Police State

Will Grigg: Why is it a “Crime” to Disarm a Uniformed Aggressor?

"Sheriff Terry Maketa of Colorado’s El Paso County has promised his constituents that he 'will actively oppose any effort that infringes upon your second amendment rights.' That promise apparently doesn’t apply to the right of an unarmed citizen to defend himself against acts of criminal violence committed by one of Maketa’s deputies. If it did, Maketa would have urged the local prosecutor to drop all charges against Calhan, Colorado resident David Goss, a sod farmer who is now serving an unjustified four-year prison sentence for the supposed crime of trying to avoid being shot in the stomach by Deputy Jeff Schulz." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Grigg: Why is it a “Crime” to Disarm a Uniformed Aggressor?

When Police Violate the Constitution

"The federal courts are bearing down on the New York City Police Department’s constitutionally suspect stop-and-frisk program, under which hundreds of thousands of citizens are stopped on the streets each year, often illegally and for no discernible reason. The department’s patently illegal strategy, the judge said, encouraged officers to 'stop and question first, develop reasonable suspicion later.' The ruling focuses on detentions that occurred as people were entering or leaving one of many residential buildings in the Bronx whose managers had simply asked the department to patrol the area and arrest trespassers." Continue reading →

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NYPD Comissioner Ray Kelly: Police to use Tera-Hertz scanners within six months

"The New York Police Department will begin using scanner technology that can see through a person’s clothes within the year, according to Commissioner Ray Kelly. 'We’ve been looking at it for several years, looking at it with the Department of Defense, and also Metropolitan Police in London,' he said on CBS News’ Face the Nation. New technology called Tera-Hertz scanners or T-Ray machines can be used to detect whether a person is carrying a concealed firearm. The new device utilizes T-rays, which pass through fabric and paper, but not cannot pass through metals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNYPD Comissioner Ray Kelly: Police to use Tera-Hertz scanners within six months

LAPD Spied on 21 Using StingRay Anti-Terrorism Tool

"A secretive cellphone spy device known as StingRay, intended to fight terrorism, was used in far more routine LAPD criminal investigations 21 times in a four-month period during 2012, apparently without the courts' knowledge that the technology probes the lives of non-suspects who happen to be in the same neighborhood as suspected terrorists. StingRay, which allows police to track mobile phones in real time, was tapped for more than 13 percent of the 155 'cellular phone investigation cases' last year. LAPD purchased StingRay technology sometime around 2006 with federal Department of Homeland Security funds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLAPD Spied on 21 Using StingRay Anti-Terrorism Tool

Owner wins court battle against feds trying to seize his Tewksbury motel

"Caswell has been battling the government since September 2009 to save the motel his father built in 1955. The government sought to seize the motel using a civil asset forfeiture law that allows the government to seize property linked to drug crimes. The government introduced information about 15 specific drug-related incidents at the motel from 1994 to 2008, a period of time, the judge noted, when the motel had rented out 196,000 rooms. But Caswell has never been charged with — or even accused of — any criminal wrongdoing, the Globe reported in November." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOwner wins court battle against feds trying to seize his Tewksbury motel

Man With 4th Amendment Written on Chest Wins Trial Over Airport Arrest

"Among other things, the federal lawsuit claimed wrongful detention and a breach of the First Amendment and Fourth Amendment. Tobey was on his way to Wisconsin for his grandmother’s funeral. Despite his detainment, he made his flight. According to the suit, while under interrogation, the authorities wanted to know 'about his affiliation with, or knowledge of, any terrorist organizations, if he had been asked to do what he did by any third party, and what his intentions and goals were.' Two weeks later, Henrico County prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor charge against him, and he sued the Transportation Security Administration and others." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan With 4th Amendment Written on Chest Wins Trial Over Airport Arrest

Kim Dotcom wants to encrypt half of the Internet to end government surveillance

"The United States government says that Kim Dotcom, a German millionaire formerly known as Kim Schmitz, masterminded a vast criminal conspiracy by operating the file-storage site Megaupload. Dotcom, on the other hand, begs to differ. One year after the high-profile raid of his home and the shut-down of one of the most popular sites on the Web, Dotcom hosted a launch party for his latest endeavor, simply called Mega. On the anniversary of the end of Megaupload, Dotcom discusses the year since his arrest and what the future holds in regards to both his court case and the Internet alike." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKim Dotcom wants to encrypt half of the Internet to end government surveillance

Major ISPs set to implement ‘six strikes’ online piracy program

"A new voluntary system aimed at rooting out online copyright piracy using a controversial 'six strikes' system is set to be implemented by US Internet providers soon, with the impact unclear. The program was created with the music and film industry and the largest Internet firms, with some prodding by US government. Participating in the program are the five largest broadband Internet providers — Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Cablevision and Verizon — covering some 85 percent of US residential customers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMajor ISPs set to implement ‘six strikes’ online piracy program

Feinstein Gun Control Bill to Exempt Government Officials

"Not everyone will have to abide by Senator Dianne Feinstein's gun control bill. If the proposed legislation becomes law, government officials and others will be exempt. 'Mrs. Feinstein's measure would exempt more than 2,200 types of hunting and sporting rifles; guns manually operated by bolt, pump, lever or slide action; and weapons used by government officials, law enforcement and retired law enforcement personnel,' the Washington Times reports." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeinstein Gun Control Bill to Exempt Government Officials

Oregon Democrat proposing making cigarettes a prescription-only drug

"A lawmaker in Oregon has proposed making nicotine a Schedule III controlled substance in the state, placing it in the same category as many prescription tranquilizers and stimulants. The bill, introduced by Democratic Rep. Mitch Greenlick, would require anyone who wished to smoke a cigarette to first obtain a prescription from a doctor. Nicotine-containing products would only be available from pharmacies. Those caught using nicotine without a prescription could face up to one year in prison and a $6,250 fine under the proposed law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOregon Democrat proposing making cigarettes a prescription-only drug