http://www.keenesentinel.com/…

A legal fog pervades the corridors and lobbies of New Hampshire’s courts.

The rules for recording public hearings in courtrooms are relatively clear: The Supreme Court says it’s allowed unless “there is a substantial likelihood of harm to any person or other harmful consequence.”

But those foggy gray areas beyond the courtrooms remain untouched by state law.

Snapping a photo or recording video in these places is permitted in some district courts and prohibited in others, at the presiding judge’s discretion.

Keene District Court Judge Edward J. Burke banned photography outside the courtroom in February in an effort to protect juveniles and victims of crimes walking through the lobby from being caught on film without their consent.

“All the district court judges who have had this issue come up in their courthouse have thought about it and we’re trying to deal with it as fairly and responsibly as we can,” state judicial branch spokeswoman Laura Kiernan said. “It’s the privacy rights of citizens that we’re concerned with here.”

On the other side of the issue, a group of activists with the Free State Project — an effort to recruit 20,000 people who prefer limited government to live in New Hampshire — are riled because they believe their right to record in a public place is being violated.
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http://www.keenesentinel.com/…

If the marijuana protest and guerilla gardening in downtown Keene failed to raise many eyebrows, the sight of a handful of handcuffed Free Staters being taken out of the city’s District Court earlier this week surely had plenty of residents scratching their heads.

The reader comments piled up under online coverage of Monday’s protest at the District Court on The Sentinel’s Web site, where some people ridiculed and criticized the Free Staters for wasting taxpayer dollars and the time of city police officers.

“Time and again, the Free Staters come off as insolent children who stomp their feet and hold their breath until their faces turn blue because they don’t like being told what to do,” commenter Arch wrote.

The Free Staters hit back, outnumbering the opposition with post after post, saying that District Court Judge Edward J. Burke had blatantly stomped on their personal freedoms when he banned the use of video cameras in the District Court lobby.

“What many commenters here are showing is how slavery is enforced. Slavery was enforced by the slaves themselves. It isn’t the government that keeps people down — it is the people,” wrote commenter Frake.

The District Court blowup unfolded during the arraignment of Manchester videographer Dave Ridley, who was arrested in March because he refused to turn off his video camera in the court lobby. Ridley and others showed up to cover the arraignment of Free Stater and marijuana activist Andrew Carroll.

Carroll was arrested in January when he stood in Keene’s Railroad Square carrying a small amount of marijuana while surrounded by Free Staters and curious onlookers.

Though state law allows media representatives to record public court proceedings in most cases, lobbies and hallways are gray areas. Police officials say there is a fear that rape victims and juveniles could be captured on film while in these areas, which are generally off-limits for videotaping and photography, according to state judicial branch spokeswoman Laura A. Kiernan.

“We’ve talked about this at length and the Free Staters know that,” Kiernan said in a previous interview. She did not return a phone message seeking additional clarification on the law.
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http://cbs5.com/…

One week after President Barack Obama’s top law enforcement official seemed to indicate the feds would no longer raid pot clubs, DEA agents busted a medical marijuana facility in San Francisco Wednesday night.

As agents carried large plastic containers of marijuana plants out of Emmalyn’s California Cannabis Clinic at 1597 Howard Street, a small crowd of protesters formed a gauntlet outside the door, booing the agents and chanting, “our medicine is marijuana … listen to Obama!”

DEA spokeswoman Casey McEnry told CBS 5 the documents regarding the raid are sealed, so the DEA was not able to give any details.

“Based on our investigation we believe there are not only violations of federal law, but state law as well,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Anthony D. Williams in a written statement.

Emmalyn’s has a provisional permit from the city, according to Eileen Shields, spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, which she said is an indication the club is in good standing with city laws.

Brendan Hallanin, the pot club’s attorney, said Emmalyn’s is in compliance with state and local laws.

“They are well-respected and have a good reputation in the medical marijuana community,” said Hallanin, who added the business has never been raided in its five year existence.

Hallanin said the DEA would not tell him why the club was being busted.

“They’re going to have a huge fight on their hands if they’re arbitrarily busting clubs that are in compliance with state and local laws,” said Hallanin.

Kris Hermes, spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access, a national advocacy group for medical marijuana issues, wants the attorney general to explain the DEA’s actions.

