Kteeo’s statement & notes from hearing

Kteeo can be mailed at:

Katherine Olejnik #42592-086
FDC SeaTac,
P.O. Box 13900
Seattle, WA 98198

—-

For me choosing to resist a grand jury is about humanity – I cannot and will not say something that could greatly harm a person’s life and providing information that could lead to long term incarceration would be doing that.

For me choosing to resist a grand jury is about freedom of speech and association – I cannot and will not be a party to a McCarthyist policy that is asking individuals to condemn each other based on political beliefs.

The reasons above are why I am choosing to not comply. I apologize to those in my life who my being incarcerated is going to burden, and I thank you for understanding my decision.

For those unaware the folks being subpeonaed are being incarcerated for refusing to answer questions about others’ political beliefs.

In Solidarity With All Those Resisting the Grand Jury,
Kteeo Olejnik

—

Notes from her hearing after the jump…

10 AM Hearing for the Motion to Quash the Subpena

• Judge Richard Jones started by explaining that there was a “miscommunication” between him and the US Marshalls on September 13th – Matt’s day in court. He explained that there were parts of the Hearing for the Motion to Quash and the Contempt Hearing that were supposed to be open to the public. He annoyingly recited various legal citations to validate that some parts are open and portions of either hearing that reference information from the Grand Jury are supposed to be closed. Essentially, “Oooops!” but in legal garbage.

• After that he closed the hearing and excused people that were there to support Kteeo. We waited outside.

• Eventually we were invited back in. Jennifer Kaplan (Kteeo’s attorney) made these points:

* Violates 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendment Rights!

* Separation of Powers (grand juries are not open to the public, there’s no judicial oversight, etc.) {Edit: I am going to be asking Jennifer Kaplan and Kimberly Gordon more about this piece because I am having a hard time explaining it.}

* Individuals have the right to not talk to law enforcement simply because they don’t want to. It is a legal right everyone has in almost any situation except grand juries.

* You say this shit is about the courthouse, but this grand jury was convened in March!

• After Jennifer Kaplan made her points the prosecutors whined about how this grand jury is only about the vandalism that occurred and is not investigating anarchists (Don’t remember if “anarchists” was the word used).

• Prosecutors asked the Judge to explain how Civil Contempt works.

• We finished around 11 and had a recess until 2 PM.

Grand Jury

• Supporters of Kteeo waited outside the courthouse.

• When the Grand Jury was finished Kteeo ran out to smoke a final cigarette.

• She said they did not let her take notes.

• She refused to answer questions. She reported the jurors almost seemed annoyed. She speculated that maybe they were annoyed because they kept asking her questions and she kept adamantly refusing.

Contempt Hearing

• Judge Richard Jones explained for the umpteenth time that day that some parts are open and some parts are closed. Once he was done he excused us “guests” (yes, we were called guests at one point!) for the closed part.

• During the closed portion they went over the transcript from the Grand Jury. They asked Kteeo if the transcript was accurate. She said it was. (They explained this is what happened when we, the guests, were invited back in.)

• The court was then open for civil contempt.

• Established that the end date for this grand jury is March 2014.

• Kteeo was taken into custody.