MORE TOO COME
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ROSARITO BEACH WET T-SHIRT CONTEST - 8/4/2012 PART 3
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ILLUSION MOTORSPORTS.......
LET,RUSTY OR KO, KNOW THAT YOU SAW IT HERE..
THANK YOU, PHILIP
" The premiere motorcycle customizing shop of Orange County California "![Picture]()
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One of the cleanest and best organized motorcycle shops anywhere.
As an EPA/CARB certified motorcycle manufacturer we can build or sell you a bike that is legal in California or all 50 states.
Business hours 8-5 Mon-Fri. Pick-up and delivery available.
* PARTS * FABRICATION * PAINT * ELECTRICAL * TUNE UPS * SERVICE on custom and OEM motorcycles * CUSTOMIZING * NEW OR USED MOTORCYCLES * COLLISION REPAIR
714-894-1942 office
714-894-1922 fax
714-262-2370 alternate
14726 goldenwest Street #F Westminster, Ca. 92683
illusionoc@gmail.com email
http://www.facebook.com/illusionmotorsports
These bag extensions save money and look good. Quick install too. 399.
Alot of new products and apparel from Illusion coming your way.
Bars, club style fairings, billet wheels, overdrive kits for 5 speeds, crash bars, risers, and brakes.
Machining, motor upgrades and rebuilds, tune ups, paint. insurance claims.
5 inch pullback on our t bars with a 2 inch drop. comfortable and your wrist angle is right..
Sickist t bars around. Dom tubing. Pre drilled and set up for electonic throttle or cable. Smooth polished welds. Perfect chrome..
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THANK YOU, PHILIP
" The premiere motorcycle customizing shop of Orange County California "
One of the cleanest and best organized motorcycle shops anywhere.
As an EPA/CARB certified motorcycle manufacturer we can build or sell you a bike that is legal in California or all 50 states.
Business hours 8-5 Mon-Fri. Pick-up and delivery available.
* PARTS * FABRICATION * PAINT * ELECTRICAL * TUNE UPS * SERVICE on custom and OEM motorcycles * CUSTOMIZING * NEW OR USED MOTORCYCLES * COLLISION REPAIR
714-894-1942 office
714-894-1922 fax
714-262-2370 alternate
14726 goldenwest Street #F Westminster, Ca. 92683
illusionoc@gmail.com email
http://www.facebook.com/illusionmotorsports
These bag extensions save money and look good. Quick install too. 399.
Alot of new products and apparel from Illusion coming your way.
Bars, club style fairings, billet wheels, overdrive kits for 5 speeds, crash bars, risers, and brakes.
Machining, motor upgrades and rebuilds, tune ups, paint. insurance claims.
5 inch pullback on our t bars with a 2 inch drop. comfortable and your wrist angle is right..
Sickist t bars around. Dom tubing. Pre drilled and set up for electonic throttle or cable. Smooth polished welds. Perfect chrome..
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Babe`s of the DAY..... This is 18 and older. Rest assured I will offend you and rest assured I don't give a fuck! If you don't like crude hum or and think you will report me don't like my page. For those with the ability to laugh and take a joke welcome.
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Contact Us
Philip a.k.a Screwdriver
Countermeasures Division
strokerz383@gmail.com
or phone
(760)-207-2965
Bill Kennedy
760-967-5883
http://www.kennedyscustomcycles.com/
Countermeasures Division
strokerz383@gmail.com
or phone
(760)-207-2965
Bill Kennedy
760-967-5883
http://www.kennedyscustomcycles.com/
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Know Your Rights When Dealing With Police Officers
OFF THE WIRE
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK UNTIL MY LAWYER IS PRESENT"
A Police Officers Worst Enemy Is A Well Informed Citizen Who Knows Their Rights!
Police officers hate to hear these words:
"Am I free to go?"
"I don't consent a search."
"I'm going to remain silent."
