CA: Revved up about motorcycles zooming between cars

OFF THE WIRE


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-smith-lane-split-20130129,0,3796541.story
Revved up about motorcycles zooming between cars
Defending motorcyclists who navigate the space between cars hits a nerve among motorists eager for a reasoned conversation on improving life on L.A.'s freeways. Comments 71 Email Share 103
Your take?Can motorcyclists and drivers get along on L.A.'s freeways? YesNo Yes No 68% 32%
On two wheels, it's all open road 

Document: Lane splitting on California freeways 

Document: Hurt report volume I •Letters: Divided on lane splitters
'Just looking for sane policy' on unlicensed drivers 

 During his nearly 40 years as a columnist for this newspaper, my late father occasionally tweaked his readers — quite disingenuously — by belittling his cat, knowing the slur would stir invective so passionate and erudite that he could fill another column without having to do much writing of his own.
I had no intention of employing that device when I recently wrote — quite sincerely — in defense of motorcyclists who navigate the space between cars to get ahead on crowded freeways.
To be sure, I knew some motorists would object out of fear of hitting a rider, or annoyed by the intrusion on their space. I was prepared to shrug them off because, I thought, my opinion was based on logic, experience and the law.
How fragile is the hard shell of reason! Among the emails that flooded my inbox, those that left me most humbled were from motorists who mostly agreed with me. But they were hurt by my admonishment that they should not move slightly out of my way.
Specifically, I wrote: "If you want to show solidarity, just hold your course and be sure you're a little in front or a little behind the car beside you."
Joe Edward of Beverly Hills was insulted. "Moving over, even briefly, gives you more room and I, maybe mistakenly, thought it shows courtesy," he wrote. "I thought it was the olive branch between those on four and two wheels, and is confirmed when I get the two-fingered 'thank you' wag from cyclists. When that happens, just for a moment, LA freeways are a nicer place and, yes, to the late Rodney King, we can all just get along.... But now you say NOT to move over? Ok. Forget the olive branch. Forget wanting to get along. It's on!"
I certainly never intended to turn plowshares into swords. And I'd like to think that if Joe knew me personally he'd see I'm not like the name he called me at the end of his email.
But I do apologize. I was myopic when I wrote, "Hold your course." The comment was aimed at drivers who turn their wheels sharply when surprised by a motorcycle. I appreciate drivers who ease slightly left or right, giving me the room to slide by comfortably, but more important letting me know they too are attuned to their surroundings.
And yes, I always give them the wave and momentarily feel better about humanity.
As you may have noticed, motorcyclists also give each other the two-finger salute when passing, a mutual acknowledgment of our membership in a minority that embraces the fun and physics of vehicular transportation along with its practical benefits.
The wave is also a silent bond between boomers like me and gen-whatevers who wear red mohawks on their helmets and wouldn't notice me under any other circumstances.
My aggressiveness in standing up for our somewhat outcast status surprised and pleased many fellow riders.
"Doug! You are the bomb!!!" wrote Arlene Battishill, who produces a line of head-turning women's motorcycle apparel and rides a Kawasaki. "I nearly screamed out loud.... Man oh man, I could just kiss you right now!"
Yes, we can be an exuberant bunch, inebriate of air, as Emily Dickinson so nicely put it. I can't deny that a few respondents castigated me for being irrational and self-aggrandizing, predicted my untimely demise or, worse, implied that such might be the due reward for my impudence.
I think my cat-baiting father would have gotten a sly smile from the reaction of an anonymous trucker who asked, "Ever heard of a CB?
"I know when one of you guys is coming for miles," he wrote, warning that outside my state I could become "road pizza" for riding like a Californian. He claimed to have seen semis "run bikes off in the grass more then once."
To my surprise, though, the critiques that hit home were also from fellow motorcyclists.
Some noted the bad behavior of "squids," those hyper riders who weave back and forth on screaming "crotch rockets." No wonder the "cagers," those dull people imprisoned in their cars, are up in arms.
David Lasher, who makes a continuous video of his commute from Northridge to Santa Monica, sent me a clip of his own crash when a car veered into his lane seemingly in contradiction of my assertion that a motorist cannot swerve fast enough to hit me as I pass by.
Lasher followed the cowboy mantra and got right back on a replacement Suzuki. Another, John Greenwood, told me of his "deal with God" never to ride again after one bad day ended 20 great years of riding.
By carefully parsing these scary stories, I can show that none directly refute the thesis that motorcycles are safer between lanes than in them, assuming a few guidelines are followed. Lasher, for example, conceded that he shouldn't have been lane-splitting in the HOV transition zone. Some materials I got from motorcycle safety experts convinced me further.
But instead of lining up the reaction as pro versus con, I think the collective lesson I've drawn from 100 emails is that Angelenos are up for a reasoned conversation about bettering the quality of life on L.A.'s freeways, the one place that draws us all together, whether we like it or not.
Sandy Driscoll epitomized this conciliatory effect, writing to me about an encounter on Pico Boulevard.
"A motorcyclist very quickly passed me on the left (lane splitting) gave a quick (and I must say, graceful) arm signal, and moved in front of me," she wrote. "Just as quickly, I saw him move in and out of traffic ahead of me, always with an arm signal. It was like an amazing ballet, and I was mesmerized. Thanks for your article."
"Motorcycling is not for me, but I hope you keep spreading the word about its benefits," wrote Dan Brooks of Santa Barbara. "In the meantime, I'll try to heed your driving advice and will offer a respectful salute rather than a New York salute."
Reading numerous such comments I've done some self-searching about my own behavior on the road.
As a result, I find I've become a more conservative, patient and polite rider in the last couple weeks.
So, a two-finger wave to all you "cagers."

SC: Letter to propose universal helmet law for SC

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130128/PC1002/130129323/1268/require-helmets-on-motorcycles&source=RSS
Require helmets on motorcycles

 Posted: Monday, January 28, 2013 12:01 a.m.  Ted Richardson

The Centers for Disease Control found that helmet use reduced the likelihood of death in a motorcycle crash by 37 percent.
The indisputable evidence linking safety and helmet use for motorcyclists says that the state Legislature should mandate their use. It’s as reasonable as requiring motorists to use seat belts.
A 2012 study by the Centers for Disease Control found that motorcycle use is on the increase, and so are related deaths — 55 percent higher between 2000 and 2010.
And it found that helmet use reduced the likelihood of death in a motorcycle crash by 37 percent. It also determined that unhelmeted riders are twice as likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries.
The CDC also found that hospital charges for those suffering a traumatic head injury were a staggering 13 times higher than for other injuries suffered by motorcyclists.
Those who believe that the decision not to use a helmet is simply a matter of personal choice should note that the CDC found the public sustains much of the cost for those traumatic injuries.
It cited a study of 105 motorcyclists hospitalized at a major trauma center: “Sixty-three percent of their care was paid for by public funds, with Medicaid accounting for over half of all charges.”
Opponents of mandatory helmet use often complain that it represents undue government interference. Apparently the opposition to government involvement doesn’t extend to public medical payments for motorcyclists who suffer traumatic head injuries because they choose not to don helmets.
The CDC concluded: “The only safety measure that costs little to initiate and reaches all riders is a state universal motorcycle helmet law. It is also the only measure proven to improve motorcycle safety.”
The message is abundantly clear, but the General Assembly has failed to heed it.
The only motorcycle safety law filed in the Legislature so far this year would forbid children 7 or younger as motorcycle passengers, and restrict unsafe handling of parcels by motorcyclists.
That might provide some slight relief for safety advocates. But not so much as a mandatory helmet law, which would demonstrably reduce death and serious injury to a growing number of South Carolinians who ride motorcycles.
Last year 110 motorcyclists died on South Carolina roads. In 2001, the number of fatalities was 70.
Currently, helmets are mandatory only for those motorcyclists 21 or younger.
The S.C. Department of Public Safety supports universal use of motorcycle helmets.
So should the Legislature.

