Reporter Arrested in Courtroom

The Daily Resistance -by Caleb Hitt

I attended the jury selection earlier this afternoon for Thomas David House of Deegan’s trial in Parkersburg, WV.  However there was some drama during a morning motions hearing as Carl Swensen, a reporter from Atlanta, GA was arrested for having a camera pen in his shirt pocket!  According to Heather Swensen, two individuals (suspected feds) wearing street clothing with guns were sitting directly behind her and Carl, when some communication began stirring among officers.  The camera pen was confiscated, passed around for examination, until the bailiff alerted purported Wood County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Reed.  

Judge Reed ordered, “Get that man.”

Heather raised the question outside of the Wood County Judicial Building as to how these officers knew Carl’s pen was a camera as he did not try to hide it during security scan earlier before entering the courtroom.   Somebody obviously said something.

So, Carl was arrested while keeping tongue in cheek, and taken to the magistrate building for processing.  Heather later told how as she was sitting in her parked vehicle in front of the Judicial Building, three witnesses of the state (troopers) smirked at her while passing by.

Carl was arrested for being in contempt of court, as Judge Reed has been very adamant in previous hearings that absolutely no recording devices may be brought into the court room.  The only exception has been for local news station, WTAP.  This is a direct violation of the 1st article of the Bill of Rights, which acknowledges the freedom of the press.

The question of whether the trial should be moved to another court shall be decided by the jury.  As explained in the video above, Thomas has previously pointed out the constitutional fact (article 3, section 2) that any time a state is a party in a case against a citizen thereof, the trial shall be heard in the Supreme Court.  Judge Reed has previously explained this off by claiming it’s a “tradition” of the courts to hear such cases.

So basically, the fact that it’s a “tradition” of the courts to violate the Constitution, this somehow makes everything ok!

Opening statements will be given tomorrow morning during jury trial which is expected to last through Friday.  Thomas is being accused by pro se, WEST VIRGINIA INC. of threats of terrorism.

Thomas, along with Phil Hudok, and Gene Stalnaker is at the forefront of an effort to change the current corporate form of government to a constitutional form in West Virginia. Recently Phil was part of an in depth discussion about the rule of law on Battle of New Orleans Radio.  Please check it out in video below. And for more exhaustive information/documentation about this effort and Thomas’s trial, please visit hudok.info.

The Daily Resistance