“We’re shocked that after the Attorney General has made repeated statements that raids on California medical cannibis dispensaries would be suspended that we are seeing a continuation of that policy,” said Hermes.

I’m not shocked. Why would anyone expect a bureaucrat to tell the truth?
What did I tell bosco? I’ll believe it (that the Feds were calling off raids) when three times the average length between raids went by. Looks like I was right.

http://yro.slashdot.org/…

touretzky writes

“Two ex-employees have sued Diskeeper Corporation in Los Angeles Superior Court after being fired, alleging that the company makes Scientology training a mandatory condition of employment (complaint, PDF). Diskeeper founder and CEO Craig Jensen is a high level, publicly avowed Scientologist who has given millions to his Church. Diskeeper’s surprising response to the lawsuit (PDF) appears to be that religious instruction in a place of employment is protected by the First Amendment.”

The blogger at RealityBasedCommunity.net believes that the legal mechanism that Diskeeper is using to advance this argument (”motion to strike”) is inappropriate and will be disallowed, but that the company will eventually be permitted to present its novel legal theory.

I’d side with Diskeeper but not because of their reasoning. Nothing in the federal constitution disallows this and any federal law which could be used would be unconstitutional. There are likely laws at the state level which disallow this but given no one was harmed I see no case. An employer should be allow to place whatever requirements for employment they desire and the potential employee or current employee can choose to or not to work or continue working for them.

I have to take all kinds of dumb training courses as part of my job. Including some managing ones which are very cult like. They have particular words they use with often times special definitions. If they started asking me to take some dumb cult study course… no problem. I’d gladly get paid to learn more about the insides of such an organisation.

http://www.nbc10.com/

EASTON, Pa. — The Easton City Council is considering a law that would let the city permanently seize the car of anyone caught cruising for a prostitute.

However, it is unclear if such a law would hold up in court. Easton defense lawyer Gary Asteak said the city cannot impose a severe penalty for what state law calls a misdemeanor. Still, Pennsylvania law lets police seize cars used in drug deals.

Police Chief Larry Palmer said he doesn’t know how the courts will rule, but said such a law is worth trying. Once a few cars are seized, it will make people think twice about going into Easton to find a prostitute, Palmer said.

What if you are cruising on a bicycle? A skateboard? Better yet, what if you approach a prostitute while taking a mid-afternoon stroll? Will they seize your sneakers?

There should be no laws regarding sex for consenting adults. Period.

Government should not only be kept out of the bedroom, but also out of the backseat of some guy’s Chevy.

http://ap.google.com/…

A college student claimed it was all a joke when he put his vote in this fall’s presidential election up for sale on the Web auction site eBay. But prosecutors didn’t see the humor.

University of Minnesota student Max P. Sanders, 19, was charged with a felony Thursday in Hennepin County District Court after allegedly asking for a minimum of $10 in exchange for voting for the bidder’s preferred candidate.

“Good luck!” Sanders wrote under the eBay handle zepdrummer612. “You’re (sic) country depends on You!”

Sanders was charged with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting under an 1893 state law that makes it a crime to offer to buy or sell a vote.

According to a criminal complaint, the Minnesota secretary of state’s office learned about the offering on the Web site and told prosecutors. Investigators sent a subpoena to eBay and got information that led to Sanders.

The student told investigators he made the eBay posting, adding, “That was a joke. It’s no longer listed,” according to the complaint.

“We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote,” said John Aiken, a spokesman for the office. “There are people that have died for this country for our right to vote, and to take something that lightly, to say, ‘I can be bought.’

“It’s a real shame,” he said. “I can imagine the conversations being held in American Legion Clubs and VFWs about whether this is a joke or not.”

The scarcely used law had its heyday in the 1920s, when many people sold their votes in exchange for liquor, Assistant County Attorney Pat Diamond said.

“There are two things going on here in terms of why it’s a crime,” he said. “One is the notion that elections should be a contest of ideas and not of pocketbooks — at least not in the sense of straight-out ‘I can buy your vote.’ The second notion is that everybody gets one vote, and you don’t get to buy another one.”

Sanders and his attorney, Steven Levine, declined to comment Thursday. The charge carries up to five years’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

As for the offer on eBay? It got no bids.

It’s OK to vote one way or another for free but the second it’s in exchange for something we’re going to have to pull out the guns to keep you from soiling the wonderful institution of mob rules democracy.