State-wide Court Sit-In: The Fight For The Alaskan Grand Jury Is A Fight For All Alaskans

 By Jessica Schultz Pleasant

As the Northern Lights dance across the dark skies above Alaska, many Alaskans want to shine light upon the shadowy aspects of the Alaskan government. Many people move to Alaska as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the lower 48 states. These people are looking to find peace, and a way of life that is less regulated and controlled. Life-long Alaskans are very proud of their state and what makes it unique. Unbeknownst to each population is the “behind closed doors” theft of a citizen’s constitutional right. On December 1, 2022, the powers that be stole Alaskans’ constitutional rights by limiting the powers of the peoples’ grand jury.

Alaska’s government is proving to be the perpetrator of harassment and abuse against its own citizens. The courts defend the State and make villains out of their victims. If victims fight against the abuse, the State and courts will destroy them. The only way to hold the State and courts accountable for their behaviors is through the process called the “grand jury”.

Alaskan David Haeg and his supporters have been on a long journey to find justice, and to protect the powers of the Alaskan grand jury. The Alaskan grand jury has been repeatedly interrupted for years by forces in the government and courts.

Due to passionate supporters and Haeg's work has the Alaskan people are becoming more aware of criminal rule changes and their violation of the Constitution. The changes have violated citizens' rights to "due process". The grand jury is used to hold government and courts responsible to the people. These rule changes limited the powers of the grand jury. 

The new rule changes of Criminal Rule 6 and 6.1 was rushed through the legislature, with nearly no input from the Rules Committee representatives elected by the people.  The change of the rules allows protections for the state and courts servants, and a loss to every Alaskan citizens’ constitutional right to the powers of a grand jury.

Director Marla Greenstein is the Judicial Conduct Investigator subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury in regard to the operations of her office and her personal actions. Greenstein has been the State’s sole investigator into corrupt judges for over thirty years. Over that time, Greenstein would inevitably run across a bad decision she made about an abusive judge.  It would behoove Greenstein to find innocence in judges with histories and patterns of corruption she previously missed. Many Alaskans are concerned with the serious consequences of a community lacking trust in judicial integrity.

To critics, the timely response of the court and legislature does not appear coincidental. The belief is the state and court meant to prevent Greenstein from testifying to the grand jury. To raise awareness about the attack on the grand jury, Haeg recently appeared on The Michael Dukes Show. Haeg was well prepared, stressing the legitimacy of the grand jury, and the people’s rights to it. He argued the grand jury exists to investigate the very same officers and judges that are neutering the grand jury’s powers and responsibilities.

On March 2, 2023, Dukes’ Show interviewed Alaska Representative Ben Carpenter. In an off-topic question, Dukes asked Carpenter about the grand jury being affected by new rule changes. Carpenter acknowledged the efforts of Haeg and showed an openness to entertain citizen concerns.

Carpenter answered:

“I just I just want to let people know that I have not dropped the ball on the Grand Jury issue. It's separate from Ways and Means, but it is very close to my heart and I'm working on it. I've got an assessment that I'm going to send to a constitutional attorney to drop legislation to deal with this issue. But I did an assessment on court rule changes. Supreme Court order 1993. And we are we are literally looking at the Supreme Court putting rules in place that violate statute 100%. That's what happened. So how we go about that in solving that problem within the divided legislature is, is tricky. But I'm I am. I'm committed to doing so.”

Carpenter continued:

“No doubt the Constitution and the statements from our founding fathers. You know that who drew up the Constitution, were very clear that the grand juries focus was supposed to be on preventing corruption within our government. Right. And to the extent that the Supreme Court order makes it harder for this for the grand jury to investigate its own government is counter constitutional.”

Alaskans: It’s Now or Never! Your mission, your civil causes, your personal rights depend on your attendance. It is time to find common ground.

Every activist group in Alaska should join the State-wide Court Sit-In to overturn the rule change done in the shadows. The sit-in begins at all courthouses. Media is likely to cover the Nesbitt Court House in Anchorage, AK, on:

March 15, 2023

8 a.m. – Until the rule changes of Criminal Rule 6 and 6.1 are repealed

 

Sources:

1. Alaska State of Corruption. (2023). Alaska Grand Jury Rights. Alaska State of Corruption. Retrieved on March 7, 2023. https://www.alaskastateofcorruption.com/

2. Alaska Grand Juror Association. (2023). Rep. Ben carpenter on the Grand Jury Issue: Working to Correct Constitutional Violations and Promote Transparency. Alaska Grand Juror Association. Retrieved on March 7, 2023. https://alaskagrandjurorsassociation.org/

3. The Michael Dukes Show. (02 FEB 2023) Headlines, David Haeg – Grand Jury; Rep Tom McKay. The Michael Dukes Show. Retrieved on March 7, 2023. . https://soundcloud.com/themichaeldukesshow/thursday-headlines-david-haeg-grand-jury-rep-tom-mckay

4. The Michael Dukes Show. (02 MAR 2023) Headlines and commentary; Rep Ben Carpenter. The Michael Dukes Show. Retrieved on March 7, 2023. https://soundcloud.com/themichaeldukesshow/thursday-3-2-23-headlines-and-commentary-rep-ben-carpenter