Russell Arrested 4/15/2010

[George Donnelly]

Is this where market providers step up and shield folks like Russell from the thugs (for a reasonable price)?

[Kat Kanning]

Heh, sounds good George.

In the meantime, if people want to help, I think it would be good to call the court and ask them to let Russell work.  It's rediculous to demand all this money from him, while silmultaneously making it impossible for him to work.

It's the Cheshire County Superior Court
(603) 352-6902

[Bill St. Clair]

Is this where market providers step up and shield folks like Russell from the thugs (for a reasonable price)?

How many thugs are there? A couple hundred? At 50 cents a round...

Only joking.

[FTL_Ian]

So, I hear they secretly held his hearing on Monday morning.  Are they actually holding him indefinitely, or is it 200 days at $50 per day?  Of course, by then over six months has gone by so he'll "owe" another $10,000 by then, right?  Then they can just put him back in for another 200 days.  Am I misunderstanding how this might work?  If not, how many other men are in this trap?

[sandm000]

Too many.

[Tom Sawyer]

So, I hear they secretly held his hearing on Monday morning.  Are they actually holding him indefinitely, or is it 200 days at $50 per day?  Of course, by then over six months has gone by so he'll "owe" another $10,000 by then, right?  Then they can just put him back in for another 200 days.  Am I misunderstanding how this might work?  If not, how many other men are in this trap?

Ask Richard Van Wickler... or at least ask him about the conditions in his prison. What are the standards for temperature and ventilation?

I know his answer... it's the best they can do before moving into the new wonderful facility. Which he is real excited to operate... the only obstacle to his plan... Russell Kanning... tar baby... Career dude, should remember that.

[MaineShark]

So, I hear they secretly held his hearing on Monday morning.  Are they actually holding him indefinitely, or is it 200 days at $50 per day?  Of course, by then over six months has gone by so he'll "owe" another $10,000 by then, right?  Then they can just put him back in for another 200 days.  Am I misunderstanding how this might work?  If not, how many other men are in this trap?

The $50/day thing is for fines, not judgments; we don't (officially) have debtors prisons in the US.  You can pay the State's fines by serving jail time, but if there's a judgment saying that he owes his X a certain amount per month, he can't "pay" that by serving time.

No one's posted the actual details of the charges, but I expect he's being held for contempt of court - that is, willfully refusing to abide by the order the court gave him.

However, proving a contempt charge requires that they establish that he was given a lawful order (a judge can't order you to go murder someone, and hold you in contempt for refusing), that he failed to obey the order, and that he was capable of obeying it.  It's that third part that would likely apply in this case, if his income does not allow for him to pay that amount.

Again, that's guessing at what they're doing, without knowing the details, but I expect that's the case; simply owing money is not a jailable offense, unless it is supposedly "owed" to the State.

Joe

[Jim Johnson]

They need a huge protest while they are moving prisoners to the new jail this week.

[Tom Sawyer]

When oh noble knight?

Folks of the Shire are being denied the Cardinal's fellowship.

[Kat Kanning]

There's no $50/day for this.  It's debtor's prison.

I couldn't find in his file what the actual charges were with the court harridens yelling at me.  The arrest warrant was for not showing up in court.  There wasn't anything in his file about what happened Monday, but they told me he was being held until he pays $10,000, and that money isn't considered bail.  This is for child support.

[Lance]

So, I hear they secretly held his hearing on Monday morning...

Interesting.

Message from Jim: Russell's hearing will be Tuesday at Superior CT in Keene, not Monday.

Very interesting.  I'd like to have a look at the court's file.  I'll post here after I've done so.

[Kat Kanning]

When I looked at it Tuesday, there wasn't anything about what happened on Monday, that I could find.  That court has NEVER let me attend one of his appearances.  They've always changed the date/time at the last minute, I assume to make sure I can't be there.

[MaineShark]

There wasn't anything in his file about what happened Monday, but they told me he was being held until he pays $10,000, and that money isn't considered bail.  This is for child support.

They'll have to have some sort of RSA number attached.  That would tell us what they're up to, anyway...

It sounds like a contempt of court charge.  If so, inability to pay is a defense.

Joe

[Kat Kanning]

I believe contempt of court was what they were doing last time.

[lildog]

He was still in the hot bubble room, but able to give us a smile.

Hot bubble room?