One down, three to go

[The Observer]

Guys, you are never going to get through to VanMeter - you are making way too much sense. You need to sprinkle some whacky nonsense into your advice to grab his/her attention.

[Dezcad]

as each of the other defendants cuts a deal, his chances for a lighter sentence get dimmer and dimmer.

Yes, indeed.

In the trade, people say, "The ship is sailing." If you're left standing on the dock when the bombs start falling, the results aren't pretty.

Is that the obligatory admiralty jurisdiction reference?

[Scoop]

Donna,

Did you go to the hearing or did you just hear about it afterwards?

[notorial dissent]

While I have to agree for the most part with what ErsatzAnatchist said on the subject, I also have to step back and remember the absolutely mind numbingly stupid, and violent things both Cerino, now I ask you, is that the name of a sensible man, and his idiot of a father have made on their blogs, takes quite a father to encourage your son to go commit LEO assisted suicide, with regard to the Ed Brown silliness.

Anyone stupid enough to say they were willing to go and fight and die for that old fool up in NH, and then be surprised when they are in turn jettisoned by aforementioned fool when they are no longer of cannon fodder value has really very little claim to pity or consideration.

Aside from being an absolutely perfect example of Social Darwinism in action, going up there with the intention of actually fighting for that nutball does not speak for much in the way of sense, common or otherwise. I suspect that had the bullets actually come flying that ‘Rino and the rest of the “freedom fighters”, Donny D in particular, would have rapidly gone slinking off through the woods out of harms way as fast as they could, providing old smiling Ed hadn’t pushed them in to the line of fire beforehand to save his sorry ass.

Do I feel sorry for ‘Rino, not in the least, to quote a movie I roundly detest, “Stupid is as stupid does”, and this is more than ample proof of it. I’m not going to waste time speculating on what his actual motives were any more than I care about his sincerity of belief. The plain fact of the matter is that he went up there with the intention of actually hurting someone, anyone, and I really don’t think he cared who. As for Donna the dim, I have even less sympathy for her, she has chosen to latch on to a four star certified loser, who at the very least is going to spend a great portion of his life in prison, or get himself killed, either for this, or other stupid actions, and likely will not change, and if she isn’t smart enough to see just how big of a loser he is, and how little her life with him is going to amount to, I don’t intend to feed her Bonnie and Clyde fantasies.

I have a feeling that ‘Rino is dumb enough to actually go down with the ship, and in fact may be drilling the scuttling holes as we speak.

[Dezcad]

VanMeter has posted a video entitled "Arrested Patriots" about Ed, Elaine, Reno, Danny, Jason and Bob.

You can see it here.

To me, it is offensive but speaks volumes about the people involved,vanmeter and the rest.

[Demosthenes]

Such painful ignorance in that video.

[Cpt Banjo]

Patriotism is the last refuge of idiots as well as scoundrels.

Samuel Johnson: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."

Ambrose Bierce: "In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit that it is the first."

H. L. Mencken: ""But there is something even worse: it is the first, last and middle range of fools."

[wserra]

At least a good part of it is illegible.

That's something.

[LPC]

VanMeter has posted a video entitled "Arrested Patriots" about Ed, Elaine, Reno, Danny, Jason and Bob.

I turned it off at the first lie, which was that their arrests were unconstitutional and without warrants.

[webhick]

I'm getting really tired of people trying to express themselves through videos on the internet without providing some kind of transcript or captioning.

As for that video, I stopped watching when the words disappeared into a useless picture montage. I loved the red lettering on grayscale background as it made it incredible easy to read

Really wish some folks would just go back to expressing themselves through pop-up picture books. It took so much less time to wade through their bullshit.

[Quixote]

Really wish some folks would just go back to expressing themselves through pop-up picture books.

I must have missed the golden age of wingnut pop-up books. But then, I also had not heard of the Neiman Marcus pop-up book until now, so it's probably just me.

[Kimokeo]

LPC said,

4. They were convicted by a jury of their peers.

IMO, this isn't correct. Their peers wouldn't have appeared on the jury (let alone in court) unless they could exercise jury nullification.

There's no right to a jury of your peers.

[Imalawman]

Wow, that was really bad. Not just on content, but just a very poor job of producing. But bad content usually leads to bad production....

[Demosthenes]

In an admiralty court, it's a jury of piers, no?