When a Police Officer Stops You
To stop you a police officer must have a specific reason to suspect your involvement in a specific crime and should be able to tell you that reason when you ask. This is known as reasonable suspicion. A police officer usually will pull you over for some type of "traffic violation," such as speeding or maybe not using your blinker. Throwing a cigarette butt or a gum wrapper out your car window is reason enough for the police to pull you over, ticket you for littering and start asking you all sorts of personal questions.
Your Rights During a Traffic Stop. Top Five (5) Things to Know About Protecting Yourself from the Police:
#1 - Safety. The first thing is your safety! You want to put the police officer at ease. Pull over to a safe place, turn off your ignition, stay in the car and keep your hands on the steering wheel. At night turn on the interior lights. Keep your license, registration, and proof of insurance always close by.
Build a trust with the police officer be a "good citizen" be courteous, stay calm, smile and don't complain. Show respect and say things like "sir and no sir." Never bad-mouth a police officer, stay in control of your words, body language and your emotions. "All this takes practice, try practicing with a friend." The idea is to get the police officer to understand that you're just an average ordinary citizen and let you get on your way down the road. Never touch a police officer and don't run away!
#2 - Never Talk To A Police Officer. The only questions you need to answer is your name, address and date of birth and nothing else! Instead of telling the police officer who you are, simply give him your drivers license or I.D. card. All the information the police officer needs to know about you can be found on your drivers license. Don't volunteer any more information to the police officer, if he ask you any other questions politely say "Am I free to go?" and then don't say another word.
#3 - I'm Going to Remain Silent. The Supreme Court has made a new ruling that you should Never Talk to a Police Officer without an attorney, but there's a CATCH! New Ruling Before you're allowed NOT to talk to a police officer, you must TELL the police officer "I'm Going to Remain Silent" and then keep your mouth shut!(How can you be falsely accused and charged if you don't say anything?) Anything you say or do can and will be used against you at any time by the police.
#3 - I'm Going to Remain Silent. The Supreme Court has made a new ruling that you should Never Talk to a Police Officer without an attorney, but there's a CATCH! New Ruling Before you're allowed NOT to talk to a police officer, you must TELL the police officer "I'm Going to Remain Silent" and then keep your mouth shut!(How can you be falsely accused and charged if you don't say anything?) Anything you say or do can and will be used against you at any time by the police.
#4 - Just Say NO to Police Searches! If a police officer didn't need your permission to search, he wouldn't be asking. Never give permission to a police officer to search you, your car or your home. If a police officer does search you, don't resist and keep saying "I don't consent to this search."
#5 - "Am I Free to Go?" As soon as the police officer ask you a question ask him "Am I free to go?" You have to ask if you're "free to go," otherwise the police officer will think you are voluntarily staying. If the police officer says that you're are being detained or arrested, say to the police officer"I'm Going to Remain Silent"
#5 - "Am I Free to Go?" As soon as the police officer ask you a question ask him "Am I free to go?" You have to ask if you're "free to go," otherwise the police officer will think you are voluntarily staying. If the police officer says that you're are being detained or arrested, say to the police officer"I'm Going to Remain Silent"
Anything You Say Can And Will Be Used Against You!
Police officers need your permission to have a conversation, never give it to them!
Never voluntarily talk to a police officer, there's no such thing as a "friendly chat" with a police officer. The Supreme Court has recently ruled that you should NOT talk to a police officer without a lawyer and you must say "I'm going to remain silent." It can be very dangerous to talk to a police officer or a Federal Agent. Innocent people have talked to a police officer and ended up in jail and prison, because they spoke to a police officer without an attorney.
Police officers have the same right as you "Freedom of Speech," they can ask you anything they want, but you should never answer any of their questions. Don't let the police officer try and persuade you to talk! Say something like "I'm sorry, I don't have time to talk to you right now." If the cop insists on talking to you, ask him "Am I free to go?" The police officer may not like when you refuse to talk to him and challenge you with words like, "If you have nothing to hide, why won't you speak to me? Say again "I told you I don't have time to talk to you right now, Am I free to go?" If you forget or the police officer tricks you into talking, it's okay just start over again and tell the police officer "I'm going to remain silent."
