"This weekend will be 'saturation' weekend for THP. For some reason, they seem to think that sending 10 cars up here to cover 11 miles of road is something that the general public sees as very cool, and not a waste of taxpayers money. I hardly agree. In fact, since the Gov of TN has decided to make war with tourists in this area, I strongly suggest to all of you that you send him an email if you feel the same way. We are under a police state on the TN side of the mountain."
-Ben, DealsGap.com, Saturday, August 4, 2007

"As of noon, there are 14 THP troopers and 4 Blount County Sheriffs in the Gap. This begs me to ask the question that so many have on their mind. If all these Troopers are here, then who is watching the rest of the state ??"
-Ben, DealsGap.com, Saturday August 11, 2007

"A stretch of U.S. 129, nicknamed 'The Tail of the Dragon' is known around the world as one of THE places for motorcyclists to ride. But lately, it's also been known as one of THE places for traffic enforcement. One rider from South Florida came to enjoy the ride and the view on Friday. But he got '...two tickets each, one for speeding and one for passing." The rider is leaving with $625 in fines. "Plus, they tow away the bike out of the park so we have to wait for a towing company to come tow the bike.' Friday was a quiet day on the Dragon. But last weekend, troopers wrote 142 tickets. Eleven troopers are staking out the area and the state has authorized $60,000 in overtime for increased patrols."
-Adam Longo, WATE TV, Troopers working to tame the Tail of the Dragon, August 10, 2007

"The NYPD's new patrol chief has ordered that special overtime money earmarked for cops in violence-prone precincts be given to "aggressive" officers rather than 'do-nothings,' The Post has learned. Chief Robert Giannelli issued that edict last week during a meeting with his borough chiefs, who then relayed it to their precinct commanders, sources said. His order affects a pool of funds known as Impact Overtime. Sources said Giannelli also wants to reward cops who use their overtime shifts to issue a lot of summonses and who do numerous 'stop-and-frisks' of people who match the descriptions of criminal suspects. 'The chief wants to give the overtime to aggressive cops and not to do-nothings,' one source said. 'Do-nothing' cops are considered those who never leave their patrol cars or ones who primarily work inside a precinct house. Another source said Giannelli wants the OT to go to 'intelligently aggressive' cops, such as ones who manage to avert civilian complaints by adequately explaining to people why they are being stopped and frisked. In response to the new policy, some precincts already have compiled lists of their top-performing officers - when it comes to arrests - and forwarded the lists to the borough commanders. Sources also said bosses have been told not to worry in the future about their officers' names appearing on lists of cops who have received large amounts of overtime. In the past, such bosses have been told to cut down on those officers' overtime."
-Larry Celona, NY Post, $ICCING THE COPS, August 13, 2007

"Cops have a quota system."
-Sgt. James Eagan, New York State Police (Retired), from his book, A Speeder's Guide to Avoiding Tickets

"It is illegal for law enforcement agencies to issue ?quotas for citations or arrests of individuals. The Fraternal Order of Police strongly disagrees with this illegal action and respectfully requests you rescind this action of supervisors at the Knoxville Police Department. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's still a duck. It's a quota."
-Edward Daniel, ex-cop and attorney at law for Fraternal Order of Police in Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville News Sentinel

"I was put under pressure. It was like a race. How many more people can we get today?"
-arrested KPD police officer describing the government's illegal quota, Knoxville News Sentinel

"Court finds $27,500 fine for second offense driving on a revoked license to be excessive."
—State vs Taylor, 70 S.W.3d 717 (Tenn. 2002)

"My father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured the bandleader, that either his signature or his brains would be on the contract."
-Michael Corleone, The Godfather, Scene 1

duress.
Wrongful and usu. unlawful compulsion (as threats of physical violence) that induces a person to act against his or her will: "coercion".
also
: the affirmative defense of having acted under duress.
Note: A person may be able to avoid the consequences of his or her acts under the law if they were performed while under duress. For example, a contract made under duress is voidable by the coerced party. Similarly, a will signed under duress is invalid. Duress may also be used to justify a criminal act. A threat to bring a lawsuit is not duress.
-Dictionary.Findlaw.com See contract, fraud

"Complete freedom of the highways is so old and well established a blessing that we have forgotten the days of the Robber Barons and toll roads, and yet, under an act like this, arbitrarily administered, the highways may be completely monopolized, if, through lack of interest, the people submit, then they may look to see the most sacred of their liberties taken from them one by one, by more or less rapid encroachment."
-Justice Tolman, Supreme Court of the State of Washington, Robertson vs. Department of Public Works, 180 Wash 133, 147

"Personal liberty largely consists of the Right of locomotion -- to go where and when one pleases -- only so far restrained as the Rights of others may make it necessary for the welfare of all other citizens. The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, by horse drawn carriage, wagon, or automobile, is not a mere privilege which may be permitted or prohibited at will, but the common Right which he has under his Right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Under this Constitutional guarantee one may, therefore, under normal conditions, travel at his inclination along the public highways or in public places, and while conducting himself in an orderly and decent manner, neither interfering with nor disturbing another's Rights, he will be protected, not only in his person, but in his safe conduct."
-II Am.Jur. (1st) Constitutional Law, Sect.329, p.1135

"For while a Citizen has the Right to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, that Right does not extend to the use of the highways, either in whole or in part, as a place for private gain. For the latter purpose no person has a vested right to use the highways of the state, but is a privilege or a license which the legislature may grant or withhold at its discretion."
-State vs. Johnson, 243 P. 1073; Hadfield, supra; Cummins vs. Homes, 155 P. 171; Packard vs. Banton, 44 S.Ct. 256

"The right of the Citizen to travel upon the highway and to transport his property thereon in the ordinary course of life and business, differs radically and obviously from that of one who makes the highway his place of business and uses it for private gain in the running of a stagecoach or omnibus. The former is the usual and ordinary right of the Citizen, a right common to all, while the latter is special, unusual, and extraordinary."
-Ex Parte Dickey, (Dickey vs. Davis), 85 SE 781

"The word `automobile' connotes a pleasure vehicle designed for the transportation of persons on highways."
-American Mutual Liability Ins. Co., vs. Chaput, 60 A.2d 118, 120; 95 NH 200

A motor vehicle or automobile for hire is a motor vehicle, other than an automobile stage, used for the transportation of persons for which remuneration is received."
-International Motor Transit Co. vs. Seattle, 251 P. 120

"'Motor vehicle' means every description or other contrivance propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used for commercial purposes on the highways in the transportation of passengers, or passengers and property. 'Used for commercial purposes,' means the carriage of persons or property for any fare, fee, rate, charge or other considerations, or directly or indirectly in connection with any business, or other undertaking intended for profit."
-18 US Code 31

"The right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, in the ordinary course of life and business, is a common right which he has under the right to enjoy life and liberty, to acquire and possess property, and to pursue happiness and safety. It includes the right, in so doing, to use the ordinary and usual conveyances of the day, and under the existing modes of travel, includes the right to drive a horse drawn carriage or wagon thereon or to operate an automobile thereon, for the usual and ordinary purpose of life and business."
-Teche Lines vs. Danforth, Miss., 12 S.2d 784; Thompson vs. Smith, supra

"Personal liberty -- or the right to enjoyment of life and liberty -- is one of the fundamental or natural rights, which has been protected by its inclusion as a guarantee in the various constitutions, which is not derived from nor dependent on the U.S. Constitution... It is one of the most sacred and valuable rights [remember the words of Justice Tolman, supra.] as sacred as the right to private property...and is regarded as inalienable."
-16 C.J.S. Const. Law, Sect.202, p.987

"The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, either by horse drawn carriage or by automobile, is not a mere privilege which a city can prohibit or permit at will, but a common Right which he has under the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
-Thompson vs. Smith, 154 SE 579

Personal liberty -- consists of the power of locomotion, of changing situations, of removing one's person to whatever place one's inclination may direct, without imprisonment or restraint unless by due process of law."
-1 Blackstone's Commentary 134; Hare, Constitution__. 777; Bevier’s Law Dictionary, 1914 ed., Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed

"The use of the highways for the purpose of travel and transportation is not a mere privilege, but a common and fundamental Right of which the public and the individual cannot be rightfully deprived."
-Chicago Motor Coach vs. Chicago, 169 NE 22; Ligare vs. Chicago, 28 NE 934; Boon vs. Clark, 214 SSW 607; 25 Am.Jur. (1st) Highways Sect.163

"There can be no sanction or penalty imposed upon one because of this exercise of constitutional Rights."
-Snerer vs. Cullen, 481 F. 946

"Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them."
-Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 US 436, 491

"The claim and exercise of a constitutional right cannot be converted into a crime."
-Miller v. US, 230 F 486, 489