ILLINOIS - 3 Schaumburg cops accused of drug ring

 

OFF THE WIRE

3 more thugs with guns caught breaking the law. Cops robbed drug dealers: police.
When Carol Stream police discovered nearly 10 ounces of cocaine in an apartment storage locker early this month, the alleged owner of the drugs had a story to tell.
He said that after serving as an informant for three Schaumburg tactical police officers, he had become their business partner. The cops, he said, stole cash and narcotics from drug dealers. The informant peddled the dope they seized.
That claim led the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to mount a sting operation against the Schaumburg officers. When it allegedly bore fruit, federal agents pounced, arresting the men Wednesday outside of Woodfield Mall.
The officers now face a barrage of felony charges that could land them in prison for decades. It’s the second recent blot on the Schaumburg Police Department’s reputation: Chief Brian Howerton was recently investigated on allegations he harassed his ex-girlfriend, though prosecutors declined to press charges.
Now village officials are left grasping for answers at how this case of alleged corruption could take place in their town.
“I think that this is going to leave a mark on the department,” Village Manager Ken Fritz said Thursday after the charges against the officers were outlined at a bond hearing. “It’s sad for those people that have to carry on in the future and it’s going to take us a long time to earn back some of the trust of the community.”
DuPage County Assistant State’s Attorney Audriana Anderson said in court that the roots of the alleged conspiracy stretch back to 2010, when officer Matthew Hudak arrested a man on drug charges and convinced him to become an informant.
But that relationship changed in mid-2012, Anderson said, when Hudak and his colleagues John Cichy and Terrance O’Brien — all tactical officers in Schaumburg’s special investigations division, which handles drugs, gangs and undercover work — approached the informant with a new deal in mind: They wanted him to buy and sell drugs on their behalf.
Marijuana, cocaine and thousands of dollars repeatedly exchanged hands, prosecutors said. Hudak allegedly funded one buy with $14,000 in cash; he allegedly gave his share of marijuana to another drug dealer to sell.
Other times, prosecutors said, the officers gave the informant a portion of the narcotics they had recovered in legitimate busts. He allegedly sold it for them and split the profits.
Hudak, 29, tried to keep an eye on his partner, Anderson said, by illegally using a law enforcement computer system to check whether the informant had been in contact with other police agencies.
The officers allegedly stashed 6 pounds of marijuana at the Hoffman Estates home of Nicole Brehm, 44, who prosecutors said was O’Brien’s longtime girlfriend and the mother of one of his children. O’Brien, 46, who has been a police officer for 20 years, is married and has four other children with his wife, prosecutors said.
A woman at O’Brien’s northwest suburban home declined comment to a Tribune reporter Thursday.
The scheme went on for six to nine months, prosecutors said, until Carol Stream police, acting on an unrelated tip, got a search warrant for the informant’s apartment. Once they found the drugs, the informant told them about his relationship with the Schaumburg police officers, prosecutors said.
That led to DEA surveillance, in which allegedly illegal exchanges were secretly recorded, and finally a sting operation.
Prosecutors said the informant told the officers that an out-of-state associate was coming into town, and they decided to rip him off. On Saturday, prosecutors said, the officers went to a Roselle storage unit where they believed the dealer had stashed $20,000.
Audio and video equipment captured what happened next, prosecutors said: The officers, wearing masks, broke in and took the cash. Then they brought the money back. Then they returned one more time and retrieved it. Cichy was caught on video lifting his mask, prosecutors said.
On Wednesday, federal agents arrested the officers in a parking lot outside of Woodfield Mall and executed 20 search warrants at the police station, the officers’ homes and their cars. They found $10,000 of the bait money in Hudak’s home and $5,000 each with Cichy and O’Brien, authorities said.
“Everything you have on tape, I did. You got me on that,” Anderson quoted Hudak as telling authorities.
O’Brien told investigators that the trio committed the crimes “for the thrill of it,” Anderson said.
The men answered a few perfunctory questions in bond court. Only Cichy, 30, showed any sign of emotion.
He choked back tears, buried his head in his hands and repeatedly shook his head as prosecutors detailed the allegations and possible prison terms. Cichy’s girlfriend, mother and aunt sat quietly in the back row of the courtroom gallery as the men were ordered held on $750,000 cash bond.
The two most serious charges the men face — unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and calculated criminal drug conspiracy — carry a prison term of up to 40 years.
Brehm, O’Brien’s girlfriend, was charged with calculated criminal drug conspiracy for allegedly letting the officers use her house to stash drugs.
Thomas Glasgow, Hudak’s attorney, said his client had been set up by a “snitch” who was trying to wriggle out of trouble. Narcotics officers often make deals with “little fish” to zero in on bigger criminals, he said.
“In order to collar the bad guys, you’ve got to act like the bad guys,” Glasgow said.
The offices of the Cook County state’s attorney and public defender are looking at cases in which the officers were involved to determine whether any have been compromised. Criminal defense experts said some prosecutions could be tainted because of questions about the officers’ credibility and their unavailability to testify.
A 1998 federal report on drug-related police corruption found that insufficiently supervised narcotics bureaus could be “high-risk environments” for illegal activity.
Howerton, Schaumburg’s police chief, said he felt there was sufficient oversight of his department’s special investigations unit.
“We believe this is the actions of three individuals, not a pervasive situation within the department,” he said.
Freelance reporters Clifford Ward, George Houde and Amanda Marrazzo and Tribune reporter Jonathan Bullington contributed.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-schaumburg-police-arrested-0118-20130118,0,2874260 ,full.story
Submitted via CopBlock.org’s submission tab.

CA - Watch the motorcycle marriage proposal that shut down a Los Angeles freeway

OFF THE WIRE
VIDEO
http://youtu.be/iBusIjxK5H4
Cyclists in Los Angeles effectively closed the 10 freeway in West Covina for about ten minutes on Sunday, as one of them proposed to his girlfriend in a cloud of pink smoke. Apparently, she loved it. The California Highway Patrol did not. The biker club members face possible citations including impeding or blocking traffic. LA Times has more. Looks like it was these guys, and the lovebirds have been identified by multiple local news outlets as Hector Martinez and Paige Hernandez.

CANADA - Moving up the Hells Angels' ranks

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Micheal Plante is made an 'official friend' and entrusted with a cache of weapons.


Unaware that police agent Micheal Plante was secretly collecting evidence impli-cating them in drug deals, extortions, and other crimes, the Hells Angels finally accepted him into their fold as an "official friend" in September 2004.

Unaware that police agent Micheal Plante was secretly collecting evidence implicating them in drug deals, extortions, and other crimes, the Hells Angels finally accepted him into their fold as an "official friend" in September 2004.

Plante was called into the weekly "church" meeting at the East End clubhouse by David (Gyrator) Giles.

"They are all looking at me. And they say: 'Tell us why you want to be a Hells Angel,' " Plante recalled.

"I did my speech - 'Well you know, I have been hanging around you guys. I like the camaraderie. I like what is going on around here. And I really, really want to be part of it. And I want to be part of the bigger thing.' " Giles asked him about the fact he had studied criminology and told him he'd never be able to pursue the field again.

East End president John Bryce laid out how police would react to Plante now that he was in the program.

"Bryce said something like, 'You are going to have a lot of heat on you now because they like to pick on us,' " Plante recalled.

