UPDATE: Mistrial in Blogger's Alleged Death Threats Against Judges Case

Image by Jim Frazier via Flickr

Following a three-day trial in federal court in Brooklyn, a deadlocked jury resulted in a mistrial being declared by U.S. District Court Judge Donald E. Walter in the case against Harold C. Turner, an Internet broadcaster/blogger, who prosecutors allege issued death threats against three sitting justices of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

The jury heard testimony from six federal agents, but not from the purported targets of Turner's rants, Judges Richard Posner, Frank Easterbrook and William Bauer. Turner was arrested in North Bergen, N.J. by FBI agents in June based on a Web post that said: "These judges deserve to be killed." Turner was upset by the court's ruling in a gun case. Another posting included the judges' names, phone numbers, office numbers, and a schematic of the courthouse in which they sit. (See "TUOL" post 6/25/09).

Prosecutors will retry Turner, and Judge Walter has set a March 1, 2010 date.