"Government control of communication and transportation."
-Communist Manifesto, 6th Plank

Stopped for "too much lean angle" on Foothills Pkwy
Park ranger nearly shoots 2nd rider for asking directions
How to Win in Federal Traffic Court

Blount County deputy illegally speeding in a 30mph zone (reckless driving)
Partial BCSO video download -- Partial BCSO incar video -- Full-length BCSD VIDEO DOWNLOAD MIRROR -- DCIV VIDEO PLAYER DOWNLOAD
UNZIP FILE AND DOUBLE CLICK ON DICVVIEWER.EXE THEN OPEN AVD VIDEO "BACKUP FILE"
No Emergency Lights displayed nor Siren warning as required by law
This high-speed "chase" of a 30mph vehicle lasted 15 seconds
Class C or Class B misdemeanors allow immediate arrest of copsters
Copsters can be arrested by:
Grand Jury indictment, Judicial Commissioner warrant, or Citizen's Arrest
NOTE THE GPS TRACKING FOR:
GPS TAXATION BY THE MILE AND GPS SPEEDING TICKETS BY MAIL

• Subpoena Decus Tecum for Deputy Josh Antras and In-Car Video
• Answer to Complaint - MUST be filed PRIOR to appearance in court!
• Motion to Suppress Defendant's Statement - MUST be filed to get discovery
• Brady Memorandum of Law for discovery
• Jenks Brief for discovery
• Jenks Memorandum of Law for discovery
• Blount County Circuit Court Subpoena form
• Blount County Sheriff Dept Traffic Citation Contract
• Blount County General Sessions Court Continuance
• Blount County Grand Jury Contract
• Blount County Grand Jury List
• Blount County Grand Jury Notice
• Knox County General Sessions Court Subpoena form
• Habeus Corpus Petition if jailed for alleged Contempt of Court
• TRANSCRIPT: Blount County General Sessions Court Preliminary Hearing on Probable Cause
• Order of Dismissal by Blount County Circuit Court and Remand to General Sessions Court
• Order of Dismissal by Blount County General Sessions Court - costs paid by the State
• AUDIO DOWNLOAD: BLOUNT COUNTY PROSECUTOR TELEPHONE CALL NOTICE OF DISMISSAL OF PROSECUTION - WAV and MP3 files - 6 minutes
  
• AUDIO DOWNLOAD: BLOUNT COUNTY PROSECUTOR TELEPHONE CALL NOTICE OF DISMISSAL OF PROSECUTION - Warning to Bikers video
• AUDIO DOWNLOAD: BLOUNT COUNTY PROSECUTOR TELEPHONE CALL NOTICE OF DISMISSAL OF PROSECUTION - Warning to Bikers video
• AUDIO DOWNLOAD: BLOUNT COUNTY PROSECUTOR TELEPHONE CALL NOTICE OF DISMISSAL OF PROSECUTION - Warning to Bikers video
  
  
• Tennessee Attorney General Opinion No. 06-135, August 21, 2006
  JOHN LEE WAS CORRECT ABOUT IDENTIFYING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND FRAUD PERPED ROUTINELY BY GENERAL SESSIONS JUDGES AGAINST DEFENDANTS
• Judge Austin indicted, arrested and convicted of extortion in Tennessee traffic court
  
• PIRATE NEWS EXCLUSIVE: PDF CIVIL COMPLAINT FILED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
  Judge Dustin Hatcher sued for rape
  Plaintiffs' counsel Greg Isaacs settled this case in a mere 30 days, without requiring the guilty persons to pay a single penny, with innocent taxpayers paying the entire debt of the defendants, as well as settling this case for 10-cents on the dollar. Plus, the guilty persons get to keep all the settlement money in Blount County Circuit Court, even though this case was filed in federal court in Knox County. Now that Hatcher pled guilty to rape, will he be indicted by the grand jury and arrested for rape? Or are employees of Blount County's Gangsta Govt granted immunity from prosecution for their crime sprees? UPDATE: Dustin Hatcher pled guilty to sexual assault in Sevier County criminal court, and accepted up to 4 years in state prison.

  Warning to copsters heading to Deals Gap Dragon - Caught on disk: Blount County Sheriff deputy Josh Antros' time-stamped in-car video with GPS speed recording proves at least 5 criminal misdemeanors within 60 seconds - (1) driving at night with lights off; (2) running a stop sign; (3) speeding 61mph in a 30mph residential/school zone; (4) reckless driving at 31mph above the posted speed limit; (5) crossing a double yellow line around a blind curve signposted as "dangerous curve". Video does not show defendant's alleged "crime" (alleged breach of voluntary civil driver license contract). CASE DISMISSED with COURT COSTS PAID BY THE STATE. Blount County general sessions court held a CRIMINAL Preliminary Examination (probable cause hearing) instead of a CIVIL Bench Trial, then bound the case over to the Grand Jury. Defendant had demanded a Jury Trial. Constitutional Equal Protection doctrine requires citzens to get all the same rights as govt employees, without fear of prosecution, including the right to speed. Since BCSD and Blount County district attorney general refused to prosecute Antros for his 5 confessed crimes, this means the DA cannot prosecute ANYBODY in Blount County for those same "crimes" - including the Dragon. Requires DICV Video Player download to view all in-car videos from Blount County Sheriff Dept patrol cars: unzip file and double-click on dicvviewer.exe then open AVD video "Backup File".
  
  

  JUDGE DUSTIN HATCHER POSES FOR PINUP CALENDAR IN BLOUNT COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER - BLOUNT COUNTY GRAND JURY HEARING SCHEDULED IN APRIL 2007 TO DECIDE ON INDICTMENT OF HATCHER

