(originally launched into cyberspace on 08/05/2008)
Well, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has, at long last, ruled
on the appeal of my conviction. They have decided that the First,
Fourth and Sixth Amendments don't really mean what they say.
They've decided that it's perfectly okay for the feds to steal
every copy they can find of a perfectly legal video. They've
decided that it's perfectly okay for the feds to do a giant fishing
expedition, under the guise of a "search warrant," without
bothering to limit the search to evidence of supposed "crimes," and
without even alleging the existence of any evidence or information
not already in the government's possession. They've ruled that it's
perfectly okay, in a trial hinging entirely on a defendant's
beliefs, to prohibit the defendant from showing the jury anything
he ever said or wrote.
Am I surprised? No. The "referees" are all appointed and paid by
the other team. How fair and objective would anyone with a brain
expect them to be? It's nice timing, though. Since "Kicking the
Dragon" just came out, it makes a nice example of what a joke the
"justice" system is. Now people can read the whole ridiculous
story, and then say, "Wow, three appellate court judges thought all
of that was just fine." Like I've said before, control freaks
perform a very valuable service when they drop the facade of
fairness and justice, and expose themselves for the god-complex
crooks they are. That's all this ruling does.
It would have be nice to get my $10,000 fine back (especially right
now), but other than that, if I had won, all the government would
do is say, "Oops, you're not convicted after all; sorry we locked
you up for a year." I would get no compensation for that anyway. So
on a practical level, it doesn't make much difference for me. And
as a matter of exposing the fraud, it makes for another fine
addition to the already astounding array of examples of people in
power lying, cheating and stealing, ignoring the law, the truth,
and justice, in order to maintain their power. Par for the course.
Larken Rose
http://www.kickingthedragon.com