Giles made a final joking comment, all captured on the wire Plante was wearing: "You are not going to, like, become a Hells Angel and then quit and write a book about us, are you?" Plante had his photo taken with the East End chapter to commemorate the event.

That photo would be circulated to all Hells Angels in Western Canada to see if any objected to the new East End recruit being part of the notorious gaxxx.

"They gave me a pamphlet from the world headquarters of Hells Angels, right? You read it and then they took it away," Plante said.

It reminded those entering the program that the Hells Angels owned all property imprinted with its deathhead logo.

"It was about infringement rights. It said: 'You don't own the vest. The Hells Angels owns the vest.

"'If you leave the Hells Angels, you must return anything that says Hells Angels on it.' " Sergeant-at-arms Tom Gillis told Plante he would no longer be able to wear his favoured long shorts now that he was "on the program."

"After I got in, he said, 'Micheal, we have a dress code. I want you to wear black jeans, black shirts, black vest.' I said, "What about black shorts?' He said, 'No shorts.' "

Plante's elevation to "official friend" was significant for the police investigation. It would give the agent the ability to get closer and closer to club business.

If things went according to plan, Plante would become a "hangaround" next, then a "prospect" and finally a "full-patch" Hells Angel, meaning he could wear the infamous deathhead logo on his back.

AN ARSENAL OF WEAPONS

In the fall of 2004, the RCMP kicked in the door of Randy Potts's wife's home, looking for precursor chemicals they had learned about from calls intercepted in E-Pandora.

Potts, who became a full-patch member that fall, was worried police might soon raid the Fraser Highway mobile home of his mom and her husband, where he had stored the East End chapter's firearms and explosives.

In a conversation captured on wiretap, Potts told Plante to go get a hockey bag and retrieve the guns.

Plante told police what Potts had asked and then headed to a Sport Chek outlet to buy the bag.

"I thought I was picking up a couple of pistols. I didn't know this was the East End arsenal. I always thought it was a myth," Plante said.

When he arrived at the trailer, Potts's stepfather saw the bag and wondered if it would be big enough.

"I go, 'What?! How many guns do you got here?' So we go to the back of the trailer and he opens this thing and starts pulling out machine guns and other stuff. He says, 'Be careful, this one has got grenades.' " Plante couldn't believe the nonchalance of the senior citizen. He immediately called police.

"I said, 'You are not going to believe this. I have got the whole arsenal.' " Of course, police took the guns, which put Plante in a difficult position.

For weeks afterwards, John Punko asked about the guns, saying he wanted to go out and shoot targets.

Plante and police worked up a series of excuses he could give to Punko about why he couldn't get the guns.

"One scenario was that I got them stashed in this guy's house and he is a long-haul driver and I don't got the key," Plante said. "There was one time when me and Punko were driving out to a meeting in Haney and Punko wanted to go try out a couple of those grenades."

Plante said he thought they might blow up prematurely because they had got wet.

Both police and Plante knew he couldn't keep up his ruse with the Angels much longer. Sooner or later, others besides Punko would confront him about the guns.

"Yes, it was getting dicey," said Det. Brad Stephen. "And that's when you love it. That's where the risk is."

Police settled on a scenario to cover the missing guns.

They rented a storage locker in Abbotsford, then bought a gun locker to put inside it. They left the gun locker open, with Stephen's business card on top.

If Potts wanted the guns, Plante was to take him to Abbotsford, then act shocked when it looked like police had raided the locker.

A BEATING BY THE UN gaxxx

A few days after Plante picked up the arsenal, he was downtown at Brandi's strip club on a Friday night with some of his Angel pals, including Ronnie Lising. It was Oct. 16, 2004.

A huge United Nations gaxxx associate, who was 6-foot-9 and 450 pounds, sucker-punched Plante inside the club. None of his HA brethren were in the immediate vicinity to defend him.

"That was my first run-in with the UN guys there," Plante said. UN boss Clay Roueche was in the club that night.

"I was on the program, so I was in the club. Ronnie should have been down there fighting with me," Plante said, referring to Lising.

The fight continued on the street outside, with more UN guys getting involved in the beat down.

"I had a concussion ... I was bleeding out my ear. Even months after, I had ringing in my head."

Plante couldn't get hold of police, either. He felt abandoned by everyone. He holed up at a friend's house and didn't answer his phone for days. At one point, he was going to just get on his Harley and ride away, but the cold October rains made him reconsider. He missed his clubhouse duties, including security at Sunday's church meeting.

"I was tired. I was like worn out. And by this time, my anxiety is getting really bad," he said.

"The cops didn't know where I was ... The Hells Angels didn't know where I was. They couldn't believe I didn't show up for church. So they are looking for me."

http://www.vancouversun.com/Moving+Hells+Angels+ranks/7891665/story.html#ixzz2JU0uyCvm

 http://www.bikernews.net/index.cfm/art/Micheal-Plante-becomes-an-%E2%80%9Cofficial-friend%E2%80%9D-in-the-Hells-Angels-program/clb/Hells-Angels-MC/d/news/p/read/newsid/39199

 http://www.bikernews.net/index.cfm/art/Part-Three-From-informant-to-key-police-agent/clb/Hells-Angels-MC/d/news/p/read/newsid/39198

 http://www.bikernews.net/index.cfm/pt/Inside-the-Hells-Angels-Part-2:-Earning-the-trust-of-the-Angels/d/news/p/read/newsid/39195

 http://www.bikernews.net/index.cfm/pt/Micheal-Plante-explains-why-he-infiltrated-the-East-End-Hells-Angels/d/news/p/read/newsid/39185

Green thumb? Washington state seeks marijuana consultant

OFF THE WIRE

With marijuana sales set to begin in December in Washington, state officials are reviewing the unique qualifications of applicants for a newly created position: pot adviser.

TACOMA, Wash. — Wanted: A green thumb with extensive knowledge of the black — or at least gray — market.
As Washington state tries to figure out how to regulate its newly legal marijuana, officials are hiring an adviser on all things weed: how it's best grown, dried, tested, labeled, packaged and cooked into brownies.
Sporting a mix of flannel, ponytails and suits, dozens of those angling for the job — several from out of state — turned out Wednesday for a forum in Tacoma. The Liquor Control Board, the agency charged with developing rules for the marijuana industry, reserved a convention center hall for a state bidding expert to take questions about the position and the hiring process.
"Since it's not unlikely with this audience, would a felony conviction preclude you from this contract?" asked Rose Habib, an analytical chemist from a marijuana testing lab in Missoula, Mont.
The answer: It depends. A pot-related conviction is probably fine, but a "heinous felony," not so much, responded John Farley, a procurement coordinator with the Liquor Control Board.
Washington and Colorado this fall became the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis.

