On 2010-02-01, activists and friends of Big Mike filed two motions in Manchester District Court in an attempt to have his $5000 cash bail converted to personal recognizance. One motion stated that Mike has identified himself and been processed completely by the jail, which was the stipulation the judge had placed on Mike’s case in order for him to be bailed. The other motion was a request by Mike for a jury trial.

Considering the run-around we had during the arraignment, and dealing with the jail over the past two weeks, this went surprisingly quickly. We arrived at the court around 08:15 and were done within an hour.

We expect that the motions will be taken up and ruled on today; if the judge grants the motion, Mike should be released immediately. Hopefully there will be no need for a hearing, as the motions provide everything the judge required in order to amend bail. We’ll post an update as soon as we find out if Mike has been released.

More coverage of Mike’s legal case can be found at the New Hampshire Courtroom Legal Opposition Group website.

View Miller’s latest video of Rich Paul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEAakOpWCpo.

He didn’t have time to edit, but check out the exchange between Rich and the unidentified (but obviously senior, judging by the gray hair), cop starting at 1:55. “You were here last weekend, we’re not going to say it again.”

My favorite is at 3:14 when the cop says the city jail is private property. Priceless!

And then at 5:25 the cop performs the same “simple assault” that landed Big Mike in jail a few weeks ago.

But the gauntlet was thrown down at 5:42. “If you come back next week, you will be arrested.”

CONCORD — A New Hampshire legislative committee considering a “tax-and-regulate” scheme for marijuana came within two votes this Wednesday of recommending passage of the bill to the full N.H. House of Representatives. After the vote failed 8–10, the committee then voted overwhelmingly, 16–2, to send the bill to interim study—not killing the bill, but holding onto it for further analysis.

This result stunned many supporters of the bill, who initially thought the bill would have no chance of passage and saw the bill merely as a trial balloon this time around.

HB1652, sponsored by Rep. Calvin Pratt of Goffstown (R–Hillsborough 7) is a bill that would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana instead of outright prohibiting it, similar to the scheme proposed by Assembly Bill 390 in California. The full title of the bill is “An act allowing purchase and use of marijuana by adults, regulating the purchase and use of marijuana, and imposing taxes on the wholesale and retail sale of marijuana.”

Current penalties for simply possession of marijuana start at $420 for the first offense and rise to $600 on subsequent offenses. Distribution is a felony. This bill would establish a tax rate of $45 per ounce for wholesalers and a 19% tax for consumers. Licensed distributors and wholesalers would pay a yearly $1,000 license fee, comparable to the current liquor licensing régime.

Big Mike is still in jail, and still completely incommunicado with the outside world. The Manchester crew will continue to hold a protest and 420 rallies, every Saturday, in front of the Valley Street Jail, until they release him. From Renniks, who’s organizing most of the Manchester efforts at this point:—

I think gathering at the jail at 4:00 PM every Saturday is something we should do. I was going to start doing it on my own to begin with. Have a good puff, then a march. I say we bring it to the cops since they wanted to start messing with us.

I’m doing this every Saturday (most likely weather permitting of course, but we’ll see) until he is released. If people want to hold a simultaneous 420 at the jail, who am I to stop them. The activists who plan on doing this are putting themselves at a greater risk because of the proximity to state authoritarians. But who am I to argue? The more the merrier.

Also, Mike’s birthday (the big 36 I believe) is on Tuesday, 2010-03-30. If he is still caged at that point, I am planning on having a big birthday bash for Mike. I figure bring a portable BBQ, burgers, dogs, some cake, balloons, fuck—even some watermelons. It’ll be a blast.

Let’s do this. Every Saturday until Mike is free.

Capuzzo announced over Porc411 today that there will be another impromptu 420 rally due to the unseasonably warm weather, this time in downtown Keene.

Update, 23:55. About half a dozen people showed up; no one was bothered, and no arrests were made.

Almost forty people showed at Victory Park yesterday to have a 420 rally in response to Brian Manning’s and Big Mike’s arrest last Saturday. And just about everyone had a joint or pipe in their mouth, despite an anonymous Porc411 call saying that there would be many cops there to break up the rally.

No cops showed up at the park.

The rally then moved to the Hillsborough County Jail on Valley Street, where Big Mike has been held for a week now, incommunicado. Protestors walked into the jail lobby and asked to speak with Big Mike. Jail officers would not allow him to be seen. After ten minutes or so, back-up was called for, and the congregation took a walk around the jail yelling “Freedom!” at the to of their lungs, while inmates banged on their windows in support.

When the group of protesters made it back to the front, they were greeted by several cops and two guards, and several other police cars were still coming in. [A total of eight or nine police cruisers, one SUV, and either one or two wagons had showed up. This must have been a significant chunk of Manchester’s on-duty police force at the time. —jraxis] After one officer was handed a package of little girl’s panties by Rich Paul, in mocking response to the childish rationale for Big Mike’s arrest, the protestors were ordered to move back onto the sidewalk and off of jail property. Police efforts to then get them off the sidewalk and to “keep moving” ultimately failed, and the cops left before the protesters, which I consider a large win over MPD.

Manchester hasn’t had much for civil disobedience ever before, and the MPD clearly has no idea how to handle it. That first pair of arrests for civil disobedience has sparked a revolution of sorts in Manchester—so I say good luck, Manchester 420 supporters, and keep up the good work.

Who:
Don Quixote de la Shire
anyone who joins him
and onlookers

What:
Tilting at Manchester City Hall, District Court, police station, and jail in order to free pro-freedom activist Big Mike from Valley Street jail.

When:
Sunday, 2010-01-24 12:00

Because of the arrests in Manchester this last week, the 420 rallies have been springing up periodically again. Originally, the plan was to start up again on March 20 in Keene, but that hasn’t stopped a few individuals from doing so early. Nearly every time I walk through downtown Keene around 4:20 PM, I can be sure to see one or two people smoking their weed on the common.

Many of us from Keene will be joining Manchester’s 4:20 celebration this coming Saturday, 2010-01-23. Brian Manning cannot go within 100 yards of Veteran’s Park as part of his bail conditions, so the rally will instead be held in Victory Park. I guess you could say we are working our way towards victory!

This is the outcome of “Big Mike’s” hearing.
Official Document from the Manchester District Court.

State of New Hampshire v. John Doe
#10-CR-508 (290746C)

On January 19, 2010, the Court took an overflow arraignment from courtroom 201 in an effort to try and prevent the session going into the afternoon. The individual before the Court was identified only as “John Doe.”

The defendant elected to enter no plea and pursuant at District Court Rule 2.4, the Court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. The defendant was offered the opportunity to apply for councel and elected not to apply as he believed it not to be necessary.

Big Mike’s arraignment will be held on the morning of Tuesday, 2010-01-19, at Manchester District Court on 35 Amherst Street. I’ve heard different times for the arraignment; it could be at 08:00 or 08:30. The court opens at 08:00 and several of us will be there then.

The phone number for the court is +1.603.624.6510.