Opening Dialogue with Keene City Bureaucrats

by Garret Ean | May 21, 2013 | 3 comments

Today I took the initiative to do what lawyers do before taking cases before the court — discussing the matter with the opposition. After passing through district court security at City Hall, I headed upstairs to see if city attorney Thomas Mullins was available. We scheduled a time to meet tomorrow morning to discuss the world-famous Robin Hooding lawsuit. While not open carrying my camera at the time, Mullins laid down a non-negotiable prohibition on electronic recording as the condition under which he would be willing to have a dialogue. I find it unfortunate that city officials are not willing to be objectively accountable in dialogues regarding public matters, but I will be permitted to take at least written notes.

It’s worth considering that City Manager Prince John MacLean has regarded Robin Hooding as inherently “harassing” since he made public statements collectively deriding its participants in a Keene Sentinel cover story dated 11 April 2013. Prior to and after this, not once did any representative of the city raise concerns about “harassment and intimidation” to the accused directly as is alleged in the six-defendant lawsuit.

The condition upon which I enter the dialogue tomorrow is that I represent no person except for myself, and that no person represents I but myself. Mullins informed myself that if I were to have paid a lawyer to field the case for me, that he would then be prohibited from having communication with me in any manner but through my attorney.