Freekeenenews - Rich Paul Refuses Plea, Goes to Trial

Activist Refuses Plea Deal - Offered No Jail Time For Selling Cannabis

Rich Paul has refused the second plea offer and intends to go to trial tomorrow morning at 9am at Cheshire superior court.  In a story that seems like a Hollywood screenplay, a political activist is making a stand against laws he feels are unjust. Rich Paul, the founder of the New Hampshire based 4:20 Foundation, is facing four felony charges for selling marijuana.

The trial is set to start on April 16th, 2013 at Cheshire Superior Court in Keene, NH. Paul has admitted to the selling the pot and is going to be seeking jury nullification; the common-law right of juries to acquit a guilty defendant when the law is unjust or misapplied. Add the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the mix and the story gets much more interesting.

Rich Paul participates in a Keene, New Hampshire based political activism club called the Keene Activist Center (KAC). Many members of the KAC have caught the ire of local city officials and law enforcement while performing various acts of civil-disobedience. Paul has organized large marijuana rallies and peaceful protests on Keene city commons. At one of the earliest and largest such events in September of 2009, Paul was arrested for marijuana possession.

On May 31st, 2012 Paul was arrested in Keene, NH by Keene Police. When he arrived at the Keene Police Department he was interviewed by Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Phillip Christiana, assigned to the joint terrorism task force out of the Manchester, New Hampshire office. Agent Christiana alleged that an informant had made multiple purchases of controlled substances from Paul and indicated that the maximum sentence he would face was 81 years in prison.

Agent Christiana then offered to make the charges against Rich "go away". If Rich would agree to wear a wire into the Keene Activist Center, surreptitiously record the other activists, and persuade them to sell drugs to Paul, the charges would disappear. Rich doesn't recall being asked if anybody at the KAC even sold illegal drugs.

Rich Paul took a heroic stand, rejecting the offer and instead informing his fellow activists of the Agent Christiana's request. Rather than fleeing the State or the Country, Paul has elected to fight the charges in his own way. Recently, juries have begun to nullify the marijuana law. Doug Darrell, a 59-year-old Rastafarian charged with marijuana cultivation, was acquitted by a jury who felt that the marijuana laws were unjust, despite taking the stand and confessing.

As of 2012, New Hampshire has a unique state statute that explicitly legalizes, "the right of a jury to judge the application of the law in relationship to the facts in controversy." Paul is looking for a similar result and will be focused on informing the jurors of their right to nullification. Political activism, honor, and courage should not add up to a life sentence.

Court of Record: Cheshire
Superior Court, Keene, NH
Case Number: 12-cr-131

Freekeenenews - Activist Facing 81 Years in Prison for Selling Cannabis

420 celebration founder Rich Paul refuses the plea deal and goes to jury trial on April 16th at 9am at Cheshire superior court. Several activists came out to Cheshire "superior" court yesterday morning to perform jury outreach with NHJury.com fliers encouraging jurors to learn about jury nullification - your right as a juror to judge the law itself and vote your conscience.

Hopefully jurors will take the information to heart and use compassion for their peaceful neighbor in the upcoming trial of heroic 420 celebration founder Rich Paul. Rich is facing multiple cannabis distribution charges that could result in 81 years in prison. Rich has been offered a plea deal of a year in jail and has refused. He wants to be the first person acquitted for the peaceful, victimless "crime" of selling some cannabis to consenting adults. Most people would have taken the deal. Rich is standing firm on his beliefs - he has done no harm. No victim, no crime.

Here is a facebook event for the trial which begins Tuesday April 16th at 9am at Cheshire "superior" court at 12 Court St. Jury nullification sigh waving begins at 7:50am.

Freekeenenews - 420 Celebrations Are Back Daily in Central Sq!

Cannabis Activists Return to Smoke Out Keene's Central Square

The historic 420 celebrations have returned daily. As Rich Paul's trial looms, he has called for the return of the 420 celebrations in Keene's Central Square. True to form, a group of activists came out this afternoon and enjoyed a smoke commenced after Rich's iconic, "We smoke these in remembrance of lost liberties and in hope for a day where the people no longer fear their government because the government fears the people! Smoke 'em if you got 'em!"

Much conversation was had and a lovely afternoon was enjoyed by the near half-dozen in attendance. 420 celebrations will continue in Central Square through (and beyond) April 20th when a larger event will take place at the state house in Concord. (There will still be a Keene 420 that day as well.) However, the Concord 420 is expected to be well-attended, as it is every year. Here is a facebook event for the Concord 420 on 4/20.

Freekeenenews - Videographer Disobeys Manchester City Hall Camera Restrictions

independent video journalist Dave Ridley will openly violate illegal orders to not record. 
What: Demonstration, followed by civil disobedience against mayoral censorship attempt.
When:  Monday, April 8,  6:00p.m - 7:30p.m.  The demonstration starts one hour before a school board meeting.
Why: Mayor & security operative have ordered indie reporter to get permission from authorities, before recording interviews in City Hall's public lobby. See below for details on why that's a concern.
Who:  Dave Ridley from RidleyReport.com; plus anyone else who values the right to record authorities in public.
How:  First we intend to protest right outside the building on Elm.  Then I intend to enter the lobby with my camera running and without begging permission.  All peaceable folk are invited to join me either inside or outside.
Where:  City Hall, 908 Elm St.,  Manchester, New Hampshire
Contacts:  City Hall (603) 624-6500 /  Ridley: (603) 721-1490, ridleyreport@live.com  / Ridley's lawyer Seth Hipple: (603) 856-0202 / Backup contact:  Tara Powell: (603) 440-3654, tara85powell@Gmail.com
Updates, vid of original incident:  http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=24778.msg347619#msg347619

