[freekeenenews] Media Device Ban Extended to ALL NH Circuit (District) Courts

First, they came for Keene. It was this summer when “administrative
judge” Edwin Kelly wrote an “ORDER” banning all cameras and audio
recording devices from the district court in Keene. After that ban,
Derrick Horton and Jason Talley were arrested for using video cameras
in court lobbies.

Talley was arrested in “superior” court, where the same Keene-only ban
was enacted. (In reaction to the large activists-with-cameras presence
we have had here for a long time.) Thus far, the superior court ban
has not been expanded to all superior courts in NH, but as of 10/24 it
has been expanded to all of NH’s circuit courts, according to a new
“ORDER” from Edwin Kelly.

In a huge slap-in-the-face to the freedom of press, Kelly writes:

No cameras or audio equipment may be used in the lobby or other
public, noncourtroom, area of any courthouse;

You can’t even talk to this Kelly guy. His office is closed to the
public and they try to keep it secret. Plus, he just refuses to
comment. Why should he? You’ll keep paying his salary either way, and
he knows it.

(FYI: Now all district courts are called the verbose “Circuit Court –
District Division”.)

Please reach out if you have questions or would like to interview an
activist.

Ian Freeman
Blogger, FreeKeene.com
603-513-2449

http://freekeene.com/2011/10/25/media-device-ban-exteded-to-all-nh-circuit-district-courts/

Franklin Center - ICYMI: First Amendment victory for citizen journalists

Today, Washington Times ran an editorial from Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center. It discusses the recent court decision to allow citizens to film government officials, including police officers, in public. This decision is important to citizen journalists who are not protected under any shield laws or credentials. It is also one of the first cases that opens the definition for “the press” in the Constitution.

An excerpt of the editorial is below:

Freedom of the press belongs to everyone, not just ‘official’ reporters
 By Jason Stverak
The Washington Times

 

In a landmark decision, a federal court ruled last week that recording public officials, including police officers, is protected by the First Amendment. This decision, which may outrage law enforcement officials and members of Congress, is one of the first federal court decisions that brings the First Amendment into the Internet age.

This case emerged from separate incidents in which private citizens usedpersonal video cameras or cellphones to capture alleged police brutality.

The first occurred when Khaliah Fitchette, a New Jersey teenager, boarded a bus in Newark. As she waited for the bus to depart, two police officers boarded the bus to forcefully remove a drunken passenger. Ms. Fitchette began taping the police officers and refused to quit upon officer request. She was arrested and detained while the police deleted her footage. No charges were filed against Ms. Fitchette, but she filed a lawsuit against the Newark Police Department with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey.

The second incident occurred in Boston when Simon Glik pulled out his cellphone to tape police officers punching a man on the street. An officer asked Mr. Glik if he was recording audio. When Mr. Glik admitted that he was, the officer arrested him for violating the state's wiretap law. He also was charged with disturbing the peace and aiding the escape of a prisoner. The charges were dropped eventually because of lack of merit, but Mr. Glik joined the ACLU lawsuit, claiming his free-speech rights had been violated.

Read More at Washington Times

[freekeenenews] Sheriff Threatens Journalists with Arrest

Think you have freedom of the press? Think again. Watch as Sheriff
Richard Foote emerges from the Cheshire superior court to threaten
journalists with arrest if they come inside the ostensibly “public”
building:
http://freekeene.com/2011/07/30/sheriff-threatens-journalists-with-arrest/

[freekeenenews] Memorial for Thomas Ball 7/15 8:30am Superior Court

http://freekeene.com/2011/07/14/memorial-for-thomas-james-ball-friday-715-830am-superior-court/

Exactly one month to the day Thomas James Ball self-immolated at Cheshire “superior court”, friends, supporters, family, and critics of the insane “justice” system will gather to remember Thomas Ball, when the government people just want you to forget him. It happens tomorrow, Friday 7/15 at 8:30a in front of the “superior court” building at 12 Court St. in Keene.

Here’s a facebook event for it.

Though I created the facebook event, this event is not Free Keene’s creation. Liberty lovers at FK were invited by the event’s original creators, who I believe are the father’s rights group of which Tom Ball was a part.

If you arrive early, there’s also a possibility you’ll experience a showdown as Free Keene TV‘s crew will be attending and court security has threatened that there will be arrests of media.

See you there.
Ian Freeman
Blogger, FreeKeene.com

[freekeenenews] Cheshire Superior Court Bans All Recording Devices from Premises

I’m sick to my stomach and upset. Mostly at myself because I am not able to risk violating (due to being out on at least two bails) this absurd new ban on all recording devices at the Cheshire “superior” courthouse.

Yes, it’s another unsigned order, this time from the top of the circuit and superior courts (this applies to all courts in Keene, and only Keene).

Freedom of the press and freedom of speech is a huge joke. The court bailiffs this morning were gloating and reveling in their new power to control activists.

Here’s an OCR of the order, which you can see as a PDF here:
http://freekeene.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Total_Media_Ban_2011-07-01.pdf

Ian Freeman
Blogger, FreeKeene.com