The Supreme Court has ruled that if a police officer doesn't force you to do something, then you're doing "voluntarily." That means if the police officer starts being intimidating and you do what he ask because you're "afraid," you still have done it voluntarily. (Florida v. Bostick, 1991) If you do what the police officer ask you to do such as allowing him to search your car or answer any of his questions, you are 'voluntarily' complying with his 'requests.'So don't comply, just keep your mouth shut unless you say "Am I Free to Go?" or "I don't consent to a search."
You have every right NOT to talk to a police officer and you should NOT speak to a police officer unless you have first consulted with a lawyer who has advised you differently. Police officers depend on fear and intimidation to get what they want from you. Police officers might say they will "go easy" on you if you talk to them, but they're LIARS! The government has made a law that allows police officers to lie to the American public. Another reason not to trust the police! So be as nice as possible, but stand your ground on your rights! Where do some of your rights come from? Read the Fourth and Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Traffic Stops and Your Rights
First of all keep your license, registration and proof of insurance in an easily accessible place such as attached to your sun visor. The less time it takes for you to get to these items, the less time the officer has to look through your windows and snoop. When pulled over by a police officer stay in the car, turn on the cab lights and keep your hands on the steering wheel. Sit still, relax and wait for the officer to come to you. Any sudden movements, ducking down, looking nervous or appearing to be searching for something under your seat is dangerous! Just sit up naturally be still and try to put the officer at ease."
Police officers like to ask the first question and that usually is, "do you know the reason I pulled you over?" The police officer is trying to get you to do two things, admit that you committed a traffic violation and to get you to "voluntarily" start a conversation with him.Remember the police officer is not your friend and should not be trusted! The only thing you should say is "I'm going to remain silent and am I free to go?"
The police officer might start asking you personal questions such as "where are you going, where have you been and who did you see, ect." At that point it's the perfect time to exercise your rights by asking the police officer "AM I FREE TO GO?" There is NO legal requirement that American citizens provide information about their comings and goings to a police officer. It's none of their damn business! Keep asking the police officers "AM I FREE TO GO?" You have to speak up and verbally ask the police officer if your allowed to leave, otherwise the courts will presume that you wanted to stay and talk to the cops on your own free will.
Passengers in your vehicle need to know their rights as well. They have the same right not to talk to a police officer and the right to refuse a search "unless it's a 'pat down' for weapons." The police will usually separate the passengers from each other and ask questions to see if their stories match. All passengers should always give the same answer and say, "I'm going to remain silent and am I free to go?" Remember you have to tell the police officer that you don't want to talk to him. It's the law
How long can a police officer keep you pulled over "detained" during a traffic stop? The Supreme Court has said no more than 15 minutes is a reasonable amount of time for a police officer to conduct his investigation and allow you to go FREE. Just keep asking the police officer "AM I FREE TO GO?"
A good time to ask "AM I FREE TO GO," is after the police officer has given you a "warning or a ticket" and you have signed it. Once you have signed that ticket the traffic stop is legally over says the U.S. Supreme Court. There's no law that requires you to stay and talk to the police officer or answer any questions. After you have signed the ticket and got your license back you may roll up your window, start your car and leave. If you're outside the car ask the police officer, "AM I FREE TO GO?" If he says yes then get in your car and leave.
Car Searches And Body Searches
Remember the police officer wouldn't be asking you, if he didn't need your permission to search! "The right to be free from unreasonable searches is one of America's most precious First Liberties."
Just because you're stopped for a traffic violation does NOT allow a police officer to search your car. However if you go riding around smoking a blunt and get pulled over, the police officer smells marijuana, sees a weapon or drugs in plain view he now has "probable cause" to search you car and that's your own stupid fault!
Police officers swore an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and not to violate your rights against unreasonable search and seizure Fourth Amendment. Denying a police officers request to search you or your car is not an admission of guilt, it's your American right! Some police officers might say, "if you have nothing to hide, you should allow me to search." Politely say to the police officer "I don't consent to a search and am I free to go?"
