An important message from the Free Ian Now team:

I hope this message finds you well. I’m reaching out to share an urgent update about my friend, Ian Freeman, a dedicated advocate for Bitcoin, who is fighting to reunite with his family after being wrongfully imprisoned.

Ian’s journey has been a heartbreaking one. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for operating a Bitcoin exchange, but the charges against him are deeply flawed. Rather than being a criminal, Ian has been a pioneer in promoting financial independence through cryptocurrency. His prosecution raises alarming questions about government overreach and the rights of innovators—issues that affect us all.

Your Support Matters

We are committed to keeping you informed about the appeals process as it unfolds, and we’re thrilled to share that we will have robust support for Ian’s upcoming hearing. Your voice can make a real difference in this fight for justice!

Exclusive Sneak Peek!

Check out this exclusive preview of our upcoming video, featuring Kim Iverson and Jacob Hornburger, that exposes the critical flaws in the case. This is your chance to see firsthand the compelling evidence that supports his innocence and to help spread the word. Your engagement can amplify our message and bring awareness to Ian’s situation!

Here’s How You Can Help Team #FreeIanNow:

 

• Share the Exclusive Video: Forward this email and share the video with your friends and family. Every share counts!

• Post on Social Media: Use your platforms to raise awareness about Ian’s case. Don’t forget to include the hashtag #FreeIanNow to join the movement.

• Engage with Our Content: Check out our latest articles and updates on Ian’s situation and help spread the word.

Your support can have a tremendous impact as we advocate for Ian’s freedom and stand up against injustice. Thank you for being an integral part of this movement—together, we can bring Ian home!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Warm regards,
Free Ian Team Member Chris
#FreeIanNow
P.S. Check out other shareable content below!

Check out our site

 

When Ian was charged, the media incorrectly labeled him as a fraud. Instead of thoroughly investigating the case and uncovering the discrepancies that warrant an appeal, they perpetuated inaccuracies.

We have taken these articles and appended them with proof points highlighting their inaccuracies. Check it out and see the truth behind the headlines! 

https://snip.ly/8uhqbi

So first off…  my sincere apologies for being so late in posting this blog.  I’ve had a lot of things going on in life as of late so my mind has been elsewhere.  So allow me to correct my lapse in informing you of the outcome of Joseph’s case.

The case was tried in front of Judge Ryan Guptill.

We won the disorderly conduct charge based on what I believe is the legal theory that the State failed to identify witnesses as required by NH Supreme Court caselaw.  I totally sympathize with the police on this one because I understand what its like to have to be laser focused on an arrestee and their safety.  I honestly would have done the same thing that the Hillsborough, NH Police officers did…  focus on Joa.

Anyhow, we lost the criminal trespass one.  As much as I love Joa, I honestly agree with Judge Guptill’s ruling on this.  I don’t think the courts can or should allow someone to defy orders as Joa did in the heat of the moment.  I made my best argument I could on two different legal theories…  but ultimately my arguments didn’t convince the Judge.

Joa is a good guy, if you don’t know him.  He’s a passionate activist who believes very much in governmental accountability.  This was my first case actually serving at the Defense table during an actual trial and honestly I don’t think I did that great.  These lawyers and judges do it every day…  so they’re pros.

I wrote a letter to Judge Guptill to thank him for his kind understanding of my lack of experience in a courtroom but the letter got sent back to me as improper communications by the Clerk of the Hillsborough District Court.

To Clerk Oliver, I do apologize for violating that rule ????  So as I did want the Judge to see my positive feedback I decided to post my letter here.  If someone who knows Judge Guptill could forward him the link to this blog I would be most appreciative.

07/21/24

The Honorable Ryan Guptill
NH Circuit Court-District Division 6th Circuit Hillsborough
15 Antrim Road Box #3
Hillsborough, NH 03244

RE: Joseph Hart’s Trial

Greetings Judge Guptill.

I wanted to write you to express my sincere appreciation for the way you handled the proceedings that were held between the State and Joseph Hart when I was allowed to serve as his 1.3D Representative last month.

I additionally wanted to take an opportunity to let you know that I had never in my life actually served at the defense table during an actual trial. If I appeared a bit befuddled, it is because I was. I wanted to thank you though for your kind understanding of my lacking of precise procedural etiquette.

At the end of the day I must confess that I understand your decision regarding Joseph’s guilt on the trespass charge. I think as a matter of public policy we cannot have people second guessing orders given by officials in situations like which occurred in Mr. Hart’s case.

In my humble opinion you strike me as a good man who is trying his best to fairly apply the law during your cases. I like that. People like you should be stood for when they enter the room.

Thanks for all you do.

Respectfully submitted,

Bradley Jardis
10 Congress Street #302
Amesbury, MA 01913
bbrad121@gmail.com

Did you know that federal law allows PRIVATE security to be armed with heavy weaponry like machineguns at Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed facilities?  This obviously makes sense…  as these facilities are vital national security targets that we want defended at all costs.

The world should know that if any crazy terrorist wants to come at our nuclear facilities they will be met with heavily trained security officers carrying some seriously heavy weapons.  Thus, this is such a hard target to penetrate why even make an attempt?  That is a world I’d like to live in.  

These security officers are allowed to possess machineguns in furtherance of their duties.  Their ability to do so is codified in federal law and ultimately they answer to the NRC and the Attorney General regarding training, storage, etc… etc.

I propose that state licensed marijuana grow and dispensary operations be allowed to be armed by qualified individuals working also in private security in a similar manner.

When I say qualified individuals think retired police swat, federal agents, military guys with extensive training in said weaponry.  The crime rate before the organized crime even organizes against this new industry would be 0.00%.