• Former Blount magistrate pleads guilty to sexually exploiting girl
  A former Blount County magistrate has pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual exploitation of a 17-year-old girl. Dustin Hatcher entered his plea today as part of an agreement with the prosecution. According to the terms of the agreement, the 26-year-old accepted the maximum sentence for the felony, up to four years imprisonment. He also waived his right to appeal the sentencing, which is scheduled for August. The girl, identified only as Jane Doe, claimed Hatcher summoned her to his office in the Blount County Justice Center on Nov. 30, 2006, and used his position to force her into putting on lingerie and perfume in his presence. The suit claimed Hatcher took digital photographs of the girl. Some pictures showed her bare breasts. The girl was awarded $45,000 last year in the settlement to a civil lawsuit over the incident.
• Tennessee cops secretly use amnesia drug
  For almost two years, Metro police have had the option of calling for a needle loaded with a strong sedative to control the most unruly people they encounter on the street. But many people said that the injection was news to them, and a top medical ethicist said it’s a troubling precedent. The drug is called Midazolam, which is better known as Versed. People who have had a colonoscopy have probably had a shot of the drug for the procedure. “The drug has an amnesia effect, and we use that therapeutically because one of the nice ways to take care of the discomfort is to make people forget that they’ve had it,” said biomedical ethics and law enforcement expert Dr. Steven Miles. Beasley said he had no idea what happened after he was injected. “I woke up — I don’t know how much time had passed — with a sergeant standing over me telling me to sign here. I didn’t know what I was signing. I just signed a piece of paper.” But Beasley’s lawyer, a public defender, had no idea that Versed had been used to subdue him until Kalodimos told him about it. The state’s largest mental health advocacy group, Nashville’s mental health judge, the Nashville Rescue Mission, the American Civil Liberties Union all said they had no knowledge of the use of the drug by police. “I’ve talked to my colleagues around the country, and none of the people from the south to the north to the east to the west have ever heard about this kind of program, this kind of use where they basically force an injection upon an individual knowing nothing about his or her medical condition,” said ACLU Director Hedy Weinberg. It’s up to the officer to call an ambulance and determine if a person is in a condition called excited delirium. The biggest side effect that is seen in more than 80 percent of those who are injected with Versed is amnesia. The side effect raises the question of a person being able to defend themselves in court if they can’t remember what happened. “If they would’ve said I’d done anything after that shot, hey, I couldn’t have argued that fact. I don’t remember,” Beasley said. Kalodimos reported that while doing research for this report, she found a post on a paramedics Internet chat site that said, “One good thing about Versed is that the patient won’t remember how he got that footprint on his chest.”
• Blount settles teen disrobing lawsuit
  A 17-year-old girl who said in a federal lawsuit that she was coerced into disrobing and putting on revealing lingerie in the office of a Blount County judicial commissioner will receive $45,000, according to a settlement filed today. On Dec. 14 the girl, identified only as Jane Doe, sued former Judicial Commissioner Dustin Hatcher, as well as Blount County, the Circuit Court Clerk’s office for whom Hatcher worked, and other unnamed county employees who may have had knowledge of the incident, claiming Hatcher had summoned her to his office in the Blount County Justice Center on Nov. 30 and used his position to coerce her into putting on revealing lingerie and perfume in his presence. The suit claimed Hatcher then took digital photographs of the girl in the attire and others of her as she changed back into her own clothes. Some of the pictures showed her bare breasts, the suit said. Hatcher also was accused of showing the pictures to other employees in the Justice Center. Wednesday’s settlement places the settlement money, less the $15,500 in attorney fees, in possession of the Blount County Clerk and Master’s Office until she reaches age 18 this spring, at which time the money will be turned over to her. "I am pleased on behalf of Jane Doe," the girl’s attorney, Gregory P. Isaacs, said today. "It was an unfortunate situation that brought the parties together, but we were able to obtain a favorable result that will allow Jane Doe to pay for her education. The settlement documents, signed by Blount County Circuit Judge Dale Young, say the "costs of this case are taxed to Blount County." A parallel Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe into the case continues. "The criminal case is ongoing,"" said TBI spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson. January 10, 2007
• Mayor says county not liable in allegations that magistrate coerced teen
  Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham said it doesn’t appear the county has any liability in the federal lawsuit filed by a woman who said magistrate Dustin Hatcher coerced her daughter into his office and took digital images of her in lingerie. While the suit filed Dec. 15 claimed that Dustin Hatcher was acting in the course and scope of his employment with the county when he allegedly took photos of the 16-year-old, Cunningham said that if the allegations were true, Dustin Hatcher was not acting within the scope of his authority. Cunningham said, "From what I’ve read, certainly acts like that are outside the scope of his employment, and, of course, we have policies about sexual harassment," he said. "I don’t think there any liabilities on the county’s part because acts like that, if true, are outside the scope of his employment." Cunningham took issue with the lawsuit being filed so soon after the alleged incident. "This lawsuit was filed before the (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) had completed any investigation," he said. "When I was practicing, I didn’t file lawsuits before an investigation was either done by me or by one of the other government agencies." Cunningham said he had spoken with the mother of the alleged teen victim in the case as late as the Wednesday before the lawsuit was filed on Friday, Dec. 15, and she gave no hint a lawsuit was eminent. "Interestingly, I’ve talked to girl’s mother on about three or four occasions, and she indicated to me that she was only interested in Dustin Hatcher not being in the magistrate’s position," he said. "She indicated she was not interested in money but rather that he not fill that position or be in that position." Cunningham said that the mother never said anything about having an attorney or he would have spoken to the attorney. Blount County Commission Chairman Bob Ramsey said he not think the county had any liability in the alleged offense. "I’m sure we’ve taken adequate precautions security-wise. I still don’t know exactly what happened. I assume this is just a personal failure and adequate guidelines for security and the pursuit of his obligations are in place by the county," Ramsey said. "We’ve taken adequate measures to instruct and guide the activities in that office, and I assume that any failure is a personal one, and it shouldn’t reflect on the county." Commissioner David Graham said he was concerned about nepotism in county government and the constitutional offices such as the circuit court clerk’s office. "As far as I’m concerned, county government operates as a corporation with the voters being the shareholders. Why we’re having to discuss nepotism is a no-brainer. We should have a policy that at least mirrors the corporate policies at Denso and Alcoa, Inc. and possibly even Maryville, which I understand is even stricter." Mayor Cunningham said each elected office implements their own policies. "I’ve implemented a nepotism policy for all my departments. There’s one in effect," he said. "I can’t force (constitutional office holders) to adopt one." Tom Hatcher said on Monday, Dec. 18 that his office’s manual adopted the same standards as previously used by the county, it didn’t mention nepotism and he didn’t recall any measures against nepotism. The circuit court clerk said that his son has always reported to other individuals. Most recently he reported to Hatcher’s chief deputy clerk. Hatcher said that while magistrates are paid a $1 a year from the commission, who approve the magistrates hiring based upon TCA 40-1-111. Hatcher said he was always told his office scheduled the magistrates. The magistrates work as deputy clerks with additional responsibilities. Deputy clerks earn between $18,000 and $32,000 annually, depending on years of service, Hatcher said. "We’re here 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and weekends they’re on call," Hatcher said. "They’re here for law enforcement when they need a warrant and also for the general public who are victims of crimes." The suit alleged Dustin Hatcher then used his authority to "coerce" the teen into trying on the lingerie. The teen initially refused, before Dustin Hatcher coerced her with statements related to his authority as a county magistrate/judicial and juvenile commissioner. Dustin Hatcher "exhorted compliance with his demands by making the statements ‘you owe me’ and ‘you can trust me.’"The suit said Dustin Hatcher then took digital photographs of the teen’s bare breasts as he forced her to remove the lingerie. He then showed the photographs to other employees of Blount County. The suit also stated that Thomas Hatcher was negligent in hiring Dustin Hatcher for the position of magistrate as he was Thomas Hatcher’s son and "did not have proper qualifications and proper experience." Sheriff James Berrong said Saturday, Dec.16, confirmed that the teen girl’s mother came to the Blount County Justice Center early on Friday, Dec. 1. It didn’t take long for the sheriff to decide the alleged incident needed to be investigated by another agency. "It was brief. She came in real early. The office hadn’t opened up," Berrong said. The woman entered the justice center and spoke with officers at the metal detector. They introduced her to deputy Randy Chambers who then brought her to Chief Deputy Ron Dunn. Berrong estimated that from the time the mother entered the building to when a decision was made to contact the district attorney and the TBI took about 30 minutes. "That’s guess," he said of the timeframe. "We don’t want any appearance of a conflict of interest. That’s basically what we do on cases we think we have an appearance of a conflict." December 21, 2006
• Former magistrate accused of taking naked pictures of teen
  A federal lawsuit accuses a former Blount County magistrate of coercing a teen girl into questionable acts. The lawsuit filed Friday night claims Dustin Hatcher committed the acts in his county office. The lawsuit filed by an unidentified 17-year-old girl and her mother in U.S. District Court claims Hatcher called the teen to his office at the Blount County Justice Center. Once there, the suit alleges Hatcher told the girl to put on lingerie and perfume. The suit claims Hatcher then took pictures of her bare breasts. He then allegedly showed the pictures to other county employees. Hatcher is the son of Blount County Circuit Court clerk Tom Hatcher, who is also named as a defendant, along with Blount County, the clerk's office and other male and female county employees. 6 News was unable to get a comment from Dustin or his father. Dustin Hatcher resigned from office on December 2 after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations began investigating him. Though these are still only accusations, Blount County residents say the news is shocking. "It's kind of amazing you'd have someone in that position accused of doing something like that," said one man. "Sick. Public officials should be above reproach not doing things like that," a woman told 6 News. The lawsuit says the girl suffered "emotional distress" from this "nonconsensual sexual assault." She is seeking damages. Hatcher family relatives told 6 News they don't believe the allegations. This is not the first time the Hatchers have made the news. Just last month, Tom Hatcher repaid Blount County close to $4,000 out of his department account for a degree [Bachelor's and Master's degrees purchased on the same day] he earned from a non-accredited online college. December 16, 2006 [NOTE THAT IN TENNESSEE ONLY "LICENSED LAWYERS" WHO GRADUATED FROM LAW COLLEGE AND PASSED A BAR EXAM CAN DECIDE CRIMINAL CASES - WILL ALL CRIMINAL CASES DECIDED BY HATCHER BE REVERSED ON APPEAL?]