 AP Photo: Ted S. Warren. Marijuana adviser wanted: Bill Thomas, of Clarkston, Wash., wears a hemp necklace Wednesday at an information session put on by the Washington Liquor Control Board in Tacoma, Wash. IMAGE

Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot industry. Up in the air is everything from how many growers and stores there should be, to how the marijuana should be tested to ensure people don't get sick.
Sales are due to begin in Washington state in December.
Washington's Liquor Control Board has a long and "very good" history with licensing and regulation, spokesman Mikhail Carpenter said.
"But there are some technical aspects with marijuana we could use a consultant to help us with," Carpenter said.
The board has advertised for consulting services in four categories. The first is "product and industry knowledge" and requires "at least three years of consulting experience relating to the knowledge of the cannabis industry, including but not limited to product growth, harvesting, packaging, product infusion and product safety."
Other categories cover quality testing, including how to test for levels of THC, the compound that gets marijuana users high; statistical analysis of how much marijuana the state's licensed growers should produce; and the development of regulations, a category that requires a "strong understanding of state, local or federal government processes," with a law degree preferred.
Farley said the state hopes to award a single contract covering all four categories, but if no bidder or team of bidders has expertise in all fields — regulatory law, statistical analysis and pot growing — multiple contracts could be awarded. Or bidders who are strong in one category could team up with those who are strong in another. Bids are due Feb. 15, with the contract awarded in March.
Habib, the chemist, said she's part of a team of marijuana and regulatory experts from Montana who are bidding for the contract. They're fed up with federal raids on medical dispensaries there.
"We want to move here and make it work. We want to be somewhere this is moving forward and being embraced socially," she said.
Khurshid Khoja, a suited corporate lawyer from San Francisco, sat beside a balding, ponytailed man in a gray sweatshirt — Ed Rosenthal, a co-founder of High Times magazine and a recognized expert on marijuana cultivation. They're on a team bidding for the contract.
"I've seen the effect of regulation of marijuana all my life," Khoja said. "I'd like to see a more rational, scientific approach to it."
Several people asked whether winning the contract, or even subcontracting with the winning bidder, would preclude them from getting state licenses to grow, process or sell cannabis. Farley said yes: It would pose a conflict of interest to have the consultant helping develop the regulations being subject to those rules. But once the contract has expired, they could apply for state marijuana licenses, he said.
After the questions ended, the bidders mingled, exchanging business cards and talking about how they might team up. One Seattle-area marijuana grower, a college student who declined to give his name after noting that a dispensary he worked with had been raided by federal authorities in 2011, approached Rosenthal.
"It would be my dream to smoke a bowl with you after this," he said.

British armed forces get first new pistol since World War II

OFF THE WIRE

Finally catch up with US drug dealers of the 1990s

By Lewis Page

Out with the old, in with the new

The British regular forces are to receive their first new pistol since World War II, as the long-serving Browning 9mm sidearm is replaced by a new weapon from the well-known Austrian firm Glock.
The new pistol is the Glock 17 Gen4, which fires the same NATO standard 9x19mm cartridge as its illustrious predecessor. However the Glock holds 17 rounds as opposed to the Browning's 13 - and even more crucially the new weapon can be carried with a round in the chamber ready to shoot at a moment's notice due to its modern safety mechanisms, a practice which was normally forbidden with the Browning*.
Though the process of choosing the new pistol began two years ago - before the current trend of "green on blue" attacks had intensified, in which Afghan soldiers or cops turn their weapons on NATO troops - it's hoped that the quick-draw capability offered by the Glock will let British troops in Afghanistan defend themselves against supposed allies at close quarters more effectively, without compromising weapons safety.
Some 25,000 Glocks are to be purchased in an £8.5m deal, such that in general they will be carried only by a minority of Forces personnel, as is normal for pistols. However the MoD has stated that all troops in Afghanistan will be issued the new handguns if their commanding officers consider that they need them.
The now superseded weapon was designed way back in the 1920s by the legendary weapons engineer John Browning and first manufactured by Fabrique Nationale of Belgium in 1935. It was known commercially as the "Browning Hi-Power". It was first issued to British forces during World War II, and gradually replaced all other pistols then in service to become the UK's standard military sidearm. In its day it was a great weapon, and pistol design has evolved only incrementally since then, but today's handguns are measurably superior and it was surely time for a change - the more so as the existing Brownings must have been pretty worn out by now.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have enabled the British forces to slowly and belatedly sort out their dire personal-weapons situation of the 1990s. The crappy Royal Ordnance/BAE Systems SA80 (L85A1) rifle was rebuilt in German factories so that it is now a good weapon, and proper belt-fed light machine guns and 40mm grenade launchers were procured. Other popular pieces of kit such as the L115A1 sniper rifle (from the famous Portsmouth firm Accuracy International, perhaps better known under its commercial name Arctic Warfare Super Magnum), the new combat shotgun and the new 7.62mm Sharpshooter rifle have also appeared in response to battlefield needs. Now with the new Glocks, at last, pretty much all the personal weapons carried by British troops today can be said to be first-class.
Sadly one can't say the same of most of the Forces' larger and more expensive equipment, but one must be grateful for small mercies - and perhaps remember that the wars we actually fight tend to be fought much more with personal weapons than with submarines, stealth fighters etc. ®

Bootnotes

*The Glock has triple safety mechanisms which mean that its firing pin will not move forward unless the trigger is back, the trigger cannot be moved back unless a finger is pressing on its front and the weapon will not fire if dropped. The weapon's hammer is internal, and as such cannot snag on clothing or be bumped inadvertently into a different position.
By contrast the Browning had only a manual safety catch for its hammer only, and the external hammer could fairly easily be inadvertently brushed or knocked back to full cock. This meant that it was in general forbidden to carry it with a round in the chamber, as the risk of an accidental discharge would be unacceptably high (although certain very highly trained special operations units did carry the Browning with a round up the spout as routine, until that community moved to Sig Sauer pistols in the early 1990s). Unfortunately this meant that in general it would take quite a long time to get off a shot, as the user would have to work the slide to chamber a round after drawing the weapon.
The Browning did have a design feature in which its hammer could be put at half-cock (aka "half bent"). Provided the mechanism was working correctly, even if the trigger was pulled from this position the weapon would not fire: and if the hammer was joggled it could not travel forward beyond half-cock, preventing a chambered round being fired. If a round was chambered, the user would need only to thumb the hammer all the way back to full cock in order to shoot.
However there were several ways this could go wrong, and the standard British manual for Browning use specifically forbade the use of the "half bent" position as a safety device.

"Hells Angels M/C SFV"

"Hells Angels M/C SFV"

The SUPER BOWL PARTY is coming soon only 3 more weeks on Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 2013 then come on up to the SFV Clubhouse for our Annual Super Bowl Party so you can have fun with everyone and watch the Big Game with us here is a link to the NFL Super Bowl Site, check it out to see which teams will end up as competitors for this years Super Bowl Game

NFL.com | Super Bowl 47

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FLORIDA - Hernando hideout of international criminal and his Jamaican girlfriend comes to light..

OFF THE WIRE
Damned Lies - Man Uses Vet Tale to Bilk Bikers
Bryan Harley
 motorcycle-usa.com

Friday, February 10, 2012

How many of us out there have either met this guy or seen him at rallies? Turns out, the man who has been passing himself as Robert Harris is really an international criminal called Eugene Paull, according to a story by the Tampa Bay Times. Worse yet, he's been passing himself off as a vet on a mission to raise money for homeless vets but apparently has been pocketing the money himself. Read the story for details.

I’ve been bilked. Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Had the proverbial wool pulled over my eyes. Worst part is, a lot of you out there did too. This joker fooled a lot of us. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I read this story on the Tampa Bay Times website. It’s a tale of deceit, SWAT raids, shotguns and machine guns and underground tunnels. But let’s rewind a bit before we press forward.

