Family Raided by SWAT Team for “Weeds”

The Bob Tuskin Radio Show

Arlington, Texas — A family with a passion for gardening and conscious living was raided by the Arlington SWAT team early Friday morning. All 8 adults present in the house were initially handcuffed at the gunpoint of heavily armed SWAT officers, including the mother of a 22 month old and a two week old baby who was separated from her children during the raid. I had a chance to interview Quinn who gave me his first hand account of the raid and the background behind it all.  

Here is their press release: At around seven thirty last Friday morning, inhabitants of The Garden of Eden, a small Intentional Community based on Sustainability, were awakened by a SWAT raid conducted by the City of Arlington for suspicion of being a full fledged marijuana growth and trafficking operation. Ultimately only a single arrest was made based on unrelated outstanding traffic violations, a handful of citations were given for city code violations, and zero drug related violations were found.

The entire operation lasted about 10 hours and involved many dozens of city officials, SWAT team, police officers and code compliance employees, and numerous official vehicles including dozens of police cars and several specialized vehicular equipment that was involved in the “abatement” operation. Witnesses say that there were helicopters and unmanned flying drones circling the property in the days prior to the raid that are presumed to have been a part of the intelligence gathering. The combined expenses for the raid itself and the collection of information leading up to the fruitless raid are estimated in the tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

All 8 adults present in the house were initially handcuffed at the gunpoint of heavily armed SWAT officers, including the mother of a 22 month old and a two week old baby who was separated from her children during the raid. The police enforced activity on the day of the raid included mowing the grass, the forcible destruction of both wild and cultivated plants like blackberries, lamb’s quarters and okra, and the removal of other varied materials from around the premises such as pallets, tires and cardboard that the Community members say they had collected for use in sustainability projects. No marijuana or other drugs were found on site and the inhabitants of the premises were all unarmed.

After several hours and many requests from the community members, the City Police Officers finally produced two warrants. The first was a Search Warrant for a suspected marijuana growth and distribution operation purportedly being concealed on the premises. There was also an Inspection & Abatement Warrant for code compliance violations such as tall grass and storage in the yard, an issue that the City of Arlington and The Garden of Eden have been disputing since February of this year. The marijuana warrant was issued based on an unsubstantiated claim by an Arlington City Police Officer of possession of marijuana by one of the community members for which there is no police record. Garden of Eden community members also say they have a series of documents showing that their dispute with the City of Arlington over the code compliance violations had already been addressed and settled.

Landowner Shellie Smith states that she has been requesting a peaceful and honorable resolution since the onset of the dispute in February, requesting the aid of the City Manager Trey Yelverton, Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson and Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, but has received no response in the matter. Ms. Smith says “the City codes are in violation of our natural and Constitutional rights to live freely while causing damage to no one, and since there is no damaged party, there has been no crime committed on our part.

Rather, the City of Arlington has trespassed and committed robbery against us, amongst other crimes, and will be held accountable in a court of law in due time. We have been targeted by the system because we are showing people how to live without it. We are growing more than just tomatoes here, we are growing the consciousness that will allow people to live freely and sustainably, and the system doesn’t want that to be known.”

For updates on the unfolding of these matters:

http://intothegardenofeden.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140&Itemid=382

Petition

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/seeking-truth/

The Fight for Our Rights- An Overview of the Situation and Issues at Hand

What’s Happening:

 Since February of 2013, the alleged City of Arlington has been engaged with the Garden of Eden in a dispute over city code violations on the small community’s land. The situation came to a boil on Friday, August 2nd of 2013 when an early morning SWAT raid was conducted by the Arlington Police at the Garden of Eden, during which the grass was cut and many trailers full of materials were removed from the premises by the City.

How it Started:

 Citations were initially issued for grass that was too tall, bushes growing too close to the street, a couch and piano in the yard, chopped wood that was not properly stacked, a piece of siding that was missing from the side of the house, and generally unclean premises.

The community responded by trimming the bushes growing into the road immediately because it was easy to see how that was an issue that could affect others and therefore was a perfectly reasonable request. The other issues cited are seen by the community members as a private matter of preference, since it is taking place entirely within the confines of their private land and has no effect on anyone.

Attempts at Resolution:

 Garden of Eden representative Shellie Smith has since sent more than 20 letters of correspondence in hopes of resolving the matter lawfully and peacefully. Lawful notifications on record have been sent certified mail to Curtis Jones, the code compliance officer who made the initial complaint, Code Compliance employees Mike Bass, Neal Lucas, Lisa Duncan, City Manager Trey Yelverton, Mayor Robert Cluck and Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson. Not a single one of these individuals replied or responded to Smith with a phone call or written response of any kind.

