Nobody forgets the arrest and imprisonment of Sam Dodson, held for 58 days without trial after his arrest on April 13 of this year. What many are likely to forget though, is the insanity that ensued afterward. When activists were ordered out of the Keene District Court lobby following his arrest, six stayed against the orders of Eli Rivera. The below links contain the accounts and videos from that day:
5 Activists Arrested during Dave Ridley’s Arraignment
Mass Arrests Make Front Page of Keene Sentinel
Live Footage of Activists’ Arrests
Fascism Explodes at the Keene Court
More Video: Interviews with Arrested Activists Upon Release from Keene PD & Alternate Arrest Footage
Most of the activists staying behind were 100% quiet and out of the way. Two were cited while standing in a corner of the room. Two more were arrested after remaining seated on a nearby bench the entire time. All of them accused of “Disrupting the orderly conduct of business in a public or governmental facility.”
Over the past 3 months since this incident, each activist has handled his charges slightly differently: from motions for recusal, to motions to strike charges, to a witness list 16 people deep.
Where does it all lead to? It all leads to July 27th, at 1:30pm at the Keene District Court. Five of the six “disorderlies” are scheduled for trial at the same time. How such a thing will be processed with almost exact witnesses for each trial is yet to be seen. We don’t know what exactly to expect come next Monday, but we’d love for YOU to come find out with us. While the trials will be recorded and posted, the best thing would be for you to come out and see first-hand the show trial they are going to put on for a bunch of people who were arrested for standing in a public place.
