In this state it is a crime to falsely report to law enforcing authorities that an individual has committed an offense. Specifically RSA 641:4 “False Reports to Law Enforcement” prohibits this type of conduct.
The law reads in part:
A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if he:
I. Knowingly gives or causes to be given false information to any law enforcement officer with the purpose of inducing such officer to believe that another has committed an offense; or
Court bailiffs are law enforcement officers with limited arrest jurisdiction as allowed by this law.
When the bailiffs acted on a report of a “threat” by Mr. Burke, they took enforcement action based on a belief that Adameo had committed an offense. The bailiffs based their probable cause to arrest Adameo on information coming from a circuit court judge who is well versed in the law and has undoubtedly sat in judgement of dozens of trials for misdemeanor criminal threatening. Specifically, Mr. Burke stated “that’s a criminal offense.”
It wasn’t…Â not even close.
In my opinion as someone who has applied for hundreds of arrest warrants, there is plenty of probable cause that Mr. Burke has violated this law when he claimed that Adameo Freeman “threatened” him and that his threat constituted “a criminal offense.” The video is proof positive that there was absolutely no threat whatsoever. In fact, Adameo was polite, courteous, respectful, and clearly was acting as a member of the press.
An innocent man spent two days in jail for this false report.
When Mr. Burke is charged, as I truly believe he will be (there’s just no way politics or owed favors can cover this one up), his sentence should include at least two days in a cage.
Two days in a cage would be commensurate with the days Adameo wrongfully spent locked up as a result of the false reporting Mr. Burke engaged in.
