UPDATE
Jan. 9, 2014: http://www.copblock.org/44236/ransom-levied-then-rescinded/
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This was originally posted to CopBlock.org on May 6, 2013.
Individuals Involved:
Lesley Collier – Keene Police employee who levied ransom
Pete Eyre – Tahoe owner who allegedly victimized the “state of New Hampshire”
Ed Burke – man wearing black robe in legalland
Jim Cemorelis – Keene police employee and prosecutor
Jean Kilham – Keene police employee and prosecutor
Keene Police Department
400 Marlboro Street
Keene, NH 03431
Phone: (603) 357-9813
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On March 23rd, 2013, after hanging with some friends at the Keene Activist Center, I decided to roll out.
Unbeknownst to me, about 100′ feet away Lesley Collier, an employee of Keene police department, was at that time placing a ransom note on my Tahoe.
When I saw it, my initial thought was the adage: “answer fools with silence”
So, I didn’t read the ransom note. It remained untouched, under my windshield wiper, for a couple days as I drove around town.
But, after talking with some friends, I decided to address it, simply because I recognized it as a death threat.
I stopped by the headquarters of the Keene police outfit.
There I saw a box where many unthinkingly pay ransoms they receive from Collier and his colleagues, which only perpetuates and sets the stage for more such “legal” shakedowns.
I instead communicated that I was not going to fund their criminal outfit. I was told to appear in legalland on May 1st.
I’m now told to return on August 19th.
Do you believe this process is about justice? If not, then as best you can, stop granting it allegiance. Why not act according to your own conscience rather than to text on paper conflated as law.
Essentially what I’m doing is damage control. If I had ignored the ransom the amount demanded would increase. Next would be more frequent, and different methods of contact. Eventually, some active with the same criminal organization may claim to be “justified” as they attempt to kidnap and cage my person. If I resisted, they might initiate lethal force and claim “immunity”.
And for what? Collier’s ransom note said that I disobeyed an alleged ban on parking on public streets overnight during the winter. I certainly don’t grant authority to Collier and the rules he cites simply because its claimed. The removal of snow wasn’t an issue on the night in question. There was no victim despite Jean Kilham communicating otherwise in her response to my motion to dismiss.
The defendant alleged there was no victim.
The state objects.
As we each conclude that we shouldn’t apologize for actions that harmed no one, that we don’t owe a debt to make some fictitious entity whole, the sooner we live free of individuals claiming the right to initiate force.
We’ll see what happens. If the threat levied isn’t dropped I expect to sit half a day or a day in a cage. Hopefully it gets some folks to think. At least I know I’m being true to my conscience.
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