Is this America? (Son kidnapped to Cheshire County Jail)

[Quantrill]

That is ridiculous.  So you have a right to a fair and speedy trial, but not producing your son (even while in jail) gets you contempt and you can be held indefinitely?  And if the contempt charge was dropped, why is he still in jail? 

[Russell Kanning]

Here is the latest news:
http://www.keenefreepress.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=488&Itemid=36

[Tom Sawyer]

Good article, nice to hear he and his family has gotten some comfort from your efforts.   

And great job to the folks who came out to demonstrate support.

[Quantrill]

Brian said to tell you the Sheriffs were mad because they got dragged out of the donut shop to escort him to court.

[Kat Kanning]

I got a letter that said, "Dave Ridley wrote Brian.  I guess it got a few COs upset or shook them up by what he wrote on the envelope.  It was good for a laugh and nice of him to take the time to write."

She didn't say what it was that Dave wrote.  Perhaps he would share?

[TackleTheWorld]

I'll bet he wrote:

Brian Severence
Wrongly Imprisoned @
Cheshire County Jail
160 River Rd S
Westmoreland, NH 03467

[error]

Is that what he usually writes? It sounds like a very good idea.

[Kat Kanning]

For Russell (and Lauren), I like:

Russell Kanning, Political Prisoner

[Kat Kanning]

I think in the next article about Brian, I'll include this:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Brian has not been charged with any crime that we know of, has not had a trial, and has had all his hearing in secret, all info about him is secret.

[Tom Sawyer]

Thanks for championing this cause Kat... I think this is just the tip of the "iceberg" regarding the abuses of parents and their children by this "social services" authorities.

[Kat Kanning]

I visited Brian in jail again just now.  He knew that Russell was in there and will try and see him when he's in the common room.  He thinks Russell is being let outside on Saturdays.

Brian had comtempt charges against him for the same thing in both Superior Court and Keene District Court (double jeopardy?).  The charges were in district court originally, but because Brian was living out of state, they needed charges against him in Superior Court.  They were civil charges for contempt, and the governor won't sign extradition papers for civil matters.

The contempt charge stems from some supposed agreement Brian made to produce his son.  His lawyer demanded to see the agreement.  No agreement was found, so the contempt charges were dropped in Superior Court.  Also, his hearing in Superior Court were held publically, just blanking out the son's name.  So the secrecy of the hearings in district court is BS.

The NH police came down to MA where Brian was living at the time and arrested him.  I believe this is illegal.  They broke his hand while arresting him.  He had no medical treatment for it for 7 months.  To add insult to literal injury, they're now requiring him to pay for his medical care.

Oh, the thing Dada wrote on the envelope basically accused them of Nazi-style tactics.  Brian also got a letter from Shorty Dawkins of Winchester

[Kat Kanning]

Oh yeah, when we were protesting outside the court for Brian's hearing, it caused a huge stir.  They had seven police officers there for him, which is totally unusual.  And one of the officers kept looking out the window at the protestors during the hearing.  At the hearing, they just gave him the opportunity to tell where his kid was, but they didn't give him any new info.  They scheduled the next hearing for May 31st (at 10:00?).

I didn't come with a note pad...bad reporter.  I had just planned to chat with him.

[Kat Kanning]

(pieces of the conversation are coming back to me bit by bit)  This was funny.  When they were taking Brian to court, they were driving down Maple St.  The officer got a phone call, so they turned around and went a different way, presumably so they didn't have to drive right past the protestors.  It's amazing how much disruption in the bureaucrats' rountines a few protestors can cause.  I guess locking the door to the hearing room while they were in there isn't normal either.

[Kat Kanning]

Here's the latest article:

http://www.keenefreepress.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=498&Itemid=36

Amendment VI of the US Constitution states:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

In the case of Brian Severance, the accused has not been given a speedy and public trial.  He's been given no trial at all.  He has had no chance to defend himself.  Brian Severance has been mercilessly imprisoned for 7 months, yet no criminal charges have been filed against him.  Keene District Court Justice Edward J. Burke ordered Severance held on Contempt of Court.  He has ordered all proceeding to happen in secret.  Court officials divulge no information on the status of Severance, nor why he is being held, nor when court hearing occur.  It makes it difficult for me to confirm what Severance tells me about his case.

This is the info Brian gave me in a recent interview:

Brian had contempt charges against him for the same thing in both Superior Court and Keene District Court (Trying a person twice for the same offense is called double jeopardy.  US courts are forbidden to do this.).  The charges were in district court originally, but because Brian was living out of state, they needed charges against him in Superior Court to make it criminal contempt.  They were civil charges for contempt, and the governor won't sign extradition papers for civil matters.

The contempt charge stems from some supposed agreement Brian made to produce his son.  His lawyer demanded to see the agreement.  No agreement was found, so the contempt charges were dropped in Superior Court.  Also, his hearings in Superior Court were held publicly, just blanking out the son's name to protect the minor's privacy.  So the secrecy of the hearings in district court is BS.

The NH police came down to MA where Brian was living at the time and arrested him.  I believe this is illegal.  They broke his hand while arresting him.  He had no medical treatment for it for 7 months.  To add insult to literal injury, they're now requiring him to pay for his medical care.

To recap the previous story, Brian was accused of child abuse after complaining that the Winchester Elementary School was locking his son in a closet.  One son was kidnapped from VT and put in a NH foster home.  The other son has apparently escaped this fate with his mother.  The court is demanding that Severance produce his son.  Severance says he does not know where his family is now located. 

I say if Brian Severance has done something wrong, give the man a trial in open court and let it be proven or disproven.  As it is, with accusations of illegally extraditing Brian and his son Scott from out of state, all this secrecy makes it seem that Keene district court has much to hide.

[TackleTheWorld]

Brian seemed in good spirits yesterday, here's some pix.


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