A Special Thank You to the New Hampshire Justice System

by Sam Dodson | May 14, 2009 | 19 comments

I would like to extend a special thanks to the Keene District Court, Superior Court, and New Hampshire Supreme Court. My name is Sam Dodson, and on April 13 I was arrested for filming on public property, the lobby of the Keene District Court. Since then I’ve been denied the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, the right to a speedy and public trial, the right to due process of law, and the right to be “formally and substantially” presented with the charges against me (as required by the New Hampshire Bill of Rights).

By order of judge Burke and judge Lane of the Keene District Court, I am currently being held indefinitely without trial. To protest what I believe to be an unlawful and illegal detention, I have refused solid food since my arrest, currently over 28 days ago. Several motions and writs have been filed with the aforementioned courts. They so far have only denied, delayed, and hid behind their procedures despite the clear understanding, from the courts’ own written order, that I am being held indefinitely without trial.

Through their actions, they have demonstrated utter contempt for the oath they swore to uphold, the rule of law, and civil rights fundamental to the founding and history of this country. Essentially, they have engaged in civil disobedience, and for this I thank them. As a voluntarist, I, too, believe in and understand the power of civil disobedience to bring about social and political change.

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