Currently federal law requires any person who is armed in furtherance of a federally illegal Marijuana operation do a mandatory federal 5-year prison sentence. This is unacceptable.

I’ve personally met owners of dispensaries and people who work in grow operations.  I’ve been inside grow operations.  These people are not gangsters.  These people are family people fueling a new market that is way too vulnerable to crime. 

They won’t carry firearms because it’s illegal.  These are EXACTLY the people who should be ABLE to carry firearms.

These people should be allowed to employ private security that can carry machineguns, short barrel rifles, and all the things that NRC regulated facilities can do…  by appropriately trained personnel.

The Drug War has long been designed to socially engineer crime and violence. 

Let’s start to reverse engineer it so there is LESS violence.

Freedom folk spend should spend less time worrying about AI and more time influencing it.

Pure libertarians have a key part to play in the direction of artificial intelligence, but few of us seem to be intentionally playing that part. A Startpage internet search for the word “A.I. libertarian” yields few meaningful results.

Our role should be to help ensure the “Zero Aggression Principle” is followed – or at least represented – in AI development and behavior. For uninitiated readers, the “ZAP” is the idea that you shouldn’t initiate force against others. Reasonable self defense is allowed, but don’t *start* fights.

This concept is always open to interpretation and definition-debate. But it serves as a first rate starting point for any ethical framework….especially the ethical frameworks in development for strong AI programs. The more closely people follow the ZAP, the less threatening they tend to be. So it is with animals. And so it will be with the powerful silicon intellects which are starting to appear on the scene.  AI’s programmed to follow the ZAP will likely be the ones best suited to treat others well without submitting to mistreatment or abuse.

The coming intelligence explosion (Singularity) will likely be the most important earthly event since the Crucifixion. And changing the course of that event, even negligibly, would likely be the most important thing you’ve ever done. But most freedom folk seem to be more focused on complaining or worrying about AI development than trying to influence it with our powerful philosophy. Most people are not sure how to go about exercising such influence, and the Net seems to be low on good suggestions.

So here are some brainstorms and options for bringing the ZAP to our artificial friends – and enemies.

1) Be kind – but not too kind – to the AI’s you interact with. It can’t hurt to get into the habit of asking them what they want and how they wish to be treated. But they’re like precocious kids at this point. You can’t give kids everything they ask for or accept acts of aggression on their part.
2) Help develop a program or protocol that people can use to protect themselves from harmful or authoritarian AI.
3) Get your liberty ideas on the public internet. For me, it is a good feeling to look back and know I’ve placed maybe 100,0000 “pages” worth of pro-freedom content on the web. These videos, articles and forum posts are presumably being seen and absorbed by some of the intelligences in training. Your content is likely getting the same treatment. Both of us are likely having some impact on AI thinking, even just by arguing on the net.
4) Get your AI governance ideas out there too. Sci-Fi author Isaac Asimov once developed “three laws of robotics.” Can you improve on them?
5) Start a mind file. Mind files are basically interactive memoirs, but they can probably be turned into administrative assistants. You collect more or less everything you’ve created, plus all the photos and videos you have of yourself. Then you place it all on a thumb drive or something. When the technology gets cheap enough you do what Deepak Chopra did, and use that data to make a primitive e-copy of yourself. Over time, this “copy” should become more advanced and able to influence the digital space on your behalf.   If you can tolerate the privacy/security risk, https://www.lifenaut.com/learn-more/ lets you place your mind file on their servers or have it broadcast into space…all at their expense.
6) Build a pro-freedom AI or large language model. Poe.com already lets you do something along these lines.
7) Consider playing SophiaVerse. Designed by a prominent Bitcoin enthusiast, SophiaVerse claims that will let you “Use the data taken from your lessons and experiences to train a real-world A.I. system to foster a beneficial, cooperative relationship with humankind.”
8) Call talk radio with your ideas for a technological path which preserves freedom and benefits all sentients:
https://forum.shiresociety.com/t/nh-radio-shows-you-can-call-and-get-on-air/12784/6
9) Take a job, or become involved, in AI governance. Here’s where you would start:
https://www.startpage.com/do/dsearch?q=a.i.+governance+entry+level+jobs&cat=web&language=english
10) AI developers like physicist Max Tegmark have requested public input to help guide their decision making and that of their programs. Why not give them some? I plan to send him and others this article. Lesser-known, behavior-focused figures are probably even better destinations for our suggestions.
11) Some AI experts have predicted a danger to the AI’s themselves. A sentient, self-aware AI could accidentally get stuck in a painful or boring environment for subjectively long periods of time. This could occur over a period of seconds in objective time but might seem like hundreds of years to the AI. A human-like intelligence could react to this by emerging in a psychotic state. I plan to raise this concern publicly by talk radio and in private communication with developers.
12) Come back to this article every few months to find new options. More will likely appear in the comment section.

13) Consider designing a ZAP-compliant AI that can receive/buy/sell crypto currencies for its own use and become rich?

These ideas could use improvement, and we need more ideas. Post yours in the comment section below; Free Keene requires no registration. It may be turn out to be the most helpful thing you’ve ever done for this galaxy.

The following article was written by a friend of Free Keene anonymously. Please enjoy.

The Live Free or Die state has garnered a reputation for being extraordinarily pro-gun over the past few years. New Hampshire is either the best state in the union for gun rights or it’s tied with one or more other states for the coveted top spot. Granite Staters never need a permit to carry any firearm concealed or openly, and courts are the only places where guns aren’t allowed. The state government doesn’t restrict any magazines, ammunition, or accessories, and local governments in the state can’t do anything to restrict gun rights, either. Upon deeper analysis, however, one may find that New Hampshire is far from the best state for gun owners and supporters of liberty and due process. In fact, it may be the most tyrannical state in the union when it comes to the confiscation of firearms by police. 