The police officer is allowed to handcuff you and/or detain and even put you in his police car for his safety. Don't resist or you will be arrested! There's a big difference between being detained and being arrested. Say nothing in the police car! Police will record your conversation inside the police car, say nothing to your friend and don't talk to the police officers!
If you are arrested and your car is towed, the police are allowed to take an "inventory" of the items in your car. If anything is found that's illegal, the police will get a warrant and then charge you with another crime.
Police Pat Downs...
For the safety of police officers the law allows the police to pat down your outer clothing to see if you have any weapons. If the police officer feels something that he believes is a weapon, then he can go into your pockets and pull out the item he believes is a weapon.
A police officer may ask you or even demand that you empty your pockets, but you have the right to say "NO, AM I FREE TO GO?" There's NO law that requires you to empty your pockets when a police officer "ask you." The only time a police officer should be taking your personal property out of your pockets is after you have been arrested.
If a Police Officer Knocks at Your Door at Home-You Don't Have to Open the Door!
If the police knock and ask to enter your home, you DON'T have to open the door unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. "If the police have a warrant they won't be knocking, they'll be kicking in your door!" There is NO law that requires you to open your door to a police officer.* Don't open your door with the chain-lock on either, the police will shove their way in. Simply shout to the police officers "I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY" or just don't say anything at all.
Guest and roommates staying in your home/apartment/dorm need to be aware of their rights specially "college students" and told not to open the door to a police officer or invite police officers into your home without your permission. Police officers are like vampires, they need your permission to come into your home. Never invite a police officer into your home, such an invitation not only gives police officers an opportunity to look around for clues to your lifestyle, habits, friends, reading material, etc; but also tends to prolong the conversation.
If you are arrested outside your home the police officer might ask if you would like to go inside and get your shoes or a shirt? He might even be nice and let you tell your wife or friend goodbye, but it's a trick! Don't let the police officer into your house!
If you are arrested outside your home the police officer might ask if you would like to go inside and get your shoes or a shirt? He might even be nice and let you tell your wife or friend goodbye, but it's a trick! Don't let the police officer into your house!
Never agree to go to the police station if the police want to question you. Just say, "I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY."
* In some emergency situations (for example when a someone is screaming for help from inside your home, police are chasing someone into your home, police see a felony being committed or if someone has called 911 from inside your house) police officers are then allowed to enter and search your home without a warrant.
Children have rights also, if you're under 18 click here. If your children don't know their rights and go talking to a teacher, school principal, police officer or a Federal agent without an attorney could cost your family dearly and change the lives of your family forever!
If a Police Officer Stops You On The Sidewalk...
NEVER give consent to talk to a police officer. If a police officer stops you and ask to speak with you, you're perfectly within your rights to say to the police officer "I do not wish to speak with you, good-bye. "New Law At this point you should be free to leave. The next step the police officer might take is to ask you for identification. If you have identification on you, tell the officer where it is and ask permission to reach for it. "Some states you're not required to show an I.D. unless the police officer has reasonable suspicion that you committed a crime." Know the laws in your state!
The police officer will start asking you questions again, at this point you may ask the officer "Am I Free to Go?" The police officer may not like this and may challenge you with words like, "If you have nothing to hide, why won't you speak to me?" Just like the first question, you do not have to answer this question either. Just ask "Am I Free to Go?"
Police officers need your permission to have a conversation, never give it to them. There is NO law that says you must tell a police officer where you are going or where you have been, so keep your mouth shut and say nothing! Don't answer any question (except name, address and age) until you have a lawyer.
Police officers need your permission to have a conversation, never give it to them. There is NO law that says you must tell a police officer where you are going or where you have been, so keep your mouth shut and say nothing! Don't answer any question (except name, address and age) until you have a lawyer.
Probable Cause...
