Hal Turner, Internet Radio Host, Arrested For Inciting Violence Against Public Officials...Again

Hal Turner, New Jersey's top white-supremacist internet-radio show hosting lunatic is back in the news today, for pretty much the same reason he was in the news earlier this month: threatening public officials with bodily harm, and subsequently getting arrested for it!

This time out, Turner's calls to vigilantism ranged beyond the Tri-State area, all the way to Chicago. WGN has the news:

Hal Turner, an occasional talk show host on internet radio and blogger, was arrested today by the FBI in his New Jersey home on charges he threatened to murder three federal appeals court judges in Chicago following their recent ruling upholding handgun bans.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, postings on Turner's web site included photos of the judges and addresses for them, with statements such as: "Let me be the first to say this plainly; These judges deserve to be killed."

Actually, Turner went even further. A day after Turner posted the original threat, urging readers that "it appears another lesson is needed," he posted an update with the names of the judges, along with photographs, phone numbers, and work addresses, right down to office numbers. In the update, Turner wrote: "Judges official public work addresses and a map of the area are below. Their home addresses and maps will follow soon. Behold these devils."

Well this is about to get REAL for Turner, because now he's run afoul of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. From the official complaint (which can be seen in its entirety, via PDF, here):

Hal Turner, an intermittent internet radio talk show host and blogger, was arrested today by FBI agents at his home in North Bergen, N.J., on a federal complaint filed in Chicago alleging that he made internet postings threatening to assault and murder three federal appeals court judges in Chicago in retaliation for their recent ruling upholding handgun bans in Chicago and a suburb.

Internet postings on June 2 and 3 proclaimed "outrage" over the June 2, 2009, handgun decision by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook and Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer, of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, further stating, among other things: "Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed." The postings included photographs, phone numbers, work address and room numbers of these judges, along with a photo of the building in which they work and a map of its location.

Turner, 47, of North Bergen, N.J., was arrested this morning after FBI agents went to his residence to execute a search warrant. He was charged with threatening to assault and murder three federal judges with intent to retaliate against them for performing official duties in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. He is scheduled to have an initial court appearance at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Shipp in U.S. District Court in Newark.

"We take threats to federal judges very seriously. Period," said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, who announced the charges with Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and the FBI Office in Newark are providing local assistance.

PREVIOUSLY, on the HUFFINGTON POST:
Hal Turner, Talk Radio Host, Facing Charges For Inciting Violence Against Officials

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Comments

[yankees]

While I'm afraid to alter one of the most precious things about the USA, Free Speech, one has to seriously wonder about comments like Turners', which are horrible. However so were comments mad by countless other Right and Left advocates. Nobody questions ACORN on their tactics of going to the homes of people they disagree with, (AIG), which is even more inciting, these are acts of Hitler's Brown Shirts and will lead to violence one day.
In today's easy access to information, maybe something has to be done about parameters may need to be established. It sends chills down my spine even to make that comment but something has got to be done.

[x76]

On June 20, Hal Turner explained that the US Bonds held by two Japanese men in italy were, in fact, genuine. Remember that story? It got very little exposure in the US. Remember the $134.5 billion in Bonds story?

"In a dramatic phone call from inside the prison in which he is detained pending trial, relayed via internet, Hal Turner claims that his arrest is political and it is in relation to the securities seized in Chiasso, because the authorities are terrified by his revelations of the bonds’ authenticity. "

[chrish]

I'm all for free speech but there has to be a line, and he's crossed it. No one should have access to the public airwaves to incite murder, and to draw a map for the unstable listeners who would consummate the order. If he's not fired for this, people need to hold his employer accountable.

[DawnK]

To all you NRA members, this is why we don't want handguns. Because some lunatic like Hal Turner might connect with a real psycho that may go out and actually use a handgun to kill someone maliciously. I understand that it is our constitutional right to own a gun and NRA members and gunowners say they need to defend themselves from the government that is knocking down their doors and rounding them up or an intruder but we also end up with situations like Dr. Tiller and the Holocaust Museum. I know guns don't kill people but crazy people with a little encouragement and a gun kill people.

[OkieIntellectual]

And that is the gun's fault how? Maybe YOU don't want handguns, but THIS here pistol packin' liberal would like to hang onto hers, thank you very much.

[IDIOTA]

And my Texas momma agrees with you, but I still won't ever own a gun unless things deteriorate to the nth degree, and not even then.

[OkieIntellectual]

Oh BTW, he never said "shoot them" just "they should be killed." That could be done with a car or a baseball bat or an ink pen or any of hundreds of common items found in every home and workplace in the country. You're trying to inject an argument int the discussion here that simply does not belong.

[onepotatotwopotato]

An African-American Look at Gun Control:
http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/movieplay-ngn-swf.htm

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

I'll bet you dollars to donuts that Michael Weiner "Savage" tones his rhetoric down real quick, sorta like he did when the U.K. told him not to darken their door again.

[roald]

I listened to him for a few minutes just after that happened. It didn't sound like he toned down anything.

[viktornacht]

This is ridiculous. He said they "deserved" to be killed - that's not a death threat, it's an opinion.

Mark my words, he'll walk.

This is how the government works with political dissidents on the far left and far right - trump up charges and make you go bankrupt defending yourself.

Plus, it was pretty clear that Turner was an FBI informant for awhile there - I wonder why the FBI has turned on him? Outlived his usefulness?

[roald]

While you are correct that this has definite First Amendment implication, I ask you to read the complaint in the link before deciding whether you believe the limits on free speech were passed. The complaint includes other quotes from the site,

"Government lies, cheats, manipulates, twists and outright disobeys the supreme law
and founding documents of this land because they have not, in our lifetime, faced
REAL free men willing to walk up to them and kill them for their defiance and
disobedience.

