US: Grand Jury imprisons three young people for the crime of silence, apparently?

[spiralsheep]

If any of the people on this com who're more aware of the subtleties of the US "justice" system than I am, or at least have useful links to share, could help me understand WTH is going on in this case then I'd be grateful.

News via: http://nothingiseverlost.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/leah-lynn-plante-a-third-anarchist-comrade-jailed-for-silence/

Leah's statement on tumblr: http://leahxvx.tumblr.com/post/33298924637

Leah's statement at anarchist news: http://anarchistnews.org/content/we-are-made-star-stuff-statement-leah-lynn-plante

I first heard this story via: http://nothingiseverlost.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/katherine-olejnik/

Write to the three prisoners: http://supportresist.net/letters.html (my postcards are on their way).

Comments

[giandujakiss]

It sounds like she's being jailed until she agrees to testify. If a court compels you to do something and you refuse, you can be held in jail until you do it. The U.S. Constitution protects people from being forced to give evidence that can incriminate them, so sometimes people can refuse to give court-ordered testimony on that basis, but that rule doesn't apply if the prosecutor grants you immunity for your own crimes because he/she is seeking information on someone else. Here, she was ordered to give testimony, and was promised that she would not be prosecuted for any crimes she herself committed, and she refused, so she was jailed until she complies.