Beaten Pastor Anderson cleared of charges in border incident

[libertybrewcity]

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - A jury has acquitted a Tempe pastor charged with failing to obey officers' instructions at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Yuma.

The jury also cleared Steven Anderson of the Faithful Word Baptist Church of obstructing a highway during the April 2009 incident at the Interstate 8 checkpoint. Both charges are misdemeanors.

A Border Patrol agent questioned Anderson about his citizenship but he refused to answer, saying it was his constitutional right to remain silent. After he wouldn't move to a secondary inspection area, Anderson says a state police officer and Border Patrol agents broke both windows of his car, shocked him with a stun gun, dragged him out and slammed him onto the ground.

Anderson says he's thrilled with Friday's verdict.

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=12980573

[tnvoter]

Now if they'll only do something about the Pigs who beat him up.

[Anti Federalist]

Now if they'll only do something about the Pigs who beat him up.

That ^^^

It's a fucking travesty this thing even went to trial. :mad:

[JK/SEA]

So whats next? law suit?...a heartfelt apology?..a coupon for some bandaids?...

[libertybrewcity]

So whats next? law suit?...a heartfelt apology?..a coupon for some bandaids?...

a psychological slap in the face!

[james1906]

He needs to sue the fuck outta them.

[Humanae Libertas]

Here's the video of the incident, for those who don't know what happened:

YouTube - ACTUAL FOOTAGE Pastor Beaten Tased by Border Patrol DPS (Alex Jones) GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVMZUgmrJrk&feature=related)

[Baptist]

I believe that the Andersons were waiting for the appeals to be exhausted before they brought a civil suit. Their lawyer is really good, so I'm sure that they will be suing.

[libertybrewcity]

I believe that the Andersons were waiting for the appeals to be exhausted before they brought a civil suit. Their lawyer is really good, so I'm sure that they will be suing.

You must be Anderson! Baptist minister:)

[Baptist]

You must be Anderson! Baptist minister:)

Naw. My wife checks Mrs Anderson's blog almost daily. The blog is cool she talks a lot about health issues, homeschooling and other neat things. I check the blog once a month or so to see if there are updates on his case.

They used Mark Victor, who is the same lawyer that RR4409 uses. Also, Judge Nap had Victor on a Freedom Watch episode once, and said that he knew who Victor was. Based off those things, I assume this Victor dude is a good lawyer (that and the fact that his website is called "AttorneyForFreedom .com")

[libertybrewcity]

Naw. My wife checks Mrs Anderson's blog almost daily. The blog is cool she talks a lot about health issues, homeschooling and other neat things. I check the blog once a month or so to see if there are updates on his case.

They used Mark Victor, who is the same lawyer that RR4409 uses. Also, Judge Nap had Victor on a Freedom Watch episode once, and said that he knew who Victor was. Based off those things, I assume this Victor dude is a good lawyer (that and the fact that his website is called "AttorneyForFreedom .com")

ooookkkkk.

[JustinTime]

Instead of beating him, they should have simply refused to allow him in the country.

[AGRP]

Any possiblility of him sueing for $$$$?

[JK/SEA]

Instead of beating him, they should have simply refused to allow him in the country.

haha...good one. They should have beaten his family, shot the dog, burned his house down, then charge him with assaulting an officer.

[JustinTime]

haha...good one. They should have beaten his family, shot the dog, burned his house down, then charge him with assaulting an officer.

No, simply not allowing him across the border is good enough.

[Danke]

Instead of beating him, they should have simply refused to allow him in the country.

He was already in the country.

[JustinTime]

He was already in the country.

The article didnt spell it out, but WTF would the border patrol be patrolling if not the border? I thought that was just a reasonable thing the reader was supposed to take for granted.

[amy31416]

The article didnt spell it out, but WTF would the border patrol be patrolling if not the border? I thought that was just a reasonable thing the reader was supposed to take for granted.

State borders, I believe. Apparently check points are pretty rampant near the US-Mexico border in states like Arizona.

[Bern]

He was already in the country.

Adjust your sarcasm meter.

