37 jurors at least accept the fact that the Unification Church was a genuine church. Consequently, because at least one of the jurors believed the Unification Church was a cult, and at least nine jurors were uncertain as to whether it was a true religion, Reverend Moon was clearly denied a fair trial. 3. The Court Ignored Clear and Pervasive At the conclusion of the jury selection process, Reverend Moon renewed his request that the Court reject the Government's refusal to accept a jury waiver. The basis for this motion was the pervasive bias of the prospective jurors with respect to the Church, the question of "brainwashing," questions concerning the use of funds by the Church and their attitude toward Church fundraising activities. In addition, the defense contended that it was not accorded a number of peremptory challenges sufficient to effectively eliminate prospective jurors with prejudicial preconceptions. Finally, Reverend Moon's counsel emphasized that approximately nine of the prospective jurors interviewed during voir dire had mentioned incidents of discussions among the prospective jurors concerning Reverend Moon and the Unification Church, as well as conversations concerning the prospective juror's knowledge that the defense was having a difficult time finding unbiased jurors. 38 The Government argued in response that: the process of jury selection 'has demonstrated that you could get a fair and impartial jury. (TR. 1732.) If we didn't believe that we could get a fair and Despite the foregoing evidence of pervasive bias among the prospective jurors, the Court once again denied the defendants' request for a jury waiver stating: I believe that when a defendant in a criminal In view of the pervasive prejudice against Reverend Moon and 39 C. The Government's Prosecution of This Case on the Basis of Whether the Unification Church Was a True Religion, Deprived Reverend Moon of the Opportunity For a Fair Trial. The prejudice accruing to Reverend Moon as a result of the Government's insistence on a jury trial was If this criminal case were being tried on whether However, the issue in this trial is whether or not certain properties belonged to defendant Moon and whether he should have declared them as his and paid taxes on them. . . I don't mean to suggest that general attitudes toward the Church and to the Moonies tried. (TR. 1758-1759.) 18/ The trial judge subsequently pointed out that he was concerned that in the effort to find a jury totally free from bias, people had been selected "who don't read much, talk much and don't know much" and that the jurors would therefore tend to be the educated and less intelligent (Footnote Continued) 40 The crucial significance of this statement can be fully appreciated only through a review of the manner in which the Government conducted Reverend Moon's trial. During its opening statements to the jury, as well as during the direct and cross examination of both Government and defense witnesses, and continuing through its summation to the jury, the Government consistently attempted to introduce evidence or to elicit testimony intended to prove that the Unification Church was in fact not a true religion, but was rather a massive and complex business operation directed by Reverend Moon, which was supported by a cadre of young "Moonies" who had been brainwashed by the Church and compelled to solicit funds in order to support Reverend Moon's "luxurious" lifestyle. In this effort, the Government consciously attempted to appeal to the various prejudices which had been revealed during the jury selection (Footnote Continued) people. Noting that this would not be a problem unless the case became complicated, the Judge concluded "I would have thought it fairer to have this case tried without a jury." (TR. 1759-1760.) I would feel better about the fairness from the position of defendants had they been granted a non-jury trial. But I don't feel I have the right to substitute my views on that matter to what appears to be the law and what I understand to be the law. Consequently, I have to deny the defendant's motion. (TR. 1761.) 41 process the very same prejudices which Moon had cited as the basis for seeking a non-jury trial. 1. The Government Consistently Portrayed Jury. During the jury selection process, a majority of the prospective jurors interviewed stated that they were aware that Reverend Moon, or the Unification Church, were involved in various business enterprises. As noted earlier, a number of the veniremen also did not believe that it was appropriate for a church to be overtly involved in business activities. Many of the prospective jurors who questioned whether the Unification Church was a bona fide religion moreover, expressed the opinion that it might be considered a cult in view of its extensive involvement in commercial operations and the fact that many of its members were involved in fundraising activities. A large number of prospective jurors clearly stated their opposition to the practice of soliciting funds on street corners or at airports. The Government promptly proceeded to exploit these concerns, addressing them in opening remarks to the jury: MR. FLUMENBAUM: The evidence will show that Moon was not only a leader of a church, but also a very very successful businessman. . . . You will hear evidence about fundraising, and you will hear in early 1973 members of the church fundraised primarily by selling flowers. You will hear how |