Hillary Demonstrator gets jail time

©Finger Lakes Times 2002 ^ | December 08, 2002 | By: MATT REYNOLDS, Times Staff Writer

[Behind Liberal Lines]

SYRACUSE NY- While many local residents were making shopping lists, a Lyons man spent the first week of the holiday season in jail.

Last month, John Murtari, of Franklin Street, was sentenced to 10 days imprisonment by a federal judge for refusing to leave the Hanley Federal building in downtown Syracuse. He paces corridors there outside the offices of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hoping to win her support for family law reform.

On Nov. 22, Murtari was taken to Oneida County Jail, where he served his sentence because the Onondaga County jail was full.

"The first thing they do is take your belongings and give you prison clothes: an orange jumpsuit, orange sweatshirt and pants, and a few changes of underwear," Murtari said Friday. "They give you sheets, a blanket and toothpaste, and a toothbrush obviously made by the lowest bidder. Mine was from China. The bristles fell apart by the end of the week.

"Then they take you to your cell - an 8-by-15 (foot) room behind a Plexiglas window with a bed, toilet, sink and table. For the first 24 hours you can't leave the cell. I read a mystery novel the last guy had left there, meditated and did calisthenics.

"After the first day, you spend most of the time with the rest of the prisoners in a common area."

Since 1998, Murtari, has been arrested 27 times for pacing the corridors, picture of him and his 9-year-old son, Dominick, in hand, in Family Courts, sheriff's stations and the federal building. Until last month, he'd never been convicted on any of the charges.

A Catholic, Murtari compared life in jail to spiritual retreats he's attended.

"It's very quiet," he said. "I spent most of the day playing chess or cards. Sometimes I watched TV.

"It's a lot safer than people think. As a typical white-collar citizen, I thought the prisoners would be dirt bags. Most of them are normal people (who are) addicted to drugs or alcohol."

In November, Murtari asked the judge to spare him the 30-day maximum because he plans to fly to Colorado Dec. 18 to pick Dominick up for the holidays.

Murtari founded the Web site Akidsright.org, and started his civil disobedience after his ex-wife won custody of Dominick in the mid-1990s.

For years, the trespassing and loitering charges against Murtari were always dropped.

"It became absurd," Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick. "What he's doing is demonstrating, and for that he needs a permit."

Southwick has asked a federal judge for a restraining order barring Murtari from entering the Hanley Building. Murtari could be sentenced to six months in jail if he violated such an order.

Murtari is appealing last month's conviction, and said he will return Dec. 30 to the Hanley Building.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Murtari better be careful, messing with the Hildebeast.

Jail could be the least of his worries when she decides to unleash her "etiquette squads" on him.

[coloradan]

"It's a lot safer than people think. As a typical white-collar citizen, I thought the prisoners would be dirt bags. Most of them are normal people (who are) addicted to drugs or alcohol."

Many dirtbags had to be released from jail in order to make room for mandatory drug sentences ... for non-violent drug offenders.

"It became absurd," Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick. "What he's doing is demonstrating, and for that he needs a permit."

Permit needed for free speech and for petition for redress of grievences. Sorry about that. When will a permit be needed to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures?

[basil]

You're right--needing a permit to exercise your 1st amendment rights is an abomination!. Somehow, we let this one slip by, like the sheep we are, and we all line up like good little citizens to get "Our papers" when we want to hold a protest.

Although I have done this many times, it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth to have to do it.

[poet]

"Permit needed for free speech and for petition for redress of grievences. Sorry about that. When will a permit be needed to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures?"

You ain't seen nothing yet. Here's clauses 5 A & 5B of section 802 of the mis-named p.a.t.r.i.o.t. law.
Pay particular attention to 5B relative to "intent"

(5) the term `domestic terrorism' means activities that--
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be Intended;
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or

I'm not an attorney, but, it sure looks like free speech and the right to assemble is a terrorist act if some appointed commissar determines that a demonstration against a governement policy has a "bad intent", the same applies if someone "speaks" against a government policy. Also, I do realize that A, B & C are conjunctive, however, that word "intent" requires a judgement call by someone say like, the the guy who said he needs a permit?

