After being threatened with federal legal action, the state and city bureaucrats responsible for the indefinite detainment of journalist Sam Dodson have finally granted the videographer a trial 53 days after his arrest.

http://www.freemindsmedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&...

Here is the latest letter from Sam:
http://freekeene.com/2009/05/18/sams-jail-blog-wednesday-may-13/

and an interview:
http://www.keenesentinel.com/articles/2009/05/17/news/local/free/id_3561...

We have also heard that Sam has eaten his first solid food in a month recently and is still in good spirits.

By Kat Kanning

Nearly 50 activists picketed outside the Keene District Court before the trial of two Freestaters, scheduled for May 1st. Signs objecting to the drug laws drew many honks and waves from passersby. Officer Stelatto of the crime lab describe the scene as, “a madhouse out there.”

Mike Barskey

The first trial was for Mike Barskey, who organized a small event, the Keene Freedom Fest in Railroad Square last year. Barskey was dragged into court because he didn't have a permit for the event. He describes his interaction with Keene Police Prosecutor Eli Rivera:

Keene, N.H., April 30, 2009 - Video journalists in Iran aren't the only ones at risk for due process violations. That's what journalist Sam Dodson learned when he was arrested April 13th at Keene District Court for videotaping in the lobby.

Dodson is being held indefinitely in unsanitary conditions on $10,000 cash bail and without access to legal representation because he refuses to disclose his legal name to authorities at Cheshire County Correctional Facility. Dodson is on a hunger strike.

"It is not supposed to work to where somebody in America is thrown in a jail cell and left there to rot until they cooperate and give up their rights in order to get whatever rights the government wants to hand out." Dodson said during a live interview on the radio show Free Talk Live.

By Carlos Miller

It’s been 17 days since Sam Dodson was arrested for filming inside a New Hampshire courthouse and his jailers have yet to release him.

All because he has refused to provide them with his legal name, something he says is his Constitutional right.

full article:
http://carlosmiller.com/2009/04/30/new-hampshire-man-remains-in-jail-aft...

9/11: Time for a Second Look

By Mssr. Jouet

The Keene State College Economics/Political Science Department and the Monadnock 9/11 Truth Alliance hosted Dr. David Ray Griffin on Friday, April 10th to speak on the topic of 9/11: Time for a Second Look.

The author of six books on the topic of what went down on that severe clear day in early September (and how it went down) opened his presentation by saying that he had reviewed all of his books again in great detail, having taken multi-doses of several psychiatric meds, and concluded that he was in abject error. Having awoken from his extended moment of psychiatric confusion, he noted that his critics were correct; anyone who believes that the 9/11 official story is not true must be crazy.

Well, actually, of course, that’s not what he said…

it’s just taken me ten days to write my own April Fools joke.

So reach out and honk your own nose.

Okay, so now that I have your attention…

Jesse Maloney of Keene was arrested today for attempting to garden in Central Square. Maloney had this to say about his civil disobedience:

We hope you will be able to join us at David Ray Griffin's talk on Friday April 10, 7 pm, at KSC's Alumni Recital Hall.

On April 23, the new documentary Fabled Enemies, will be shown at the Putnam Theater.

Friday, 6 March, John F. McManus, President of the John Birch Society, will Speak at 7:00 PM in Marcucella Hall, 40 University Dr.
Franklin Pierce University, Rindge NH.

His topic is: "American's Economic Meltdown".

This will be a great opportunity to meet one of our country's most influential Patriots. (It was a John Birch initiative that worked to get the, "States Rights" issue on 27 State agendas.)

from
http://jailedactivist.info/activists/ian-bernard/

Current reason for incarceration:

On the second or third week of August, 2008, a code enforcer by the name of Carl Patten Jr. left a ticket at Ian’s home indicating he had to remove the couch placed in his tenants front lawn. A week later on August 26th Mr. Patten returned with a second ticket. This time it was caught on video. Later a Keene resident commented on that video claiming Mr. Patten had show blatant favoritism when dealing with an issue concerning the commenter and her neighbor who apparently was friends with him. On September 17th, Ian’s tenants noticed Mr. Patten snooping around. He was caught on camera sitting in his car, parked across the street from the house.