[ghengis86]

The article didnt spell it out, but WTF would the border patrol be patrolling if not the border? I thought that was just a reasonable thing the reader was supposed to take for granted.

They can 'patrol' up to 100 miles inland from the border and this area is known as a constitution-free zone, where your natural rights are not protected by the government.
http://www.aclu.org/national-security_technology-and-liberty/are-you-living-constitution-free-zone

[JustinTime]

They can 'patrol' up to 100 miles inland from the border and this area is known as a constitution-free zone, where your natural rights are not protected by the government.
http://www.aclu.org/national-security_technology-and-liberty/are-you-living-constitution-free-zone

US border security is too strict.

[aGameOfThrones]

They can 'patrol' up to 100 miles inland from the border and this area is known as a constitution-free zone, where your natural rights are not protected by from the government.
http://www.aclu.org/national-security_technology-and-liberty/are-you-living-constitution-free-zone


Only if you let them.

[KCIndy]

Only if you let them.

And you propose to stop them.... how?

Peaceful nonviolent resistance did not work well at all for pastor Anderson:


http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/anderson%20steven%20in%20bp%20trailer.jpg

[Kregisen]

Update on this:

Pastor Anderson's lawyer came and spoke at Arizona State today. I was talking to him about this incident and he said he's now taking them to federal court.

He's a HUGE freedom guy. One of the student groups supporting him coming to speak was NORML, so when he asked who was in favor of legalizing marijuana, all hands were up....but then he asked how many were in favor of legalizing meth, and maybe 10 of us had our hands up (there was probably 100+ there)....he gave a pretty big talking to everyone who raised their hands for pot but not meth.

Anyway, definitely worth going.....and definitely good to have a happy ending to this Anderson incident.

[johngr]

Update on this:

Pastor Anderson's lawyer came and spoke at Arizona State today. I was talking to him about this incident and he said he's now taking them to federal court.

He's a HUGE freedom guy. One of the student groups supporting him coming to speak was NORML, so when he asked who was in favor of legalizing marijuana, all hands were up....but then he asked how many were in favor of legalizing meth, and maybe 10 of us had our hands up (there was probably 100+ there)....he gave a pretty big talking to everyone who raised their hands for pot but not meth.

Anyway, definitely worth going.....and definitely good to have a happy ending to this Anderson incident.

The meth problem is an artifact of drugs laws. Without such laws, there would be no or hardly any meth manufactured because there would be no money in it. Meth was unheard of when pharmaceutical grade Dexedrine (a harder to manufacture, significantly less harmful but nearly equipotent stimulating drug) was widely available.

Prohibition - Free Market

nearly pure grain alcohol - beer/wine
heroin - opium
meth - dexidrine
crack cocaine - cocaine containing patent medicine and Coca-Cola

[johngr]

APeaceful nonviolent resistance did not work well at all for pastor Anderson:


http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/anderson%20steven%20in%20bp%20trailer.jpg


I'm sure if he'd taken a fully auto AK-47 to their asses, it would have worked out much better. Like it did for those guys in West Memphis.

[torchbearer]

Instead of beating him, they should have simply refused to allow him in the country.

he was already in the country. this check point isn't even at the border.

[Clairvoyant]

The article didnt spell it out, but WTF would the border patrol be patrolling if not the border? I thought that was just a reasonable thing the reader was supposed to take for granted.

Actually, no, I guess there is no way for you to know if you don't live here, but in Texas the border patrol does more than patrol the US/Mexican border or the State border. I would guess that is a very small portion of what they do, they seem to be far more active inside the State. They have checkpoints all over the place, if you are traveling inside Texas, especially going to or from a city that is close to the border, you will have to go through a border patrol (now being run with the help of DHS, yay) checkpoint and show your paperwork.

I does not matter if you are born a US citizen and have never left the country in your entire life, you have to go through the checkpoint and show your papers. We are heading into some very interesting times. The fact that I even have to pull over for five minutes is infuriating.

