Cannabis Possession Protest to Occur in Keene: Protestor Needs Help!

[FTL_Ian]

Original thread:
http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=16319.0

[Dalebert]

I'll be blogging, attending, providing moral support during and after, etc.

[curt]

I agree that the "war on drugs" is a failure.  From time to time I've resented that I can't legally grow some pot in my woods, which is ridiculous because I have a black thumb and can't grow anything legal or otherwise.

I admire this young man's pluck at some level, but I worry about the cost - benefit ratio, a high cost to him and not much benefit to anybody.  I don't think it is going to change anybody's opinion.  I understand that some or many discount the detriment of a criminal record, which will outlast whatever penalties are imposed, but I think it is something that should be carefully considered by somebody just starting his adult life.  I hope at minimum that he will research the law(s) and have a quantity that incurs the least penalty.  I think it is unfortunate that he has announced his name, and the intended date and location.  It wouldn't surprise me if the cops picked him off on the way to the planned event.  I hope somebody will arrange to have a bail bondsman on hand, or that you will have determined that cash bail is unlikely to be required.

Wouldn't it be funny if he showed up at the square, surrounded by legions of cops, and he just whipped out a tobacco cigarette and lit it.  Then you could make hay out of the cost of all these guys out to watch a guy having a smoke.  Probably some good YouTube material.

[J’raxis 270145]

By the way, in New Hampshire, apparently* a person’s criminal record is not accessible to the general public without a signed release from the actual person whose record is being looked up. The practice of businesses, landlords, &c., surreptitiously running checks on prospective employees, tenants, &c., doesn’t, and cannot, happen here. Of course, an employer could require you to sign a release in order to be considered for a job, but at least you know it’s happening, and have a chance to explain yourself before he sees your record and jumps to conclusions.

* As told to me by a police officer. I’m not a lawyer, standard disclaimer, blah blah blah.

[curt]

I'm not finding any such provision in the RSAs.

RSA 91-A, the open meetings and records law, generally drives this sort of thing.  It has certain exemptions, and criminal records are not included.

RSA 651:5 allows petitions for annulment of criminal records under certain circumstances.  If your record is annulled, police officers may disclose it to other police officers but not to anybody else.

Years ago I did look up somebody's trial and sentence for a felony at the Rockingham County Superior Court.  The information was made available to me just walking in off the street.

[Dan Steward]

Imagine a "designated driver" that is of course, sober. He leaves the bar first and runs interference for the drunks, as Officer Un-Friendly is parked right across the street from the tavern just itching to snare some poor intoxicated soul, and remove him from his rightful property and ruin his reputation. Screw that!

Our sober hero, running his interference, will be giving Mr. Pig all the signs that he is presumably drunk by gunning his engine, pressing too hard on the brake, etc. to draw attention to himself and away from the drunk folks who are leaving in droves, once he's been stopped.

---

Now, how to vex the Bacon Brigade, at your Cannabis Protest:

When you send out your press release, let all interested parties know that the event will be recorded. "If you don't want your Keystone Kops antics filmed, don't show up" is a good way to start. If Sgt. Hamhumper and his Legion of Doom show up, have at least a few people with clothing denoting "you are being recorded" on it. It wouldn't hurt to have such a thing on at any event you have going on.

You have "Tokers" who have real deal Barney in them there joints & bongs. Those folks are held in reserve. You also have "Jokers" that have a mix of tobacco & cloves, legal herbs (even better) that look like the chronic, or any other combination of legal goodies in their "cigs" or pipes.

The Jokers light up first, draw attention to themselves in an effort to have the Pork Rangers attempt to give them some noise. Have them do it one at a time.  

Eventually the Swine Squad will throw their hands up in disgust and go fishing somewhere else as they won't be able to tell who has "the goods" and who doesn't with any measure of reasonable accuracy. It will drive them absolutely  nuts and teach them the long term lesson that Free-Staters are much smarter than most any fathead cop.  If they take people to jail it will tie up the courts and one day in the near future, enforcing narrow iguana laws will be much more trouble to them than it is worth.

A little imagination and you can grab back bigger chunks of your Liberty than you might have originally thought possible.

