Snicker

[Demosthenes]

NH tax evading couple files suit against town
November 5, 2010
NEWPORT, N.H. --A New Hampshire couple sentenced to prison following a nine-month standoff with authorities over their federal tax-evasion conviction have sued the town where they lived, saying it should have prevented their arrests back in 2007.
Ed and Elaine Brown's lawsuit says because they paid their Plainfield property taxes, the town should have shielded them from federal authorities. The couple, who insist the federal income tax is unconstitutional, holed up in their home after being sentenced to five years in prison for tax evasion. They're in prison on conspiracy and weapons charges.
The lawsuit was filed last month in Sullivan County Superior Court.

[bmielke]

This is the saga that never ends...
Yes it goes on and on my friend...
Some people started living it one day not know what it was...
And now it is the saga that never ends!

A la Lamb Chops

[Pottapaug1938]

What's the over/under on how many days it takes the court to broom this latest piece of legal "scholarship" out the door, I wonder?

[Number Six]

I will look forward to the judge's response to their suit.

This is why we need the federal government. Local officials are limited in their resources to deal with anarchists with widespread connections to other anarchist groups. Check out your state's US Attorney press releases for issues the federal law enforcement pros consider priorities. Even the paytriots would agree they prosecute worthy cases that local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to address. In the end, people like the Browns support those who act outside of the law and act as vigilantes.

[Red Cedar PM]

I'm sure this would be unconstitutional, but it does seem like it would be nice if someone had to pass a basic IQ test before they could file a lawsuit.

On second thought, I know a few dumb lawyers that may be out of work if that were the case.

[LPC]

The lawsuit was filed last month in Sullivan County Superior Court.

No on-line docket, so no easy way to read the complaint, which could/should be a hoot.

[webhick]

Can't remember...was Ed & Elaine even caught up on their property taxes at the time of the standoff?

[Famspear]

Can't remember...was Ed & Elaine even caught up on their property taxes at the time of the standoff?

I don't think so.

In mid-July 2007, Ed Brown also announced that he would stop paying school and town property taxes to the town of Plainfield, New Hampshire. A local newspaper quoted Brown as saying: "They don't provide me any services, I'm not going to contribute to them anymore."

----Kristen Senz, "Brown decides property taxes are not worth paying," New Hampshire Union Leader, July 14, 2007.

That news report was issued during the standoff, which ended on October 4, 2007.

EDIT: I suppose that Ed and Elaine might be saying that although they stopped paying property taxes during the standoff in 2007, they had previously paid property taxes for at least some prior years.

[grixit]

This might be the final straw that gets them the no further filings without permission order.

[bmielke]

This might be the final straw that gets them the no further filings without permission order.

Has he filed a lot of stuff in county court? Or New Hampshire State court?

[Demosthenes]

Quick and dirty background.

A few years prior to the standoff, the Browns stopped paying property taxes because Ed didn't want to fund the homosexual agenda of public schools. The county threatened to take the home, and Ed threatened a violent standoff. Ed and Elaine capitulated at the last moment, and started paying property taxes again. During the later income tax standoff, they stopped paying again because Ed was angry that the Sheriff wouldn't arrest the Feds, but realistically, he was losing everything to forfeiture anyway, so why bother paying property taxes at that point?

[Famspear]

.......but realistically, he was losing everything to forfeiture anyway, so why bother paying property taxes at that point?

That's what I always liked about Ed -- his firm grasp of the principles of logic.

[Gregg]

Isn't about time someone took Ed's Red Crayola away from him?

[Brandybuck]

I object to the comparison of anarchists to the Browns. An anarchist will simply not pay his taxes and not make up an excuse about it.

[Number Six]

Quick definition on anarchism:

1: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power
2: a person who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy; especially : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order

Seems applicable to the Browns to me. And although there are level-headed anarcho-capitalists who are more fun to be around, like the "Bureau-crash" couple that I met, the Browns probably deserve the anarchist title based on their actions.

[Lambkin]

1: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power

The Browns are not anti-authoritarians. I think this definition should say "all" not "any" and for that reason the Browns don't meet it. I think Ed Brown is very much into his own authority over others, which is not anarchism.

2: a person who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy; especially : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order

I don't know where you got this and can only assume you have not met many anarchists, most of whom are into things like dumpster-diving and vegan coop cooking.

[Number Six]

It was the Merriam-Webster definition. Yes, I have met some of the "anarchists" that you describe, the peaceful ones. There are the violent ones too. I spoke with a formerly licensed psychologist at a war tax resister meeting last fall who had gone up to pay a visit to Ed Brown to see what kind of man he was. Ed was unbelievably haughty with this man, who was made to feel that he should be immensely grateful for the privalege to be granted a meeting with him. The NPD criteria fit him to a tee.

We could have a discussion on modern political movements and definitions which have become increasingly difficult to apply precisely. Actions speak louder than words. When someone will not recognize any real authority, and booby traps his property in a way to maim authorities who would come on his land, I would think that there would be a politically precise term for this. When the anarchists disown violent extremists, this tells you something.

[Dezcad]

NEWS: Judge Denies Browns' Suit Against Plainfield
Newport -- A New Hampshire Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit by imprisoned tax protesters Ed and Elaine Brown, who sued the town of Plainfield for failing to try to stop their arrest by federal agents in 2007.

http://www.vnews.com/12302010/12302010.htm

[Famspear]

NEWS: Judge Denies Browns' Suit Against Plainfield
Newport -- A New Hampshire Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit by imprisoned tax protesters Ed and Elaine Brown, who sued the town of Plainfield for failing to try to stop their arrest by federal agents in 2007.

Ed's probable response: "*$#&^%@!!!?!!! Those Jewish Freemason Zionist Illuminati Lawyers did it to me again!!!"



EDIT: Or, as Ed himself actually put it, long long ago, in a place far, far away:

This is the beginning of one very huge movement. I'm not quite sure you understand the ramifications of what's going on right now. This is massive. This is international. We are fed up with the Zionist Illuminati. That's what this is all about. Loud and clear. Zionist Illuminati. Lawyers, whatever they are, okay, it's going to stop. And if the judge is a member of that, I know that McAuliffe [the Federal judge in Brown's tax case] is, I know that U.S. Attorney Colantuono is, they'd better stop. This is a warning. You can do whatever you want to me. My job is to get the message out, and I'm getting the message out, and I'm warning you guys - not you guys [referring to the radio show hosts], them - to cease and desist their unlawful activity in this country and every other country because once this thing starts, we're going to seek them out and hunt them down. And we're going to bring them to justice. So anybody wishes to join them, you go right ahead and join them. But I promise you, long after I'm gone, they're going to seek out every one of you and your bloodline.

----Margot Sanger-Katz, "Browns on the record," Concord Monitor, April 27, 2007.

And, of course this gem:

"We're not conspiracy theorists," Brown said, settling into a chair on his unfinished concrete porch. "We deal with conspiracy facts. Freemasonry and Judaism—that is the truth. That is the fact. That is where all the world's problems come from… I know for a fact that they're working together."

--Jan. 18, 2007, "Man Holed Up in Home After Tax Verdict", Associated Press.

What a guy....

[Quixote]

NEWS: Judge Denies Browns' Suit Against Plainfield
Newport -- A New Hampshire Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit by imprisoned tax protesters Ed and Elaine Brown, who sued the town of Plainfield for failing to try to stop their arrest by federal agents in 2007.

http://www.vnews.com/12302010/12302010.htm

The lead story on that page was about a ski resort having to close its lifts due to high winds. Even an apparent rehash of a power outage 11 months ago beat out the Browns for space.