Being Rob’s roommate and cohost of the Rebel Love Show, it was within my best interest to help fight the infamous sticker ticket he received in January.  I drove him to the courthouse this morning for his pretrial hearing.
Camcorder in hand, I entered the courthouse.  While being ushered through the security theater, a man behind the counter told me that I wasn’t allowed to record while in the building.  I stood down, telling him I’d keep the device stowed in my pocket.  He did not object.
The pretrial hearing consisted mostly of waiting in a small, unused courtroom with about 20 other victims of the state.  They sat in complete silence, each person not sure what to do during this mandatory free time (posted forms in every room of the courthouse prohibited the use of cellphones, so some major Facebook withdraws were being felt).  Rob and I entered the room, but we spoke to each other at a normal volume (other pairs started to follow suit, speaking amongst themselves – the resulting murmur dispelled most of the room’s tension).  Sitting in the pews of the courtroom, Rob and I pondered aloud about the similarity of this room to a small church.
When Rob’s name was finally called, we were escorted out by a woman who wore a blazer that nearly covered her holstered gun.  We were not allowed to carry weapons, according to gratuitous courthouse signage.  Without saying a word, Rob handed over the letter that summoned him to court as well as a receipt for his current, valid vehicle inspection (which he had done promptly after his police encounter).
Upon seeing these two sheets of paper, the woman immediately said she would drop the charge against Rob. Â He no longer has to pay $60. Â There will be no trial.
Before exiting the courtroom, Rob and I spoke with the court’s head of security, who introduced himself as Bob.  We inquired about the court’s policy about video and audio recording during trials, introducing ourselves as bloggers for Free Keene.
Walking us through proper courtroom film etiquette and regulations, he responded, “I’m very familiar with [Free Keene]. Â I’ve seen them come in.” Â He even printed a short list of pre-approved media outlets, showing us that Free Keene was already listed.
Next time Rob and I go to court, I will be attending the pretrial for a parking ticket that was left on my car during the insane Manchester parking prohibition.  The ticket cites a $25 fine.
