OKLAHOMA CITY -- Citizens-rights activist Paul Jacob says he plans to spend the next year highlighting legal threats to the citizens' initiative movement around the country.

After that, he admits, he could wind up in jail for the next 10 years, courtesy of Attorney General Drew Edmondson, for participating in that same initiative process in Oklahoma two years ago.

Jacob was re-indicted last month, this time directly by AG Edmondson, on charges that he and others broke state residency laws by collecting signatures for a ballot initiative as out-of-staters, he told LNL today. He was originally indicted last November by a multi-county grand jury but that indictment was dismissed a few weeks later on a legal technicality.

Edmondson's charges means that Jacob, also a top adviser at citizens-rights group the Sam Adams Alliance, now faces 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted. That Edmondson re-filed the indictment himself shows "this is being handled at the very top [of the AG's office], Jacob said. "It seems to be very political and as well as personal."

Following his arraignment Monday in Oklahoma City, Jacob said he will start planning a year-long nationwide tour to rally support for citizens' initiatives. That's because his legal advisers have told him his trial could take a year or more to commence - although they don't necessarily think it's a good idea to go around talking about it all.

Jacob admits his attorneys "would probably prefer it if I just stayed at home and said nothing about it" during the waiting period before trial, at which he's confident he'll be acquitted. Nonetheless, he adds, "I don't want to be acquitted after a year of people being scared to use the citizens initiative process because of what was happening to me."

He says he's been "inspired" that since his case became public Oklahomans' support for citizens' initiatives has increased and that legislation is now pending to ease the requirements for getting them on the ballot.

Jacob and a number of state-based allies will be holding a press conference at 12 noon on Monday, Jan. 28 at the Oklahoma City Courthouse prior to his arraignment at 1:30 p.m.