General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: And Then There Were Three: Third Grand Jury Refuser Goes to Prison [View all]reACTIONary
(5,796 posts)... that's a crime. I suggest that the best way to resolve this situation would be for those five people to turn themselves in and face the charges in open court. They would have the opportunity to provide a defense and to make any case they might have to the general public.
My understanding is that grand juries are usually empanelled for an extended period and may investigate many different concerns. So the fact that the Jury was standing before the incident is not very surprising.
Grand juries are particularly useful in investigating criminal conspiracy such as organized crime or political corruption. Political motivation does NOT excuse criminal behavior or conspiracy to commit crimes. Under the assumption that they are conducting such an investigation, calling witnesses that were not present at the time the crime was committed makes sense.
Vandalism is not free speech nor is it legitimate political action. It is not productive of democratic values. It will not further the cause. It will only alienate those who should be, and otherwise might be, on our side. Those engaging in it have not only brought this upon themselves, they have given the opposition the opportunity to characterize the movement as a whole by their criminal actions. They simply don't deserve our support, and won't get mine.