In her lawful notification on record, Smith has requested to be shown what law grants the city government jurisdiction over her and her land, as jurisdiction must first be established. She very simply communicated in a lawful on reccord corrispondance “Show me the law and I will be happy to honor it” As a free woman inhabiting the land, she is entitled to inalienable rights, granted by her creator, as all men and women are. Unless she has made a contract by a signed written agreement with another party, be it a man, a company or a government agency, or unless she has caused damage to a person or their property, no one shall have power over her.

In her lawful notifications on record to the County Sheriff, Dee Anderson, Smith declared that her safety and property were being threatened unlawfully by the City and individuals in their official and individual capacity and that her family was in danger. She requested that the Sheriff intervene on her behalf to see that due process of law was followed. However the Sheriff did not respond nor did anyone from the Sheriff’s office.

According to established, lawful documentation filed with the Arlington Municipal Court, the City of Arlington has made prior agreement with the Inhabitants of the Garden of Eden that this issue was already resolved. There are multiple signed, bonafide documents on the record wherein the City agrees that they neither could nor would take action of any kind in the matter of the city code violations at the Garden of Eden.

Yet those agreements were disavowed then the City conducted their raid and forcibly took action to abate the alleged city code violations. Furthermore, due process of law was NOT followed in enforcing code compliance at the Garden of Eden. There was never any trial to bring evidence or give testimony before a judge and jury, as is every man and woman’s right under the law. Instead, several dozens of government employees, paid by the people, showed up unannounced, uninvited, raped the land and held captive every human present at gunpoint.

This is all documented on file, of course, as each government official is on the clock and must be accounted for. This information should be released to the public but is being kept quiet as it was an EPIC FAIL.

Neighbors of the Garden of Eden have confirmed that prior to the SWAT raid, a secret meeting was held regarding the Garden of Eden land, as well as other “problem” properties in the area. However, none of the Inhabitants of the Garden of Eden were invited to or informed of the meeting, nor given any opportunity to represent their point of view at the meeting, despite their numerous attempts to make contact with the City officials and to settle the matter honorably and peacefully.

An Unlawful Raid

Press Release:

At around seven thirty on the morning of Friday, August 2nd 2013, inhabitants of The Garden of Eden were awakened by a SWAT raid conducted by the City of Arlington for suspicion of being a full fledged marijuana growth and trafficking operation and for city code violations. Ultimately, only a single arrest was made based on unrelated outstanding traffic violations, a handful of citations were given for city code violations, and zero drug related violations were found.

The entire operation lasted about 10 hours and involved many dozens of city officials, SWAT team, police officers and code compliance employees, and numerous official vehicles including dozens of police cars and several specialized vehicular equipment that was involved in the “abatement” operation. Witnesses say that there were helicopters and unmanned flying drones circling the property in the days prior to the raid that are presumed to have been a part of the intelligence gathering. The combined expenses for the raid itself and the collection of information leading up to the fruitless raid are estimated in the tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

All 8 adults present in the house were initially handcuffed at the gunpoint of heavily armed SWAT officers, including the mother of a 22 month old and a two week old baby who was separated from her children during the raid. The police enforced activity on the day of the raid included mowing the grass, the forcible destruction of both wild and cultivated plants like blackberries, lamb’s quarters and okra, and the removal of other varied materials from around the premises such as pallets, tires and cardboard that the Community members say they had collected for use in sustainability projects. No marijuana or other drugs were found on site and the inhabitants of the premises were all unarmed.

After several hours and many requests from the community members, the City Police Officers finally produced two warrants. The first was a Search Warrant for a suspected marijuana growth and distribution operation purportedly being concealed on the premises. There was also an Inspection & Abatement Warrant for code compliance violations such as tall grass and storage in the yard, an issue that the City of Arlington and The Garden of Eden have been disputing since February of this year.

The marijuana warrant was issued based on an unsubstantiated claim by an Arlington City Detective Perez of possession of marijuana by one of the community members for which there is no police record. Garden of Eden community members also say they have a series of documents showing that their dispute with the City of Arlington over the code compliance violations had already been addressed and settled. Shellie Smith is in possession of numerous bona fide contracts very clearly agreed to that the City of Arlington has no jurisdiction to enforce the matters at hand and that there were no crimes taking place. All of these bonafide documents were sent certified mail and received by Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson on multiple occasions as well as numerous City Officials.