[webhick]

LPC said,

4. They were convicted by a jury of their peers.

IMO, this isn't correct. Their peers wouldn't have appeared on the jury (let alone in court) unless they could exercise jury nullification.

There's no right to a jury of your peers.

I believe the correct phrasing is "There's no right to a bullying of your beer." It was a terrible typographic error that my office will never live down.

So remember: Be nice to your beer. You have no right to keep bullying it.

[Quixote]

LPC said,

4. They were convicted by a jury of their peers.

IMO, this isn't correct. Their peers wouldn't have appeared on the jury (let alone in court) unless they could exercise jury nullification.

There's no right to a jury of your peers.

I believe the correct phrasing is "There's no right to a bullying of your beer." It was a terrible typographic error that my office will never live down.

So remember: Be nice to your beer. You have no right to keep bullying it.

I only bully small beer. A beer without body is just asking to be bullied.

[Nikki]

Interestingly enough, one of the people to whom the film is dedicated is "Danny the dog walker"

I wonder where they got that name?

[webhick]

Interestingly enough, one of the people to whom the film is dedicated is "Danny the dog walker"

I wonder where they got that name?

I checked back and it looks like Demo was the first to start referring him as the dog walker (which kind of evolved into the present "Danny Dogwalker").

Is there some kind of Quatloosian prize for introducing a new nickname into TP pop-culture and actually having the "other side" use it? Can I send her some interns? Do you think Pinky would mind?

[Demosthenes]

Zero down, four to go. The contest is still on to see who is the smartest of the four (the first to cut a deal)...

Defendants in tax case move toward trial in N.H.
Associated Press / December 8, 2007

CONCORD, N.H. - One defendant will represent himself and another will keep his lawyer as the case of four men charged with helping convicted tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown moves toward trial.

Judge George Singal expressed misgivings but consented yesterday to Daniel Riley's request to represent himself, with an attorney on standby. He questioned Riley seriously about his understanding of the charges, his rights, and court proceedings, and he said a lawyer could be reappointed later if necessary.

"I think it is unwise for you to try to defend yourself," Singal said to Riley, who faces four felony counts and a possible life sentence if convicted.

Riley is charged with conspiring against US officers, conspiring against the government, being an accessory after the fact, and possessing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. He is one of four men accused of helping the Browns avoid capture by US Marshals while holed up at their home in Plainfield.

Another suspect, Robert Wolffe, initially had been scheduled to plead guilty in the case; but the subject of the hearing changed after Wolffe, of Randolph, Vt., submitted paperwork to fire his court-appointed lawyer, Paul Garrity of Londonderry.

Singal withdrew Wolffe's request to dismiss Garrity. Wolffe, 50, is charged with conspiring against officers, conspiring against the government and being an accessory after the fact.

The trial is to begin Jan. 28.

[Demosthenes]

Posted on the Dogwalker's Brother's "send me money now" blog:

Pre-Trial Hearing Held on 12/7
The Federal District Court Judge ("Captain") Singal held a hearing 12/7 in Concord, NH. The hearing was listed on the docket as a "Change of Plea" hearing of Robert Wolffe.

Docket Entry:
NOTICE OF HEARING as to Robert Wolffe: Change of Plea Hearing set for 12/7/2007 01:30PM before Chief Judge George Z. Singal at the Rudman Courthouse, Concord, NH. (dae) Entered: 11/26/2007)

The hearing turned out to be a court appointed lawyer firing session by the defendants. Wolffe filed a notice of termination of Paul Garrity as his lawyer and Danny had his lawyer relegated to "stand by" status and will be proceeding as Juris Supris.

Federal District Court, Robert Wolffe Notice of Termination of Attorney

So much for the wildly gossiped about plea agreements and proffer follies (sorry to let the boot lickers over at Quatloos down).

Another hearing has been scheduled on the docket for 1/8/2008:
NOTICE OF HEARING as to Daniel Riley, Jason Gerhard, Cirino Gonzalez, Robert Wolffe: Preliminary Pretrial Conference set for 1/8/2008 02:30 PM before Chief Judge George Z. Singal in Portland, Maine. (jar) (Entered: 12/07/2007)

Thanks to Joe, Bernie, Lauren, Jim and Dave for the micro protest and excellent reporting at the court house.

From Juris Spurious to Juris Supris. Much better...