Yesterday the case of State v Garret Ean was heard in regards to a $29.76 bicycle headlamp citation. While trial footage recorded by Free Keene videographers uploads, it’s worth making a note of the events before the trial, which resulted in one individual being temporarily banned from the courthouse for filming in the lobby. When I arrived just after 8:30am, I saw James of Shire TV standing outside of the front door and filming in. It was clear what had just occurred — he had been kicked out for filming. I’ve been in the same situation at Concord district court, where you will likely get ejected for recording outside of the courtroom. Sometimes, I am allowed through security with one camera but not another, and sometimes nothing is restricted.
On the inside, my videocamera was taken and replaced with a scruffy old property receipt, a number sharpie’d on it. I saw a slew of activists from Keene in the lobby speaking with bailiffs. Word was spreading that all cameras were being taken, even those with filled-out permission slips, until the judge authorized the forms. Myself planning to audio record the entire hearing, I had yet to fill out the blank media form which has three options: Still Camera, Video/Audio Camera, or Audio Recording. As my audio recorder and cell phone were not confiscated, I waited to fill out the copy in the courtroom.
Concord District Court head of security Peter Hamilton enjoying a pipe on break. Photo by Brian Blackden
I asked bailiffs why that today they had decided to seize all incoming videocameras. “The judge always authorizes recording, so why does everyone need to have their property confiscated?” The head of security, Peter Hamilton, appeared and stated that the judge who always grants approval of notices was out this particular day. He was possibly referring to judge Gerard Boyle, whom to my knowledge has not denied any press notifications placed before him. I have audio and video recorded others’ trials before both he and the sitting judge on this day, M. Kristin Spath, without hassle from either. This does not also include a lack of hassle from the bailiffs. My experience has been that having a filled out recording permission slip to present at the checkpoint does make one more likely to emerge on the other side with their camera unswiped. Hamilton cited rules handed down by Edwin Kelly as the basis for the restriction, Kelly being the very secretive administrative judge of New Hampshire district courts. (more…)
Bright and early tomorrow morning in Concord district court, there will be a trial concerning Garret Ean’s year-plus old contempt of cop bicycle citation. Folks will be traveling from around the Shire to attend, and you’ll get to see Free Concord’s editor grill on the witness stand the CPD sergeant whose juvenile and brutish response to an audio recording inspired the blog’s very first article. More time has passed since the matter being heard tomorrow than passed between the first and second incidents with the badged individual in question. Expect to see the video here of the policeman’s response to tough questions about how and why he executes his job. If you need a laugh in the meantime, check out this Concord Monitor article from October quoting a particular CPD officer as he praises the approval of a BEARCAT attack truck to be delivered by Homeland Security to the small city’s department.
On the federal front, congratulations to Colorado for earlier today becoming the second state to make available to the public legal cannabis. The herb has been greatly marginalized and ignored since its ban via taxation in 1938. Washington became the first state to nullify the federal ban when it implemented a ballot initiative four days ago that was approved by voters in November. While the Washington system maintains the prohibition on cannabis cultivation, Colorado’s statute allows for individuals to garden freely (within limitations).
Dec 16 2012: Full video of the trial published earlier today.
The high-and-mighty sociopath, Delmar Burridge, a sociopath who just won re-election as Keene state representative, is already insulting the average, non-college educated person in NH. He has proposed new legislation to ban guns from government buildings across NH, saying, “It’s outrageous…I don’t think public employees, people who go to college should be subjected to this.”
What does it say about an individual that is uncomfortable sharing their first name with you? On November 5, the afternoon before the 2012 election, I was chalking around city hall in Concord when I was approached by an officer. He implied that he needed to know my name because “I got called in”, which is not a valid excuse/reasonable suspicion of any crime. I figured I would entertain him in reciprocity by first asking his name.
Ean: What’s your first name?
Pelliccia: My first name? It’s Officer Pelliccia. That, that’s how we refer to each other here.
E: You won’t give me your first name?
P: Nope.
E: Okay, well I’ll give you only my last name then. My name is Mr. Ean.
As he walked away, I told him that my name was Garret, and asked his. He only repeated, “Officer Pelliccia”.
The nice lady on the phone at the company he works for told me that his name is Andrew.
It’s about time people started promoting this issue. Thanks to Neal Connor and the activists behind the Foundation for New Hampshire Independence, a brand new group created to advocate for NH secession. Ben Leubsdorf at the Concord Monitor reports:
Comparing the United States to the Roman Empire in decline, five New Hampshire residents have established a nonprofit group to advocate for the Granite State’s secession and independence.
“This nation has grown too large to be represented by a few people, a few bureaucrats, in Washington. . . . New Hampshire is a small state, and we here in New Hampshire can take care of our own,” said Neal Conner, a technology consultant from Manchester and treasurer of the Foundation for New Hampshire Independence.
The foundation was established as a nonprofit corporation Sept. 14, with an office in Manchester and the goal of educating residents “on the benefits of the state of New Hampshire peacefully declaring its independence and separating from the United States,” according to a filing with the secretary of state’s office. (more…)
The night started off with a bang, as my phone buzzed with a text from a friend, with the cryptic “FTW”, which I confirmed quickly to mean he’d been elected as NH State Representative. Not bad for what started as a write-in campaign during the Republican Primary, and grew quickly with his being attacked in the press for being a freestater.
Would Election Eve be full of this sort of awesome news? I hoped so. Would Romney lead a strong Republican coat tail to help the NHGOP retain control of the House and Senate and maybe gain the Governor’s office too? Or would Obama’s organizers sweep in and help the NH Dems into victories, perhaps only some, perhaps by a great deal.
The tide was clear, though, when a sitting Republican Rep lost in a seat I figured was very safe. The bad news of loss after loss of “good” reasonably proliberty Republican Reps was bad enough, but then even not so good R Reps were losing… the “blue tide” was back.
In 2004, a blue tide slowly began crept into NH’s State House, taking over the Governor’s office and enough House Democrats to skew the House to the moderate middle for even control of the leadership. In 2006, the blue tide rose higher, and washed nearly every R who expected a easy win off the map, leaving the Democrats in firm control of both House and Senate with the popular incumbent Governor Lynch on top. 2008 remained much the same, though some pro-liberty Republicans returned, despite national Blue wins with Obama (a good sign that the tide was perhaps receding here). The fiscal woes, taxes and fees, social changes (some for the better, IMHO, like same sex marriage passing) and the many many Nanny State bills passed into law, finally caused the electorate to rethink sending so many Democrats to Concord, the New Hampshire capital, and instead send a huge Red wave of Republicans. Me among them, and thus I spent the last two years in Concord, fighting for freedom.
The 2011-2012 legislature was strongly split in many ways, (more…)