A few years back, met this crazy character in Daytona Beach at the Harley-Davidson Ride-In Bike Show. Dude claimed to be a vet, rode the wildest 1985 FXST decked out with rockets, machine guns, bandoliers of bullets, gas masks, and tons of other military-themed paraphernalia. He called it the “Vietnam Vets Tribute Bike” and called himself Sky Soldier. He then spun a convincing tale of how he was embarking on a cross-country trip, “Operation: Dust Off” to raise money for homeless and disabled veterans. He went on to say how he was going to carry American flags with him on the journey to be signed by dignitaries along the way which were ultimately going to be placed at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in D.C. on Memorial Day. Great story, huh? Easy to buy into, a vet and fellow biker helping out vets. Wanting to help the guy out, I wrote a little story about it. (Veteran Tribute Bike Embarks on Vet Fundraiser)

Turns out, if the allegations in the Tampa Bay Times story are true, it was all a lie. This guy is a complete con artist. Apparently, the guy who rode around rallies on his rocket-launching motorcycle shouting “Look at me, look at me” who we knew as Robert Harris, aka “Sky Soldier,” is really an international criminal named Eugene Paull who's been living under a false identity for the last 33 years. Stole a dead person’s name. According to the story, he’s suspected of racking up a small fortune back in the day trafficking drugs in Jamaica. Yeh, mon! He’s even had him a little long-time, live-in Jamaican girlfriend he snuck into the country illegally.

But that’s not the part that really irks me. What really irks me is this guy has been traveling around motorcycle rallies over the past couple of years passing himself off as a patriot when he’s a total fraud. How many of us have seen him with his crazy motorcycle parked at the Weirs or on Main St. Daytona Beach with his sign: “$1 to photograph the bike, $5 to take a picture with it, $10 to take one sitting on it. To help homeless veterans,” it concluded. Get this, though. The report says that in one year, Paull raised more than $100,000, but investigators could only confirm he donated $1,300 to veterans. Guess where the other $98,700 went? I’ll give you a clue.

Paull was recently caught in Miami with explosives and almost $90,000 in cash they found stashed in gas cans with false bottoms. This after authorities confiscated two houses, three vehicles, two campers, a pair of custom motorcycles, a 47-foot yacht and about $20,000 in cash from him the first time they raided his compound. The story’s just unbelievable. You’ve got to check out the well-done piece the Tampa Bay Times did on it. (Hernando Hideout of International Criminal and his Jamaican Girlfriend Come to Light) You’ll be sitting there shaking your head just like I was.

When I read it, I was angry. How dare this guy abuse the big-hearted nature of the biker community for personal gain. Even worse, he did it under the guise of being a patriot who wanted to help out disadvantaged brothers. That’s treasonous, because from what I understand the guy actually served in ‘Nam. If he really did, which knowing his trail of lies I’d question even that, then how could he betray his brothers knowing first-hand the nature of the beast known as Vietnam? About now, I’d like to kick this guy right in his ‘nads. I rescind my story and apologize to readers for helping to propagate his lies. Now I’m trying to help spread the word about what a low-life this guy is in case he dares show his face at a rally again trying to pull the same old tricks. 

 John Woodrow Cox,
Times Staff Writer
BROOKSVILLE
Eugene Paull heard the beep.
In his three-story home east of Brooksville, Paull was lying on his bed that morning last March when the security system sounded. He rolled over and glanced at two nearby TVs wired to a dozen videocameras. Law enforcement officers swarmed across his property.
Seconds before the 66-year-old could slip into a secret room he had nicknamed the "worm hole," the SWAT team caught him.
Investigators found shotguns and machine guns, inch-wide metal bars guarding doors and windows, the secret room under the floor, and a hidden elevator that led to an underground bunker and an unfinished tunnel.
On Tuesday, Hernando County investigators released details of their stunning investigation for the first time. Paull, an international criminal on the run since 1973, had lived under a false identity for 33 years. He would later tell investigators he had come to Hernando because he felt safe and hidden and free to build his fortress.
Authorities believe he had amassed a fortune from trafficking drugs in Jamaica. But they could only prove that he and his girlfriend stole a pair of dead people's identities, the original tip from federal authorities that led to the raid. The couple avoided prison time because they forfeited most of their assets: two Hernando homes, three vehicles, two campers, a pair of custom motorcycles, a 47-foot yacht and nearly $20,000 in cash.
His girlfriend, Subrena Spence, was deported to her native Jamaica. Paull received two years of probation. He moved to Miami, but federal authorities say they recently caught him with explosives and about $90,000 in cash that was found stashed inside gas cans with false bottoms.
Tuesday morning, Hernando sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Kraft, who helped lead the investigation, stood at the escape tunnel's exit, shook his head and smiled.
"It's like nothing I've ever seen in all my years of law enforcement," Kraft said. "Ever."
• • •
Paull's career in crime began in 1968. Five years later, he was convicted on a drug charge, then released. He never showed up for the sentencing.
He fled to Jamaica, where investigators say the drug trafficking began. In 1978, he obtained a passport under the name of Robert Harris.
On the Caribbean island, he owned a hotel and supported youth boxing. He fell in love with a teenager, Subrena Spence. In 2000, she obtained a fake passport. Six years later, the couple moved to Hernando and bought the home near Brooksville for $350,000. They purchased another house in Brooksville for $114,900 four months later.
Detectives, who for 11 months have continued to investigate Paull's activities, believe he brought his drug fortune with him, and he needed a way to explain it. Spence bought a yacht, named Veteran, and claimed that he chartered trips on it. The boat still sits on stilts in his back yard. It never left the property.
He also created a charity that he claimed supported veterans. Paull, who served in Vietnam, was a patriot, or at least he wanted people to think so. His walls were covered in American flags and POW posters.
To support the charity, he bought a customized motorcycle, adorned with images of war, fake weapons and a sidecar that looked like the nose of a fighter jet.
He traveled to events around the country and asked for money. Signs in his garage indicated what he charged: $1 to photograph the bike, $5 to take a picture with it, $10 to take one sitting on it. "To help homeless veterans," the sign said, "with thanks."
In one year, Kraft said, Paull and Spence raised more than $100,000. Investigators could only confirm that the couple gave $1,300 to veterans.
After being arrested and forced to take on his real identity, Paull became eligible to receive veterans benefits.
Paull, detectives say, knew law enforcement would come for him one day. To prepare, he bought a home at the end of a single-lane dirt road in one of the most remote areas of Hernando. The house, from the outside, looked normal. It had a gate with a call box. A brick driveway surrounded a 6-foot-tall fountain. He housed Rottweilers and built an aviary for his birds.
Clues of Paull's intended seclusion appeared in the back yard. He had stacks of firewood, the makings of a garden and a pond that held catfish and tilapia.
Inside the home, guns were hidden everywhere: an antique Vickers machine gun in the garage, a shotgun in a living room cabinet, a revolver in an empty can of Bon Ami cleanser.
He put in an intricate security system and sealed off the bottom of a spiral staircase to create a secret room the size of a closet. In his bedroom, Paull installed a mechanical elevator that could lower him into a concrete bunker equipped with lights, electrical outlets and a pair of heavy metal doors with dead bolts, presumably to lock behind him as he fled.
The bunker led to a 4-foot-wide plastic tube that extended into the back yard. He didn't like the small tunnels in Vietnam, so he made the pipes spacious. When finished, investigators say, the tunnel would have extended about 200 yards into the woods.
Last fall, soon after Paull received probation and sheriff's officials prepared to seize the home, Kraft met him in his front driveway as he prepared to leave. Paull talked about writing a book and said his life would be made into a movie one day.
He seemed proud.
Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Reach John Woodrow Cox at (352) 848-1432 or jcox@tampabay.com.

Eugene Paull lived under a false identity for 33 years.

