Day Two of Bob Constantine’s Trial for Growing Cannabis

by | Apr 12, 2011 | 0 comments

Bob ConstantinePete Eyre from Liberty on Tour reports from the second day of the jury trial of Bob Constantine, an NH native accused of growing some cannabis plants and facing up to seven years in prison for it:

NORTH HAVERHILL, NH – Around 7am this morning I jumped into one of two cars leaving Keene for day two of Bob Constantine’s trial (see this post for a rough write-up of what went down yesterday). Two hours later I sat in a courtroom with 14 others supporting Bob from all over the ‘shire and at least one from nearby Vermont. Also present were 10 paid via theft. Worth noting – the order banning cell phones and cameras had been rescinded since those with badges had testified the day prior.

Before the jury was led into the room the man in the black robe inquired of Bob and Melissa Pierce, the “district attorney,” if they had any objections to the jury instructions he planned to communicate after closing statements, including the details of the felony manufacturing marijuana charge that threatened Bob with seven years in a cage. Neither party did, though Bob asked about the status of a motion he had submitted the day prior – to also inform the jury of a less serious possession charge, which the man in the robe agreed to include later that afternoon. (I think Bob wanted to give the jury another option that wouldn’t result in as serious a penalty for himself.)

Since Pierce had rested her case it was Bob’s turn to call his witnesses. (more…)

Jim Johnson’s Jury Trial for “Criminal Trespass”, aka Standing on Public Property

by | Mar 31, 2011 | 0 comments

Nearly a year after Jim Johnson was arrested with 11 others for the horrible crime of assembling for a protest on the supposedly public property of the local jail, he faced a jury trial. They found him guilty. Sentencing has yet to complete. Here’s the footage of this historic first-ever jury trial of a free stater and at the end you’ll see an interview with a juror. While the trial did not come out in Jim’s favor, it wasted an entire day of the court bureaucrats’ time and filled up 50% of their courtrooms. Any large amount of civil disobedience and refusing to plea-bargain will crush the system with a huge burden of cases. Please come join the activism in NH!

Ryder Faces Parking Ticket Trial in Keene

by | Mar 30, 2011 | 1 comment

Although the City of Keene has been known to drop several activists’ parking tickets when faced with a court date, such did not happen on Monday. Nick Ryder had a “Notice of Violation” placed on his car in October of 2010, and in March 2011, the matter was handled in Keene District Court. (Update 03-30-11) Judge Burke has found Ryder guilty, and enforced the fine of $15.

Click to view the court decision

Most everybody simply pays the low cost of a parking ticket in Keene. But not Ryder, and not many other activists such as Ian Freeman, Johnny Ray, Mark Edge, and Dale Everett, who have all resisted paying the parking fine, and were either found not guilty in court, or had the matter dropped before trial.

Here is the video from Monday’s trial:

During trial, the question came up of whether the owner of a vehicle is legally responsible for parking tickets placed on it, even if the owner was not the operator of the vehicle. According to the Keene City Code, the answer is yes:

Sec. 94-155. Owner responsibilities.
A person shall not allow, permit or suffer a vehicle registered in his name to stop, stand or park in violation of any section of this Code controlling the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles. The owner or person in whose name such vehicle is registered shall be held prima facie responsible for such violations.
(Code 1970, § 2818.0)