Bureaucrats love to try to throw their weight around to try to get you to do what they say. Some really seem to get off on controlling others. In this case, the clerk inside the courtroom at Portsmouth district court lied to me this morning, claiming I was not allowed to record the judge in court.
This despite having a media registration with the NH Supreme Court and countless hours under my belt recording in various courts around New Hampshire.
However, this was my first time in Portsmouth’s court and the well-fed bureaucrat thought she’d be able to intimidate me. I stood my ground, and sure enough when judge Gardner entered the room she said nothing to me or Derrick J Freeman or David Jurist, all of whom were armed with cameras in the courtroom.
Derrick reported the last time he was in this court the same clerk similarly threatened him, but the judge was different. Looks like the clerk is the one that doesn’t like cameras.
The lesson here? Bureaucrats will lie in an attempt to intimidate you into surrendering your rights. Know your rights and stand your ground.