Keep in mind, section 802 has no expiration date as does the rest of the act. Rather curious don't you think? Is it possible this will be the legal justification of the coming new world order to stifle dissent and opposition, nyah! Our government wouldn't do that to us, now, would they?

[Ed_in_NJ]

When will a permit be needed to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures?

It already is, if you're a high school student. The Supremes have said it's perfectly fine for a school employee to grab your kid and give them a drug test, even if the kid is doing nothing wrong (or 'suspect'). And a parents objections don't matter.

[SSN558]

Remember the woman that said to Clinton, "those boys are dead and you suck." She was arrested and thrown in jail. It is a pattern that Clintonistas have followed ever since. Every appearance they make is carefully scripted and policed to make sure only their message gets out. The media has willing complied and orchestraed hit jobs on Clinton critics.

All the Clintons have is dirt, they can not compete in the market place for ideas.

[buffyt]

Just wait till Hillary Mistress of Darkness is President. She will love the new gov. surveillance system and searching our homes without a warrant. She had no problem attaining ILLEGALLY 900 FBI files on innocent Americans. I won't be posting here while she is president. I fear no man, but she scares my socks off. She is 100% PURE EVIL.

[maica]

***Many dirtbags had to be released from jail in order to make room for mandatory drug sentences ... for non-violent drug offenders. ***

Could you tell me where to find the statistics on this, please. Since where I live has the second highest murder rate for US cities, I'd really like to find out what the percentages are for violent vs non-violent offenders who are actually behind bars. Thanks for your help.

[Tijeras_Slim]

He thinks the Beast is going to do something for him when he can obviously do nothing for her? He needs some locktime for stupidity.

Don't flame me about constitutional issues, but petitioning the 'toons for redress of greivences (without a fat checkbook) is about as productive as emptying the ocean with a shotglass.

[cynicom]

Gestapo II is alive and well and growing, in what was once the land of the free.

[TLBSHOW]

5) the term `domestic terrorism' means activities that-- (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be Intended; (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or

[Behind Liberal Lines]

***Many dirtbags had to be released from jail in order to make room for mandatory drug sentences ... for non-violent drug offenders. *** Could you tell me where to find the statistics on this, please.

These statistics only exist when pro-legalization people "cook the books."

In New York State, at least, the "non-violent drug offenders" in prison tend to actually be people who are in for second, third or even fourth offenses, and often have histories of violent crime in their records.

[maica]

Thanks for the Link! Freepers Rule when it comes to getting a quick, informative response.

[need_a_screen_name]

Last month, John Murtari, of Franklin Street, was sentenced to 10 days imprisonment by a federal judge for refusing to leave the Hanley Federal building in downtown Syracuse. He paces corridors there outside the offices of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton hoping to win her support for family law reform.

Why on earth does Hillary have an office in a Federal Building??? Is that normal?

[OldSmaj]

Remember the woman that said to Clinton, "those boys are dead and you suck." She was arrested and thrown in jail.

Izzat right?

Hmmm, let me test this:

CLINTON, YOU SUCK!

Come get me!

[friendly]

It is repeatedly documented that Hillary has a small army of professional thugs "clearing a path for her" whenever she is in public. I have seen them myself in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in NY.

The Hillary thugs are disguised as Secret Service with the sunglasses and communication earpieces. However they do no behave like Secret Service, swooping down on protesters, telling them they must remove protest signs, and roughing up the protesters. On at least one occasion they even intimidated and pushed around a news crew filming their anti-free speech behavior.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

People addicted to drugs who are not violent or stealing need treatment, not jail. I know a woman who was addicted to heroin and she couldn't even stay at the drug treatment center for a whole week because there aren't enough beds. Take half the money spent on the WOD and give great treatment to those who want it...and give us taxpayers back the other half.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I'm sorry, but this doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't restrict free speech at all. It clearly says that the activities involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal lawswith an intent to intimidate civilians or to influence government policy. Intent is already required to be proven in criminal cases. So, why does this bother you?

[xm177e2]

Why on earth does Hillary have an office in a Federal Building???

She is a Senator... like, with the Federal Government...