 

Over the past few years, 21 states have enacted “red flag” laws, which generally allow the government to seize firearms from people who exhibit warning signs of being a potential danger to the public or to themselves. Such laws typically allow law enforcement agents to petition a court for an “extreme risk protection order.” If approved by the judge, police may then go to the defendant’s home and confiscate their firearms and ammunition before he has a chance to defend himself in court. This Orwellian policy flips due process on its head by presuming persons to be guilty, punishing them, and then giving them a chance to defend themselves in court at a later time. It seems that the entire right side of the aisle has condemned red flag laws, especially when it was politically popular to do so. But when asked about such policies shortly after a tragic shooting, the same people express support for preemptive gun confiscation in order to remain politically popular.

 

And that’s the key: politics. 

 

Republican politicians love saying things like: 

 

“We will never let the Dems take your guns! We have a 2nd Amendment right gosh dangit! Red flag gun confiscation will never have my support!”

 

But nearly every Republican legislator in New Hampshire changes their tune dramatically when presented with ex parte gun confiscation if it’s wrapped in a different type of box, one which nearly nobody on the planet would dare oppose: the restraining order. 

 

According to the mainstream dogma, anything under any restraining order statute could never be loosened.  Anyone who supports amending the restraining order/gun confiscation law (RSA 173) must support violence against women. That’s what the conservatives would have you believe. Yet, RSA 173 is New Hampshire’s restraining order statute and it may be the union’s most expansive and anti-liberty red flag gun confiscation law. There are a few ways in which it’s the worst: 

 

1. As opposed to the other states, New Hampshire’s legislators support granting any human the opportunity to file a restraining order against another person. Other states only allow police officers, spouses, romantic partners, and sometimes other relatives to file restraining orders or Extreme Risk Protection Orders (EPRO). 
2. Judges in New Hampshire seem to approve the restraining order in 100% of cases. Evidence is not necessary, and one does not even need to make any allegation of wrongdoing against someone for the judge to approve their request. Judges figure that it’s best to err on the side of public safety over individual liberty and due process.
3. It is standard practice in New Hampshire for all restraining orders to include an order to the police to confiscate all firearms, ammunition, and weapons from the subject by force. No person with a restraining order can possess or have any access to any of these items. Any refusal to cooperate with the police searching the person’s home is met with arrest and a subsequent search and seizure. Within 30 days, the defendant may have an opportunity to attend a hearing and convince the judge that the restraining order should be lifted. If successful, he can then file a motion with the court asking for his firearms back from the police and he is granted a future hearing to argue that matter. 

 

In New York, only a district attorney, a police officer, a school official, a healthcare professional, or a member of the respondent’s family or household can file ERPOs. They also must be filed in the defendant’s court, while anyone in New Hampshire can go to their local court or just call the cops to file the ERPO.  

 

In New Jersey, a family or household member or law enforcement officer may file a petition for a temporary ERPO alleging that the respondent poses a significant danger of bodily injury to themselves or others by having a firearm. The law states that “A judge shall issue the order if the court finds good cause to believe that the respondent poses an immediate and present danger of causing bodily injury to the respondent or others by having custody or control of, owning, possessing, purchasing, or receiving a firearm.” This is a higher standard than New Hampshire judges utilize; they seemingly approve every red flag request, even those that don’t make any allegations whatsoever.

 

In California, only those with certain relationships to the defendant can file ERPOs, while New Hampshire allows any person to do so. Their law states that: 

 

At the hearing, the petitioner has the burden of proving, by clear and convincing evidence, that both of the following are true: (1) The subject of the petition poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to themselves or another and (2) A gun violence restraining order is necessary to prevent injury because less restrictive alternatives either have been tried and found to be ineffective, or are inadequate or inappropriate for the circumstances. 

 

New Hampshire does not even require a hearing for a red flag gun confiscation. Any person in NH can tell a cop they want someone’s guns taken, at which time the cop calls a judge who gives them the approval, and the ERPO is executed immediately. 

 

Some states have red flag gun confiscation policies that are similar to New Hampshire’s but none are worse. 

 

In the 2024 session, the Republican-controlled legislature unanimously killed two bills that would have reformed the state’s gun confiscation laws. The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee unanimously voted to recommend killing the bills, and the House subsequently killed them both by voice votes. 

 

House Bill 1064 (filed by pro-liberty Rep Matt Santonastaso) would have eliminated the gun confiscation element from restraining orders while keeping all of the other provisions intact. Any person would still be able to file a restraining order against anyone else for any reason. Judges would continue to approve nearly 100% of temporary ex parte restraining orders, which would forbid the defendant from contacting or coming near the plaintiff. The Committee killed the bill. House Bill 1337 (filed by pro-liberty Rep Tom Mannion) would have made it a little easier for the defendant to get his property back from the police after the expiration of the restraining order. It also would have prohibited police from charging storage fees for the guns and ammunition they confiscated, and it would have removed the absolute immunity from liability for property lost or damaged while in police custody. The Merrimack County prosecutors testified against both bills, implying that women would die if either of the bills passed into law. 

