Militia Leader’s Letter To Voters Investigated County Attorney Says Letter May Constitute Jury Tampering
The state attorney general’s office is deciding whether Indiana militia leader and tax protester Joe Holland broke any law with a letter he sent to voters in Ravalli County, where he is charged under Montana’s terrorism law.
The letter urges county residents to remove District Judge Jeffrey Langton. It does not mention that Langton is presiding over the criminal case against Holland.
The letter says Langton is violating judicial ethics by sitting on cases in which defendants are suing the judge “in another jurisdiction.” The reference is not explained.
The letter also instructs prospective jurors about “jury nullification,” saying they have the right to disregard the instructions of a judge if they disagree with the law.
Hundreds of county residents responded when County Attorney George Corn asked them to provide samples of the letter.
“We got a bushelful,” Corn said. “There were two reactions - outrage and disgust.”
Corn said since the letter went to large numbers of residents - possibly all 12,000 of the county’s registered voters - it may constitute jury tampering. He has asked the attorney general’s office to review it.
Holland said in a telephone interview Sunday that he hired a mailing company and he had no idea where it came up with the 12,600 names for the mailing list. “My concern was to be able to reach as many in Ravalli County as possible; whether registered voters or not was no concern to me,” Holland said.
He said there is no jury seated in his case, he has not even been arraigned and that he has been told any court proceedings following arraignment will be in Helena. “That would make it totally ludicrous to be concerned with juries or whatever in Ravalli County,” he said.
Holland said the letter had nothing to do with charges against him. “It was for the purpose of attempting to educate folks in Ravalli County to what some of their options might be, as opposed to an armed confrontation outside the law. … We have a good system but it’s up to us to make it work,” he said.
Holland is to make his initial appearance in Langton’s court on June 27 on a charge of criminal syndicalism. The charge alleges advocating violence or criminal acts for political purposes.
Holland allegedly sent earlier letters threatening several Montana officials and calling supporters to aid one of his followers in Ravalli County against law enforcement officials. One letter to state tax officials referred to their agents being “sent home in body bags.”
Holland and three other men were charged on May 5, and one of the other three has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Holland.
The letter to Ravalli County residents was dated May 16 and mailed under bulk rates from Evansville, Ind.