at random from a fair cross section of this district. Any self-styled indictment or presentment issued by such a group has no force under the Constitution or laws of the United States."
White supremacist citizen grand juries
In 2011 there was an influx of white supremacists to Montana's Flathead Valley region. Karl Gharst, a notorious white supremacist active in the Flathead area, publicly announced plans to form a citizen grand jury in KalispellKalispell, Montana
Kalispell is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2010 census put Kalispell's population at 19,927 up 5,704 over 2000. At 40.1% this is the largest percentage of growth of any incorporated city in Montana. Kalispell is the largest city and commercial center...
to indict the Montana Human Rights Network, a local anti-racism organization. Gharst, previously active in the Aryan Nations
Aryan Nations
Aryan Nations is a white supremacist religious organization originally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Girnt Butler founded the group in the 1970s, as an arm of the Christian Identity organization Church of Jesus Christ–Christian...
and currently founder of a group called Kalispell Pioneer Little Europe, claimed that the MHRN was a "Jewish Defamation Organization" and part of a "Jewish terrorist network".