A police officer has no right to detain you unless there exists reasonable suspicion that you committed a crime or traffic violation. However a police officer is always allowed to initiate a "voluntary" conversation with you. You always have the right not to talk or answer any questions a police officer ask you. Just tell the police officer "I'm going to remain silent."
Under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, police may engage in "reasonable" searches and seizures. To prove that a search is reasonable, the police must generally show that it's more likely than not that a crime has occurred and that if a search is conducted it is probable that the police officer will find evidence of the crime. This is called "probable cause."
Police may use first hand information or tips from an informant "snitch" to justify the need to search your property or you. If an informant's information is used, the police must prove that the information is reliable under the circumstances to a judge.
Here's a case when police officers took the word of a "snitch," claiming he knew where a "drug dealer" lived. The police officers took it upon themselves to go to this house that the snitch had "picked at random" and kick in the door at 1:30 in the morning ,without obtaining a search warrant from a judge. The aftermath was six police officers firing over 30 shots and shooting an innocent man 9 times in the back as he laid on the ground. Read How Police In Texas Are Allowed to Murder Innocent People and Get Away With It
Under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, police may engage in "reasonable" searches and seizures. To prove that a search is reasonable, the police must generally show that it's more likely than not that a crime has occurred and that if a search is conducted it is probable that the police officer will find evidence of the crime. This is called "probable cause."
Police may use first hand information or tips from an informant "snitch" to justify the need to search your property or you. If an informant's information is used, the police must prove that the information is reliable under the circumstances to a judge.
Here's a case when police officers took the word of a "snitch," claiming he knew where a "drug dealer" lived. The police officers took it upon themselves to go to this house that the snitch had "picked at random" and kick in the door at 1:30 in the morning ,without obtaining a search warrant from a judge. The aftermath was six police officers firing over 30 shots and shooting an innocent man 9 times in the back as he laid on the ground. Read How Police In Texas Are Allowed to Murder Innocent People and Get Away With It
Can We Trust Police Officers?
Are police officers allowed to lie to you? Yes the Supreme Court has ruled that police officers can lie to the American public. Police officers are trained at lying, twisting words and to be manipulative. Police officers and other law enforcement agents are very skilled at getting information from people. So don't try to "out smart" the police officer or try being a "smooth talker" because you will loose! If you can keep your mouth shut, you just might come out ahead more than you expected.
Teach your children that police officers are not always their friend and police officers must contact a parent for permission before they ask your child any questions. Remember police officers are trained to put you at ease and to gain your trust. Their job is to find, arrest and help convict a suspect and that suspect is you!
The federal government created a law that says citizens can't lie to Federal Agents and yet the government can lie to American Citizens. Makes perfect since doesn't it? The best thing you can do is ask for a lawyer and keep your mouth shut. How can you be charged with something if you haven't said anything?
Although police officers may seem nice and pretend to be on your side they are wanting to learn your habits, opinions, and affiliations of other people not suspected of wrongdoing. Don't try to answer a police officers questions, it can be very dangerous! You can never tell how a seemingly harmless bit of information that you give to a police officer might be used and misconstrued to hurt you or someone else. Keep in mind that lying to a federal agent is a crime. "This why Martha Stewart went to prison, not for insider trading but for lying to a Federal Agent."
Police officers may promise shorter sentences and other deals for statements or confessions from you. The police cannot legally make deals with people they arrest, but they can and will lie to you. The only person who can make a deal that can be enforced is the prosecutor and he should not talk with you without a lawyer present.
Lies That Police Officers Use To Get You To Talk...
There are many ways a police officer will try to trick you into talking. It's always safe to say the Magic Words: "Am I free to leave, if not I'm going to remain silent and I want a lawyer."
The following are common lie's the police use when they're trying to get you to talk to them:
* "You will have to stay here and answer my questions" or "You're not leaving until I find out what I want to know."
* "I have evidence on you, so tell me what I want to know or else." (They can fabricate fake evidence to convince you to tell them what they want to know.)
* "You're not a suspect, were simply investigating here. Just help us understand what happened and then you can go."
