FIJA'S 1990 "BILL OF JURY RIGHTS" CONFERENCE America's Founders included the right of trial by common law jury in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights both to guarantee justice for the accused individual and to ensure that government would forever remain the servant of the people. Today, it is clear that the jury system has been impaired to the point that it does not always serve justice, and few people even know that it is supposed to have a role in constraining government! Since all individual rights depend upon the ability to say "no" to those who would abuse them, and the common law jury is the only institution in our system of government by which we the people can directly reject abusive laws, preservation of jury rights is essential to the enjoyment of all our other rights. That's why we want you to join us this coming November 9-11 in St. Louis, at FIJA's first-ever national event, the "Bill of Jury Rights" Conference. The idea is for those who attend to discuss and decide what belongs in such a bill, sign the result, then take it home and seek to have all or part of it passed by their respective 1991 state legislatures. Sound exciting? We think so. And we think it also has the potential to be an historic moment in the defense of liberty, as people from all walks of life jointly publish what they hope will endure forever as an airtight defense of the common law jury. The balance of the conference will consist of workshops on how to get our handiwork made into constitutional law, at both state and national levels: SUMMARY "BJR" CONFERENCE SCHEDULE NOVEMBER 9, 10, AND 11, 1990, AT THE CLAYTON PLAZA HOLIDAY INN, 7730 BONHOMME AVENUE, ST. LOUIS/CLAYTON, MO 63105. (314) 863-0400 Friday, November 9 3:00 to 6:00 pm................................Registration 6:00 to 7:30 pm...............Cocktail reception (cash bar) 7:30 to 9:00 pm............Jerry and Darlene Span "Uninformed Juries: A Tale of Two Victims" 9:00 on....................Informal discussion, socializing Saturday, November 10 8:00 to 9:00 am..............Breakfast with Larry Dodge "Welcome to the 'BJR' Conference!" 9:00 to 10:00 am.......................Godfrey Lehman "A History of Jury Power" 10:00 am to noon...................Steve Herzberg "Inside the Jury Room"--a PBS video Noon to 1:30 pm...............Lunch with a panel "Toward an Optimal Bill of Jury Rights" 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm..........panels w/floor discussion, BJR: Item 1: Requiring instruction of juries in veto power Item 2: Affirming jury rights in civil trials Item 3: Mandating 12-person juries Item 4: Barring motions _in limine_ Item 5: Requiring random selection of jurors Item 6: Ensuring jury control over evidence 6:00 to 7:00 pm.......................socializing; cash bar 7:00 to 9:00 pm...........Banquet (speaker to be announced) Sunday, November 11 8:00 to 9:00 am.........Breakfast (speaker to be announced) 9:00 am to noon..............panels w/floor discussion, BJR Item 7: Guaranteeing right to question,take notes,etc. Item 8: Acknowledging right to independent counsel Item 9: Ensuring fully empowered grand juries Item 10: Providing for protection of juror's privacy Wrap-up and asignment to committees fo final wording Noon to 1:30 pm.............Lunch (speaker to be announced) 1:30 to 2:00 pm.......Bill of Jury Rights signing ceremony! 2:00 to 4:30 pm..."How-to" workshops: lobbying,initiatives, grassroots options, media relations, etc. (speakers to be announced) Also: committee meetings to finalize BJR item language for preliminary publication 4:30 pm to departure......obtain preliminary copies of BJR; (final version in subsequent FIJActivist) We believe there is an urgency to this conference because of the speed and rapaciousness with which governments at all levels are moving to consolidate power and destroy what remains of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For example, if either the U.S. Senate or House version of the "Drug Crime and Emergency Act" (SB 2245 or HR 4079, respectively) becomes law, America will immediately become a police state, complete with concentration camps. Don't miss this unique chance to make a real difference! You can even start now, by sending us comments on the "draft bill" we have printed below. If we get your ideas right away, we may be able to incorporate some of them in the "semi-final" draft with which we'll open the conference, while subsequent comments may be considered on the floor--especially if you "bring 'em with you when you come"! SEE YOU IN ST. LOUIS???