---

Related Multimedia

• Photo gallery Images of the unusual house

International Criminal Bilking Bikers With Veteran Theme Custom Motorcycle

OFF THE WIRE
Published by Cyril Huze
March 20th, 2012


You and me met him in bike shows showing his crazy 1985 FXST “machine gun motorcycle” customized with fake rockets, rounds of amunition and military-themed paraphernalia and later added a sidecar to it. He called it the “Vietnam Vets Tribute Bike.” Front of his bike a sign requesting $1 to photograph the motorcycle,, $5 to take a picture with it and $10 to have your picture taken while sitting on it. All this to raise money to help homeless veterans… In bike shows, he registered his machine under the name of Robert Harris aka the “Sky Soldier”. But Robert Harris is in reality an international criminal named Eugene Paull living during 33 years under a false identity that he stole from a dead person’s name. Now, guess where went all the money he raised during motorcycle events…


Hernando County investigators in Florida believe that Robert Harris/Eugene Paull has amassed a fortune from drugs trafficking in Jamaica. On the run since 1973, he built a bunker in the small city of Brooksville where he was stocking explosives, shotguns and machine guns, where he built a secret room and underground tunnel to escape. With his Jamaican girlfriend he would have amassed a fortune dealing drugs and raising money for the veterans. I don’t tell you more. The Tampa Bay News wrote a story with a lot of details about this alleged criminal and girlfriend. Amazingly, both veteran supporters are reported as being very proud of what they did and are convinced they are going to make tons of money selling their story for a book or movie! Conclusion: as always, watch out to who you give your money, even in bike shows… Read the full story at Tampa Bay News. (photos@h.roesler)

Damned Lies - Man Uses Vet Tale to Bilk Bikers

OFF THE WIRE
 Bryan Harley
Source: http://www.bikernews.net/index.cfm/art/Damned-Lies---Man-Uses-Vet-Tale-to-Bilk-Bikers/d/news/p/read/newsid/linkouts/linkout.cfm?lurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emotorcycle%2Dusa%2Ecom%2F4%2F1371%2F6%2FMotorcycle%2DBlog%2DPost%2FDamned%2DLies%2D%2D%2DMan%2DUses%2DVet%2DTale%2Dto%2DBilk%2DBikers%2Easpx

How many of us out there have either met this guy or seen him at rallies? Turns out, the man who has been passing himself as Robert Harris is really an international criminal called Eugene Paull, according to a story by the Tampa Bay Times. Worse yet, he's been passing himself off as a vet on a mission to raise money for homeless vets but apparently has been pocketing the money himself. Read the story for details.

I’ve been bilked. Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Had the proverbial wool pulled over my eyes. Worst part is, a lot of you out there did too. This joker fooled a lot of us. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I read this story on the Tampa Bay Times website. It’s a tale of deceit, SWAT raids, shotguns and machine guns and underground tunnels. But let’s rewind a bit before we press forward.

A few years back, met this crazy character in Daytona Beach at the Harley-Davidson Ride-In Bike Show. Dude claimed to be a vet, rode the wildest 1985 FXST decked out with rockets, machine guns, bandoliers of bullets, gas masks, and tons of other military-themed paraphernalia. He called it the “Vietnam Vets Tribute Bike” and called himself Sky Soldier. He then spun a convincing tale of how he was embarking on a cross-country trip, “Operation: Dust Off” to raise money for homeless and disabled veterans. He went on to say how he was going to carry American flags with him on the journey to be signed by dignitaries along the way which were ultimately going to be placed at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in D.C. on Memorial Day. Great story, huh? Easy to buy into, a vet and fellow biker helping out vets. Wanting to help the guy out, I wrote a little story about it. (Veteran Tribute Bike Embarks on Vet Fundraiser)

Turns out, if the allegations in the Tampa Bay Times story are true, it was all a lie. This guy is a complete con artist. Apparently, the guy who rode around rallies on his rocket-launching motorcycle shouting “Look at me, look at me” who we knew as Robert Harris, aka “Sky Soldier,” is really an international criminal named Eugene Paull who's been living under a false identity for the last 33 years. Stole a dead person’s name. According to the story, he’s suspected of racking up a small fortune back in the day trafficking drugs in Jamaica. Yeh, mon! He’s even had him a little long-time, live-in Jamaican girlfriend he snuck into the country illegally.

But that’s not the part that really irks me. What really irks me is this guy has been traveling around motorcycle rallies over the past couple of years passing himself off as a patriot when he’s a total fraud. How many of us have seen him with his crazy motorcycle parked at the Weirs or on Main St. Daytona Beach with his sign: “$1 to photograph the bike, $5 to take a picture with it, $10 to take one sitting on it. To help homeless veterans,” it concluded. Get this, though. The report says that in one year, Paull raised more than $100,000, but investigators could only confirm he donated $1,300 to veterans. Guess where the other $98,700 went? I’ll give you a clue.

Paull was recently caught in Miami with explosives and almost $90,000 in cash they found stashed in gas cans with false bottoms. This after authorities confiscated two houses, three vehicles, two campers, a pair of custom motorcycles, a 47-foot yacht and about $20,000 in cash from him the first time they raided his compound. The story’s just unbelievable. You’ve got to check out the well-done piece the Tampa Bay Times did on it. (Hernando Hideout of International Criminal and his Jamaican Girlfriend Come to Light) You’ll be sitting there shaking your head just like I was.

When I read it, I was angry. How dare this guy abuse the big-hearted nature of the biker community for personal gain. Even worse, he did it under the guise of being a patriot who wanted to help out disadvantaged brothers. That’s treasonous, because from what I understand the guy actually served in ‘Nam. If he really did, which knowing his trail of lies I’d question even that, then how could he betray his brothers knowing first-hand the nature of the beast known as Vietnam? About now, I’d like to kick this guy right in his ‘nads. I rescind my story and apologize to readers for helping to propagate his lies. Now I’m trying to help spread the word about what a low-life this guy is in case he dares show his face at a rally again trying to pull the same old tricks.

Pic of the Day

USA VETERANS

Ok Heres one web site so far http://4thestatemedia.com        theres new pictures and hopefully some new info. we at the d.a.v. 67 are looking to rebuild a nations trust in vets that really do help vets.at chapter 67 we see 900 plus vets a year. any help would go along way .thanks terrell king

USA - Stand with Veterans Who Paid Freedom's Price

Though images of combat in Afghanistan are seldom seen in TV reports anymore, the wounded still continue to return home to America. Sick and injured veterans need your loyalty more than ever. Each faces a future marred by the scars of our nation’s defense. You’ve been so faithful in fulfilling America’s promises to them – a true member of DAV’s family. And honoring you is the goal of our 2013 Commanders Club Drive! As part of this exclusive group, you should know that veterans who returned home sick and wounded from our nation’s defense now face a crisis. In this time of pressing need, I urge you to make a special 2013 Commanders Club gift. I’m sure you’d never look away from a war-wounded veteran, even though 97% of Americans fail to respond, even in this time of war. That’s why I count on your continued kindness! Now is the moment to choose which Commanders Club Leader level you would like beside your name on your certificate. Make your 2013 Commanders Club commitment: Diamond Leader level - $75 minimum Gold Leader level - $50 minimum Silver Leader level - $25 minimum Bronze Leader level - $15 minimum With Gratitude for Your Loyal Heart! Arthur H. Wilson National Adjutant Disabled American Veterans

HOME ABOUT DONATE

Disabled American Veterans P.O. Box 14301 Cincinnati, OH 45290-0301 www.DAV.org

Parallels of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Hussein Obama

I'm sure most of us have read the so-called comparison of Lincoln and Kennedy, but did you ever consider the relationship between Obama and Lincoln?

