The following details are provided by calls from the invaluable Porc411 and Facebook and cover events sparked by Rich Paul’s hearing today at Keene District Court. It was a procedural hearing to assign an attorney and according to George Donnelly, Rich Paul “is in jail till Aug 28. Sentenced to 30 days and 300 suspended days.”
10:24AM Ian Freeman: “a bunch” of Free Keene activists were kicked out of court for “standing when Rich Paul was called up.”
10:49AM Shawn Murphy: Heika was arrested outside of the Keene District Court for “using a bullhorn” Someone, maybe Heika, could be heard yelling “Free Speech!” in the background.
Ian posted the following to Free Keene:
I arrived on-scene as Heika was being loaded up into a KPD cruiser. Her crime? “Free” speech over a megaphone. We were kicked out of the court earlier by the robed man because a bunch of activists stood for Rich Paul when he was called. It was because we were kicked out of court that Monica went to get the megaphone – I had run home at this time to make a phone call I was late for, and when I returned, Heika was being arrested for “disorderly conduct”. According to witnesses, Heika was not on the megaphone when police arrived. They didn’t give her a warning that she was being “disorderly” – they just came up and arrested her. They are calling it a bail violation, so she’s in jail at least for the night and the arraignment is expected for tomorrow. Hopefully she won’t lose her job.
10:50AM Monica: Called to report that Heika was arrested for “conditions of violating her bail” by using a bullhorn. Singing could be heard in the background of this call.
10:51AM Christopher Booth: The police is attempting to take the bullhorn away from Monica Granger. You can hear someone in the background, probably Monica, saying “that’s my property.”
10:52AM Unknown female: “Nobody stood for the Judge, everybody stood for Rich Paul.” Three Keene Police Department cruisers responded to the peaceful protest in front of the courthouse at Keene Central Square.
11:12AM Unknown Male from Massachusetts: Asked “Desk Jockey’s at work” to express “concern or outrage” over the violation of people’s rights and “wasting of taxpayers dollars on the abuse of the people” by calling the following phone numbers:
11:29 Previous Caller: suggested that Judge Edwin W. Kelly, Administrative Judge of the District Court of the Courts, receive calls at 603.271.6418 to request he “Reel Judge Burk in.” His message expressing his “feelings on the situation as a taxpayer” was left with Kelly’s assistant, Linda.
11:50 Ian Freeman: According to the Keene District Court, the arraignment for Heika will be tomorrow morning at 9AM. She is accused of violating her bail by using a megaphone but was not using it when the police arrived. She will be spending the night in one of Keene’s cages.
The civil disobedience will support these good people who break bad laws. If you’d like to help, please donate to the Keene Disobedient 7 fund started by CD Evolution:
