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Grand Juries

By paige on April 24, 2014 in Action Tools, Documents, Know Your Rights

Dealing with Grand Juries

In light of most recent events, Activists need to know how to protect themselves. Here you will find a list of helpful materials surrounding Grand Juries. Please contact us if there is something more that you would like to see on this page.

Grand Jury tools:

The public is entitled to limited information about any current grand jury. To obtain that information, you need to send a public records request to the Clerk of the Court for the federal court where the grand jury is taking place. Below please find a template for the information that is normally provided by the Courts. This information will provide you with (1) the date the grand jury began (empaneled) so that you can determine when the grand jury period will expire (unless extended); (2) how often the grand jury is scheduled to meet; (3) whether it is a regular or special grand jury; (4) whether there are any special jury instructions the Court provided to the grand jury to use while determining whether an indictment should issue.

Dear Clerk of the Court:

I am requesting public information regarding the current empaneled federal grand jury in the [Western Washington District.] Specifically, I would like the Court Order directing empanelment of the grand jury, the letter to prospective grand jurors, and any special jury instructions issued by the Judge.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Time is of the essence, and thus I would appreciate this information as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your time,

(your name here)

Government Action Against Progressive Movements

By paige on April 24, 2014 in Documents, Organizing Resources

The CLDC is encouraging activists and organizations to utilize the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act to request documents and materials that the FBI may have accumulated about you or the group you are active in. Not only will this information assist activist communities in learning about and preventing unlawful government spying, but it will also shed light on the extent of surveillance that has been undertaken in your community. Shine a light on FBI activities by exercising your lawful right to these documents and information.

There have been several high profile activists who have recently received thousands of pages of invaluable information regarding FBI surveillance and spying activities used to violate their privacy rights. Check out the New York Times article about Austin, TX activist Scott Crow and his successful attempt at finding out whether he was paranoid or spied upon by the FBI: “For Anarchist, Details of Life as F.B.I. Target,” Colin Moynihan and Scott Shane, May 28, 2011.

Read the information and directions we’ve put together so that you and your friends can sit around and read your FBI files. Fun for the whole family!

We have provided FBI request templates to assist you in making your request correctly (they are bureaucrats after all)–one template is used to request your personal file and we included some language in case you also want to request records about an organization you are affiliated with (i.e. Lauren Regan and Civil Liberties Defense Center). The other template can be used if you only want to request records pertaining to an organization or event, but do not want personal records. Finally, if you want your FBI rap sheet, there is an entirely different process to undertake, and we’ve given you directions and the FBI website where you will need to download their application form.

Good luck, happy reading, and please let us know about your experience!

FOIA- Privacy Instructions

FBI FOIA request for group info

General FOIA-Privacy FBI File Template

Redefining Criminology: The World of Police Brutality

By Heather Marek on June 19, 2012 in Documents, Featured Resources, Organizing Resources, Primers, Resources

The Other Side Of The Animal Research Debate

By Jamil on January 9, 2012 in Documents

MYTH: “We must recognize that scientific research is not only a legitimate career, but also an invaluable facet of medical advancement, conducted by respectable professionals deserving our support. The deplorable actions of these eco–terrorists threaten to impede important medical progress in California and across the country.” — Senator Feinstein, Co–Sponsor of AETA

Democracy or Capitalism?

By Jamil on January 9, 2012 in Documents

If you think that this law was passed by Congress and your elected representatives with sufficient knowledge, time, and debate, think again. This bill was introduced and pushed by big businesses for big businesses. AETA protects the interests of animal enterprises such as the National Pork Producers Association, Pfizer Drug Co. and other pharmaceutical corporations […]

An Attack On Your First Amendment Rights

By Jamil on January 9, 2012 in Documents

Under AETA it is no longer just the radical underground activists that are targeted for harming the corporate agenda, but also the law–abiding, above–ground activists. AETA is so broad and vague that ordinary citizens may not know that they are acting outside the vast boundaries of this new law. Under AETA, it doesn’t take much […]

Labeling Compassionate Citizens As Terrorists

By kimberly on January 9, 2012 in Documents

The FBI claims that the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) are the number one domestic terrorism threat, stating that “from January 1990 to June 2004, animal and environmental rights extremists have claimed credit for more than 1,200 criminal incidents, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and monetary loss.”The government […]

The Redundancy Of AETA

By Jamil on January 9, 2012 in Documents

AETA is a redundant and unnecessary law. For one, there are already many federal and state laws that cover the Animal Liberation Front’s tactics. Trespassing, vandalism, burglary, menacing, harassment, graffiti, disorderly conduct, and arson are all crimes. The ALF knows that their actions are illegal, but they are willing to put their freedom at risk […]

Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations

By Jamil on January 9, 2012 in Documents

In 1970, Congress enacted the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. § 1961, ostensibly to curtail the criminal activities of the mafia. In the forty years since RICO was enacted, the application of the law has extended far beyond the activities of loansharks and the “Don,” and into Constitutionally protected protest activities. […]