You might be surprised...Parallels of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Hussein Obama:

1. Lincoln placed his hand on the Bible for his inauguration. - Obama used the same Bible.
2. Lincoln came from Illinois . - Obama comes from Illinois .
3. Lincoln served in the Illinois Legislature. - Obama served in the Illinois Legislature.
4. Lincoln had very little experience before becoming President. - Obama had very little experience before becoming President.
5. Lincoln rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration. - Obama rode a train too.
6. Lincoln was a skinny lawyer. - Obama is a skinny lawyer.
7. Lincoln was a Republican. - Obama is a skinny lawyer.
8. Lincoln was in the United States military. - Obama is a skinny lawyer.
9. Lincoln believed in everyone carrying their own weight.- Obama is a skinny lawyer.
10. Lincoln did not waste taxpayers' money on personal enjoyments. - Obama is a skinny lawyer.
11. Lincoln was highly respected. - Obama is a skinny lawyer.
12. Lincoln was born in the United States . - Obama is a skinny lawyer.
13. Lincoln was honest, so honest he was called Honest Abe. - Obama is a skinny lawyer
14. Lincoln saved the United States . - Obama is a skinny lawyer. *

Amazing, isn't it*?

CA: More DUI & Motorcycle Safety Patrols, Stoplight Enforcement Coming to Elk Grove

OFF THE WIRE
http://elkgrove.patch.com/articles/more-dui-motorcycle-safety-patrols-stoplight-enforcement-coming-to-elk-grove
More DUI & Motorcycle Safety Patrols, Stoplight Enforcement Coming to Elk Grove
The Elk Grove Police Department was awarded a $90,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
By Cody Kitaura  January 28, 2013
Drivers in Elk Grove should expect to see more police looking for impaired or speeding drivers, unsafe motorcyclists and stoplight or stop sign violations.
The Elk Grove Police Department recently received a $90,000 state grant for traffic safety, officials announced Thursday.
More details follow in a press release from the department:
Elk Grove Police Department Receives Grant For Special Traffic Enforcement And Crash Prevention ELK GROVE, CA – The Elk Grove Police Department has been awarded a $90,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways through special enforcement and public awareness efforts. The grant received by Elk Grove will aid in the city’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety and the quality of life. The Elk Grove Police Department will use the funding as part of an on-going commitment to keep our roadways safe through both enforcement and education.
The grant will assist in efforts to deal with traffic safety problems and to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions. While traffic deaths from all causes declined by nearly 39 percent between 2006 and 2010 in California, state and federal officials anticipate that figures will show a slight rise in 2011. DUI deaths remain the largest sector, at nearly 30 percent of traffic fatalities. Recent trends show increases in two new categories – distracted driving and drug-impaired driving.
Activities that the grant will fund include:
•Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE). •DUI Saturation Patrols •Motorcycle safety enforcement •Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement “Despite the recent increases, California’s roadways are still very much safer than they were before 2006,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy. “The Elk Grove Police Department will be keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness so that we can continue saving lives and reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”
Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CA - Pelican Bay Slammed for Housing Groups by Race

OFF THE WIRE
By PHILIP A. JANQUART

(CN) - Administrators at Pelican Bay State Prison cannot enforce race-based lockdowns, a California appeals court panel ruled, noting that the practice contradicts 10-year-old precedent.
     Pelican Bay is home to California's most serious criminal offenders. Gang warfare within its walls has given the super-maximum security facility a reputation of being one of the most notoriously violent prisons in America.
     Overpopulation further complicates matters. Pelican Bay was designed to accommodate 2,280 prisoners, but state data shows that its current population tops 3,461.
     A 2009 manual published by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation states that there are seven designated prison gangs, all formed along racial lines.
     To control the violence among the general population, Pelican Bay assigns inmates to one of five racial or ethnic groups: White, Black, Northern Hispanic, Southern Hispanic or Other, a group consisting mostly of Asians.
     All cellmates share the same group designation and are thus segregated by race. Their cells are marked by color-coded signs: white for White, yellow for Other, blue for Black, red for Southern Hispanic and green for Northern Hispanic.
     Southern Hispanics had balked when they were left with the harshest punishment after a 2000 conflict that led the prison to impose a full lockdown on the entire population and then easing restrictions on all other groups.
     Judge Robert Weir of Del Norte County Superior Court deemed race-based lockdowns unconstitutional in 2003, ruling on consolidated habeas petitions brought by Aaron Escalera and other inmates.
     California's First Appellate District affirmed the following year in an unpublished decision, but reform at the prison was short-lived.
     Jose Morales, who is serving life for first-degree murder, petitioned for habeas relief in early 2010 after just over a year in the Southern Hispanic group at Pelican Bay.
     He said prison officials placed him because of his prior Southern California residency, unfairly punishing him for a fight that occurred before his arrival.
     The lockdown of the Southern Hispanics cost Morales privileges like yard recreation, visits, phone calls and other activities.
     Judge Weir also decided Morales' petition and found Pelican Bay's system improper under Escalera v. Terhune. He ordered the prison to end its race-based group designation within 60 days.
     Unable to stay the order pending appeal, Pelican Bay immediately ended its modified program of partial lockdowns. A prison official reported in April 2012 that there had not been violence requiring a lockdown or partial lockdown since the order.
     Division Three of the state's First Appellate District shot down the warden's appeal last week.
     The decision notes the trial court's finding that Pelican Bay can handle gang violence without resorting to long-term, mass deprivation of outside exercise, work assignments, family visits and religious services.
     One former warden, for example, experienced success using a system of evaluation based on the threat-assessment scores of individual inmates.
     Punishing inmates by denying all visitation and enforcing other restrictions also "appear primarily punitive in nature, rather than designed to maintain security, especially when imposed on a large group of inmates for an extended period of time," Justice Stuart Pollak wrote for a three-member panel.
     The court also upheld Judge Weir's decision to let inmates enforce this order rather than multiplying litigation by filing duplicative habeas petitions, as Morales had been forced to file.  

Columbia, South Carolina - The Rock Hill Informants

OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
The RICO case against members and associates of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Columbia, South Carolina is Orwellian. The post-arrest, pretrial trap the prosecution built and baited for the lead defendant in the Case, Daniel Eugene “Diamond Dan” Bifield, proves that. O’Brien (first name redacted for reasons of state security) would have been proud.
Dan Bifield, who was the principal target of simultaneous federal investigations in North and South Carolina, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy on January 3. He confessed his guilt, in his own words, to “help Lisa.” Bifield, who maintains he was entrapped and lied about, explained why he agreed to plead guilty.

What Dan Bifield Thought
“I’m taking a plea deal,” he wrote. “I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing it for my wife Lisa.”
“They have offered my wife 14 years to plead guilty and if she goes to trial and gets found guilty they’ll ask for the 20 years. Her lawyer, family and friends are telling her to take the deal and not go to trial. Lisa is so afraid and worried about not seeing or being with her 14-year-old daughter! I feel so bad for her and I am so worried about her. Being the man I am and her husband I have no choice but to help her.
“So I am pleading guilty to conspiracy to RICO and I will receive 20 years. They will drop all charges against my wife except for one gun charge which she will plead guilty to and be sentenced to five years. But, she should be home in about three years or maybe less if the judge decides! I really didn’t like the deal because I wanted her to go home with no more time or very little time. But this is a one time deal only and they gave me a week to decide. It’s more like extortion than a plea deal!
“I told the lawyers I wanted to see and talk to my wife before I did anything so they set up a visit for us on Thursday (December 27, 2012). My lawyers were there, the prosecutors, my wife and her lawyer. I asked everybody to leave the room so I could talk to Lisa. They left one person to watch us.
“I asked Lisa what she wanted to do. She said ‘Please take the deal so I can go home to my daughter again.’ She said, ‘I am so scared to go to trial and that we’ll lose!’ She said, ‘I’ll always love you and when I come home I’ll come see you and take care of you.’
“So I kissed her and I signed the plea agreement.”

