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Karen Mathews isn't Jewish. However, when she testified recently in court, a large gold Star of David hung around her neck. It was a gift from the Anti-Defamation League.

Partly as a result of her testimony, nine members of the Juris Christian Assembly were convicted on conspiracy and related charges last week in a U.S. District Court in Fresno.

Mathews claimed that members of the anti-government, anti-Semitic, "common-law court" group harassed, threatened and attacked her.

"This is a major issue for us," said Barbara Bergen, director of the ADL Central Pacific Region.

The ADL joined Mathews' fight against the Modesto-based organization nearly four years ago.

"The Juris Christian Assembly is among the earliest groups of common-law courts in the country which has shown a propensity for violence. In addition to their anti-government and anti-social rhetoric, many of these groups spew the old anti-Semitic canards," Bergen said.

Common-law court groups are defined as anti-government organizations which ignore legislative, judicial and criminal justice systems. They create parallel institutions of their own and obey their decisions.

Common-law court groups wreak havoc on individuals and organizations by attempting to place liens (issued by the common-law court) in U.S. courts.

In the Mathews case, members of the Juris Christian Assembly demanded that Mathews, a Stanislaus County clerk-recorder, remove a $164,000 IRS lien from the home of one of its members, George Reed. Mathews refused.

Mathews claimed she was threatened several times by group members. In 1994, nine Juris Christian Assembly members attacked her in her garage. They struck her arms, neck and legs, put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger several times, the ADL said. The gun was not loaded.

During the course of the trial, Mathews read Juris Christian Assembly literature. Disgusted by what she considered its racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric, she called Bergen and asked where she could purchase a Jewish star.

"She wanted to wear it in court. The ADL made her a gift," Bergen said. "It's simple and big."

Mathews wore a black shirt so that the star "would show up," Bergen said. The others who testified against the Juris Christian Assembly followed suit, wearing Stars of David and dark shirts.

"The defendants glared at her. And at the stars," Bergen said.

In addition to conspiracy charges against Mathews, Juris Christian Assembly members also were convicted on various tax and federal charges.

Sentencing has not yet been set.