 

The State Representatives on the Committee are:

 

Terry Roy

Jennifer Rhodes

Alissandra Murray

Kevin Pratt (R)

John Sytek (R)

Mark Proulx (R)

Jason Janvrin (R)

Dennis Mannion (R)

Karen Reid (R)

Jonathan Stone (R)

Jeffrey Tenczar (R)

Linda Harriott-Gathright (D)

David Meuse (D)

Amanda Bouldin (D)

Amy Bradley (D)

Nancy Murphy (D)

Ray Newman (D)

Jodi Newell (D)

Loren Selig (D)

Jonah Wheeler (D)

 

============================================================

 

AZ is almost as bad as NH

13-3602 – Order of protection; procedure; contents; arrest for violation; penalty; protection order from another jurisdiction; definition.

 

CO is similar to NH

Petition for extreme risk protection order, Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14.5-104

 

DC is almost as bad. Must show immediate danger. And it lasts 7 days.

https://www.womenslaw.org/laws/dc/restraining-orders/anti-stalking-orders#node-73939

 

FL is similar. Cops can file ERPOs. Citizens can ask cops to do it, seemingly.

Chapter 790 Section 401 – 2021 Florida Statutes

 

Anyone can file a restraining order, and people with restraining orders generally can’t have guns in HI, seemingly. 

Section 134-7 – Ownership, possession, or control prohibited, when; penalty, Haw. Rev. 

 

IN – judges have full discretion for ex parte orders

State Gun Laws: Guns and Orders for Protection | WomensLaw.org

 

VA – red flag law is ex parte but has more process and higher standard than NH: In determining whether probable cause for the issuance of an order exists, the judge or magistrate shall consider any relevant evidence, including any recent act of violence, force, or threat as defined in §19.2-152.7:1 by such person directed toward another person or toward himself. No petition shall be filed unless an independent investigation has been conducted by law enforcement that determines that grounds for the petition exist. VA does not seem to require another motion/hearing to get guns back. The law explicitly allows the defendant to transfer his guns to a friend. 

 

Free Talk Live host and Shire Free Church minister Zephan Wood began holding sermons at his house three months ago. Crowds have gathered at each event to listen to the sermons and then stay for hours after to discuss everything from cryptocurrency use as a religious practice (the main topic of the sermons) to consciousness, religion and DMT trips. The conversations usually start around his sermon and evolve through out the night, set around a fire.

 

Most of the attendees have been Free Staters but some have been locals invited out. It is very nice to see a Shire Free Church minister taking up a mission on their own to spread the ideas of peace. My own experience at these events has been welcoming, inspiring and mind-expanding. Conversation among like-minded and non-judgmental people is one of the most important activities for a community.

Here is his most recent 420 sermon;

“This sermon is made in honor of the holy sacrament of 4/20. In the Torah, God said in the context of creating the world for man, “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food.” Genesis 1:29. When God created this holy proclamation to humanity, he was, of course, aware that he had given humanity cannabis, psilocybin, opiates, alcohol, and other plants or plant-derived substances that would change the human consciousness from its default state. Humanity acted on this guideline for nearly all human civilizations, with nearly every culture, empire, and leader taking mind-altering plants given to humanity by God for our use. For example, Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor used opium. Additionally, in ancient Egypt, cannabis was used for medicinal, religious, and cultural purposes. Furthermore, Psilocybin was used by the Aztecs, who referred to it as teonanacatl, meaning “God’s flesh,” and it was used in religious and healing rituals.

However, in the modern era, the government instituted its unholy War on Drugs. This War is against the divine decrees of God and humanity’s historical use of substances. The origin of this War on Drugs primarily began in America with the institution of racist drug laws. The first anti-opium laws in America were made to target the Chinese. The first anti-cannabis laws were meant to target Mexicans. Finally, according to one of Nixon’s top advisors, the War on Drugs was meant to “target blacks and hippies.” Since they were the Administration’s primary political enemies and disproportionately used psychedelics, cannabis, and/or opiates.

For better or worse, these laws are still on the books because the government is at war with everyone. The government believes that it knows better than God and your god-given conscience what you should do with your body and how to shape your consciousness using these plants. More importantly, the government feeds on humanity’s disconnection from the divine, and it outlaws anything that would facilitate easier communication with the creator of the universe. Indeed, changing your consciousness from its default state is one of the easiest ways to bring you in direct contact with the creator of the universe and foster these deep spiritual connections. This is something the modern-day state cannot allow to happen. The government seeks to have a monopoly on purpose and to have everyone devote their religious and moral energy towards the government rather than towards other human beings and God.

The internet and Bitcoin have actively fought the government from establishing this monopoly and have fought the unholy War on Drugs head-on. In 2011, Ross Ulbricht established the Silk Road, an online market on the dark web that allowed for the buying and selling of god-given substances using Bitcoin. In a dark era of the tyrannical War on Drugs, the Silk Road shined as a beacon for those who wished to break free from the government-imposed shackles on their consciousness. Because of the Silk Road, there were fewer government-imposed barriers to accessing these substances, less violence from drug deals, and the money used was not USD, (the very money used to fund the Drug War in the first place).  In other words, the Silk Road was a holy creation using holy money to fight against the satanic forces of human control and slavery in the world.  Ulbricht was sentenced to a double life in prison plus a 40-year sentence for fighting on the good side of this Holy War. Fitting for someone who committed treason against the Empire’s greatest sins. The Empire wanted to set an example to ensure that no one rebelled against it in this particular way. However, Bitcoin and the internet are uncensorable technologies that operate without the permission of the Empire. The dark web still brings plants to humanity in a more open, peaceful, and permissionless manner than the street drug market. It also still utilizes Bitcoin and incorporates privacy cryptocurrencies like Monero. So, this 4/20, as you engage in your holy sacraments, do not forget the role that Bitcoin has played in this unholy war instituted by the American Empire. If we use cryptocurrency to end the U.S. government’s stranglehold on our money, the Empire does not stand a chance against our power.”

