By Kat Kanning

Dave Ridley continues his fight for freedom of the press in Keene. He was tried in Keene on June 22nd for filming in the Keene District Court lobby. Public trials are a hallmark of a free society; secret trials a hallmark of tyranny. Dave Ridley, an ex-mainstream media reporter, now runs an independent news stream, The Ridley Report, via YouTube.

Dave Ridley

Supporters rallied outside the courthouse before the trial, carrying signs such as “We Will Record”. While waiting in the lobby for the trial to start, I noted that court security officers were equipped with fancy ear pieces such as the Secret Service use, which seemed excessive for such a tiny courtroom. I asked court security officer G. Raposa how much the Secret Service getup cost the taxpayers, to which he responded, “No idea.” So I asked, “So you don't have to worry about how much this stuff costs?” But he just shrugged me off again and said, “No idea.” Supporters soon began streaming into the courthouse lobby. While waiting to go through security, supporter Dan Steward was threatened with arrest for filming in the lobby. People filming at Andrew Carroll's recent trial were allowed to film out in the lobby and in the courtroom. Court officials can't seem to make up their minds whether filming will be allowed or not. Perhaps there is a coin toss every morning to decide – to film or not to film.

Once in the courtroom, before the trial started, Ridley chatted with prosecutor Chris Mclaughlin about victimless crimes. Dave asked him what percentage of the cases he prosecuted were victimless crimes, but Mclaughlin said that he didn't know. So Ridley asked him how he felt about prosecuting those victimless crimes. Mclaughlin answered that he was fine with it, but became visibly uncomfortable with the conversation when he realized he was being recorded and would be on record.

During the trial, Dave Ridley made no attempt to defend himself from the charges. When handed the unsigned court order saying that there was no filming in the lobby, Dave didn't take the paper, but said, “If you put it there, I won't burn it.” Lance Walton of the state's court security system was the star witness for sending Dave to jail. When asked if Dave wanted to question the witness, Dave refused and would only say that “On the job means on the record.” Judge Burke found Ridley guilty of Contempt of Court and gave him a $250 fine. (How can he be guilty of Contempt of Court when Dave had never even entered a courtroom?) Ridley stated that in civil disobedience, that one should “accept the punishment joyfully.” Dave refused to pay the fine because he did not want to “fatten the state” for cracking down on cameras. Dave offered to do community service, but Judge Burke, again showing the arbitrary nature of his decisions, said that community service is given when the person can't afford to pay a fine. Community service was offered to both Andrew Carroll and Russell Kanning without regard to ability to pay. Dave was sentenced to 6 days in jail, starting July 6th if his fine is not paid and the judgment is not appealed.

At the end of the trial, Dave asked Judge Burke how he felt about sentencing a man to death recently. Stewart Clark was believed to have been sentenced by Burke on a traffic charge and sent to Cheshire County Jail where he died. Burke refused to answer the question and left the room while Dave was asking if Burke felt he was in the moral right in regards to the case.

The civil disobedience of Dave Ridley and Sam Dodson (also arrested for filming in the Keene District Court lobby) has apparently accomplished the result of cameras being allowed in the courtroom. All recent trials of Freestaters in Keene have been filmed by independent media. The lobby is still in dispute.