Landowner Shellie Smith states that she has been requesting a peaceful and honorable resolution since the onset of the dispute in February, requesting the aid of the City Manager Trey Yelverton, Sheriff Dee Anderson and Mayor Robert Cluck, but has received no response in the matter. Ms. Smith says “the City codes are in violation of our natural and Constitutional rights to live freely while causing damage to no one, and since there is no damaged party, there has been no crime committed on our part. Rather, the City of Arlington has trespassed and committed robbery against us, amongst other crimes, and will be held accountable in a court of law in due time. We have been targeted by the system because we are showing people how to live without it. We are growing more than just tomatoes here, we are growing the consciousness that will allow people to live freely and sustainably, and the system doesn’t want that to be known.”

# # #

What is the Law?

Natural law, Common Law, Gods Law and or Constitutional Law which is the SUPREME Law of the land, is one of the main interests and focal points of the Garden of Eden, as an intentional community dedicated to Freedom, Sustainability and Responsibility. Under the Constitution, a man is free to live and do as he will on his own land, so long as he is damaging nothing and no one. Damage to another person or their property is essentially the only true crime under Constitutional law that can be comitted by a living man/woman, aside from treason and perjury.

It has come to be the popular practice and belief that it is the government that has all the rights and all the authority, and issues privileges to the people. However that is not how our nations power was intended to be distributed nor is it outlined that way in the US Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land,  which no other law, statute or code can supercede or override. The majority of statutes and codes in effect in the united States are intended to govern corporate entities and government employees, not natural men and women who are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights.

The free men and women of our country have been for generations and are being tricked into believing that they do not have power or freedoms unless granted by the government. However, under law, it is the other way around. The government and its employees are the servants of the people and have no power except that which it is given by the people. The supreme law of this land was created by the people FOR the people. The pyramid of power starts with the creator/source of life then is the people, then the government then the government officials.

Government officials MUST swear under oath to serve and protect the people and the constitution. This is called an oath of office. Any official who does NOT honor their oaths of office is guilty of treason, perjury at a minimum as well as any other violations in such actions. This was done very purposefully so as to keep the government/officials in check and to preserve our freedoms.

The Constitution of the united States of America does not GIVE or GRANT rights but upholds and protects our inalienable rights. The way the common man and woman have been tricked into slavery and rule is through private contracts. Contract law is very powerful and can supersede rights. If a free man or woman consciously chooses to sign a contract with terms and conditions that wave these rights then it is a contract that stands in court and supersedes whatever these inalienable rights are that are specifically waived. This is what happens when a living breathing man or woman becomes a government official. They MUST sign and swear to under oath their Oath of Office. This enacts MANY rules, regulations, statutes, codes etc that govern their limited deligated authority. While in their official capacity they MUST adhere to the terms conditions rules etc that are part of that contract. If they do not then they are unfit for their official capacity. They do not have to swear an oath as a free man they choose to swear the oath and it is the free will choice oath that binds them to the many rules. These rules are essential when acting in official capacity with limited deligated authority especially when carrying fire power. If at any point in time this indavidual no longer chooses to honor the oath they can step down, however when in official capacity there is no choice to honor or not ot honor. To not honor is perjury treason at the least. These are the rules of the game and it is up to the indavidual to honorbly serve in thier capacity, step down or be held accountable for their dishonor.

So, for example, if a police officer is mowing his yard and sees someone run a stop sign, if he is not on duty then he cannot stop that person driving and say “here’s a ticket”. Because when he is not on the clock and wearing a badge under oath there is NO power, NO jurisdiction. To take it a step further if a police officer IS on duty that police officer ONLY has jurisdiction over those who commit a crime or have a private contract agreeing to be governed by statutes and codes.

A drivers license is a very common example of this. Most do not know this but when you sign the contract to get a drivers license you sign away all your rights and those rights are turned into privileges with THOUSANDS of statues, codes, laws and rules that govern you. Yet it is the private contract that is giving this jurisdiction NOT their capacity. Because these private contracts are so normal and so engrained in society people are just born assuming that is the way the law works. However the truth is that without these private contracts we are born free. We do not have to live by the 8 millions laws that exist in the USA. The only true law is natural law, God’s law, constitutional law, the law of the land of this country. Simple proof of all this is to look at your name on an official document, many if not most of them will have your name in ALL CAPS. Now anyone who knows proper grammer knows that proper names are to be spelled with Upper case first letter and lowercase thereafter. So the living breathing woman Shellie Smith is different than SHELLIE SMITH. Corporations and fictional entities are spelled with ALL CAPS. A system was integrated generations ago of which social security cards and birth certificates play a huge role (You can find LOTS of info on this on the internet) because people are acting in their official capacity aka corporate entity ALL CAPS NAME this corporation is sujbect to the 8 million + statues codes and rules that exist in the USA. To the demize of the human race this is happening on purpose simply for control. In school we are not taught about freedom from birth and inalienable power endowed from our creator but instead how to follow rules. This is not made up fantasy this is fact written in law.

