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Hal Turner: How far is too far?
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White supremacist blogger Harold "Hal" Turner of North Bergen says his case is about free speech, but he refused to discuss it today -- telling a TV reporter "no comment" -- after a brief court appearance in Hartford on charges that he urged violence against two Connecticut legislators.
Turner, 47, was arrested after posting a blog in which he encouraged people to go after two high-ranking state lawmakers who sponsored a bill that would have created monitoring of how the Catholic church handles it finances.
On his blog, Turner said he "advocates Catholics in Connecticut take up arms and put down this tyranny by force. To that end...we will be releasing the home addresses of the Senator and Asemblyman who introduced [the bill]."
The measure eventually was scuttled amid protests by Catholics.
But the issue remains: Is Turner a criminal?
The U.S. Supreme Court already has drawn distinctions between "fightin' words" and actual threats to someone's safety. However, it's up to prosecutors to show true intent that Turner meant what he said and said what he meant. How far is too far might not even be an issue.
“It is our intent to foment direct action against these individuals personally," Turner wrote in his blog. "These beastly government officials should be made an example of as a warning to others in government: Obey the Constitution or die.
“If any state attorney, police department or court thinks they’re going to get uppity with us about this, I suspect we have enough bullets to put them down, too.”
Soon after the postings, police in Connecticut issued a warrant for Turner's arrest, charging him with inciting injury, a lower-class felony that could carry prison time. He spent a weekend behind bars in New Jersey and today was arraigned, as required by law, in Hartford. Then he left the courthouse, free on $25,000 bond.
“Mr. Turner’s comments are above and beyond the threshold of free speech,” said Capitol Police Chief Michael Fallon. “He is inciting others through his web site to commit acts of violence and has created fear and alarm. He should be held accountable for his conduct.”
Turner first emerged in 1992 as North Jersey’s coordinator for Republican Patrick Buchanan’s run for president. He was soon on Sean Hannity's radio show and, in 2002, launched an online show.
Trouble began in 2005, when he posted the names and addresses of three federal judges presiding over a lawsuit involving a white separatist who solicted an undercover FBI agent to kill an Illinois judge.
Just a year later, he blogged that "we may have to assassinate some of the people you elect on Nov. 7.”
And on it's gone.
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