Neo-Nazi Hal Turner Arrested Again
Hal Turner, a neo-Nazi talk radio host known for his threats against public
figures, was denied bail during an appearance in federal court Thursday
afternoon on charges of threatening to assault and murder three federal
judges. Also at the hearing, FBI officials revealed that they'd found 200
rounds of ammunition and 150 illegal hollow point bullets in Turner's home during a search on Wednesday, according to the Jersey Journal.
Turner's arrest comes three weeks after he was taken into custody in New Jersey on charges that he against two Connecticut legislators. He had been freed on $25,000 bond and wasn鈥檛 scheduled to return to court until July.
But the FBI 鈥� an agency for which he once may have worked as a 鈥� arrested Turner on Wednesday after going to his home in North Bergen, N.J., to execute a search warrant. The charges stem from Internet postings earlier this month in which he blasted a June 2 decision by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago that essentially upheld local handgun bans.
The blog posts named Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook, who wrote the unanimous decision, along with Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer. 鈥淟et me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed,鈥� Turner allegedly wrote on June 2. He later posted the photographs, phone numbers, work address and room numbers of the three judges, as well as a modified photo of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse where they work that reveals the locations of 鈥渁nti-truck bomb barriers.鈥� He also posted a map showing how to get to the building, according to the FBI.
In the June 2 blog post titled in part 鈥淥UTRAGE: Chicago Gun Ban UPHELD,鈥� Turner states that the same federal appeals court that made the handgun decision also upheld the 2004 conviction of Matt Hale, a white supremacist now serving a 40-year sentence for soliciting the murder of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow. Turner also noted that a gunman killed Lefkow鈥檚 mother and husband in her home. 鈥淎pparently, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court didn鈥檛 get the hint after those killings,鈥� he allegedly wrote. 鈥淚t appears another lesson is needed.鈥�
Turner, 47, isn鈥檛 the only neo-Nazi whose cyberspace comments on the Hale case have helped lead to criminal charges in Chicago. Bill White of Roanoke, Va., the leader of the American National Socialist Workers Party, is scheduled for trial next month in federal court in Chicago on obstructing justice charges related to his alleged against the foreman of the Chicago jury that convicted Hale. White posted the name, home address, phone numbers and other personal information of the 鈥淕ay, Jewish, anti-racist鈥� juror last September. White wrote that the juror 鈥減layed a key role in convicting Hale.鈥�
If Turner is convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 鈥淲e take threats to federal judges very seriously. Period,鈥� said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
Turner has made numerous racist and violent threats. In 2007, he railed against President George W. Bush, saying that 鈥渁 well-placed bullet can solve a lot of problems.鈥� He has written that 鈥渨e need to start SHOOTING AND KILLING Mexicans as they cross the border.鈥� In 2006, he published an attack on New Jersey Supreme Court justices that included several of their home addresses. Just before President Obama鈥檚 inauguration, he suggested that the mass murder of those attending the event 鈥渨ould be a public service.鈥� Most recently, he was charged on June 3 with inciting injury to persons or property after he posted a blog entry that encouraged readers to 鈥渢ake up arms鈥� against two Connecticut lawmakers, Sen. Andrew McDonald and Rep. Michael Lawlor. Turner was upset about state legislation that would give more power to the laity in the Roman Catholic Church.
In January 2008, unidentified hackers posted E-mail correspondence between Turner and an FBI agent who appeared to be his handler in the forum of Turner鈥檚 website for his radio program, 鈥淭he Hal Turner Show.鈥� The FBI last year declined to comment about Turner鈥檚 relationship with the agency.
Larry Keller contributed to this report.