Therefore, while it may be lawful for a city government to cite a corporate entity or a government agent or agency for violating city codes, the city has no jurisdiction over free men and women unless a crime has been committed. And for a crime to have been committed as it is defined in the US Constitution, there must be a damaged party. In the case being brought against the Garden of Eden by the alleged City of Arlington, there is NO DAMAGED PARTY, and therefore no crime, and therefore no jurisdiction.

The GOE is not a corporation a business or an official agency/organization. The GOE is a sovereign body of land that is referred to as The Garden of Eden because a sustainable life of thrival unfolds there. Because the primary inhabitants honor the land and the life in a way that is glorious, abundant, beautiful and great in so many ways, it is referred to as The Garden of Eden because that is a name that connotes pure “perfect” living.

This is the only purpose of the inhabitants of The GOE; To love life and to love the land. Not once has anyone at the GOE went door to door trying to convince, manipulate, convert or sell anyone anything. Never once has anyone at The GOE infringed upon another’s lands or rights. Not once has The GOE or anyone at the GOE violated a living man or womans rights to freedom. The life and conduct of The GOE and the inhabitants thereof are more peaceful, beneficial, sustainable and healthy than almost anything going on anywhere especially in the DFW metroplex. If the life that is being lived at the GOE is a crime punishable by assault, rape and pillage at gunpoint then this country is truly doomed.

 Who Is Really Violating the Law?

FURTHERMORE, the alleged City of Arlington has violated due process of law in numerous ways during their raid of the Garden of Eden on Friday, August 2, 2013 and even more times in the correspondences before the raid. This is ALL documented on record.

1. The city police failed to produce a search warrant until more than 2 hours after forcibly entering the premises and the house, while detaining everyone at gunpoint for hours. Technically this is kidnapping.

2. The warrant for drug trafficking was fruitless and produced no results whatsoever. They did not seize one drug trafficking related item nor bring any drug trafficking charges. The warrant was granted based on an unsubstantiated (FALSE and therefore PERJURED) claim of possession of Marijuana by a community member in the days prior to the raid made by an Arlington Detective PEREZ.

3. The city police made an arrest based on an warrant for outstanding traffic related violations without producing an arrest warrant at any time and without reading the arrested man his rights.

4. The City and numerous individuals in their official and private capacity ignored lawful notifications, violated their oaths of office and blatantly ignored and violated the rights  of the primary inhabitants of The GOE.

5. No officers at any time during this raid ever produced a bonafide oath of office or recited their oath of office which are a sworn oath to serve and protect the People according to the Constitution of the united States.

 6. Almost every officer hid their names, and refused to even identify them self in indavidual or official capacity. This shows the shame and pathetic dishonor on all levels. Not only did they know they were in the wrong but they did it anyways.

 7. Shellie Smith has over 20 bonafide documents sent certified mail with signed signatures of recieval on reccord demanding proof of claim, establishment of jurisdiction and the demand of producing the law that put her in the wrong and gave them power to enforce it. Not once did they produce anything in relation to this. In fact they agreed to terms and conditions that said Shellie was a free woman, that this land was soveriegn and they would not nor could not do anything about it.

 8. The living breathing men and woman in their offiial capacity during the raid were responsible for the destruction of 17 blackberry bushes, 15 okra plants, 14 tomatillo plants, numerious native grasses and sunflowers which provided food for animals, bedding for animals, an essential material for building projects and provided cool and shade for crops that would otherwise be dead due to the intense summer heat. The GOE gets producing tomato crops all summer long which is almost unheard of in the middle of Texas heat, which are now dying because of exposure to the full power of the summer sun. Cucumbers are also now dying because of sun exposure due to the destruction of the land.

 9. Many trailer loads of valuble materials and items were taken from the land. This included 55 gallon barrels which are used for rain water collection, animal water feed tanks, aquaponics systems, and many other uses. Glass doors of which are used for green house purposes and solar dehydrator and solar water heating apparatuses. Two refridgerators of which are were to be used for solar hot air collectors to heat buildings without electric or gas heat and had also been used for other sustainable realities. Lots of wood for building and tables, benches and chairs for the new commons room to be built were taken. Multiple axles to be used to make a home made trailer were taken and other valuble items documented in an AFFIDAVIT OF DAMAGES.

http://www.bobtuskin.com/2013/08/12/family-raided-by-swat-team-for-weeds/