constitutional liberty coalition

Homeowner, 80, charged in shooting of burglar: ‘Unjust that I can’t protect me’

"Awakened by his 75-year-old wife, Wright confronted a 19-year-old burglar who had broken through some plywood over a bathroom window in hopes of stealing liquor, according to police. Wright grabbed his 38.caliber pistol, loaded with four rounds, and shot the intruder in the leg. The suspect was arrested -- but so was Wright. Because of prior weapons convictions, Wright was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, sparking calls by his family and neighbors for prosecutors to back down." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHomeowner, 80, charged in shooting of burglar: ‘Unjust that I can’t protect me’

Man Faces Charges After Defending Himself from a Bear in His Own Yard

"Richard Ahlstrand, of Auburn, Massachusetts, faces criminal charges after encountering a bear in his back yard and shooting the damned thing to avoid being mauled or eaten. Specifically, as noted at Reason 24/7, he's charged with 'illegally killing a bear, illegally baiting a bear, illegal possession of a firearm and failure to secure a firearm.' All of these charges, once translated from Massachusetts to American, seem to stack up to outrage that Ahlstrand didn't make his yard completely inhospitable to animals that are rarely seen in the area." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan Faces Charges After Defending Himself from a Bear in His Own Yard

Hope in Hawley

"Hawley, Massachusetts. A small little town in a rural New England area west of the Berkshires. A recent article run by the Associated Press stated that: 'Select Board member Tedd White resigned Thursday, the fourth official in the town of about 330 residents to step down since a March 12 special election to replace a selectman who died in office. White said in his resignation letter he would rather ‘pound my thumbs with a hammer’ than attend ‘crooked, rigged’ board meetings. The town clerk, town moderator and a member of the regional school committee have also resigned this month, saying they cannot work with the board.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHope in Hawley

Officer fired after trying to give phony insurance ticket to politician

"A state trooper who said he was 'cutting a break' to a speeding legislator has been fired because he decided instead to falsely cite the lawmaker for not having proof of car insurance. Trooper Charles Swindle, a six-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol, is appealing his March 15 firing and says the state highway patrol has an unwritten policy of not issuing tickets to lawmakers who set the patrol’s budget, a charge the agency hotly denies but which raises new questions about whether politicians get favored treatment on Florida’s highways." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficer fired after trying to give phony insurance ticket to politician

Apple’s iMessage encryption trips up feds’ surveillance

"Encryption used in Apple's iMessage chat service has stymied attempts by federal drug enforcement agents to eavesdrop on suspects' conversations, an internal government document reveals. An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, 'it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices' even with a court order approved by a federal judge." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingApple’s iMessage encryption trips up feds’ surveillance

Judge declares using Google Maps for driving directions illegal in California

"Judge Hamlin reasoned that the law's intent was to prevent all manual operation of the cellphone to curb distracted driving. Hamlin felt this even though Sprigg argued that when the original law specified voice calls, it was felt necessary to append the law to add texting to its purview. Using that example, if the law didn't specify the other operations it covered, then it shouldn't apply to those other operations. Hamlin's decision countered that there was no legislative history that demonstrated the bill's original supporters didn't want texting covered by the law originally." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJudge declares using Google Maps for driving directions illegal in California

Given The Chance, All Governments Would Abolish Freedom Of Speech

"Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter filed a complaint with that city’s Human Rights Commission accusing a magazine of 'racial incitement' for publishing a story dealing with race relations. Downey, California resident Hashim Bomani was hit with a restraining order after using his blog to criticize Steven Golightly, director of the LA County Child Support Services Department. Dominic Ray Aguilar, a 37-year-old cab driver from Roseville, California, has been charged with making 'terroristic threats' against Police Officer John Moody in a Facebook post condemning Officer Moody for gunning down an unarmed man named Ernesto Duenez." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGiven The Chance, All Governments Would Abolish Freedom Of Speech

Environmental activist re-jailed after writing blog post about prison conditions

"Environmental activist Daniel McGowan was taken back to prison on Thursday after he wrote a Huffington Post op-ed post while in a halfway house asserting that his fellow inmates were imprisoned for their religious or political beliefs. After publishing his op-ed, McGowan was then sent back to a high-security prison facility Thursday morning. His wife, Jenny Synan, told the Huffington Post, 'If this is indeed a case of retaliation for writing an article about the BOP retaliating against his free speech while he was in prison, it is more than ironic, it is an outrage.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEnvironmental activist re-jailed after writing blog post about prison conditions

Feds Seize Property; Tell Owner, “Prove It’s Yours!”

"Eight years ago this week, on a sunny, clear, but windy and hence cold day, near a wide spot in the road called Garryowen an hour north of the Wyoming border, vans full of armed, SWAT-geared federal agents sped down I-80. Garryowen is a private town owned by Christopher Kortlander that features, among other structures, a gas station, a convenience store, a fast-food outlet, an arts and crafts store ('The Trading Post'), and the Custer Battlefield Museum. The vans skidded to a stop before the museum and the agents leaped out as they drew weapons, surrounded and stormed into the museum, and held its employees at gun point." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeds Seize Property; Tell Owner, “Prove It’s Yours!”

Jim Bovard: Farmers fight for the right to grow raisins

"Marvin Horne, a 67-year-old raisin farmer in Fresno, Calif., was fined almost $700,000 for refusing to surrender control of much of his harvest to the federal committee in 2002. Horne, who has been growing raisins for more than 40 years, has battled the raisin committee for more than a decade and describes its regime as 'involuntary servitude.' His challenge -- which is supported by many California raisin growers -- landed in front of the Supreme Court last month. According to the Obama Administration and USDA, the Raisin Administrative Committee needs vast power to protect farmers from selling too many raisins." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJim Bovard: Farmers fight for the right to grow raisins