Hal Turner Trial Set to Begin Tomorrow
The federal trial for white supremacist Hal Turner is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning.
Turner, a neo-Nazi blogger and Internet radio host, is with threatening to assault and murder three federal judges in Chicago. Turner wrote on his blog that they 鈥渄eserve to be killed鈥� and posted their photographs, phone numbers, work address and room numbers. He was upset that the men 鈥� Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook and Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer 鈥� had upheld a federal handgun ban.
Turner鈥檚 defense will contend that Turner鈥檚 online statements were constitutionally protected speech. They鈥檝e also announced their intention to delve into Turner鈥檚 history as a to show that Turner had made similar threats previously 鈥� and authorities did not deem them criminal. The defense New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie about a letter declining to prosecute Turner that he may have issued as U.S. attorney.
If convicted, Turner faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. We will post updates as the trial unfolds in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