• Former magistrate accused in civil suit was promoted despite poor job review
  6 News has uncovered new details in the case of a former Blount County magistrate accused of taking questionable pictures of an teenaged girl. A civil lawsuit filed last week claims Dustin Hatcher called the girl to his office on December 1 and offered her revealing lingerie and perfume. It says he then coerced her into putting them on. Hatcher is then accused of taking pictures of the girl wearing the lingerie, forcing her to take parts of the clothing off, and then taking more pictures. 6 News took a look at Hatcher's county personnel file. He graduated in 2000 from Heritage High School in Blount County. Hatcher had been working for the county since 2000 in a number of positions. He became a magistrate, or an officer of the court, in February 2003. In that position he worked under his father, Circuit Court Clerk Tom Hatcher. In a review done last October, the 25-year-old received negative feedback on quality of work and dependability. The reviewer writes, "He has good intentions....but sometimes I can't count on him." The reviewer adds, "He doesn't appear to take pride in his work.... He is not a man of his word." Despite that review, Hatcher was promoted to a supervisor position.
• Blount County judge resigns during TBI investigation
  WBIR TV - An employee of Blount County has resigned following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Dustin Hatcher served as Magistrate with the Blount County Circuit Court. There's no word on exactly what he's accused of, but the investigation is said to be "ongoing." Hatcher released a statement Saturday. In it, he said "..regardless of the outcome of these allegations, out of the respect that I have for my father, my wife, my family and this office, I am resigning." Hatcher is the son of the Blount County Circuit Court Clerk Tom Hatcher. 12/3/2006 [IS THIS DUE TO JOHN LEE'S AFFIDAVIT OF PROBABLE CAUSE FOR CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST BLOUNT COUNTY COURTS AND SHERIFF RE TRAFFIC TICKET FIXING AND MISDEMEANOR CITATION FIXING, BRIBERY AND EXTORTION? IS DUSTIN HATCHER A LICENSED LAWYER, SINCE THE NEWS REPORT FAILED TO IDENTIFY HIM AS SUCH?]
• Clerk's son resigns post as TBI begins review
  KNOX NEWS SENTINEL - The son of Blount County Circuit Court Clerk Tom Hatcher has resigned as a magistrate in his father's office in the midst of a TBI investigation, according to a news release issued Saturday. Dustin Hatcher resigned Saturday after allegations were made against him, according to the release issued under Clerk Tom Hatcher's letterhead. Reached Saturday night, Tom Hatcher said he could not comment beyond the release's contents. The statement does not detail the nature of the TBI investigation, which began Friday. "I love my son, and from a family standpoint, we will be there to support him," Hatcher is quoted as saying in the release. "However, as an elected public servant of this community, I will fulfill the duties of my office and will continue to fully cooperate with the TBI regarding this investigation." December 3, 2006 [NOTE THAT KNOX NEWS SENTINEL CENSORS THE FACT THAT HATCHER WAS A JUDGE]
• Court clerk's son resigns as magistrate due to probe
  MARYVILLE DAILY TIMES - Blount County Circuit Court Clerk Tom Hatcher's son Dustin Hatcher resigned Saturday as a magistrate due to a TBI investigation initiated Friday. Tom Hatcher announced the resignation Saturday evening in a press release. He noted that he is unable to make further comments about allegations against his son due to the on-going investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. According to the press release, Dustin Hatcher turned in his resignation following allegations against him. The nature of the investigation was not specified. "Regardless of the outcome of these allegations, out of the respect that I have for my father, my wife, my family and this office, I am resigning my position," Dustin Hatcher said in the release. Both Tom and Dustin Hatcher have fully cooperated with the TBI, the release said. The investigation is apparently in its preliminary stages, and it could be months before its conclusion. "I love my son and, from a family standpoint, we will be there to support him," Tom Hatcher said in the statement. "However, as an elected public servant of this community, I will fulfill the duties of my office and will continue to fully cooperate with the TBI regarding this investigation." Efforts to reach the TBI for comment were unsuccessful. December 3, 2006 [HATCHER WAS A JUDICIAL COMMISSIONER APPOINTED/HIRED BY HIS DADDY. IN TENNESSEE, A "MAGISTRATE" IS APPARENTLY DEFINED AS AN UNELECTED "JUDGE" WHICH VIOLATES THE TENNESSEE CONSTITUTION. IN CIVIL TRIALS, BOTH PARTIES TO A LAWSUIT MUST VOLUNTARILY WAIVE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A REAL JUDGE, BEFORE A MAGISTRATE CAN HEAR A CASE.]
• Blount flower farmer illegally jailed for 5 days for not having nonexistant 'farmer's license' - Pro se litigants cite Constitutions and TN Code while filing criminal charges against public servants run amok
  During their preliminary hearing both Wendy Gail and William Albert Roseburgh said they are prevented by their religious beliefs from signing any type of agreement with anyone or any organization, and they faced the court without the aid of an attorney, quoting the Bible as saying God will give them the proper words to speak. At the end of Friday's hearing, the Roseburghs presented Judge David Duggan of Blount County General Sessions court with sworn statements in which they asked the judge to order the arrests of Assistant District Attorney Clinton Frazier, Circuit Court Judge W. Dale Young and three members of the state agriculture department staff on myriad charges ranging from false imprisonment and kidnapping to suborning perjury, stalking, extortion, making false statements in official documents, official oppression, retaliation for past actions, civil-rights intimidation and more. Duggan declined. Near the end of the hearing the Roseburghs were presented with written statements affirming the court's finding of probable cause but they did not sign them. When Duggan noted they had "refused" to sign, William Roseburgh interjected forcefully: "Not refused. We cannot." 72 hours is max time allowed for jail without a bail hearing by magistrate. Any delay is questionable, since constitutions require immediate hearings. Hence false imprisonment under TCA. BC judicial commissioner Dustin Hatcher failed to sign arrest warrants for the Roseburghs. Now ex-judicial commissioner Dustin Hatcher is on trial today for pedophile rape, removed to Sevier county, and BC taxslaves paid $44,000 to his rape victim. Dustin Hatcher has no college education, no law degree, never passed a bar exam, never got licensed as a lawyer, so he has no knowledge of what The Law is. Hatcher took nude photos of the little girl in the "Justice" Center, and posted those nude photos throughout the "Justice" Center. How's that for "justice"? Hatcher pled guilty to that felony, with a sentence of up to 4 years in prison (or will he get probation???). In May 2008, the Roseburghs presented their case to the grand jury in Blount County, so the BC DA banned the Roseburghs from the grand jury in the BC "Justice" Center. The Roseburghs have now presented their criminal complaints to state public servants. The Roseburghs presented very lucid, educational, intelligent and entertaining interviews on WBCR 1470am Truth Radio.
• Pastor Butch refuses to drive with National ID Internal Passport Voluntary Driver License Contract
  Governor Joe Manchin: "You addressed concerns about the digitized driver's license and your convictions with accepting the requirements placed upon you to obtain your driver's license. The Real ID Act will, in fact, be mandated by the Federal Government by 2008 and state government must comply with the regulations placed upon them." Pennsylvania legislator Samuel Rohrer in a letter to Judge Phyllis Streitel on April 18, 2006: "The crux of the issue is whether Title 75 can properly be applied to the individual. Within an individual's right to liberty is the inherent right to travel. If one's movement can be restrained such restraint is intrensicly a restraint upon his liberty. Mr Reil's use of an automobile is simply an extension of his personal liberty to move about as he wishes. My research, and that of my staff, confirms that Title 75 can only be applied to commercial vehicles and commercial use of the roads. An individual who wishes to utilize an automobile or other means of conveyance in order to exercise his right to travel cannot lawfully be required to obtain a license to drive or register his automobile in order to operate freely on our roads."
• Driving on American Roads is a Constitutional Right, not a State-Granted 'Privledge'
  Ex-cop Richard James McDonald's winning legal defense in a California traffic court. Main website at state-citizen.org. WHO IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A DRIVER LICENSE? "As indicated by it title, the act was designed to impose a license tax upon those engaged in the business of operating motor vehicles upon the public highways for the transportation of persons or property for compensation." - Bacon Service Corporation v. Huss (1926) 199 Cal. 21, 26-27.
• Title 18 UNITED STATES CODE Sec. 31 (2006-07-07)
  PART I - CRIMES
  CHAPTER 2 - AIRCRAFT AND MOTOR VEHICLES, Sec. 31.
  (a) Definitions.
  (6) Motor vehicle.— The term “motor vehicle” means every description of carriage or other contrivance propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used for commercial purposes on the highways in the transportation of passengers, passengers and property, or property or cargo.
  (10) Used for commercial purposes.
  The term “used for commercial purposes” means the carriage of persons or property for any fare, fee, rate, charge or other consideration, or directly or indirectly in connection with any business, or other undertaking intended for profit.
• Voluntary Driver Licensing vs the Right to Travel
  By Pastor Butch Paugh, Constitution Party candidate for governor of West Virginia, US Army veteran of Vietnam Wars, host of Call to Decision Ministries Radio Show. The following argument has been used in at least three states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia) as a legal brief to support a demand for dismissal of charges of "driving without a license." It is the argument that was the reason for the charges to be dropped, or for a "win" in court against the argument that free people can have their right to travel regulated by their servants. The forgotten legal maxim is that free people have a right to travel on the roads which are provided by their servants for that purpose, using ordinary transportation of the day. Licensing cannot be required of free people, because taking on the restrictions of a license requires the surrender of a right. The driver's license can be required of people who use the highways for trade, commerce, or hire; that is, if they earn their living on the road, and if they use extraordinary machines on the roads. If you are not using the highways for profit, you cannot be required to have a driver's license.
• Tennessee Supreme Court Overturns ID Roadblocks
  Tennessee Supreme Court finds an ID roadblock illegal because it was used to issue traffic tickets in the name of safety. On Thursday, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously found the use of roadblocks to check identification papers, driving licenses and automobile registrations to be unconstitutional. The court struck down a Chattanooga Housing Authority (CHA) "residency" checkpoint at Poss Homes on 2409 Washington Street. The authority, which has its own police force, claimed the stops would protect residents from crime and illicit drug use by turning away non-residents. The high court overturned Hayes' conviction because it did not believe, contrary to police claims, that the primary purpose of the checkpoint was safety. The evidence showed the roadblocks were successful instead at issuing expensive tickets. "In their zeal to preserve and protect, however, our police officers must respect the fundamental constitutional rights of those they are sworn to serve," the court concluded. "Entry identification checkpoints of the type used here result in the abrogation of one of those fundamental constitutional rights. Such checkpoints cannot, therefore, be countenanced, no matter how lofty their goals. The ends, in this case, simply do not justify the means." State of Tennessee v Hayes, No. 244042-43, November 16, 2005 - Full text of court order PDF
• Gilmore v. Gonzales
