ANIMAL FORUM

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST v THE POLICE STATE


Human rights activist and law reformer, Norman Scarth (77), brought a
successful ECHR action against the UK Government (Scarth v UK 33745/96) in
July 1999, banning secret court hearings. In August 1999, after West
Yorkshire Police terrorism and physical assault in his home, Norman was
maliciously prosecuted in a secret court hearing (the media banned) and
eventually sentenced to 10 years - presumably on the covert orders of Lord
Chancellor Irvine. He was sent to prison (unconvicted) two weeks before the
election, and illegally prevented from standing against potential Prime
Minister, Tony Blair. Norman raised an action against Blair, to have the
election declared null and void due to the obstruction of a political
candidate and non-notification of prisoners rights to vote. Irvines and
Blairs agents have attempted to discredit, defame, and destroy Norman
(mentally and physically) - and those who support him. We must stand up to
the bullies.

Norman is suing West Yorkshire Police, amongst other authorities, for
terrorism and brutality. The case (Scarth v Moore) was delayed and
obstructed by the Prison Service and the Court Service but is now to be
progressed at a case management hearing in Leeds High Court, 1 Oxford Row,
Leeds on Monday 14 July at 10.00am. The Court Service disinformed some
members of the public that it will be a secret hearing (press and public
banned); but after strong objection to this illegality, the Service assures
us (via George Melvin) that it will be an open hearing. Will the judge allow
the case to proceed?

Please encourage as many citizens as possible to attend in order to exercise
their legal rights and act as observers. Justice must be seen to be done. It
is important not to allow court officials or police officers to intimidate
us.


Message from Suzanne Shell (Director), American Family Advocacy Center, re
secret courts:

(The UK has been operating those for years in family hearings where they
strip you bare in SECRET)


============
Suzanne Shell
July 11, 2003

Secret Courts - Denver

Courts are scary things to many people. To others, they are a mystery.
Regardless of what they represent to any one person, they are, in the final
analysis, a place where the peoples business is conducted. They exist
solely on taxpayer funding and user fees. Our courts belong to We the
People.

Except, I guess, the United States District Court in Denver, Colorado.

It just so happened I had some business in that court yesterday as a
plaintiff in a case which was on the docket. Ive been in that courthouse
before. Ive shown my identification and submitted to security screening as
a condition of entering. Ive filed paperwork and sat in on hearings in
various courtrooms. Ive been present for my own hearings. Ive never been
molested by the U. S. Marshals who are responsible for the security in that
public building, and Ive never been questioned on my reasons for being in
the courthouse. Ive also never observed them questioning anybody else,
either.

Until yesterday. Yesterday, I was questioned by a U. S. Marshal as to the
nature of my business in that public building. There was no reason for this
questioning, I had created no disruption or security risk. In fact, I had
entered the building in my usual manner and used the lavatory before this
marshal approached me as I waited for an elevator.

What is your business here today? he demanded.

I have a case I must be present for, I replied.

What time?

I named a time two hours in the future. He demanded to know my name, and
stated that he would check the docket to make sure I was on it. He then
wanted to know what I was going to do until the hearing.

Sit in on some hearings, I responded.

You cant just go from courtroom to courtroom and sit in watching, he
advised me.

Imagine my shock! A member of the public is NOT ALLOWED to observe court
proceedings? I thought our courts were open to the public in this country!
So I pulled out my ace in the hole. Im also a member of the media, I
stated.

He demanded to see my press pass. I wasnt there in my capacity as a media
representative and I didnt have it with me. Face it, I leave everything in
my car when I have to enter secure buildings, like this Federal courthouse.
Fortunately my associate, Cordley, was with me and had his press pass.

Once again he admonished us that we could not observe court proceedings. He
scared me enough that I didnt enter any courtrooms as I had planned.
Instead, I went to my car and got my video camera and set up an interview
outside the courthouse to document the harassment and intimidation Cordley
and I had just experienced.

As we were wrapping up, a police officer demanded to know what we were
doing. He advised us that we cannot video tape employees on the public
street (there is legally NO expectation of privacy on a public street!) or
photograph the security mechanisms of the building (as if I could recognize
them!). I was again shocked. The last time I was informed I could not
photograph a government building or public employees on a public street was
in East Berlin in 1979, long before the wall came down. And now, in 2003 in
Denver, Colorado, I am back in East Berlin under an apparent socialist
regime intent upon censoring the media (especially the rogue independent
media) and holding secret hearings behind closed doors.

Security. Quite the buzzword. The security goons use that excuse to issue
arbitrary orders that violate our well-established constitutionally
protected rights secure in the knowledge that anyone who objects can be
summarily ejected from the premises or arrested.

It is most amazing that the American public is not concerned about these
developments. How long will it be, before we have a walled border complete
with a no mans zone and tower guards just to keep those nasty terrorists
out; yet the only ones who get shot going over that wall are those trying to
escape the beneficent nanny state, the former constitutional republic known
as the United States of America? Is that what it will take to generate
concern? If so, it will be too little, too late.

We have plenty of history to draw on when analyzing what is happening to our
rights. . . and it looks like too few have learned from it, therefore we are
doomed to repeat history. . . again.

---------
Suzanne Shell
Director, American Family Advocacy Center
Author: Profane Justice
http://www.profane-justice.org
copyright 2003 Suzanne Shell

(We affirm the statements above, all personally experienced in Oregon. China
courts are here, have been for about two years now in practice and new
rules have been rewritten..... even the Oregon Supreme Court meets in secret
all the time, they call it a judicial conference, they dismiss all the
petitions of the people in secret without hearing or opinion...... The
Constitution mandates that no court shall be in secret
Pamela Gaston)

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The-Informer

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