Last night there was a DUI checkpoint in Manchester. This is a federally-funded program. Some activists held signs to warn drivers of the impending stop so that they could avoid it. One man who appreciated this honked his horn in support, and he was arrested. Here is the video of that arrest:
Here are the full raw videos from that night:
Rich Paul: Vindicated
A couple of months ago, Free Keene blogger Rich Paul was arrested for “violation of probation”. Despite having failed a drug test and having admitted using cannabis, probation officer Jason Smith had chosen not to arrest Rich, per his testimony at the hearing below. Smith said he was arrested because a local hater snitched on Rich, claiming he’d violated probation by possessing a weapon.
Rich says he was using a camera monopod to take a defensive stance against two employees of Pedraza’s/Pour House who were threatening, and subsequently attacking, people who were chalking in Central Square. In point of fact, one Pour House employee who did a lot of threatening, is seen in the video of the incident, taking the camera Rich had put down and smashing it, among other criminal acts.
In a full violation of probation hearing at Cheshire superior court this week, Rich was jailed over the cannabis violations, but vindicated of the most serious charges: weapons & rioting. The video and testimony made it clear his actions were justified. He was legitimately using the monopod to prepare to defend himself and others from attack. As I understand it, in NH even felons are allowed to defend themselves against attack, and use anything in the vicinity in order to do so.
Regarding the cannabis violations, probation officer Smith testified that probation was pointless for Rich, as he is going to continue using cannabis for medical purposes. There are 500 people on probation, and only four agents, according to Smith. Judge John C Kissinger took Smith’s recommendation and agreed to remove Rich’s probation after he serves six months in the Keene Spiritual Retreat! (Factoring in his time served prior to the hearing and presuming he meets the NH “good time” requirements, he’ll be out in about three months, in time to speak at Keenevention 2014!)
Rich’s testimony is passionate and principled. This is a great court video:
The probation system is awful and is designed to violate the participants, over and over, keeping them in an unending cycle of destruction of their lives. (more…)
Below are tweets from Rich Paul’s mostly successful VOP hearing where the state failed to prove, even by preponderance of the evidence, that Rich had violated the weapons prohibition! He was sentenced to some time due to cannabis violations, to which he readily admitted, however once he’s out, he’ll be OFF probation! Hooray! Video to come later. Thanks to Darryl for the live tweeting. Here are his tweets in reverse chronological order:
Darryl W. Perry @DarrylWPerry
#RichPaul sentenced to 6 months in the House of Corrections with 37 data pretrial credit
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3h
Darryl W. Perry @DarrylWPerry
Judge is making notes…. presumably calculating the sentence for #RichPaul
3h (more…)
In this video, activist Rich Paul’s appeal attorney Joshua Gordon argues in front of the Supreme Court that instructions for juries should be more acknowledging of their right to jury nullification, while the attorney for the state argues that nullification is illegal, but tolerated by the system:
Rich was originally convicted by a jury of his “peers” on cannabis dealing charges (more…)
With the exciting double parking ticket trial of AKPF #1 co-producer Garret Ean last week, the audience is treated in this episode
to the complete and illustrated footage of the court hearing featuring infamous faces of the Keene criminal justice system. Judge Edward Burke hears the case brought forward by KPD prosecutor Jean Kilham, with AKPF agent Jane called upon as the sole witness. In this inquiry, we see how eager to object to anything and everything that the state’s representative is, and Burke also plays a significant role in tipping the hand of the defense on lines of questioning. Ultimately, most arguments are not permitted to be made, and the disproportionate fine of five dollars per offense is levied, though compensated partially in Obamacoin.
Biker Bill Alleman, Vindicated
Just over a month has passed since attorney Seth Hipple spanked the notoriously corrupt Weare police in court and snagged a $57,000 settlement for Carla Gericke (the president of the Free State Project). Now, Hipple wins again and Weare is paying up $35,000 more to another liberty activist, Biker Bill Alleman, who was also arrested by Weare police for recording video in public in 2011.
In a press release announcing the settlement, attorney Hipple says, “The precedent set in Gericke v. Begin is just now starting to ripple through the courts…and I look forward to seeing many more victories for the First Amendment and government accountability in the coming years.”
Biker Bill is quoted in the release as saying, “I really hope we’ve seen the end of this unlawful nonsense in New Hampshire…Public servants need to understand, finally, that they’re ‘at all times accountable’ to the people.” On his facebook page, Biker Bill credits the Free State Project community as the reason for the success.
As part of the settlement, Biker Bill was given a written apology from new-to-the-job Chief John D. Velleca. Apologies from police are VERY rare. It states, in part: (more…)
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