Thomas Jefferson, one of our Founding Fathers, told us "The tree of liberty must be
replenished from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots." It is time to
replenish the tree!

Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed. Their blood
will replenish the tree of liberty. A small price to pay to assure freedom for millions."

and

"Shortly thereafter, a gunman entered the home of that lower court Judge and
slaughtered the Judge's mother and husband.[1] Apparently, the 7th U.S. Circuit court
didn't get the hint after those killings. It appears another lesson is needed.

These Judges are traitors to the United States of America. They have intentionally
violated the Constitution. They have now also intentionally ignored a major ruling by
the US Supreme Court.

If they are allowed to get away with this by surviving, other Judges will act the same
way."

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

"He said they "deserved" to be killed - that's not a death threat, it's an opinion."

Yes, but then he followed that up with names, addresses, etc..... whoopsie! Hal crossed the line!

[LeftRight]

That's NOT how it works! It's against the law to advocate for a public official to be killed, which is EXACTLY what he did!

[jsgaetano]

Right wingers and terrorism goes together like peas and carrots.

[JulieSA]

Bill Ayers and James von Brunn are not righties. Neither is Carlos Bledsoe.

[DawnK]

But Hal Turner is.

[OkieIntellectual]

How can you even think to claim that Von Brunn wasn't an adherent to right-wing philosophy? I mean seriously, how can you do that? It is completely, utterly non sequitor. I mean, I would expect to hear some nonsensical drabble like that from, oh a crackhead or something. And Bill Ayers? Are you guys ever going to let that one go? It was over three decades ago and its not like he was blowing up buildings or anything? He was standing up for what he believed, which you guys seem to have no problem with when its one of your own.

[IDIOTA]

Which ones are lefties?

[jsgaetano]

Since when was von Brunn NOT a right winger? That dude was as far right as it gets.

Next thing you know, these wingnuts will be saying Adkisson was a liberal.

[roald]

Carlos Bledsoe is a right-winger. He is a conservative Muslim.

James von Brunn cannot decide on which side he belongs. His rants are against conservatives and progresssives.

Bill Ayers never targeted people.

I am certain that you can find some insane progressives who have committed acts of violence. What you will not find is progressive bloggers or entertainers who advocate killing people with whom they disagree, providing that little extra push an unstable person might need to act.

[bajabenedik]

How much do you want to bet that Rush Limbaugh will somehow try to spin this story as Turner being a left wing extremist?!

[IDIOTA]

That's a bet I would lose.

[roald]

More likely he will be a patriot, pushed to desperation by the socialist Obama administration taking away our guns to prevent us from resisting Obama's private police force of Black Panthers and Weather Underground femanatzi environwackos. Or something like that.

[JuliaRain]

Okay, this post is just "psy cho talk". Go hide in your bunker.

[jalowe1957]

Has anyone paid close attention to the relationship between Hal Turner and Sean Hannity?

Hannity not only happens to be his close friend, he's also allegedly his ideological soul mate'

Now guess what happens when birds of a feather do fornificate together, in the political sense?

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

Guess what happens when one of the birds spins out of control, gets sentenced and goes to jail?

Hal: Hi! I'm your new cellmate

Cellmate: Nice to meet ya, Hal. You know, you got one pretty mouth.

[NOV42008]

What would Sarah Palin say about this? Sean is palling around with rac.ist?

[mama1974]

Oh, you know Palin only likes to be outraged by late night talk show jokes and doctored blogger photos. Those are the "real" problems that "real" Americans face!

[GranE]

What we need in the good ole USA is more professionals like Patrick Fitzgerald. He actually takes offense to someone inciting the killing of judges, and I hope he finds a dark deep hole to put them in for the rest of their lives. We really do need more Patrick Fitzgeralds who take their oaths and jobs seriously in protecting us.

[1dogs2]

The fact that the husband and mother of a Chicago federal court judge were murdered in her home a few years ago provides some context for this indictment. Perhaps this crackpot from New Jersey was unaware of the heightened sensibilities in Illinois with respect to threats against judges.

[stav506]

Not to mention that there was a history of government officials killed here in Chicago for doing their job. It's called The Outfit (formerly known as The capone Mob), and Fitz put some of the higher up wise guys away for a long time last year.

[motoGpifupleez]

Shining example of RightWinger thought.

[motoGpifupleez]

The Department of Homeland Security report proven right once again.
Cue RightWing Blathering Idiots to rally to his defense.

[tbonehead]

put this guy in the cell with my cousin, Big Buster; in ten days he will have changed his race, his religion, and his name will be Ms. HAL-e-lu-ya.

[joy316]

http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/8828

[Telemachus]

Good link, thanks. This excerpt really sums it up:

"FOX and Limbaugh and Coulter -- and so many others ... are paid salaries for convincing a segment of working class America that "liberals" are not "true Americans" and are their enemies. Ironically, of course, Hannity and his multi-million dollar salaried hate talk pals are creating domestic terrorists within our midst. All this so that the corporatists can continue getting their way in D.C. It's a complicated relationship in which the Rupert Murdochs of the world get paid by corporate America to try and divert the attention of economical­ly-stresse­d out white Americans from how their pockets are being picked by the wealthy.".

[A Meat Beetle]

And Sean seemed like such a nice, wholsome fellow, brimming over with the milk of human kindness.

[IDIOTA]

Oh, now I want to hug him! But I can't turn my back on Rush.