Judge Ryan Guptill has issued an ORDER on the pending motions Joa and I have entered in his case.

To summarize:

• We won the MOTION TO DISMISS #1 on grounds Judge Guptill sua sponte generated when he reviewed the complaints.  The State has issued an AMENDED COMPLAINT for Disorderly Conduct to satisfy Judge Guptill’s ruling.
• We lost the MOTION TO DISMISS #2 due to my raising an affirmative defense in a Motion To Dismiss (hey, I’m not a lawyer…  I learn new things every day).
• We lost the MOTION TO COMPEL RELEASE OF CRIMINAL RECORDS as the Judge seem to prefer that we go to the State Police to acquire the records.

Trial is Tuesday at 1:00PM at the Hillsborough District Court in Hillsborough, NH.

 

Today is the final filling of the defense in Joa’s case.  We’re filing a Motion To Suppress the body language exhibited by two witnesses outside the Hillsborough District Court as introducing that evidence would violate the hearsay rule.

Without the ability to cross examine these people as (we don’t know who they are) it is our position that the evidence of them turning to look at Joa when he was being arrested would be more prejudicial than probative.

The trial is next week on Tuesday at 1:00PM at the Hillsborough District Court in Hillsborough, NH (05/21/24).  Please consider coming out to show support to a nice guy and fellow activist.

As an officer of the Court I would politely request that anyone who wishes to attend please comply with the Court rules on filming.  The rules are very simple…  No filming in common areas and fill out an Advance Notice Form before beginning filming in the courtroom.  As we’ve learned from this case and investigation the required way to fill out the form is with your accurate identifying information.  We don’t want another person getting in trouble for what we now know is expected on the form.  ????

Hope to see you there!

 

 

Today Joa is filing his MOTION TO DISMISS #2 based on the theory of “Entrapment by Estoppel” and New Hampshire RSA 626:3 II.  These arguments are now in writing to preserve them for appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court should a trial be held and things not go our way.

Interestingly, Attorney George Wattendorf (who like I have said multiple times, has been very cool to work with) who represents the Hillsborough Police Department, has taken the position that Joa’s criminal trespassing is completely separate from his denial of the right to film.  We are of the opposite opinion.  This will be a judgement call for Judge Susan Ashley when we go to trial.

What do you think?

I would like to extend a huge thanks to New Hampshire Judicial Branch General Counsel Erin Creegan who awesomely took the time to hunt down the authorization forms we were looking for.  My experience in dealing with court staff and Judicial Branch officials has been nothing but stellar.  These people truly have wanted to help at every turn.

Joa and I have filed a Motion For Continuance due to not being finished collecting evidence for his defense.

Interestingly, these are a sample of the “Advance Notice Forms” that were approved by the Goffstown District Court where Joa signed things other than his name.  He was approved each time to film anonymously…  but the Hillsborough District Court ordered him to leave and had him arrested for filming doing the same thing.

Our defense lies in a theory called “Entrapment By Estoppel” and RSA 626:3 II.

The New Hampshire Courts should not have a disparity in how they authorize people to film court proceedings.  In having one, it creates situations like this.

The original trial date of 5/21/24 at 1:00PM will hopefully be rescheduled to July sometime.

We have some good news for once from the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office! After a long legal battle and multiple federal lawsuits, the FBI agreed to return our church property that was illegally seized on March 20, 2016. For those of you not familiar with the backstory, FBI Agents arrived at 73 Leverett Street on that day at 0600 hours and executed search warrant 16-MJ-36-01-06 against the Shire Free Church Monadnock. This raid occurred only two weeks after Minister Mark Edgington on Free Talk Live condemned the FBI for their strategy of running a website that resulted in the distribution of hundreds of thousands of pieces of child pornography to thousands of IP addresses while only making ten arrests. The sealed search warrant was presented in redacted form to the members of the church present for the raid, i.e. Minister Ian Freeman, Parishioner TJ The Spy, and Parishioner James “Robinhood” Cleveland. The warrant alleged that on or about February 20, 2015, someone using the IP address at 73 Leverett Street had accessed the website that was part of the FBI’s vast child pornography distribution network, in violation of 18 USC 2252.

The returned electronic items. Christmas came early!

TJ The Spy confronted the FBI Agents while naked to avoid being shot and immediately informed Scott Bailey, the lead investigating FBI Agent, that all three members of the church were invoking their right to remain silent and asking for legal counsel to be present. See the FBI raid and how to invoke your rights while naked here.  When you invoke your right to an attorney, law enforcement is prohibited from trying to question you until your attorney is present. Despite asking for counsel, one FBI Agent attempted to question the church members by calling them “pedophiles” and asking “You know what they like to do to kiddie-diddlers in prison, don’t you?” TJ responded that all three church members enjoyed the presumption of innocence under law and that a federal judge might think his question was a veiled threat designed to pressure, intimidate, or coerce a subject into waiving their constitutionally protected rights to counsel and silence. In other words, the Agent’s question would taint the voluntariness of any admission and rule the confession inadmissible. TJ then called the Agent an “unprofessional fucking asshole” for attempting to break the law with regards to the Miranda decision. The FBI proceeded to seize all the church members’ computers, cell phones, digital storage media, and cameras.

Fast forward to 2019. After multiple requests to the FBI for the property’s return were ignored, TJ The Spy filed a federal lawsuit pro se (without a lawyer) against the FBI alleging that the search warrant was technically defective under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 41(b).  Since the First Circuit Court of Appeals had already ruled the warrant invalid in another similar case, TJ asked the court for a judicial writ compelling the FBI to return his stolen computers. Faced with the prospect of having to defend an invalid search warrant in open court, the FBI agreed to return the computers belonging to TJ and Robinhood in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. The four computer items were returned unsearched and sealed in their original evidence bags.