  No license required to travel in USA, according to US Supreme Court. But you do have to talk to police and identify yourself, if you travel as a passenger without a "driver license". US Supreme Court says secret laws are okay, even when members of Congress are not allowed to read them. Very interesting case by the top US law firms regarding the Constitutionally guaranteed right to travel without a license nor identification. This involved a passenger on an airliner traveling without a driver license internal passport contract after 9/11/2001. Note that "ultralight" aircraft pilots are NOT required to have pilot licenses to travel by flying in USA. FAA Administrative Court has no jurisdiction over "flying tickets" when a pilot does NOT have a pilot license, even when that pilot crashes into a hanger full of parked aircraft, causing financial damages. As in driving, government has no jurisdiction over the "personal" right to travel by flying, and only has jurisdiction when a "commercial pilot" is flying for profit in a commercial enterprise.
• Religious groups join fight against National ID Internal Passport Voluntary Driver License Contracts
  GOVEXEC.COM - Critics of federal legislation to establish nationwide identification standards are tapping into religious groups to galvanize resistance to the statute. The authors of a New Hampshire bill to make the Granite State the first to reject the so-called REAL ID Act have cited financial and constitutional concerns about its implementation. But several conservative Christian groups that have endorsed the New Hampshire proposal are largely motivated by their belief that the law is a sign of the apocalypse. According to leaders of the movement against the statute, the cause has benefited immensely from the active participation of groups that view the law as the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy. Such groups refer to scripture that predicts that humans will be numbered by marks on their foreheads and hands before the arrival of the antichrist. Katherine Albrecht, the founder of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering, has lobbied extensively on behalf of the New Hampshire bill. She said religious groups have been valuable because they are highly mobile and well-organized. Ervin (Butch) Paugh, a preacher and radio host in West Virginia who is running for governor on the Constitutionalist Party ticket, has been urging lawmakers in his state to follow New Hampshire's lead. Joe Cicchirillo, a commissioner at West Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles, said he was impressed by Paugh's knowledge of the issue when he met with him this month. "These guys are really well-informed," Cicchirillo said. "They were well-versed in the details of the New Hampshire situation, and they defend their arguments well." Albrecht, who is organizing a rally against REAL ID in New Hampshire later this week, said she had hoped Irvin Baxter, the publisher of the religious magazine Endtime, would be able to attend. Baxter said in a telephone interview that he could not make it but that he is closely following the progress of the New Hampshire proposal. According to Baxter, who also maintains the Web site NoNationalID.com, lawmakers have been forced to adopt policies to monitor individuals within the United States because they have failed to implement an effective border-security strategy. He said the construction of a high-tech fence, much like the one separating Israel from the West Bank, would negate the need for national IDs. Federal immigration proposals that would expand a voluntary employment-verification database have complicated the debate, he said. "There has to be another way to enforce security outside of our borders," Baxter said. "But our political leaders have bought into this whole idea of globalization, and this is leading us to a 'mark of the beast' system -- so this all ties together." Baxter said he is particularly disappointed in President Bush, who he had hoped would be more sympathetic to Christian concerns about national IDs. "I am stunned," Baxter said. "He either skipped over that part of the Bible, or he completely misunderstood it." [Note that George Bush Jr wears a minora in Israel and reads the Babylonian "Jewish" Talmud not the Christian Bible, and worships the Jewish child-sacrifice god Molech at Bohemian Grove. The Talmud requires the beheading of all Christians for blasphemy, and the Jewish Kol Nidre prayor requires all Jews to perp perjury and to defraud all Christians on contracts. "Major George Bush" was a Jew during the US Revolutionary War.]
• Render Unto Caesar - And you know what They did to him... Vietnam vet Pastor Butch preaches against the evils of worshipping Uncle Scam. 3-part series
• Gun Control - Implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act - "For instance, regarding criminal history disqualifiers, some jurisdictions made denials only if the records showed a felony conviction or pending indictment, but other jurisdictions also denied on the basis of outstanding misdemeanor warrants, including warrants for unpaid traffic tickets. GAO found that all of the denials were for unpaid parking tickets and other traffic offenses. According to a Bossier Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson, the misdemeanor offenses for which these warrants were issued ranged from disturbing the peace to traffic tickets. The Department spokesperson told us that there is no state or local law prohibiting persons from purchasing a handgun if they have been found guilty of a misdemeanor offense."
  —General Accounting Office of US Congress, (never mind that John Hinkley Jr was a CIA family friend of Sir George Bush Sr Knight of the British Empire, who was arrested for shooting President Ronald Reagan and Jim Brady), January 25, 1996
• Tennessee judge sentenced to prison for extortion in traffic court - FBI document says Austin engineered driving school for slice of profits. Austin’s attorney, Gregory P. Isaacs, in seeking a reduced sentence argues the judge had a breakdown. “In early 2005, while Mr. Austin and his second wife were in marital counseling, she admitted her year-long involvement in an extramarital lesbian relationship,” Isaacs wrote in his court filing. “Mr. Austin was quite distraught, sought medical help for depression and was prescribed anti-depressants. Additionally, he began drinking heavily despite earlier struggles with alcohol. All of the charges that are included in this indictment occurred after this difficult and tumultuous period in Mr. Austin’s personal life.” “He is corrupt to his core,” [U.S. Attorney Charles] Atchley wrote in his brief of Austin. “This case represents an almost incomprehensible breach of the public trust,” Atchley wrote in the brief. Austin was caught on video receiving cash from a victim who wore a wire after going to the FBI and reporting Austin’s “stress-induced” behavior. The judge certainly doesn’t sound like a man tortured by his actions when he brags to the victim about the kickbacks as well as a sexual harassment case he sat on: “I’ve pulled every fucking thing in the book,” he was recorded saying. “I’ve granted girls divorces in the morning and fucked them that afternoon.” PDF Indictment
• Federal Court Upholds Speeding Ticket Extortion Sentence - A three-judge panel of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld the conviction of a Texas police commissioner caught extorting money from motorists. Sam Jimmie Mann, 64, was the top police official in the city of Kendleton between 1996 and 2000. Hundreds of travelers found themselves victimized as they passed through the small town of 600 residents on U.S. Highway 59 while making their way toward Houston. "Like many municipalities, Kendleton derived substantial revenue from issuing traffic tickets," Judge Edith Clement Brown wrote for the court. Mann ordered Kendleton police officers to collect as much of the citation fines as possible from motorists in cash so that he could pocket the money. Mann's scheme unraveled as Kendleton began collecting so much money from drivers that it fell afoul of the state's speed trap statute the prohibited cities from earning more than thirty percent of their budget from traffic tickets. A Texas state police investigation on May 8, 2000 uncovered "a big anomaly" when comparing the list of the city's citation recipients with the police department's bank deposit records. Specifically, they noticed only payments made by check or money orders were actually deposited in the account. Police officers received their salaries directly out of this account. Mann maintained several personal bank accounts with funding amounts that far exceeded his salary. Mann also applied for federal grants to hire thirteen more police officers through the Department of Justice "Community Oriented Policing Services" program. His application was approved and Mann's department received $318,171 for the hiring of new, entry-level police officers. Mann filed a report with DOJ describing existing officers as "new hires." He then used the money to increase their salaries. A jury found Mann guilty in 2003 and he was sentenced to five years and three months in prison and ordered to pay $390,931 in restitution. Although the circuit court threw out a number of convictions based upon Mann's interference with interstate commerce, Mann's punishment remains the same as the court upheld his sentencing based on the remaining charges. A full copy of Thursday's decision is available in a 100k PDF file.
• Traffic court clerks arrested for extorting bribes to fix tickets - A federal grand jury has charged two men with fixing traffic tickets in exchange for cash at Orleans Parish Traffic Court over the last five years. David "Doc" Williams, 48, a longtime clerk in Section B of Traffic Court, and Alfred Miller, 55, a 25-year employee of the Regional Transit Authority, hatched out the bribery scheme by tapping into the state's computer database to "dismiss" violations after accepting cash from friends and colleagues, according to the indictment filed at U.S. District Court. Williams and Miller each face up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit computer fraud. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office and the FBI investigated the men after receiving complaints from the watchdog-style nonprofit Metropolitan Crime Commission. Williams used his position as a court clerk to access the Louisiana Driver Management Database, federal prosecutors said, while Miller was the front man who brought in the cash bribes. They split the cash, including a $300 payoff for fixing violations for speeding and no proof of insurance on Feb. 5, the indictment said.
• TN mayor loves illegal aliens for speeding tickets, not deportation - Tennessee pol targeted soldiers in ticket blitz. Coopertown Mayor's City Hall Of Shame. A Tennessee mayor spewed racial slurs, attempted to set up foes for arrest, and tried to boost his town's traffic ticket revenue by specifically profiling soldiers and Hispanics, according to a lawsuit seeking the politician's ouster from office. In a complaint filed yesterday in Robertson County Chancery Court, the State of Tennessee portrays Coopertown Mayor Danny Crosby as a boorish nutcase who has soiled the reputation of the 3176-resident city, which is located about 25 miles north of Nashville. The state lawsuit, an excerpt of which you'll find below, includes an array of shocking charges, including the claim that, after swearing in a new police officer on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the mayor congratulated the cop by saying, "Happy James Earl Ray Day." Crosby, pictured above, also allegedly sought to boost his city's revenue by setting up speed traps and directing police to "engage in profiling soldiers of the United States Armed Services" since he believed that enlisted persons "would tend to mail in their fines rather to come to Court to contest the Citations." Crosby also thought Hispanics, who were "mostly illegal anyway," would also avoid court, the complaint charges. As such, Crosby encouraged giving multiple citations to Hispanics, remarking, "We can give them all the tickets we want." Crosby was elected mayor in November 2004. Download Complaint for Order of Suspension from Office and Writ of Ouster.
• Grandmother WINS in traffic court, sentenced to 10 days in jail - Nazi Police State Gestapo sucks $25,000 legal fees for WINNING traffic ticket in Communist Gulag USSA. Court Costs are SUPPOSED to be paid by loser Gangsta Govt, but incompetent illiterate corrupt trial lawyer didn't read DealsGapDragon.com nor CIVIL Rules of Procedure
• Traffic court judgess lack license to practice law - Most judges in USA are pro se and have never attended nor graduated from law college according to New York Times

