In Michigan a District Court judge named Peter Jaklevic has imposed a $150,000 bond in the case of a man arrested for handing out jury nullification fliers on the sidewalk outside the courthouse. The man, Keith Wood, is charged with obstruction of justice and jury tampering. Fox 17 reports that:

“When he (the Judge) told me the bond, again I was speechless,” said Wood. “$150,000 bond for handing out a piece of paper on a public sidewalk? Speechless.” …

“It’s just a blatant illegal improper use of government power to squelch a person’s Constitutional rights of free speech, that’s what this is,” said [Wood’s Attorney Dave] Kallman.

“There has to be push-back, and judges and prosecutors and people need to know: you cannot squelch people’s free speech rights and get away with it.” …

“It’s not illegal to fully inform jurors, it’s just that judges don’t do it anymore, ” said Wood.

“To me, I just feel like the justice system would be much better off, and we the people would be much better off if jurors were fully informed again.”

The pamphlets Wood handed out specifically discuss jurors’ right to vote their conscience, also known as jury nullification of law. Jury nullification occurs when a jury acquits a defendant, despite evidence, because they either believe the law is immoral or wrongfully applied. …

“It’s free speech for goodness sake,” said Kallman. “The Judge directly ordered him to be arrested for jury tampering, for tampering with a jury that didn’t exist, now wrap your head around that.”

Back on Nov. 24, Wood said the magistrate, then other court personnel and deputy, came outside three times, asking him to come into the courthouse because the judge wanted to speak with him. Wood said the third time personnel came outside a deputy threatened to call Big Rapids Police to arrest him. At that point, Wood went inside to speak with the judge, but was told he was not being detained.

“She (courthouse personnel) wasn’t being rough but she was kind of corralling me and she was touching my jacket, and so I asked her again, I said, “Am I being detained?” And she goes, ‘No,’” described Wood.

“Judge Jaklevic came out of his chambers, he looked at me, he looked down the hall, I didn’t know who he was looking at, and then he looked back towards me and the deputy and he said, ‘Arrest him for jury tampering,'” said Wood. …

Wood refused to take a plea deal Tuesday morning and his preliminary hearing is set for next Tuesday. He and Kallman want his charges dropped and are deciding whether to pursue a federal lawsuit.

“I truly believe in my heart of hearts I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t break the law, so they need to drop all of the charges against me,” said Wood.