* "If you don't answer my questions, I won't have any choice but to take you to jail."
* "If you don't answer these questions, you'll be charged with resisting arrest."
* "Your friend has told his side of the story and it's not looking good for you, anything you want to say in your defense?"
If The Police Arrest You...
"I DON'T WANT TO TALK UNTIL MY LAWYER IS PRESENT"
* Don't answer questions the police ask you, (except name, address and age)until you have a lawyer.
* Even if the police don't read your Miranda Rights to you, refuse to say anything until your lawyer/public defender arrives. If you "voluntarily" talk to the police , then they don't have to read your Miranda Rights.
* If you're arrested and can not afford an attorney, you have the right to a public defender. If you get a public defender always make it clear to the judge that the public defender is not representing you, but merely is serving as your counsel.
* Do not talk to other jail inmates about your case.
* Within a reasonable time after your arrest or booking, you have the right to make a local phone call to a lawyer, bail bondsman, relative or any other person. The police may not listen to the call to the lawyer.
* If you're on probation or parole tell your P.O. you've been arrested and say nothing else!
COMMENT
COMMENT
Yesterday, when I was discussing this law with a group, a citizen asked "If you have nothing to hide, why not comply with the officer?" I answered with a sime question: "If the police have no probably cause, why are they intruding into my life?"
When did government intrusion become patriotic or accepted? For heaven's sake, this country was founded on the government staying out of our lives.
Lawyer Motorcycle Association
If a police officer demands that you produce identification, that demand is not a valid.
In The Hiibel case, the US Supreme Court (highest court in the land) specifically interprets Nevada's "Duty to Identify" statute (NRS 171.123) and ruled:
"It apparently does not require him to produce a driver's license or any ...other documentation. If he chooses either to state his name or communicate it to the officer by other means, the statute is satisfied and no violation occurs." Hiibel v Sixth Judicial Court of Nevada, 542 US 177 (2004)
Please note: the driver of a vehicle is required to produce a driver's license under a different law (but NOT the passenger)
COMMENT`
Don’t kill a cop. You will lose in Court. Enjoy life, get even as a juror (providing you’re eligible for jury service) and vote not guilty no matter what the evidence shows.
Slapstick and Pig,
If driving or riding and you have been pulled over, turn over your license, registration and insurance when asked. If cop starts asking ANY questions simply ask “am I free to leave?” If cop says “yes” then leave. If cop says “no” then say I “want a lawyer.” And continue to remain silent!
If walking down street and cop detains you in any way ask if you are free to go about your business. If cop says no then request a lawyer and remain silent. You do NOT have to take off your glasses, hat, do-rag, whatever … You do NOT have to turnover your cell phone. Do NOT allow a cop to search you or your house, car, bike, etc. without a warrant. When the cop does search without a warrant in violation of your Constitutional Rights immediately file a complaint against that cop. Immediately! Go to the cops station/division and file that complaint.
Cops put paper on us, we put paper on them. That simple.
And ALWAYS password protect your cell phone. Cops can search your cell phone in many instances without a warrant. Remain silent and don’t give up the password.
All of the above aggravates the shit out of cops. I know, I have done it many times.
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When did government intrusion become patriotic or accepted? For heaven's sake, this country was founded on the government staying out of our lives.
Lawyer Motorcycle Association
If a police officer demands that you produce identification, that demand is not a valid.
In The Hiibel case, the US Supreme Court (highest court in the land) specifically interprets Nevada's "Duty to Identify" statute (NRS 171.123) and ruled:
"It apparently does not require him to produce a driver's license or any ...other documentation. If he chooses either to state his name or communicate it to the officer by other means, the statute is satisfied and no violation occurs." Hiibel v Sixth Judicial Court of Nevada, 542 US 177 (2004)
Please note: the driver of a vehicle is required to produce a driver's license under a different law (but NOT the passenger)
COMMENT`
Don’t kill a cop. You will lose in Court. Enjoy life, get even as a juror (providing you’re eligible for jury service) and vote not guilty no matter what the evidence shows.