What is the point of all the hassle I go through keeping my license, registration, and inspection up to date when I have to go through a checkpoint and they don't believe any of it is legit, so I have to show other paperwork to convince them I am a US citizen? There is too much tracking and too much paperwork, so much that the government doesn't even trust there own licenses.

Now I realize that the majority of the country is probably clueless as to what border patrol actually does. They are just getting us used to the checkpoints so they can start moving them further and further inland.

[Clairvoyant]

Only if you let them.

How exactly do you not let them unless you just avoid the checkpoints like a coward? I really am all ears if you have any ideas, but do you even go through these checkpoints? Some people have to pass through just to work.

[Baptist]

Pastor Anderson was driving from San Diego to Phoenix area. That means he drove through 1 permanent border patrol checkpoint, 1 permanent checkpoint where if heading to CA they ask if you are smuggling fruit into the state, and 1-3 temporary border patrol checkpoints. So for a 4.5 hour drive he would have had to stop 2 to 5 times.
Papers please. Welcome to the southwest. Been that way for decades.

[Kregisen]

Pastor Anderson was driving from San Diego to Phoenix area. That means he drove through 1 permanent border patrol checkpoint, 1 permanent checkpoint where if heading to CA they ask if you are smuggling fruit into the state, and 1-3 temporary border patrol checkpoints. So for a 4.5 hour drive he would have had to stop 2 to 5 times.
Papers please. Welcome to the southwest. Been that way for decades.

Last time I drove from Cali to Arizona (about a year ago) I don't think I stopped at all. There may have been 1 checkpoint but IIRC I just drove through it without stopping.....

[sratiug]

How exactly do you not let them unless you just avoid the checkpoints like a coward? I really am all ears if you have any ideas, but do you even go through these checkpoints? Some people have to pass through just to work.

Wear a bee suit and keep a large beehive in your car?

[aGameOfThrones]

How exactly do you not let them unless you just avoid the checkpoints like a coward? I really am all ears if you have any ideas, but do you even go through these checkpoints? Some people have to pass through just to work.

Every individual defends their rights in their own way, I'll not decide for you. BTW, CheckpointUSA.org does a good job at defending his rights.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA

[Clairvoyant]

Every individual defends their rights in their own way, I'll not decide for you. BTW, CheckpointUSA.org does a good job at defending his rights.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CheckpointUSA

Yeah but he is still actually going through the checkpoint which is the whole problem. Weather you mixed words a certain way and got them to let you go without showing this is that paperwork is irrelevant IMO because still got stopped at gunpoint by several armed guards for doing absolutely nothing suspicious. Commendable I guess but I see the real problem as being stopped by armed guards for no reason at all, unless we have a way to just dismiss the checkpoints entirely I don't see how any real rights are being exercised.

[aGameOfThrones]

Yeah but he is still actually going through the checkpoint which is the whole problem. Weather you mixed words a certain way and got them to let you go without showing this is that paperwork is irrelevant IMO because still got stopped at gunpoint by several armed guards for doing absolutely nothing suspicious. Commendable I guess but I see the real problem as being stopped by armed guards for no reason at all, unless we have a way to just dismiss the checkpoints entirely I don't see how any real rights are being exercised.


He's exercising his Constitutional protected right to privacy:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.



I guess but I see the real problem as being stopped by armed guards for no reason at all, unless we have a way to just dismiss the checkpoints entirely

Yes. Well, you can always try your congress-critter and see what they can do, I guess. Now, the checkpoints have been allowed by the SCOTUS, but the people must resist the BPA coercion, and the unlawful methods they use.

[Kregisen]

unless we have a way to just dismiss the checkpoints entirely I don't see how any real rights are being exercised.

Anderson's attorney was telling me how he REALLY wanted to fight the constitutionality of the checkpoint to begin with, but for some reason didn't get to it. (but said he would love to do it if gotten the right opportunity)

[Kylie]

Anderson's attorney was telling me how he REALLY wanted to fight the constitutionality of the checkpoint to begin with, but for some reason didn't get to it. (but said he would love to do it if gotten the right opportunity)

I would think this case would attest to the unconstitutionality of the stop in the first place.

It's exactly backwards from what it should be. Imagine that.