BCSD Cop Car Video System

• $50 DVD-R DATA in-car video requires special player installed on computer (included with DVD-ROM "video"), or MPEG-4 codec to convert to regular DVD or VHS tape
• Purchase DVD-R or VHS tapes (depending on which car has which system installed) from BCSD Records Dept - $50 COST IS REPAID TO YOU (ALONG WITH ALL YOUR OTHER EXPENSES, LOST WAGES, GAS MILAGE, $5/PAGE CERTIFIED COPIES, ATTORNEY FEES, UPON WINNING YOUR CIVIL CASE BY SUBMITTING YOUR "BILL OF COSTS" TO JUDGE AS SANCTION FOR THIS FRIVOLOUS CIVIL LAWSUIT (BUT YOU MUST BE PRO SE TO WIN SINCE LAWYERS ARE NEVER MOTIVATED TO WIN THESE CASES UNLESS IT'S THEIR BUTT ON THE LINE OR IF A DEFENDANT PAYS THEM AT LEAST $10,000 IN ADVANCE PLUS APPEALS COSTS) - Be sure to get an invoice for DVD from BCSD so the employees can't steal that money
• DVD-R DATA includes cop car speed and when emergency lights turn on - IT IS A CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR SUBJECT TO ARREST FOR ANY COP TO EXCEED A SPEED LIMIT OR VIOLATE ANY OTHER STATUTE WITHOUT FIRST TURNING ON BOTH EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND SIREN PER TCA §55-8-108

KNOXVILLE'S BARBIE CUMMINGS GAVE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL A BLOWJOB BUT STILL GOT 3 TRAFFIC TICKETS - We need an army of patriotic porn stars, strippers and prostitutes to sexually attack all traffic cops and get them fired. Only then will Americans return to their Constitutionally guaranteed God-given Natural right to travel by motor vehicle without a Communist internal passport driver license contract extorted at gunpoint by police state death squad

WARNING TO THE PRESS AT DEALS GAP DRAGON

The Power and Duty of the Elected County Sheriff - Sheriff Richard Mack, Sheriff Kenneth Jones, Officer Jack McLamb and Congresswoman Helen Hage tell sheriffs and police to obey their oaths to uphold the Constitutions, and how to keep the feds under control. Sheriff Mack won a US Supreme Court appeal to stop the Brady gun ban bill. Jack McLamb is author of Operation Vampire Killer for police officers

Miata versus Dragon versus cop - DealsGapDragon.com threatened with arrest for shooting cop on videotape. What's the law on Freedom of the Press? Cop can be arrested for parking in the road without emergency lights and siren turned on, with 12 months statute of limitations...

Miata versus Dragon versus cop - Low quality YouTube

Photographers Rights versus the police - Permissible Subjects: Despite misconceptions to the contrary, the following subjects can almost always be photographed lawfully from public places: accident and fire scenes, bridges and other infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, industrial facilities and public utilities, transportation facilities (e.g., airports), criminal activities, law enforcement officers. You are under no obligation to explain the purpose of your photography nor do you have to disclose your identity except in states that require it upon request by a law enforcement officer. If the conduct goes beyond mere questioning, all states have laws that make coercion and harassment criminal offenses. The specific elements vary among the states but in general it is unlawful for anyone to instill a fear that they may injure you, damage or take your property, or falsely accuse you of a crime just because you are taking photographs. Private parties have very limited rights to detain you against your will and may be subject to criminal and civil charges should they attempt to do so. Failure to abide by these requirements usually means that the person is liable for a tort such as false imprisonment. If someone has threatened, intimidated, or detained you because you were taking photographs, they may be liable for crimes such as kidnapping, coercion, and theft. In such cases, you should report them to the police. You may also have civil remedies against such persons and their employers. The torts for which you may be entitled to compensation include assault, conversion, false imprisonment, and violation of your constitutional rights. By Bert P. Krages, attorney at law, author of Legal Handbook for Photographers

Tennessee cops arrest cellphone photographer - It’s convenient when you want to take that impromptu photo, but a Tri-Cities area man ended up behind bars after snapping a shot of a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop. The cell phone photographer says the arrest was intimidation, but the deputy says he feared for his life. “Here’s a guy who takes me out of the car and arrests me in front of my kids. For what? To take a picture of a police officer?” said Scott Conover. A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy arrested Scott Conover for unlawful photography. “He says you took a picture of me. It’s illegal to take a picture of a law enforcement officer,” said Conover. Conover took a picture of a sheriff’s deputy on the side of the road on a traffic stop. Conover was stunned by the charge. “This is a public highway,” said Conover. And it was not a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy as Tennessee code states. The deputy also asked Conover to delete the picture three times. “He said if you don’t give it to me, you’re going to jail,” said Conover. He expects these charges to be dismissed. “This guy maliciously arrested me, charging me with phony charges that he don’t even understand himself,” Conover said. The American Civil Liberties Union would not comment on Conover’s case without fully reviewing the allegations, but told us there is no law that prohibits anyone from taking photographs in public areas, even of police. Taking photos is protected by the First Amendment. Affidavit of complaint - Statement 1 - Statement 2

Tail Of The Dragon ticketed for shooting cops perping crimes on the Dragon using new unconstitutional state statute TCA 55-9-105 to ban all videocams in vehicles - Note the BCSO deputy impersonating a police officer blocking a federal highway in blind curves while profiting from traffic ticket rackets and organized crime in federal jurisdiction - Saturday 25 August 2007

THP AT THE TAIL OF THE DRAGON - DEALS GAP - TAIL OF THE DRAGON ticketed for the crime of shooting cops with a video camera (TCA 55-9-105). LEO Count August 25, 2007. 7 Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and 4 Blount County Sheriff's (BCSO) on 11 mile section of road that borders Great Smoky Mountain National Park. See lawless Johnson as he is cited for holding his video camera. Tennessee Taxpayer dollars at work. NOTICE HOW POLICE STATE DEATH SQUADS ILLEGALLY MAKE TRAFFIC STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY IN BLIND CURVES WITHOUT PARKING OFF THE ROADWAY. PARKING IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY REQUIRES THAT SIRENS ARE TURNED ON PER TENNESSEE CODE 55-8-108, THUS COPS CAN BE ARRESTED FOR CLASS C CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR WITH 30 DAYS IN JAIL

