skullaria wrote:
The came with guns drawn to arrest him, for an alleged bomb threat.

His mom says he has an alibi, but since he is being held under the Patriot act, she can't even defend or see him.

*stares at the non-functional video window*
This is a local news broadcaster, right?
They do closed-captioning, right?
Why can't they post the closed-captioning as an ersatz transcription?

skullaria wrote:
The came with guns drawn to arrest him, for an alleged bomb threat.

His mom says he has an alibi, but since he is being held under the Patriot act, she can't even defend or see him.

I assume no one is surprised by this. It is exactly what people like me said was going to happen with it when it came up (and were told we're all pinko hippies who should leave).

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

Then they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out for me.

There's a story to go with the video. It is here:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5049867/

Only a few sources are even carrying the story - I wish those of us that care could get the word out wider. I'd have missed it but I always search on homeschool topics in the news. This young man was homeschooled.

skullaria wrote:
The came with guns drawn to arrest him, for an alleged bomb threat.

His mom says he has an alibi, but since he is being held under the Patriot act, she can't even defend or see him.

Wha-a-a-t the fuck.

I suspect it's time to start figuring out ways to apply political pressure. Having the kid locked up for two months with no counsel is beyond unacceptable, it's completely unconscionable. This is going to psychologically scar the kid because some idiot bureaucrat felt like it would be a good idea to cover his ass against any procedural screwups by invoking the Patriot act. Do we need clearer examples of abuse than this or do we have to round up a troop of Girl Scouts on suspicion that their cookies might be tainted with anthrax?

Rattle wrote:
This could be an example of some seriously federal law enforcement over-reaction and abuse of powers... There are only two local news outlets that have any coverage at all, and it's all got that sensational feel that makes details seem questionable.

This is where the gag order makes things incredibly convenient for the authorities. No one with any real detail is talking because of the gag order, so people are being forced to guess. Without verifiable details, news agencies are rather hesitant to move on things. Perhaps they're being slow to realize the "Teabagging parties" mean it's probably okay to say things about the government again.

Me, I'm thinking two months is more than enough time to rummage through a 16-year-old kid's hard drive.

Dagmar wrote:

Rattle wrote:
This could be an example of some seriously federal law enforcement over-reaction and abuse of powers... There are only two local news outlets that have any coverage at all, and it's all got that sensational feel that makes details seem questionable.

This is where the gag order makes things incredibly convenient for the authorities. No one with any real detail is talking because of the gag order, so people are being forced to guess. Without verifiable details, news agencies are rather hesitant to move on things. Perhaps they're being slow to realize the "Teabagging parties" mean it's probably okay to say things about the government again.

Me, I'm thinking two months is more than enough time to rummage through a 16-year-old kid's hard drive.

It almost looks like someone should arrest THEM on a citizens arrest for kidnapping to me.

Me, I'm thinking two months is more than enough time to rummage through a 16-year-old kid's hard drive.

That end of it could expose entirely another problem. FBI's turn around time for computer forensics is actually over two months...

Rattle wrote:

Me, I'm thinking two months is more than enough time to rummage through a 16-year-old kid's hard drive.

That end of it could expose entirely another problem. FBI's turn around time for computer forensics is actually over two months...

If the Patriot Act was invoked to make the arrest, I should think they'd be making investigating the captures a priority, don't you? I mean, since the kid is clearly a terrorist or they wouldn't have invoked the Patriot Act, they should be prioritizing this work unit.

Dagmar wrote:
If the Patriot Act was invoked to make the arrest, I should think they'd be making investigating the captures a priority, don't you? I mean, since the kid is clearly a terrorist or they wouldn't have invoked the Patriot Act, they should be prioritizing this work unit.

Why? They have the kid in custody. They have his equipment. He's probably not permitted to talk to anyone. If he *was* part of a plot (does that make him an enemy combatant?), he's now been isolated and removed from contact with his cohorts. I can't see why the authorities would feel any reason to speed any part of the investigation along.

UPDATE

AMANDA LAMB is the reporter at wral and she will be continuing to follow this story.