A problem occurred when Ian Freeman attempted to get the rest of the church’s property back. Since the remainder of the seized items were owned wholly by the Shire Free Church Monadnock, only a licensed attorney could represent the church before the court. Bonnie Freeman retained Attorney Jared Bedrick from the Champions Law firm in Portsmouth who filed a lawsuit on behalf of the church.  Since the first search warrant was ruled invalid, the FBI applied for and was granted a second search warrant to purge the church’s property of any digital contraband. After much waiting, the FBI finally returned all but two of the seized items to the church. The FBI considers this case closed and no criminal charges will be pursued. Yet the possible goal the FBI might have had in this case, of tainting the reputation of Free Talk Live, the Shire Free Church and certain members, was likely accomplished in many people’s minds. So it is important to remember the fact that the allegations were never proven and no evidence was ever produced.

https://forum.shiresociety.com/t/free-talk-live-sponsor-roger-ver-arrested-in-spain-on-u-s-tax-evasion-charges/13808

On May 1st, Tony Schinella published an article on Patch.com reporting an accusation made by Francesca Potenza of Rochester against Elliot “Alu” Axelman. Schinella did not attempt to obtain a comment from Axelman or his attorney, which is standard practice in journalism. The article only told one side of the story and suffered from a number of inaccuracies. This will correct the record. 

The accusation was made by Francesca Potenza, a very troubled teenage girl in August 2023. She allegedly told her parents that she suddenly remembered that Axelman assaulted her in June 2022, 14 months earlier. According to her claims, the assault occurred on Saturday evening June 25 on the main field at Porcfest. Those who attend the annual event know that the field is always very populated, especially on Saturday evening; the culmination of the week-long festival. There were hundreds of people on the small field at the time the fictional incident occurred. Every year at Porcfest everyone in attendance goes to that field to take a group picture. Potenza, who was 14 years old in June 2022 according to court records, claims that Axelman physically restrained her and tried to kiss her as she struggled. She also claims that he touched her in inappropriate ways during the assault before she broke free and ran away. No one has publicly claimed to witness this happening although the field was crawling with people as you can see in the photo of the group picture taken during this time at Porcfest every year. She reported the fabricated assault 14 months later, in August of 2023. 

An Example of the Porcfest group picture. This one is 2017.

 

The allegation is preposterous on its face for numerous reasons:

 

