Rich Paul Writes From Jail

by | May 22, 2013 | 2 comments

This letter arrived from Rich Paul today, and as much as it breaks my heart to read it and type it for him, it breaks him free to have a voice from the cage. Rich has been incarcerated since April 18th, 2013 waiting for sentencing on Friday June 7th, 2013.

“After my late girlfriend, Julie, died of cancer in 2002, I slipped into a deep depression. It worsened when the startup company I had spent 5 years building failed. By 2008, it had ended my career. I was no longer able to focus on my work; for a computer programmer like me, being unable to focus meant being unable to work. I also lost my ability to socialize. I had not dated since Julie’s death, and having moved, failed to make new friends. I wanted to die, but could not commit suicide, knowing how it would hurt my family.   (more…)

“Prince” John Plotting to Raise Parking Fines and Rates

by | May 22, 2013 | 2 comments

Prince John MacLeanI don’t know if they can just do it on their own or they’ll need city council approval, but the city of Keene people, according to a Sentinel article, want to raise both parking rates and fines over the next couple of years.

But, I thought they said the Robin Hooding crackdown wasn’t about revenue. Things that make you go hmm…

UPDATE: I’m told someone was told by a city councilor that any increase in rates or fines must be approved by city council and public comment must be heard by them. Should make for an interesting campaign issue this year!

Opening Dialogue with Keene City Bureaucrats

by | May 21, 2013 | 3 comments

Today I took the initiative to do what lawyers do before taking cases before the court — discussing the matter with the opposition. After passing through district court security at City Hall, I headed upstairs to see if city attorney Thomas Mullins was available. We scheduled a time to meet tomorrow morning to discuss the world-famous Robin Hooding lawsuit. While not open carrying my camera at the time, Mullins laid down a non-negotiable prohibition on electronic recording as the condition under which he would be willing to have a dialogue. I find it unfortunate that city officials are not willing to be objectively accountable in dialogues regarding public matters, but I will be permitted to take at least written notes.nhrobinhood_ksee24

It’s worth considering that City Manager Prince John MacLean has regarded Robin Hooding as inherently “harassing” since he made public statements collectively deriding its participants in a Keene Sentinel cover story dated 11 April 2013. Prior to and after this, not once did any representative of the city raise concerns about “harassment and intimidation” to the accused directly as is alleged in the six-defendant lawsuit.

The condition upon which I enter the dialogue tomorrow is that I represent no person except for myself, and that no person represents I but myself. Mullins informed myself that if I were to have paid a lawyer to field the case for me, that he would then be prohibited from having communication with me in any manner but through my attorney.