Supremacist Blogger Arrested For Threats

Former Radio Talk Show Host Said Judges "Deserved To Be Killed"

(AP)  A white supremacist blogger was arrested at his New Jersey home Wednesday and charged with threatening to assault or murder three Chicago-based judges who refused to overturn local ordinances banning handguns.

Hal Turner, 47, a former Internet radio talk show host, was taken into custody by FBI agents who went to his home with a search warrant, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Prosecutors quoted a Turner Internet posting as saying: "Let me be the first to say this plainly: These judges deserve to be killed."

The posting included a map showing the Everett Dirksen Federal Courthouse, where the three judges are based. It said a map showing the judges' homes would later be added.

The posting also referred to the murder of the mother and husband of Chicago-based federal Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow in February 2005 - a crime that sent shock waves across the nation.

"Apparently, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court didn't get the hint after those killings," the posting said. "It appears another lesson is needed."

U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald announced the arrest, stressing the importance federal officials placed on the case.

"We take threats to federal judges very seriously - period," he said.

Turner organized a rally of supremacist groups in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 2007 and a neo-Nazi rally in Kingston, New York, in 2005. He ended his Internet radio show but continues a blog under the heading "Honest talk in a time of universal deceit."

On Monday, Turner was arraigned in a Connecticut court on a charge of encouraging violence against state legislators there. He allegedly told blog readers to "take up arms" against the lawmakers and that government officials should "obey the Constitution or die."

In the latest case, Turner allegedly referred to the three judges who made the handgun ruling as "scum" and said "their blood will replenish the tree of liberty."

The judges, who dismissed a lawsuit by the National Rifle Association seeking to overturn handgun bans in Chicago and suburban Oak Park, ruled that the U.S. Supreme Court should make the decision on the local ordinances.

The judges were identified as Richard Posner, Frank Easterbrook and William Bauer.

Turner was scheduled to appear Thursday in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.

The charge of threatening to assault or murder a federal judge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

[SVSLOLGeek]

Ok I don't agree with this guy as far as he is a white supremacist. But he should be able to use free speech anyway he likes. People all over the world promote violence (including out own Government ) and never have anything done over it. Hell our Government even goes out and kills these people they threaten. I do not see the difference. This guy should be exonerated because this is only his opinion. He never said he was the one that would do it. He never threatened them directly. People do that all the time on the internet and in speech. Even on TV people saying stuff like "I should kill you" or other things. Thought I don't agree with how he handled it. He should still be allowed his freedom of speech. The FBI stand for Fail Boys Investigations now anyway. They always fail when it comes to the real threat to Americans.

[johndevinejr]

by NEWCO123 June 25, 2009 7:54 AM PDT
Not to be confused with the left wing nut's that Obama let go early this month after Malik Zulu Shabazz was convicted of voter intimidation:


Just curious. Where did you get your information?

[wdrussell1]

When in prison he will get to see his skinhead friends.
Hannity is next.

[gravyboat3000]

I wonder if the Govt. is monitoring Rowdy's internet radio show?

hehehe

This isn't a,"free speech", issue. He said that these Judges deserved to die, and he posted maps of where they work, and announced that maps of where they lived were soon to come, clearly suggesting that one of the nut jobs that read his crap,"act", on his suggestion.

And you nut jobs, going on about,"the right to bear arms", need to present your case a bit more clearly. As far as I know it, nobody is trying to take your guns away.

Do you wanna talk about current gun laws, or the types of guns you can legally own? Go for it. But the constant whininig about the constitution, and the lies, just make you look that much more like nut jobs who are being backed into a corner by the lies coming from the GOP.

[Sloughfoot]

Funny how some who have the inability to debate an issue immediately lose their ability to express themselves in an intellegent manner.

[Sloughfoot]

It is the Freedom of Speech, freedom of expression, freedom to own and bear arms that has taken a beaten here. For a Nation advocating freedom and democracy in so many parts of the world to attack it's citizens for expressing their freedoms is Hypocacy. One of our Nation's founding fathers expressed this better saying, I may not aggee with what he said but I'll fight to the death his right to say it.

[Wolf1944]

None of the Founding Fathers ever said this. It was Voltaire.

[bwlewis1964]

Hal could work at Fox news

[gunownerdan]

The simple fact is gun bans are unconstitutional.
If a judge or a politician takes that oath to support and defend the Constitution and they fail to obey it, there should be some consequences.
Unfortunately, often it seems like there are none.

[dartplayer501]

With 90 guns per 100 people in this country it certainly doesn't seem to me that there are any gun bans anywhere. The next highest per capita gun ownership is 47 and that's Yemen!!

[johndevinejr]

What are you implying? That threats against the lives of judges is ok? Or that the killing of judges with whom you disagree is ok?

[gunownerdan]

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government. When the government fears the people it is liberty. When the people fear the government it is tyranny."
- Thomas Paine

[rwsmith29456]

Just another big-mouth saying something stupid. I would be curious to know what the local gun-control ordinances that they are talking about say and how they are working where they are enacted. I'm a gun owner (target shooting and plinking) and wouldn't want to be told I couldn't own and use a gun in that fashion.

[mnbrant]

Looks more like a NRA blogger rather than a a white supremacist blogger. I guess I would have to look at his site to look at all his opinions. Probably that site is gone. As far as the guy who said, "Let this be a lesson to some of the nuts who make such comments in these online forums. They may be coming for you all next." Who are they? The FBI? The Southern Poverty Law Center? The Anti-Defamation League? Those are the they? I am not afraid of those people and, as I do not own a gun. I would be a difficult target to get. As far as what the guy said, Bleh its kind of nutty. I guess I would like to hear why is felt the need to say it.

[BeckieBest]

Another right wing nut off the street.

[speakinup22]

Funny how our system works. This guy deserves punishment, for sure.

But so does the left wing nut that actually set off bombs, then was acquitted. Bill Ayers. May he rot in hell. (note: the forgoing was an opinion and not a threat to take action.)

[shockolit]

Let this be a lesson to some of the nuts who make such comments in these online forums. They may be coming for you all next.