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 For Immediate Release
May 26, 2000 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172
Janet Reno Evades Service Of Process In Elian Case

18 U.S.C. Section 1501 Implicates Obstruction Of Justice


(Washington, DC) Yesterday, Judicial Watch attorneys for Donato Dalrymple, and innocent bystanders, plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought against Attorney General Janet Reno, Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, and INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, attempted service of process on Attorney General Reno prior to her scheduled speech before members of The Florida Bar in Bal Harbour, Florida. It was Judicial Watch's intent to serve Ms. Reno without fanfare as she entered the Sheraton Hotel, and a process server was there simply to present the Court papers to her. Despite this, service of process was obstructed by the Miami and Bal Harbour police on the scene, who told Judicial Watch's process server that Reno's FBI detail would not permit service of process. The process server then informed the police chief that this was a violation of law under 18 U.S.C. Section 1501, since it is unlawful to impede or obstruct service of process. Nevertheless, the police chief persisted on following the instructions of Reno's FBI detail.

18 U.S.C. Section 1501 provides:
Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs, resists, or opposes any officer of the United States, or other person duly authorized, in serving, or attempting to serve or execute, any legal or judicial writ or process of any court of the United States, or United States commissioner; or Whoever assaults, beats, or wounds any officer or other person duly authorized, knowing him to be such officer, or other person so duly authorized, in serving or executing any such writ, rule, order, process, warrant, or other legal or judicial writ of process –

Shall, except as otherwise provided by law, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
"It is incredible that the Attorney General of the United States would effectively run from an authorized process server trying to serve her with a complaint over her violation of the civil rights of Donato Dalrymple and innocent bystanders during the raid of Elian Gonzalez' Miami family's home on April 22, 2000," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.

"Ms. Reno, you can run, but you cannot hide from the truth or from the law. In your own words, we will follow the evidence wherever it leads, and it leads directly to you," added Klayman.

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