Read about why at JailedActivist.info.

While long I recommend you listen to these at least to get a feel for legal and personal flows of a trial. These and other cases gives us all a better understanding and therefore allows us to be better prepared should we be in a similar situation.

http://freekeene.com/2009/04/13/arrests-ridleys-arraignment/

Five activists were arrested and at least two were given summons for not leaving the lobby after Sam of the Obscured Truth Network was attacked by city officials for attempting to record videographer Dave Ridley’s arraignment. Here’s my recollection of the events:

Sam was in another room. He’d gone limp after officers had taken his camera and arrested him for recording in the lobby. The officers had dragged him through a doorway and handcuffed him, and we’d heard him scream painfully several times, presumably because of the rough treatment.

Police officers blocked the exits. Anyone in our group who was still in the lobby, according to city prosecutor Eliezer Rivera, would be charged with disorderly conduct.

David Krouse was sitting peacefully on the floor. The officials got Nick Ryder’s information and gave him a summons. Then one of them asked for my name.

I hadn’t even decided to stay—it had happened very quickly and I was still thinking things through. I didn’t want to leave Sam, especially if he had been hurt.

“I’m not going to comply,” I said. The police officer grabbed my arm and I went limp. I had not yet decided to obey, and removing myself from the interaction by going limp was the only thing I knew I could do in the meantime.

Three uniformed men then picked me up, carried me down the stairs, took me outside, and pushed me into the backseat of a police car. I was driven to the Keene Police department.

Before I was let out of the car, I heard two police officers criticizing city prosecutor Eliezer Rivera’s actions in calling for backup and demanding that everyone be given summons. “I thought he’d been jumped,” one of the officers said, referring to when he received the call for backup. “90% of it was probably him,” one of them said, referring to Riviera’s hyping of the incident. “He’s out of control.”

I was removed from the car and taken (walking, this time) to a room along with Tim Danforth and Curt (aka Lumpy.) They copied my information from my driver’s license (after finding it in a search of my wallet that I didn’t consent to) and I told them the address of the building where I usually sleep. I was then released and told to appear before the court on May 18 at 1:30pm for an arraignment.

Sam is now in the Westmoreland jail and will likely remain there overnight until his arraignment tomorrow morning. Tim and Curt were also released after giving their information (but Curt resisted for a few minutes.) I was happy to see 10-15 activists outside the station waiting for us. Thanks for being there, guys.

Please move to Keene and help us end this undeserved and unprovoked violence.

Sam Dodson, Lumpy (Kurt), Patrick, Tim, and David.

More to come as it becomes available.

I wish we knew the reasoning behind the judge’s decision. I’m too lazy to look it up but I would think driving without registration is a mistimeaner so that ruling may not have been as good as it sounds but I’d think it wouldn’t be. I’ve recently gotten a renewal form for my vehicles registration and have been thinking about whether or not I’m going to send it back to the state with a check for the amount they request or a letter telling them I’m not interested in this registration “service” they are providing. Given the envelope is not prepaid… I don’t think I’ll be doing either. The car hasn’t been inspected since 2005 I think either. I do have a valid license and insurance… I should probably check to see if they have any requirements with regard to registration and inspection just in case.