On September 17 a federal judge ruled that animal rights activist Gina Lynn be released from jail after being held for three weeks on civil contempt charges stemming from Lynn’s refusal to cooperate with a grand jury.
The statute that allows for uncooperative witnesses to be jailed is clear that such imprisonment can be used to coerce testimony but may not be used as a punishment. U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly essentially decided that no amount of imprisonment was going to convince Lynn to testify and so ordered her release.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Lynn’s attorney, Peter Camiel, told Judge Zilly that,
She is steadfast in her beliefs. She is not going to cooperate with a grand jury.
Camiel noted that Lynn had been called to testify before a grand jury previously, in 1999, and at that time also refused to testify.
Source:
Animal rights activist released. Paul Shukovsky, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 18, 2004.
Grand Jury Resister Released From Jail Three Weeks After Refusing to Testify. No Compromise, September 22, 2004.