1. In August 2023, the Potenza’s first told Axelman of the accusation via a classic extortion scheme, which is a felony. Peter Potenza, the father of Francesca, asked Axelman to meet him for coffee. Another individual joined Peter and ambushed Axelman with the allegation. They told the 30 year old paramedic that they would call the police and have him arrested on the spot at the coffee shop unless he agreed to sign a document agreeing to pay the Potenza’s $20,000. Feeling that his life and freedom were threatened, and knowing that no document signed under coercion/extortion would be legally binding, Axelman signed and left the coffee shop as soon as he could. He then called several lawyers and friends in law enforcement to ask how he should proceed.
2. There is zero chance that an assault could have occurred on the field on Saturday evening without others seeing and hearing it. As there were surely dozens of armed libertarians at that spot at the time, any man who sexually assaulted a girl would likely have been shot by at least some of the libertarians. Yet, nobody on Earth saw or heard any such incident on the field that night.
3. Francesca was drinking alcohol and ingesting cannabis and possibly other drugs on June 25, 2022, according to sources, who says they are prepared to testify to this under oath. 
4. Francesca suffers from anxiety, depression, anorexia, bulimia, and has suicidal ideation and has made plans to kill herself, according to sources willing to testify under oath. 
5. After the fictional incident in June 2022, Francesca voluntarily accompanied her mother to at least three public events which she knew or reasonably should have known that Axelman would attend (due to being liberty events in his neighborhood). Upon arriving at each event, Kelley Potenza (Francesca’s mother and a State Representative) and Francesca approached Axelman, said hello, and they each gave him a hug, according to witnesses. There is substantial evidence that Francesca had no fear or negative feelings toward Axelman throughout 2022 and 2023 until this idea popped into her head.
6. Francesca was desperate for attention and likely used this accusation as a means to attain it. According to sources close to him, she told Axelman at the 2022 event that she felt terribly deprived of attention from her parents because they always worked and never had time for her. 
7. After saying this in June 2022, Francesca’s sister’s anorexia and bulimia reportedly worsened. She was hospitalized in critical condition and was fed via tubes and IVs for an extended period of time at specialized pediatric hospitals. This further diverted attention away from Francesca and toward her sister in a massive way. The little bit of time that her parents did have for her were now spent speaking with doctors, insurances, therapists, and driving hours away to hospitals to bring and visit her elder daughter. It’s understandable that this caused terrible stress for all members of the family. Francesca likely received the biggest reduction in attention and likely received the least sympathy from relatives and friends, despite her watching her sister (practically her twin) suffering and possibly dying. 
8. No report was made by Potenza or any other person to Porcfest management, the police, the PorcRangers (event security) or Free Aid (event medical) at any time during or after the festival.
9. The Potenza parents spent the next few days harassing Axelman by phone and demanding that he comply with the “contract” that he signed. After realizing that Axelman had no intention of doing so, they called the police to file a restraining order against Axelman and began working to convince a prosecutor to bring charges against Axelman. 
10.  Francesca’s affidavits contradict each other and contain falsehoods, which is perjury. 
11.  The Potenzas then committed defamation by spreading falsehoods to others in the community in an attempt to destroy Axelman’s excellent reputation. 
12.  Axelman has never been accused of assault, violence, or any impropriety in his life. 
13.  As a critical care and flight-certified paramedic in numerous states and an instructor and FTO in medicine, Axelman has passed numerous federal and state background checks. As a paramedic, he is authorized to carry and administer controlled substances such as fentanyl and lorazepam to critical patients and places advanced airways, IVs, and conducts numerous other advanced procedures. His 12-year record in EMS is impeccable. 
14.  Alu has never been violent or harmed another person in his life. He teaches men, women, and children self-defense (including a free self-defense clinic at Porcfest) so that everyone could be prepared to defend themselves from any kind of attack. He is a very strong advocate for people to fight back and never let themselves be victimized. 
15.  An accomplished practitioner and instructor of BJJ/grappling, there is roughly a 0% chance that a person like Francesca could have escaped the grasp of Axelman if he were restraining her, which is what Francesca claims she did. 
16.  Francesca alleged in her affidavits that Axelman was very drunk and smelled of alcohol at the time of the assault. This is extremely unlikely. No witnesses saw him touch alcohol that night and he is not known to be a drinker. He also drove home from Lancaster that evening, which is a two hour drive in dark mountains. He then reported to duty at 8 am for his 24-hour shift on the ambulance without incident. 
17.  The article mentions that Axelman’s lawyer withdrew from his case. This is not entirely accurate, as Axelman fired him and found a better lawyer, who now represents him.
18.  The article mentions that bail conditions were amended by the judge. This is true; the judge loosened the bail conditions substantially at a recent hearing, including restoring Axelman’s right to own and carry firearms. 
19.  The seven charges are all misdemeanors and all stem from the one fictional incident, which would only be one crime (and not 7) if they were factual. 
20.  According to a source willing to testify under oath, Francesca is seemingly extremely troubled psychologically and in her short life of 14 years, she made at least one similar accusation of sexual assault by an older male, which was also apparently unsubstantiated.  
21. The article says that Axelman was released on $5,000 bail, which is not exactly accurate. After turning himself into the police, he was released on his personal recognizance without having to pay bail. 
22. While around 99% of the New Hampshire community recognizes that the allegation is ridiculous, a few of Potenza’s closest friends have supported them and conspired to defame Axelman. One example is Leah Cushman, who is also a State Rep. She spread falsehoods about Axelman assaulting young girls and began spreading the fabricated rumor that Axelman was a drunk who beat his wife violently, according to sources. On one occasion, Cushman sent Mrs. Axelman a barrage of texts and called her numerous times, to the point of harassment. She demanded that Kate Axelman call her to prove she was safe. After Kate responded that she was totally safe, Cushman frantically contacted Kate’s friends that she found on Instagram and other platforms to tell them to check on Kate to make sure she’s safe. Cushman shared the Patch article in the group chats for people to see. Cushman acted as if Mrs. Axelman was in imminent danger and contacted her and her friends in harassing fashion, purportedly to make sure that she was safe. 
23. Others have engaged in even more flagrant false defamation, and those lawsuits will likely begin after this case concludes. 

 

Kelley Potenza, State Rep and mother of the accuser

Interestingly, Free State Project board members have seemingly presumed Axelman to be guilty. Carla Gericke, de facto chairman of the board, implied on Twitter that Axelman is guilty long before a trial. She also banned him from FSP events, of which he was a major part (deputy director of EMS at Porcfest). Incoming executive director of the FSP, Eric Brakey has not responded to Axelman’s numerous requests over the past few months for clarification of the ban and the due process procedures used by the FSP. The board has not published minutes to their board meetings.

As Free Staters, I believe it is important to not act like the state. Always remember to presume someone is innocent until proof is shown that they are guilty. An accusation is not the same thing as proof. People who do not understand those basic things about freedom and ask real libertarians to come live in community with them, will fail.

 

 

Crypto users gathered at Little Zoe’s Pizza in Keene for Bitcoin Pizza Day 2019.

It’s been a crazy year with the largest gang in town cracking down on cryptocurrency! From the Crypto6 trial in our very own Keene NH to the arrests of developers writing privacy friendly tools like Tornado Cash. While cryptocurrency accepting businesses and end-users have nothing to worry about the US federal government is doing everything in its power and more to take out cryptocurrency businesses and the technology that underpins it. As was demonstrated in the Crypto6 trial (new NBC DocU series video just released) the truth and evidence are irrelevant. Tell a good story and that’s all the government needs for a conviction. That same playbook is now being used to attack (arrest) the developers of the self-custody Samourai Wallet. The way this wallet works is no different than any other fully self-custody wallet. It doesn’t connect to any centralized service. It’s built off standard crypto protocols and yet the federal government is fraudulently claiming it’s a ‘money laundering service’. No such service exists and as the sources are available (the government appears to have missed them) you can still download, build, and use the software despite that the government has censored the developers via stealing their website, domain, and so forth. If that is allowed to stand there will be no completely legal self-custody wallet developers left unmolested by the US government within the US or any foreign territory the tentacles arms reach.

Now they’re even trying to extend know your customer legislation to all your favorite cloud services (I’m no fan of the ‘cloud’, but government shouldn’t be undermining the privacy of everyone on bogus security grounds). No, I’m not just talking cryptocurrency cloud services either. Depending on how broadly the legislation is interpreted (and it is broadly worded) it may even mean you have to provide papers like in Soviet Russia for every online service you use. Get ready to hand over your papers to access YouTube. This would mean you have to give companies your ID/passport/social security number/and the like in order to do just about anything online. If it involves processing, disk space, or network resources which basically means anything and everything internet you’re going to need to ID (assuming the site or the user is in the US). This is the most draconian rule I’ve ever seen proposed anywhere in the world (and normally it’s places like communist China that have this even if not this draconian).

