Horrible story. Now if you could put the link to donate back into the message, perhaps a few people here might cough up a few bucks for his defense =) Ecke
2010/5/21 <[email protected]>: > Look what's happening now ... > > ----- Forwarded Message ----- > From: [email protected] > To: "freedoms cry litigators" <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:25:44 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [freedoms_cry_litigators] Bloglines - Penn. activist facing 8 years > in prison after videotaping officers outside courthouse > > > > > > > Bloglines user quackn ([email protected]) has sent this item to you, with > the following personal message: > > He is supposed to have no contact with co-defendants. What a violation of due > process rights, if true. A defendant is entitled under the 6th Amendment to > investigate his own case and that includes witnesses, included co-defendants. > Further, it is permissible to engage in a joint defense. > > > Photography is Not a Crime > Shining a Light on First Amendment, Media and Police Issues > > Penn. activist facing 8 years in prison after videotaping officers > outside courthouse > By Carlos Miller on Pennsylvania > > > > By Carlos Miller > George Donnelly, the Pennsylvania videographer who was arrested last week for > videotaping federal officers in front of an Allentown courthouse, is facing > eight years in prison for his deed. > > He is specifically being accused of striking one of the officers. > > Anybody who has seen the two previous videos where Donnelly was confronted by > federal officers in front of a courthouse will find these charges hard to > believe. > > After all, Donnelly has a tendency to remain courteous even when getting > threatened with violence. > > Nevertheless, the federal government is charging him with assaulting, > resisting, or impeding certain United States Government officers or > employees, which carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison. > > The evidence, of course, lies in the videotape they confiscated from him. > We’ll be lucky if that ever makes the light of day. > > When contacted by Photography is Not a Crime today, Donnelly said he was not > commenting about his case. > > But Libertadedia , described as the libertarian encyclopedia, offers detailed > information obtained from court records. > > The site states he has been subjected to the following conditions under house > arrest, even though he has not been convicted: > > • Bail in the amount of $50,000 > • Defendant shall submit to random drug testing as directed by pretrial > services > • Defendant shall undergo drug/alcohol treatment if necessary, as > determined by pretrial services > • Defendant shall submit to electronic monitoring > • Defendant must obtain a land line > • Defendant may drive to food store three times per week, and must submit > receipts to pretrial services, with prior approval of pretrial services > • Travel restricted to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania > • Defendant shall surrender and/or refrain from obtaining or applying for > a passport > • Defendant shall surrender and/or refrain from obtaining any firearms > • Defendant shall have no contact with co-defendants in this case, or > individuals engaged in any criminal activity > • Defendant may not publicize names, images or locations of officers or > release information to anyone else > > > > Donnelly was arrested on May 11th when he was accompanying activist Julian > Heicklens who was passing out literature on jury nullification . > > This is how Heicklens describes the incident: > > > > At 12:10 pm, six federal marshals approached us in a confrontational manner > and said we could not pass out literature nor take pictures. They stood right > in front of each of us, no more than 6 inches away, so that we could not > communicate with passersby. These were 6 of the most obnoxious people I have > ever met. > We asked the marshals to identify themselves, but they refused. We would not > identify ourselves. > > George attempted to take a picture, but they seized George’s camera. He > attempted to retrieve it, but they they threw George to the ground. Then they > decided to arrest him for assault. They were joined by a 7th marshal. > > Heicklens states that Donnelly was released after spending two days in jail, > forced to wear an electronic bracelet because he was unable to meet the > $50,000 bail. > > Last month, Donnelly was harassed twice for videotaping outside a federal > courthouse, including one time when a federal officer got into his face and > stated the following: > > > > “If you get too close to me with that camera, I’ll take it out of your hand > and ram it down your throat” > > Although this was clearly a physical threat and there is no doubt who it came > from, the officer was never disciplined because he was still working his beat > since then, according to an interview with Donnelly a couple of weeks back. > > The second time he was harassed, a different set of officers threatened to > confiscate his camera. > > Both times, he responded politely yet firmly, insisting that he was not > breaking any laws, which he wasn’t. > > So I’m looking forward to see how he responded in the video we have yet to > see. > > On his blog , Donnelly says he does not have an attorney and is asking for > legal assistance, so hopefully people come through because this is an > important matter. Here is the link to donate. > > Related posts: > > 1. Activist arrested for videotaping federal guards outside Pennsyvlania > courthouse By Carlos Miller George Donnelly, the Pennsylvania videographer > who has... > 2. Photographing police could land you in prison for ten years under new > UK law By Carlos Miller In case the War on Photography hasn’t... > 3. Michigan journalist facing 20 years for photographing crash scene > Update: A TV news segment from Detroit’s local Fox affiliate.... > > > > Comments > > > > > > __._,_.___ > > Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic > Messages in this topic ( 1 ) > Recent Activity: > > • New Files 2 > > Visit Your Group > > MARKETPLACE > > > > Stay on top of your group activity without leaving the page you're on - Get > the Yahoo! Toolbar now. > > > > Get great advice about dogs and cats. Visit the Dog & Cat Answers Center. > > > > Hobbies & Activities Zone: Find others who share your passions! 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