Justice In Hell
Lisa Bifield, Dan Bifield’s wife, had already helped herself. She made a secret deal with the inquisitors supervising the case last July. The deal, simply stated was, “Take him, not me. I promise I’ll give you anything you want.”
Dan Bifield found out last Friday. Friends described him as “surprised.” Reliable sources have said his lawyers were also surprised.
The prosecutors – starting with United States Attorney William N. Nettles – whose jobs are to seek justice and truth on behalf of all the people and who are all officially presumed to be truthful in the course of their duties, turn out to be a cabal of lying sons of bitches. An informed source said that it is easy to underestimate “to what extent Lisa, her attorney, and the Feds went to hide her deal and that she was cooperating They all lied to Dan and his attorneys to pressure Dan to plea. He thought he was helping Lisa and her deal was already made. They all lied to Dan and his attorney’s to get him to plead.”
Another source said that Mrs. Bifield may be as immoral as a federal prosecutor. “I think she flipped because she cares about only one person…herself.” Whatever her motivations are, her cooperation was essential to the production of a superseding indictment last September.
There are strong indications that three other defendants in the case may also be cooperating with prosecutors. It is at least possible that these defendants are also victims of prosecutorial psychopathy. They may or may not have been blackmailed or duped into testifying. Whatever they do or don’t say, they did not make the case.
The case against Dan and Lisa Bifield and 18 other defendants was made by a small cadre of five informants who were paid to find what prosecutors wanted them to find. The names of all five are still officially secret. They are all identified in legally obtained documents as Confidential Human Sources. Their names, and a taste of official statements about their parts in the investigation follow.

CHS-1
The investigation began with a tip from Confidential Human Source Number 1. CHS-1 was Rodger ‘Screwy’ Totherow, the manager of a Rock Hill, South Carolina nightclub.
“CHS-1 stated “in December 2009 he sold an ‘8-ball’ of cocaine to Bifield. CHS-1 began working as a confidential source for the FBI in October 2010 and continued cooperating until he was deactivated as a source in December 2010.”
“CHS-1’s primary motivation was financial gain. However, CHS-1 first began working as a source to receive law enforcement assistance with gun and drug charges. CHS-1 confirmed Bifield’s leadership….”

CHS-2
“CHS-2 (Marty ‘Cowboy’ Deloach) began working as a confidential source for the FBI in March 2011. CHS-2’s primary motivations have been financial gain and the betterment of the community.”

CHS-3
“In March 2011 CHS-3 (Joseph Dilulio) was interviewed. CHS-3 knows Bifield and other HAs….”
“CHS-3 advised that Dan Bifield, Bruce Long and Jason Fogle were selling what CHS-3 believed was stolen property (gold) to him during the previous two or three months.”
“CHS-3 borrowed $10,000 through Bifield and Long. Bifield demanded that CHS-3 pay $500 in interest every week.”
“CHS-3 advised that Bifield would meet various people at CHS-3’s store and pass out envelopes with money in them. Bifield told CHS-3 that he was sellin ‘8-balls.’
“During a January 5, 2012 meeting, CHS-3 arranged to buy 8 ounces of “clear” (which Agent Mahoney explained is code for methamphetamine) for $16,000.”
“…in a recorded meeting, CHS-3 paid Oiler $36,000 in advance for a kilogram of cocaine.”

CHS-4
“In April 2011 CHS-4, (Anthony Lang acting with his girlfriend Brandy Mitchum) began working as a confidential source for the FBI and continued until May 2011.”
“CHS-4’s primary motivation has been financial gain, however he first began working as a source to receive law enforcement assistance with state larceny charges.”
“CHS-4 was made aware that he would be required to testify when he purchased contraband under the direction of agents.”
“CHS-4’s girlfriend told Bifield that CHS-4 has stolen electronics from cars in Rock Hill.”
“Bifield told CHS-4 that he wanted him to steal electronics for him. Bifield said he would pay CHS-4 with stolen jewelry.”
“CHS-4 said Bifield asked him about transporting a big load of meth.”
“CHS-4, provided information that Kerry Chitwood of the Southern Gentlemen purchased cocaine from someone named Carlos. Although CHS-4 did not know Carlos’s last name, he did know that Carlos owned a business named Hi-Tech Stucco and that Carlos’s workers delivered cocaine while driving Hi-Tech Stucco work trucks. CHS-4 also revealed that Carlos’s employees had transported methamphetamine in a Hi-Tech Stucco work truck to Chitwood at the Southern Gentlemen clubhouse.”
“The information provided by CHS-4 supported probable Cause.”
“CHS-4 was not an anonymous tipster but an individual identified by officers as a potential trial witness. CHS-4 provided information about Kerry Chitwood despite his fear of motorcycle gangs. The willingness of CHS-4 to provide this information and potentially serve as a witness also supports the credibility of his statements; when CHS-4 does testify at trial, his identity will be revealed to the defendants. It is less likely that an informant will provide false information about individuals whom the informant fears when the informant knows that his identity may have to be disclosed to those individuals.”
“Materials concerning this individual shall be produced by the Government to defense counsel five (5) business days prior to the individual being called as a witness in the trial of this matter.”

USA - Court Again Says It's Okay For The Feds To Snoop Through Your Digital Info Without Telling You

OFF THE WIRE

from the that-old-4th-amendment dept

You may recall that in its quixotic attempt to go after Wikileaks, the US government has been snooping through the private communications of a bunch of folks they're trying to connect to the organization, including Icelandic politician Birgitta Jonsdottir and Jacob Appelbaum, who gets detained and harassed every time he re-enters the country. All of this came to light only because Twitter actually stood up to the US government and refused to just hand over info that was requested using the obscure 2703(d) process. Twitter also got the court to allow it to reveal the existence of the order (something that every other company which has received one has kept secret). A court eventually ruled that Twitter had to hand over the requested info.

Following this, Jonsdottir, Appelbaum and one other person, Rop Gonggrijp, (represented by the ACLU and the EFF), chose not to challenge that ruling, but did appeal concerning the secrecy around the order -- asking the court to have the specific 2703(d) order unsealed -- arguing that they have the right to access judicial documents about themselves. However, last week, an appeals court rejected that appeal, and basically said that the feds can sniff through your digital data without your knowledge, and, well, too bad if you don't like it.

Even though the court did find that 2703(d) orders are "judicial records," which could make them subject to a right to access, they then claimed that, well, when the government investigates things, it should be able to do so in absolute secrecy, and who really cares about pesky little things like oversight or a right to know about it.

Subscribers' contentions fail for several reasons. First, the record shows that the magistrate judge considered the stated public interests and found that the Government's interests in maintaining the secrecy of its investigation, preventing potential subjects from being tipped off, or altering behavior to thwart the Government's ongoing investigation, outweighed those interests.

Further, we agree with the magistrate judge's findings that the common law presumption of access to § 2703 orders is outweighed by the Government's interest in continued sealing because the publicity surrounding the WikiLeaks investigation does not justify its unsealing. The mere fact that a case is high profile in nature does not necessarily justify public access.... Additionally, Subscribers' contention that the balance of interests tips in the public's favor because the Government approved the disclosure of the existence of its investigation by moving the district court to unseal the Twitter Order is adequately counterbalanced by the magistrate judge's finding that the "sealed documents at issue set forth sensitive nonpublic facts, including the identity of targets and witnesses in an ongoing criminal investigation."

The government gets to peer deeper and deeper into our lives, and we're less and less able to even know about it.

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