Facing 81 Years, Rich Paul Planning to Appeal Convictions to NH Supreme Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FACING 81 YEARS, RICH PAUL PLANNING TO APPEAL CONVICTIONS TO NH SUPREME COURT

Rich Paul, political activist and founder of the 420 Foundation, is seeking help to appeal the guilty verdict he received recently at Cheshire Superior Court in Keene, NH. Rich was on trial for selling marijuana to an undercover Drug Task Force informant. The drug sting was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and culminated with Rich Paul being asked to “cooperate” with the FBI in order to ensnare more local activists by wearing a wire into the Keene Activist Center.

The appeal will center around the recent New Hampshire State Law, HB 146, which affirms the legality of a jury to judge not just the case but the law itself. This ancient power of juries, called Jury Nullification, predates modern court systems as a part of common law. Judge John C. Kissinger refused to read jury instructions that included the jury nullification component. Mr. Paul has admitted to selling the marijuana and pursued a jury nullification defense only to be stymied by the Judge just before deliberations.

Should Mr. Paul succeed in his appeal it will help create a binding precedent allowing for all future jury instructions to include the jury nullification component. He hopes this will counteract the over-arching power that the State has in the courtroom and bring a more common-sense approach to trials. Mr. Paul has created no victims and should not be faced with 81 years in jail for selling a plant. He hopes to serve as an example for others ensnared by such tactics who also have acted peacefully and created no victims.

Justice is not cheap in America so a fundraiser has started to help hire a lawyer for the appeal. It is being coordinated online through a GoFund Me page and a facebook event. The tentative end date for the fundraiser is the day Mr. Paul will be sentenced, June 8^th, 2013, allowing the lawyer hired to have a full month to prepare the appeal. Rich has taken up a tremendous challenge by fighting these charges through the court system rather than taking a plea deal. He is seeking the support of liberty lovers, believers in Jury Nullification, and opponents of prohibition. Contact his press agent James at (603) 209-9283 or jjschless@gmail.com for additional information. Please consider sharing this story and donating to the fundraiser. 

Court of Record: Cheshire Superior Court, Keene, NH

Case Number: 12-cr-131

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This press release was emailed to 657 reporters and news agencies on 5/24/2013 at 6:05pm – JJ