In August of last year, I received a parking ticket in Concord, NH. As part of my principles to never immediately pay a fine, I requested a hearing.
My court date was set for January 29, unfortunately I was unable to attend that trial due to new employment that I began that day. I attempted to have someone represent me as an “Attorney In Fact” which was denied by the court; though a continuance was granted.
Upon arriving at court this morning, the prosecutor told me that he would place my ticket on file without finding. The initial offer was 90 days on file, I negotiated that down to 60 days.
I had a very winnable case, as I was never notified of the witness to testify against me pursuant to Rule 2.10 (B), though Rule 1 of the court is that all rules may be waved at any time. It’s not a win, but the court spend time and resources that could have been put to better use going after real criminals with actual victims and I am satisfied with the outcome.
I’m looking for someone to transcribe Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree. This was a suggestion from Michael W. Dean last nighton his podcast Freedom Feens. His reasoning was that if there are subtitles to the movie, then it can be translated into other languages. That would allow a much further reach for the movie and ultimately, the ideas of peaceful resistance and voluntaryism in action. I’d be happy to send a specially signed copy of Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree (Directors Cut) to any volunteer who transcribes the movie. If the movie doesn’t interest you, I can offer bitcoin instead. Be the first to get in touch with me at derrickjfreeman (at) gmail.com.
Posted hours ago to Vice News was an article connecting the zealous prosecutions of Aaron Schwartz and Bradley Manning. John Cornyn, a US senator from Texas authored a letter to current US attorney general Eric Holder inquiring as to whether Schwartz’s FOIA requests related to Manning’s treatment were a motivating factor for his own prosecution. See DJ Pangburn’s article Aaron Swartz and Bradley Manning: How the US Government Contains Those Who Would Free Information.
When Swartz walked into the MIT server room to liberate millions of academic papers (freeing knowledge in the process), he was unwittingly opening the door to his very own cell alongside Manning. One need not be in a tiny room to feel the walls closing in. The law does a great job of that—the shadow of America’s boot heel spreading all around, snuffing out the light. Defendants are forced to deal: plead guilty and serve a short sentence, or fight the system and serve much more time. Justice indeed.
Free Concord presents an illustrated excerpt from Lysander Spooner’s No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority. Using footage captured while Robin Hooding in Keene, Garret Ean narrates an opening portion of the Boston anarchist’s 1870 treatise. The video is scored with Henry Purcell’s Funeral March of Mary II played on the cello and glass harp.
In this episode of Peace News Now, I cover two great Free Stater activists, James Cleaveland, and Darryl W. Perry. Subscribe by clicking here! New video daily!
Dave Ridley has produced a summary video the shortly offered CopBlock Protection, which was recently launched and quickly halted, after making an undisclosed number of sales of the media product. The protection plan offer guaranteed response in the event of an arrest or prosecution in the form of media coverage featured at CopBlock.org. An update posted to CopBlock shortly after the halt stated that all memberships so far purchased would be honored, but at this time no more memberships were being offered.
Ridley makes smart analysis as usual, though he seems to advocate coupling one’s insurance package in the event of needing defense against the state to include both attorneys and media outreach. The centralization of defense, to have an attorney and PR representatives sourced from the same organization will make both fronts more responsible to each other than necessary. Almost all attorneys advise their clients to retain silence with the media. By ensuring activists will be set in motion in advance to bring eyes to your case, the defendant is relieved of some of the responsibility for reaching out to others in the event of an attack by the state. (more…)