Police Evidence Video Stung by the Dragon - THP "drag racing sting" on US 129 at Deals Gap. Anyone who doesn't fight these tickets is directly funding this corruption. If you need advice or representation, call attorney Chris Oldham in Knoxville at 865-934-0753. Oldham has won perjury orders for arrest of THP troopers in Blount County courts, for testilying about RADAR speeds when RADAR wasn't even turned on. You also have the right to request all evidence that will be used against you to prepare your court case, so do it! Maybe we'll see another spectacular piece of cinema like the last time. Videotape cuts both ways... It should be noted that everyone got charged with "Drag Racing", a VERY powerful ticket in TN, but as far as I know no one was convicted of it. They either took the plea bargain of Careless/Reckless, or fought it and got the charges reduced to simple speeding, or thrown out completely. Noah Hendrix is the one on the yellow Honda they magically predict "is going to pass, so pull him over." He never passed anyone, and atty. Chris Oldham got the case thrown out. Evidence Summary -- Evidence Analysis: Note that cars crossed the centerline 35% of the time, but sportbikes crossed the centerline only 25%, but only bikes were ticketed. Tractor trucks cross centerline 100% blocking both lanes in every corner

Girls Gone Wild - Girls Gone Wild founder and CEO Joe Francis has been sitting in jail for over six months, not because he’s been convicted of a crime, but because he’s been refused bail. It seems certain officials in a small Florida town are intent on making some sort of example of him. Francis was sent to jail by a Panama City, Florida judge because he would not settle a civil (for money) lawsuit brought against him by a lawyer who happened to be the judge’s friend and ex-law partner. The judge found Francis in civil contempt of court for not settling the lawsuit but cited no legal basis for ordering Francis to jail in a civil matter. Francis' whole legal situation started Spring Break 2003 in Panama City when officials tried to block Girls Gone Wild and Francis from coming to their town to film. Francis responded by filing a First Amendment lawsuit against Panama City as well as the Mayor, the Sheriff, and the Chief of Police, individually. Francis was victorious in his First Amendment lawsuit forcing city officials to back down. This enraged the Panama City officials and they have pursued Francis with a vengeance ever since. In order to distract from Francis' First Amendment plight, two weeks after Francis' victory over the city officials, Panama City charged Francis with a staggering list of 71 criminal charges carrying a potential prison sentence of 335 years if Francis was convicted. Panama City officials seized Francis’ private jet and announced in a press release that a "quantity of cocaine" had been found on the plane. This claim, as well as many others made by the Sheriff’s Department, turned out to be completely false. The basis for the original criminal charges against Francis involve an incident during Spring Break 2003 in which a cameraman, not directly employed by “Girls Gone Wild”, filmed sexual situations involving two seventeen year old women who lied about their ages, claiming to be eighteen, on camera and in written releases in order to appear on “Girls Gone Wild.” Joe Francis was not present and didn’t even meet the women until after the filming. The video of the women was never released by Girls Gone Wild. Across the country, criminal defendants accused of everything from petty theft to murder are routinely released with bail. In fact, the 8th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right to bail. Despite the fact that Joe Francis has been declared neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community, he has been behind bars awaiting trial without bail now for over six months.

Man Tasered, Shot With Bean Bag Rounds For videotaping Warrantless Police Search - When one woman was told to stop recording, she gave the videocamera to Waterhouse. He walked to the edge of the property, climbed up a dirt embankment and continued to record. At one point, he yelled to his friend, "Yes, I got it all on film. They had no right to come on this property." He says in the suit that police immediately came after him, and yelled at him "put it down." Officers moved towards him, and he said, "Don't come after me." Waterhouse said seconds later he was shot with a bean bag gun and a Taser and fell to the ground. Police arrested Waterhouse on charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, which were later dismissed in court. Now Mr Waterhouse is suing the Portland Police Department.

Out Of Control School Security Guard Assaults Camerawoman - Action 10 News were investigating reports of guards and police beating children at a school in Robstown, Corpus Christi. The film crew were not even on school property as they recorded shots of the building before a security guard walked up and forcefully shoved the camera in video journalist Brandy Dunfee's face. "If he's willing to do that to me for the world to see on camera, then what is he willing to do when no one is looking," said Dunfee. Last week, a video showing a school security guard arresting and breaking a girl's arm for dropping cake made national headlines. The last couple of months have produced an epidemic of police and security guard brutality which seems to be spiraling out of control as cops are trained that the public is their enemy.

The Police - Your Friendly Guides - Film-maker Darren Pollard was clearing up flood rubbish from his fron garden when he noticed the police harassing a youth opposite his house. Darren retrieved his camera and this is what happened next...

Felony arrest for videotaping cop during traffic stop - Brian D. Kelly didn't think he was doing anything illegal when he used his videocamera to record a Carlisle police officer during a traffic stop. Making movies is one of his hobbies, he said, and the stop was just another interesting event to film. Now he's worried about going to prison or being burdened with a criminal record. Kelly, 18, of Carlisle, was arrested on a felony wiretapping charge, with a penalty of up to 7 years in state prison. His camera and film were seized by police during the May 24 stop, he said, and he spent 26 hours in Cumberland County Prison until his mother posted her house as security for his $2,500 bail. Kelly is charged under a state law that bars the intentional interception or recording of anyone's oral conversation without their consent. The criminal case relates to the sound, not the pictures, that his camera picked up. "Obviously, ignorance of the law is no defense," District Attorney David Freed said. "But often these cases come down to questions of intent." According to police, Kelly was riding in a pickup truck that had been stopped for alleged traffic violations. Police said the officer saw Kelly had a camera in his lap, aimed at him and was concealing it with his hands. They said Kelly was arrested after he obeyed an order to turn the camera off and hand it over. Kelly said his friend was cited for speeding and because his truck's bumper was too low. He said he held the camera in plain view and turned it on when the officer yelled at his pal. After about 20 minutes, the officer cited the driver on the traffic charges and told the men they were being recorded by a camera in his cruiser, Kelly said. "He said, 'Young man, turn off your ... camera,'¤" Kelly said. "I turned it off and handed it to him. ... Six or seven more cops pulled up, and they arrested me." Police also took film from his pockets that wasn't related to the traffic stop, he said.

Dover man charged with taping his DWI arrest - ROCHESTER, N.H. A 48-year-old Dover (New Hampshire) man has been charged with tape recording his own drunken driving arrest in Rochester early today. Police say they saw Christopher Power sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle with its motor running just before three o'clock this morning. After speaking with Power, police charged him with drunken driving, and discovered a running audio recorder on the driver's seat. In addition to drunken driving, Power was charged with wiretapping.

Taping was legal, defense attorneys in wireless video "wiretap" case say - Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said he will review all evidence before deciding whether to prosecute an 18-year-old Carlisle man for taping a police officer during a traffic stop. But two defense attorneys versed in wiretapping cases said Brian D. Kelly shouldn't even have been charged. The state Supreme Court has ruled that taping police in such public situations is legal, they said. Freed said the evidence he'll study will include not only police recordings of the May 24 incident, but the audio and video Kelly shot before Carlisle police arrested him on a felony wiretapping charge. "When people interact with the police, they ought to be able to record that to show a judge and a jury what happened," Camp Hill lawyer Dennis Boyle said. The key, said Simon Grill, a Reading attorney, is that police can't expect privacy while performing their public duties. "If it's a public interaction, I think the police have a tough row to hoe" to secure a wiretapping conviction, Grill said. Grill and Boyle said case law is firmly on Kelly's side. Boyle cited a 1998 state Supreme Court decision that voided a civil lawsuit filed by a York County police officer who accused his chief of violating the wiretapping law. The court ruled that Officer James Agnew Jr. had no grounds to sue Hellam Twp. Police Chief Michael Dupler for secretly using an intercom to listen to officers' conversations in the squad room. Agnew had no "justifiable expectation of privacy" in such a setting, the court found, noting that other officers could overhear what was said. The court also cited an earlier ruling that voided wiretapping charges against a corrections officer who secretly tape-recorded a state trooper interrogating him about alleged wrongdoing while another person was present. "Pennsylvania is a state that says all [recordings of conversations] require prior consent. But you have to have the expectation of privacy first," Grill said. "There's no expectation of privacy with a police officer."

