Ron Haddad: I will prevail in court

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Updated: February 27, 2012 8:05AM

Ron Haddad Jr., a River Forest resident accused on domestic terrorism, said last week he expects to successfully defend himself at trial later this spring.

Haddad, 36, was released from federal custody on Dec. 22. He had been jailed more than seven months because a judge had ruled Haddad had violated conditions of his home confinement bond and was a danger to the community.

Haddad, who was first arrested in February 2010, is scheduled to go to trial on April 30, on 28 counts of sending threatening communications via U.S. mail to various elected officials in 2008 and 2009, and two counts of sending threatening communications via the internet.

On Jan. 11, Forest Leaves received a three-page letter from Haddad which he gave permission to publish the letter and to telephone him.

The impetus for contacting Forest Leaves, he said, were comments made during the Dec. 22 hearing, at which he was also found competent to stand trial.

“He must have psychiatric treatment,” Forest Leaves quoted Judge Virginia Kendall saying of Haddad Dec. 22. The article noted he “has previously been diagnosed as delusional and even psychotic.”

Haddad called his release “a tainted victory.”

In a 20-minute phone interview Jan. 13 and three follow-up calls, Haddad laid out his criticisms of two of five doctors who conducted psychological evaluations pursuant to court ordered competency testing.

“Quoting Dr. (Robert) Hanlon (in the press) affects my standing, whether in the eyes of the court or the general public,” Haddad said. “It’s a bad stigma.”

Haddad particularly objected to Hanlon’s characterization of him as “a slow-thinking, delusional individual.”

“Anyone would object to that and be upset,” he said. Other mental health professionals, he said, “found I am not a delusional, slow-thinking psychopath.”

Haddad said he was planning to file a “pro se” motion (that is, without benefit of legal counsel) that same day, outlining his concerns with Dr. Hanlon’s assessment of his psychological state.

That could pose problems for Haddad, as Judge Kendall has explicitly prohibited him from filing such motions,

“The defendant’s counsel shall decide if the communication should be filed as a motion,” she ruled last April.

Kendall has also prohibited Haddad from using any form of electronic communication, as a condition of his bond.

In his letter Haddad continues to accuse federal authorities off conspiring with various parties to violate his civil rights.

“Federal prosecutors always illegally get the jury pool they want of people prejudiced in favor of the government from the narrow minded blind pro-government north shore and rich DuPage and West Cook County suburbs,” he wrote.

Haddad said his first two court appointed lawyers lied to him and worked against his interests. He alleged they went as far as to kept from him evidence that he said would prove his innocence in 28 counts of sending threatening letters and letter bombs.

He insisted there is evidence showing he did not send the letters and packages, which were mailed to various elected officials in 2009.

While he’s not in total agreement with his current attorney, veteran defense attorney Robert Nathan, he said he’s satisfied enough.

“My new lawyer Robert Nathan is at least taking steps to defend me,” said Haddad. “He’s a better lawyer than (Haddad’s first two lawyers).

Asked about going on trial, Haddad said “I’m anxious about it,” though not about the letter bomb charges.

“The only possible contentious fight would be with the emails,” he said. “I can see there could be something of an issue of it being protected speech or not.”

Asked twice if he ever thought people might have reason to feel threatened by his emails, Haddad said he was doing nothing different that what people like comedians Bill Maher and George Catlin and filmmaker Spike Lee have done.

“Spike Lee advised killing the Director of the NRA, because he believes the NRA is responsible for violence in black neighborhoods,” Haddad said.

“I understand how some people could disagree and be offended by the emails,” he said. “The same way they’d be offended by (the comments made by Maher, Lee and others).”

Haddad said he deserved equal protection under the 14th amendment, saying, “These guys didn’t get prosecuted for what they said, and I should be afforded the same protection.”