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46 Judges J. 25 (2007)
J.A.I.L. 4 Judges: Opponents of an Impartial Justice System

handle is hein.journals/judgej46 and id is 25 raw text is: J.A.I.L. 4 Judges Opponents of an Impartial Justice System? ithin hours of its resound- ing defeat at the South Dakota ballot box, state and national proponents of the Judicial Accountability Initiative Law for Judges movement (more commonly known as J.A.I.L. 4 Judges) began to circulate claims of a conspiracy involving the vote and demanded a media investigation of the conspiracy, which allegedly involved the state's entire electoral system.' At the same time, they vowed that the massive loss, to them, clearly the work of a government plot, would in fact invig- orate their organization.2 Many in the media and elsewhere were taken aback by the conspiracy theory claims and the JAILers' (as they refer to them- selves) inability to accept the loss. jJudges' Journal • Winter 2007 However, to those familiar with J.A.I.L.'s tactics, the conspiracy claims were nothing new, as the organization has accused the judiciary of conspiring against the people for over a decade. This article addresses the history, phi- losophy, practices, and activities of this movement, which has vowed to pursue the J.A.I.L. 4 Judges initiative in other states and at the federal level in the coming years.3 History The J.A.I.L. 4 Judges movement was created in the mid-1990s by Californian Ronald Branson, who serves as the national head of the organization, or JAILer-in-Chief.4 Prior to starting J.A.I.L., Branson had been active as a pastor in various churches in California and tracked down cult groups in the state. Branson's disagreements with the courts started in the early 1980s when he helped a Los Angeles County civil service employee in her lawsuit against the county over her ternina- tion. According to Branson, the entire state-level proceeding was corrupt, prompting him to sue the judge and other parties in the case in federal court. When that case was dismissed, Branson attributed it to a conspiracy of judges against the people. Branson's hostility toward the courts grew markedly after his 1986 arrest for attempted burglary of a motor vehicle. Alleging false impris- onment, Branson sued the arresting officers, his own defense attorneys,

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