Raw Footage: Andrew Carroll’s Arrest and the Street Procession

January 11, 2009 by Ian
Filed under: Copwatch, Police, Thuggery, Video

More footage from the most well attended activist event in Keene to-date. There were so many people with cameras there! Here is raw footage of the arrest and the activists following down the street, courtesy of Coldsoul:

Schvenzlerman

It would have made more sense for the group to have had, say, forty or fifty people touching such plant rather than one.

The answer to the question raised by one of the participants, "Where's the victim?" is the State. It acts as the victim.
http://nhtolivefreeordie.blogspot.com ColdSoul

Plenty of people who I will not name held the plant, it's just I chose not to upload those short video's as they were not planning on getting arrested. If we could get 20-40 people together to all hold a small amount in protest I think it would be great but they would all have to be willing to get arrested. That is part of the reason Andrew is so brave, and such a good activist is that he was willing to be arrested which is more than I can say for that day.
http://onev8.com Yan

Ya, that's right, Andrew's the victim.

I give props for Andrew for having as much balls as he did.
geofalon007

What is Andrew's reason or point for getting arrested? Does he really believe that his arrest and possible conviction will result in a bill to repeal the war on drugs or a call to legalize pot? Does he believe that his arrest will be the tipping point in people’s hearts and minds to change the law?

People say that you need to choose your battles, why this one and why now?

Does he have a plan to introduce something in a court of law that will send the establishment to its knees? Is he able to make the government prove that the law applies to him and the elements of a crime can be proven?

Did he sit in a courtroom and watch what happens to others so he is prepared or did he just decide to get arrested without an understanding of the mechanics of the judge and prosecutor he might possibly face. Does he know his adversary?
http://pshields.net Patrick Shields

@geofalon007:

You can hear Andrew's reasoning yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnFNep5mW4.

Obviously it's something he's personally committed to. Why question his intent? It won't be the "tipping point" as you said, but it will help lead to it.
http://freedommanitoba.blogspot.com Scott from Winnipeg

"What is Andrew’s reason or point for getting arrested?"

To show how absurd the law is, that is part of the point of this type of activism. What was he doing? Just standing there, holding vegitation, and gets hauled off to jail for it. Stupid ass laws.
http://speakoutdanville.org/bbs Curt Springer

I don't think it will be noticed at all. I think everyone here agrees it's a stupid law. I think the detriment to Andrew will eclipse any benefit. The state was in a budget crisis even before the national stuff hit the fan. The legislature will not react to this, they won't even know about it. This is not the year to be pushing this kind of stuff at the state house.

At least Andrew will have a criminal record (yes I know most of you don't care, we've been over that) and have to pay some fine. At most he will try to have a show trial and try to discuss jury nullification then really have trouble with the court.

I think Andrew's true friends in the FSP movement are the ones who advised him not to do this.
http://freetalklive.com/ Ian

Andrew will not pay a fine. He is a hero and will help attract others here at a minimum. What will they do when 20 people are possessing and smoking cannabis?
geofalon007

I dont know what they will do when you have 20 people

possessing and smoking cannabis. I bet they bring a large number of police and arresst everyone. I bet they figure out how to charge them with more than possession. Distubing the peace, disorderly conduct, trespass, inciting a riot…I don't know .

It really depends on the will of the police chief in the town or city you do this in doesn't it. It also depends on the State Police and the District Attorney.

What is the overall climate in New Hampshire regarding pot anyway? Is someone pushing a bill to remove the prohibition on cannibis? I am not talking about a civil fine either. I am talking making it legal.

I agree that the prohibition on pot must end. I am not sure that one man getting arressted will end it or even be a big enough deal to change the minds of the government.
http://speakoutdanville.org/bbs Curt Springer

Geofalon, if you don't mind, what state are you in? Just based on your reference to "representative town meeting" in some post, I'm guessing Mass.

There was a bill to legalize hemp, which failed. I think there was a bill to legalize possession of pot, similar to Mass. If so, it failed too.

I don't think there is any big zeal to crack down on marijuana possession, as opposed to sales. When I was young, 30+ years ago, people smoked pot fairly openly. That was before Nancy Reagan and the war on drugs and all that.

My sense is that prosecution for pot possession is incidental to something else. So if you get pulled over for something, and they have a legal reason to search your car and they find pot, you will be charged.

If more and more white middle class people smoke dope openly, the cops will start mostly ignoring it, again.

Ian, you should know from your recent experience that there is a daily rate for jail time in lieu of paying a fine. So if Andrew states that he will not pay, they will take him into custody for some number of days. And nobody outside the liberty movement will even know about it. Just as nobody outside the liberty movement knows about what happened yesterday.

It's the old saw about what if the tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it.
http://freetalklive.com/ Ian

Lots of people will see these videos, so you're wrong.
http://speakoutdanville.org/bbs Curt Springer

Note I said "nobody outside the liberty movement."

How many of our 424 state reps and senators will ever hear about this?
geofalon007

Curt

I am in Massachusetts. I have believed that something is wrong with this country for along time. I decided to get involved where I am. I am battling certain people in government that believe it is ok to use zoning by laws to impose there will. I have tried to get elected to the planning board and will try again.

As for the legislative body in NH knowing about

Andrew, that is for the people in the movement to let them know about it.

If you want to make changes, you need to know the current players. It seems to me everyone in the movement should know their State Senator and State Rep and their aides.

Ian is probably right about many people seeing the videos but that does not translate into laws being past to end the prohibition of pot.

I am really suprised that the Massachusetts Legislature did not find a way around the mandate of the people.

They managed to find a way to not roll back the income taxes.
http://speakoutdanville.org/bbs Curt Springer

I work in Cambridge. I pay Mass income tax. I told everyone in my office that I would appreciate their vote to abolish the Mass income tax, acknowledging that it would save me money and not cause me any lack of government services.

We have zoning in my town but the town is really sensitive to property rights. I am proud to serve on the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) because it is our role to ensure that people can use their property even if there are circumstances where it does not strictly conform to the zoning law.

One difference between Mass and NH is that our reps and senators do not have "aides". They are paid $100 per year plus mileage and have no assigned staff.
http://speakoutdanville.org/bbs Curt Springer

I wrote

At least Andrew will have a criminal record (yes I know most of you don’t care, we’ve been over that) and have to pay some fine. At most he will try to have a show trial and try to discuss jury nullification then really have trouble with the court.

As noted in one of the videos, this was incorrect. I thought that with Class B you still had the right to a jury, just not a free lawyer. But with Class B you lose your right to a jury trial. So there will be no show trial or jury nullification.

I don't thing the trial in district court will be a "show trial" much as I am sure some people would like it to be.
http://nhtolivefreeordie.blogspot.com ColdSoul

You always have the right to a Jury trial, it is just you must take/appeal the charge to the Superior Court where you will be allowed one. Most people lose and then fail to appeal to the Superior Court which is where you are guaranteed a Jury trial from my understanding.
http://speakoutdanville.org/bbs Curt Springer

That's incorrect. I looked it up.

The federal guarantee of a jury trial does not apply to state trials. The NH constitution only guarantees a jury trial in capital cases. Current statutes (RSAs) only provide for jury trials for class A misdemeanors and felonies.
zaphar

"I am not sure that one man getting arressted will end it or even be a big enough deal to change the minds of the government."

Well, it's better to try and fail, than take a path of inaction and not know.