On March 26, 2013 Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas and a city security officer tried to inappropriately restrict recording in City Hall's public lobby. I was there trying to interview local officials.  When I asked Gatsas a question on camera there, he told me I must get permission from the City Clerk's office before filming!  An enraged security officer shortly appeared and made similar demands.  I captured video of both incidents but felt it necessary to leave the scene to prevent the camera from being seized.  Here's the tape:

http://youtu.be/wnatt6rPQBA

This incident marks at least the second attempt by a City Hall employee to limit recording in the public hallways.  Around November 1, 2012...the same security officer approached me upon entering the building:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EEsmAznFvs

He asked if I had permission to film and told me I must get clearance from the City Clerk's office before recording a school board meeting.  He also declined to identify himself on request. Again, I'm more interested in the hallway than the meeting itself, since many meetings are already broadcast.  It's important for reporters or average citizens to be able to question officials on camera in the lobbies/hallways adjoining aldermanic chambers. They should also be able to film any questionable activity they see there that is occurring on the taxpayer dime.  For instance, city security illegally approaching them with inappropriate demands!  But trying to restrict recording of an open meeting itself is probably even more controversial than trying to restrict it in the hallways. This anonymous employee did both and the mayor thus far has backed him up.  In any case, the "get permission" demand is a source of concern for several reasons:

1) Complying with such a demand would let the government decide who can record it. Such a power could or would be abused by favoring some media outlets over others, based on their content.  Does the city force mainstream outlets such as the Union Leader and Channel 9 to get permission before running their electronic devices in the hallways and public chambers?  If not, that would indicate inappropriate discrimination is already occurring.  But it puts us all at risk. "First they came for the little media...then they came for the TV towers!"

2) The additional hurdle of getting permission would have a chilling effect on the on the *process* of reporting.  The half hour you might spend requesting and getting permission...is half an hour you'd never get back.  And what happens if the Clerk doesn't want you to record the request process?

3) Imagine you're in City Hall and someone does something inappropriate to you or gets in your face.  You try to record it but are arrested for "lacking permission."  That is the future we could be looking at if we don't act.  We don't want this to happen to you.

4) The alleged permission requirement violates Articles 8 and 22 of the New Hampshire Constitution...which enshrine press freedom and the right of access.*

5) NH Attorney General Michael Delaney recently issued a statewide memo arguably forbidding what Gatsas just did, saying:  "...in the recent past a number of police departments have arrested individuals for audio and or video recording police officers in public engaged in official duties. I want to alert all law enforcement agencies to a recent opinion of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which makes such arrests illegal.”

6) The Gatsas directive, if you want to call it that, violates NH law, specifically RSA 91-A:2 II, which reads:   "Subject to the provisions of RSA 91-A:3, all meetings, whether held in person, by means of telephone or electronic communication, or in any other manner, shall be open to the public. Except for town meetings, school district meetings, and elections, no vote while in open session may be taken by secret ballot. Any person shall be permitted to use recording devices, including, but not limited to, tape recorders, cameras, and videotape equipment, at such meetings."
 
7) City officials are purportedly big on obeying Washington.  The recent Federal Glik v. Cunniffe ruling reads:  "a citizen's right to film government officials, including law enforcement officers, in the discharge of their duties in a public place is a basic, vital, and well-established liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment."

Simon Glik  won a roughly $200K settlement from the City of Boston after its enforcers arrested him for taping authorities in public.   For my part, I've already had to sue the City of Nashua over a 2011 incident where they arrested me while attempting to film outside a Joe Biden event.  

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL71E3DB20732E64ED&feature=view_all
 
That Nashua false arrest and failed prosecution led to its share of demonstrations, and this equally questionable power grab in Manchester will have to face pushback as well. I invite all concerned and peaceable folk to join us at City Hall at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 8.  First we intend to demonstrate outside, then I and perhaps others will enter the building *with* cameras running and *without* asking permission.  All peaceable folk are invited to join me, to go in as shallow or deep as you like, with or without cameras.  I ask that you remain non-disruptive.  I'd also ask that camerapersons remain at various distances from the entrance.   Some close, others across the street.  This will let you set your own level of risk and make it harder for authorities to seize all video of the event.  Live-uploading cameras would be particularly welcome.

In the event of inappropriate interference with this endeavor, "liberty lawyer" Seth Hipple will likely lead the legal defense.  He's nearly undefeated in this area of law.  I would consider suing the City or undertaking some other constructive reaction, and my first choice would again be Hipple's NHLegalServices.com

Restricting recording is like blinding the people. It's an attack on basic human rights and an affront to the First Amendment Gatsas swore he would uphold.  It's also an issue which creates a hill worth dying on.

Dave Ridley
Gonzo Journalist
RidleyReport.com
New Hampshire's #2 YouTube channel

Freekeenenews - Meter Maids Stealing, Destroying Robin Hood's Cards

Parking enforcement agents are now openly stealing in a desperate attempt to cover up "Robin Hooding". 

City of Keene meter maids have been caught on video removing and destroying informational cards that Robin Hood and the Merry Men have been leaving on cars downtown.  "Robin Hooders" are downtown daily, rescuing people from being ticketed by depositing a coin in expired meters before the meter maid can reach the meter and write a ticket.  In order to inform the motorist that they were saved from the ticket, the Robin Hood's men and women have been leaving business cards on the windshield, in the place where the ticket would have gone.

Now the City of Keene's new policy appears to be stealing the Robin Hood cards and destroying them.  It's a last-ditch attempt to cover-up the good work the Robin Hooders are doing, and a clear acknowledgement that the Keene Police's parking department is suffering a financial hit by not being able to write as many tickets as they used to.

Video of a meter maid engaging in the acts of theft, and being confronted about it, is available here.