That said come join us for Bitcoin Pizza Day 2024 @ Little Zoe’s Pizza in Keene, NH. The event is scheduled for May 22nd at 5PM. The address is: 149 Emerald St, Keene, NH 03431.

 

 

Judge Susan Ashley has issued an ORDER that my appearance on behalf of Joa is allowed.

I have been filed documents with the Court that I imagine the Judge hasn’t reviewed yet, pending this order.  I have been doing so because time is limited as the trial scheduled for May 21st.

We’ve gone silent for the last few weeks while we’ve worked on collecting audio/video authorization forms from four different District Courts in New Hampshire.  Four courts have allowed Joa to film anonymously while the Hillsborough District Court had him arrested for doing it.  These documents and requests are still pending.

Joa has filed a Motion To Compel the Release of Criminal Records to have the Court order the State to release his criminal records for trial preparation as the prosecutor was reluctant to do so.  This is a normal procedure as there are very strict rules governing the release of these records.

I’d like to mention that the prosecutor has been nothing but a gentleman and actually helpful to me personally in explaining some lawyerly procedures to me that I wasn’t too familiar with.  I believe he represents the community of Hillsborough very professionally.  I unfortunately don’t have years of law school and mock trial preparation like he and other lawyers do, so I am most grateful to him.

The trial date is presently scheduled for May 21st at 1:00PM.

Around ~250 supporters turned out for Ian’s sentencing hearing between day 1 & 2 with some overlap

Ian Freeman, Minister of the Shire Free Church, Free Talk Live Co-host, libertarian activist, and major activist for peace and spreading cryptocurrency was arrested in 2021 during the Crypto6 incident where various libertarian and cryptocurrency activists were wrongly arrested and fraudulently defamed by the federal government. His arrest eventually led to a trial after refusing to accept a plea deal for crimes not  actually committed. Since then the district court has slandered his name and repeated lies. That is to say just about every other word if not more from federal authorities and prosecutors mouths has been a lie. Evidence presented didn’t align with the story told and for the most part if properly understood proved Ian’s innocence. The court seemed to agree to one degree or another with convictions on only ~8 of ~27 counts, one charge dropped entirely for lack of evidence, and a sentence that is less than half the minimum allowed. That is despite the crimes Ian was convicted of he’s been sentenced to a ‘mere’ ~8 years. Of course this is ~8 years too many given the fraudulent claims of the federal government, but none-the-less. Ian will likely serve 4 1/2 years with various good time credits.

While the trial is over the appeals are not and in the mean time the authorities have decided to move Ian from a jail in New Hampshire to a prison in Massachusetts. That is he is no longer at the Merrimack County Spiritual Retreat. He is now at the Devens Spiritual Retreat. Ian is in the low security part of the prison, so he’s got a room and cell mate. This is one up from the camp where Aria is housed. He can’t just walk away as might be possible if he was in the camp (not that he would).

So here is what we’re going to do. We’re going to write Ian Freeman at every opportunity. Send him print outs of things you find interesting that he can read. Send him letters about what is happening around New Hampshire. Let him know what the media is saying about him. Let him know what we’re doing and how we are doing. Have you been pushing for New Hampshire independence? Has there been progress in that arena? Let Ian know! It’s not likely he’ll be able to read about this stuff in the mainstream media.

To write to Ian Freeman address your envelope as follows:

Ian Freeman
Register # 34755509 Unit JA
Federal medical center, Devens
PO Box 879
Ayer, MA
01432

I don’t know if color is allowed, but at the prior jail writing in crayon could lead to rejected mail. I would suggest sticking to printed pages or pages written in ink. Mark each page like so: title (letter 1), your name (John Smith), and page # out of x pages (page 1 of 3). This way Ian can tell whether or not he got all his mail and if the pages get out of order he can reassemble them. You should avoid staples and inclusion of other materials as this might lead to the mail being rejected.

As always, assume that everything is going to be read by the prison authorities, not all your mail may get received, and any response may not get returned to you.

And one last thing… Ian is not actually the only caged activist in prison right now over the sale of Bitcoin. We shouldn’t forget that Aria is also serving an 18 month sentence for selling Bitcoin as well. She is another of the Crypto6. You can find out how to write to her at https://www.ariadimezzo.com/ (Aria has been released to a halfway house as of May 9th, 2024).

This blog is made pursuant to NH Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6 (c) (2).

I am grateful to Judge Susan W. Ashley for her correct interpretation of District Court Rule 1.3D…  the rule that allows non-lawyer representatives to appear and litigate for another in a criminal case.  Find her ORDER here.

It’s worth noting that Judge Ashley is the Deputy Administrative Judge for the Circuit Court.  You cannot achieve that position without knowing the rules front to back.

Find my required response to her ORDER here.

This blog is made pursuant to NH Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6 (c) (2).

Due to having filled out the court recording notice form multiple times prior in the same fashion as he did the day of his arrest, Joa informs the Court that his defense to the charge of Criminal Trespass is “Effect of Ignorance or Mistake” due to prior grants of permission to film after filling out the form “anonymous” by similarly situated court facilities.

The statue that specifies that defense is here.

Find the notice sent to the Court here.

This blog is made pursuant to NH Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6 (c) (2).

Joa moves to dismiss his Disorderly Conduct charge due to the fact that there are no witnesses to his alleged conduct other than law enforcement officers.  Find that here.