With Liberty,

Dan Steward

[James (from Texas)]

Hey Curt

You seem to be extremely fearful of the government.  You always warn people to check out the laws and possible penalties on their actions.  It seems to me that life would be very hard to live if before you do anything that MAY have a statute/ordinance against it that you research it thoroughly.  There are thousands upon thousands of silly words on paper dictating "rules" to you.  Come join the 99% of people that are trying to live life.  Ever run a red light when you're all alone?  Ever exceed the speed limit under ideal conditions?  It is so much fun!


Peace

[J’raxis 270145]

I'm not finding any such provision in the RSAs.

RSA 91-A, the open meetings and records law, generally drives this sort of thing.  It has certain exemptions, and criminal records are not included.

RSA 651:5 allows petitions for annulment of criminal records under certain circumstances.  If your record is annulled, police officers may disclose it to other police officers but not to anybody else.

Years ago I did look up somebody's trial and sentence for a felony at the Rockingham County Superior Court.  The information was made available to me just walking in off the street.

Brad found the RSA for me: It’s RSA 106-B:14, I, (c).

[curt]

Thanks for the info.

I must say I'm surprised, as generally everything is open to public knowledge.  Plus which, if a case makes the papers, the sentence could be on the web in perpetuity.

[curt]

Hey Curt

You seem to be extremely fearful of the government.  You always warn people to check out the laws and possible penalties on their actions.  It seems to me that life would be very hard to live if before you do anything that MAY have a statute/ordinance against it that you research it thoroughly.  There are thousands upon thousands of silly words on paper dictating "rules" to you.  Come join the 99% of people that are trying to live life.  Ever run a red light when you're all alone?  Ever exceed the speed limit under ideal conditions?  It is so much fun!


Peace

Hi,
I'm not fearful of government.  I know my rights.  I feel the need to write something in the "Introduce Yourself" forum to explain what I'm about, but I need to find the time to do that.  I don' t read a law book before I get out of bed every morning.  I'm not writing here about situations where you MAY have a a statute/ordinance against you.  In this instance you WILL have a statute/ordinance against you.  I don't comply with every law.  Especially on the 4th of July when people look forward to me spending hundreds of dollars doing something illegal on public property.  But I don't violate laws simply to have a confrontation, I don't violate laws where there is any much of a penalty, and if I do get nabbed I won't whine about it.  I don't like all the laws, including many that I obey.  I've made my decisions about how to live my life with high LFOD values.  You can all make your own decisions.  I am simply offering some things to think about.  Some of you want to put labels on me but you really don't know me well enough to do that.

[mackler]

It seems to me that life would be very hard to live if before you do anything that MAY have a statute/ordinance against it that you research it thoroughly.  There are thousands upon thousands of silly words on paper dictating "rules" to you.  Come join the 99% of people that are trying to live life. 

Yes there are thousands of words on paper comprising the "rules."

And the very fact of this protest an acknowledgment of the significance of those words.

If our valiant protester adopted your attitude, James, he wouldn't have any motivation to perform this protest, would he?

James, do you exceed the speed limit under ideal conditions when you know there's a speed trap?  Or are you fearful of the government?  Do you run red lights when there is no danger of hitting another vehicle if there is a police officer watching, or are you fearful of the government?  Do you walk through high-crime neighborhoods openly counting the money in your wallet, or are you fearful of criminals?

[James (from Texas)]

To be honest I do not tempt fate by acting up in front of cops.  I know exactly how dangerous that can be.  On the other hand, I cannot possibly count the
number of statutes/ordinances that I have broken.  Most times I was unaware of who could be watching.  Some things are just stupid on the face of it and they need to be changed.  I don't want to wait until government tells me what to eat and when to sleep.......

Thank the protesters when they make things better

Peace

[d_goddard]

FYI, one of your Keene State Reps is on “our” side. he’s sticking his neck out — you might want to thank him, and let him know what you are planning to do so he can take advantage of that if possible.

2009-H-0759-R decriminalizing possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.
Sponsors: (Prime) Steven W Lindsey

Rep. Lindsey has also submitted an LSR repealing the death penalty, and one to get the State completely out of marriage!!
I think I like this guy

Here's his contact info:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/member.aspx?member=376835

[FTL_Ian]

Steve is a nice guy, and friendly to Free Staters.  He's a local socialist cab driver.

[d_goddard]

Steve is a nice guy

Excellent. That makes his bill a zillion times more likely to pass than anything put up by the incumbent Keene Reps.