DEALSGAPDRAGON.COM NOTE: THE PENNSYLVANIA COP CONSENTED TO BEING VIDEOTAPED AND AUDIOTAPED WHEN HE DECIDED TO MAKE THE TRAFFIC STOP, WHICH IS ALSO WAIVER OF SOVERIGN IMMUNITY. ALL PERSONS ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE CITIZEN'S ARRESTS OF ANY PERSON THEY EYEWITNESS PERPING A CRIME, WHICH IS WHY THIS PERSON VIDEOTAPED THE COP. ALL DEFENDANTS ARE ALLOWED COPIES OF VIDEOTAPES AND AUDIOTAPES MADE DURING TRAFFIC STOPS UNDER DISCOVERY RULES OF PROCEDURE, THIS IS MALICIOUS PROSECUTION BY THE PROSECUTOR, AND OFFICIAL OPPRESSION, FALSE ARREST, FALSE IMPRISONMENT AND OTHER CRIMES PERPED BY THE COPSTER. CONSTITUTIONAL EQUAL PROTECTION DOCTRINE UNDER 14TH AMENDMENT ALLOWS CITIZENS TO DO SOMETHING WHEN GOVT EMPLOYEES ARE ALLOWED TO DO IT WITHOUT PROSECUTION. PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT ORDERED THAT COPS ARE BANNED FROM MAKING TAPE RECORDING OF DRIVERS DURING TRAFFIC STOPS BUT THAT DRIVERS CAN MAKE AUDIOTAPES OF COPS DURING TRAFFIC STOPS, BUT DID NOT ORDER FELONY CHARGES AGAINST THE COPS. TENNESSEE CODE FOR WIRETAPPING ALLOWS USE OF VIDEO AND AUDIOTAPE RECORDINGS, INCLUDING DURING TRAFFIC STOPS ACCORDING TO JES BEARD ATTORNEY AT LAW. WILL THP TROOPER MOSS BE CHARGED WITH WIRETAPPING BARBIE CUMMINGS SUCKING HIS DICK DURING A TRAFFIC STOP?

Caught on Videotape: Trial Delayed of Former California Deputy Accused of Shooting Iraq War Veteran During Traffic Stop - Former San Bernardino County sheriff's Deputy Ivory Webb Jr., 46, has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm. If convicted, he could face more than 18 years in prison. A grainy videotape taken by a bystander on Jan. 29, 2006, shows Webb shooting Air Force Senior Airman Elio Carrion, who appears to be obeying an order to get up off the ground. The video was aired repeatedly on national TV. A jury was sworn in last Wednesday after undergoing two rounds of questioning and filling out a 26-page questionnaire. Carrion, who has recovered from his wounds, is expected to testify at the trial. He has also filed a civil claim against San Bernardino County. Carrion, now 23, was a passenger in a car that crashed in Chino, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, while being chased by Webb. Carrion testified at a preliminary hearing that he had been drinking at a barbecue to celebrate his recent return from Iraq. On the 40-second video clip, he can be heard swearing at Webb before the deputy tells him to "get up! get up!" Carrion was then shot three times in the chest, left leg and left shoulder. Webb's lawyer, Michael Schwartz, has previously suggested that his client might actually have shouted "don't get up!" He has also argued that Webb may have believed Carrion was reaching for a weapon in his jacket pocket as he stood up. Carrion was found to be unarmed.

Caught on Videotape: Court clerk perping felony violations of Grand Jury statute and Open Records Act - Kevin Earl Wood resided in Panama City, Bay County, Florida since December 1977. He is a former enlisted and military member of the U.S. Air Force and is also a former Navy federal civil service employee with a spotless record. Kevin Wood has become well known in Bay County and the Panhandle of Florida for being an advocate of fundamental civil, constitutional, and legal rights of Florida citizens, particularly in Bay County. During a subsequent trip to the courthouse, Kevin Wood brought a small, inconspicuous 8mm camcorder and set it on the counter. He captured Ms. Gilpen on the recording refusing to provide a reason for withholding that part of the record. The tape was played on the evening news by WMBB TV, Channel 13 raising the question of why the clerk’s office was withholding public records without a legitimate exemption, which is a criminal or non-criminal offense in Florida, both enforceable by the state attorney. On or about April 24, 1998 without instituting any lawful proceeding against Kevin Wood, criminal or civil in nature, Judge Glen Hess as the Administrative Judge issued an order, titled an "Administrative Order". Judge Hess barred Kevin Wood from entering the public courthouse unless escorted by a deputy sheriff and barred him from attending any public judicial proceedings unless he was a party to the proceeding, and was escorted by a deputy sheriff. Judge Hess required Kevin Wood to give a three (3) hour notice before entering the courthouse to arrange for the escort by a deputy sheriff, even if he were to go to the clerk’s office or the law library. It was noted in the order that a copy was sent to numerous other judges in the courthouse including the Chief Judge. It was also distributed to the media, which subsequently published stories related to that order.

Caught on Videotape: Former New Orleans Cop Charged in Videotaped Post-Katrina Beating Dies of Apparent Suicide - A former New Orleans police officer accused of beating a retired schoolteacher on Bourbon Street shortly after Hurricane Katrina was found dead of a gunshot wound Sunday night in an apparent suicide. The body of Lance Schilling, 30, was found at a home in suburban Metairie. He and former officer Robert Evangelist were accused of beating Robert Davis, 64, who had returned to New Orleans to check on his property in October 2005. The Jefferson Parish coroner's office performed an autopsy Monday, determining Schilling died of a gunshot wound to the roof of the mouth. The beating incident was captured on videotape by an Associated Press Television News team the night of Oct. 8, 2005. The tape shows Davis being kneed and struck at least four times on the head by two police officers. He flailed and twisted as he was dragged to the sidewalk, where he lay bleeding. Davis was booked on municipal charges of public intoxication, resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and public intimidation. All charges were later dropped. He has said he does not drink and that he was on Bourbon Street in search of a place to buy cigarettes when police grabbed him. Franz Zibilich, who represented Schilling, said he was saddened by his client's death. He believed the suspected suicide had no connection to the pending trial, which had been set for June 29. In a related matter, charges against a third officer accused of a misdemeanor charge of simple battery against APTN producer Richard Matthews were dismissed on June 1, according to Eric Hessler, the officer's lawyer. Stuart Smith was suspended for 120 days and remains on the police force. He had been accused of roughing up Matthews at the Bourbon Street scene in October 2005 after Matthews identified himself as working for The Associated Press.

ACLU Gives St. Louis Residents Video Cameras to Monitor Police - After years of complaints of police misconduct, some residents of high-crime neighborhoods in St. Louis are being given free video cameras to help them monitor officers. The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri launched the project Wednesday after television crews last year broadcast video of officers punching and kicking a suspect who led police on a car chase. "The idea here is to level the playing field, so it's not just your word against the police's word," said Brenda Jones, executive director of the ACLU chapter. The ACLU has given cameras and training to about 10 residents in north St. Louis, a high-crime, low-income part of the city that members said is plagued by police misconduct. The group hopes to expand the program to 50 to 100 residents. Police spokesman Richard Wilkes declined to comment when asked how the program might affect police relations with the public. "We don't have any opinions or feelings about it one way or another," Wilkes said. "Hopefully it records positive interactions between the police and the community." Former police Sgt. K.L. Williams is overseeing the training, teaching residents how to videotape officers from a safe distance without interrupting arrests or searches. "The citizens are not there to interfere with any police contacts," Williams said. ACLU spokesman Redditt Hudson said the program also will include free workshops to teach residents about their rights when approached by police. Project organizers have worked closely with police to make sure they are aware of the program's goals, Jones said. The ACLU declined to release the names of people participating in the video monitoring.

ACLU Gives St. Louis Residents Video Cameras to Monitor Police - Judge Vincent Ragosta granted the ACLU's motion for the documents pursuant to an open records lawsuit. Pointing out that it has been almost two years since the first surveillance camera was unveiled, Kolb said, "It is inconceivable that the Providence police would not have policies or guidelines in place concerning the use of the video cameras." In this same lawsuit, city officials continued to deny the ACLU access to their policies governing cameras in police cruisers even after a copy of that policy was provided to a Providence Journal reporter who then wrote a story which described the policy in detail.

ACLU Know Your Rights Pocket Card - Even the Jewish Communist ACLU supports more "civil" rights than unconstitutional police state death squads. Beware: ACLU supports the 6th Plank of the Communist Manifesto (Govt control of transportation) and not the Constitutionally guaranteed God-given Natural right to travel for US citizens, but does demand that right for half a billion illegal aliens to invade USA and violently overthrow the US Constitution. ACLU Bush Card promotes the Constitutional right to silence, but other Communist tips will promote losing in traffic court. ACLU promotes hiring expensive lawyers, or paying govt trial lawyers who are paid to lose, rather than winning for free pro se.

Top Ten (10) Things NOT to Do If You Are Arrested - PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS ADVICE. A wide variety of people are arrested every day and the majority of the individuals make the same mistakes which make there situation even worse. Many of these reactions are understandable, however some defy logic and reason. Nobody plans on being arrested, but you may be arrested for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Share this with your colleagues, friends and family because it wil