Slapstick and Pig,
If driving or riding and you have been pulled over, turn over your license, registration and insurance when asked. If cop starts asking ANY questions simply ask “am I free to leave?” If cop says “yes” then leave. If cop says “no” then say I “want a lawyer.” And continue to remain silent!
If walking down street and cop detains you in any way ask if you are free to go about your business. If cop says no then request a lawyer and remain silent. You do NOT have to take off your glasses, hat, do-rag, whatever … You do NOT have to turnover your cell phone. Do NOT allow a cop to search you or your house, car, bike, etc. without a warrant. When the cop does search without a warrant in violation of your Constitutional Rights immediately file a complaint against that cop. Immediately! Go to the cops station/division and file that complaint.
Cops put paper on us, we put paper on them. That simple.
And ALWAYS password protect your cell phone. Cops can search your cell phone in many instances without a warrant. Remain silent and don’t give up the password.
All of the above aggravates the shit out of cops. I know, I have done it many times.
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ROSARITO BEACH WET T-SHIRT CONTEST - 8/4/2012 PART 2
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WHAT HAPPENS AT A DUI STOP?
OFF THE WIRE
WHAT HAPPENS AT A DUI STOP? In the United States, “probable cause” is the standard by which an officer of the law has grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest. In the context of a DUI stop, which often happens late at night, from the moment the officer turns on the red-and- blue lights, he is looking for information that will provide him with the requisite probable cause to make a DUI arrest. Perhaps, the officer was on patrol and he saw your vehicle leave an establishment where liquor is served. For whatever reason, he may feel that your driving was less than perfect – perhaps you swerved, crossed a painted line on the road, or drove too slowly or too quickly. Already, the probable cause for a stop and eventual arrest is starting to build. The officer approaches your car, and soon he asks if you have had anything to drink tonight. If you answer yes, even if you state that it was just a small amount hours ago, it still adds to the growing “collection” of information needed for an arrest. The officer may then ask you to perform some field sobriety tests – perhaps you have seen some of these in movies or on TV, such as walking a line, standing on one foot, or touching the tip of your nose. Many of these tests are difficult for ANYONE to perform, sober or not, and since they are often conducted when you are tired and scared, often in less-than-optimum conditions (by the side of a busy highway), it is a foregone conclusion that the officer will deem that you have performed poorly on the tests. In California, there is no requirement, whatsoever, to perform the field sobriety tests – quite simply, they will not help you and in the vast majority of cases, they will simply provide the officer with more probable cause to decide that you are DUI. Finally, the officer may ask you to provide a breath sample in a small, hand-held preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) unit. Again, in California, there is generally no requirement that you provide a breath sample for a PAS unit. If you have been drinking, even a very modest amount, there is simply no advantage to agreeing to provide a breath sample. However, most people do so, and it adds yet another bit of evidence to the growing list being compiled by the officer. Now consider your situation – the officer alleges that he observed you driving erratically, you admitted that you consumed alcohol that evening, you performed poorly with regard to the field sobriety tests (according to the officer), and finally, the PAS device shows that you have recently consumed alcohol. Does the officer have probable cause to place you under arrest for DUI? – in most cases, absolutely! No one is advocating that you drink and drive – in fact, just the opposite. PLEASE, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! However, in California, keep in mind that you are not required to answer the officer’s questions with regard to where you have been or if you have consumed any alcohol. You are not required to perform the field sobriety tests, and in most cases, you are not required to provide a breath sample for a PAS unit. If you choose to do otherwise, even if your blood alcohol content is below the legal limit, you may be setting the stage for a DUI arrest which could prove unpleasant and costly to resolve.
If you are placed under arrest, then you must submit to a chemical test, either breath or blood. If you are over the legal limit, you will be charged with DUI. Also, once arrested, the officer generally can search your vehicle. However, probable cause will still be important to your case. Even if you were over limit, if there was insufficient probable cause, the case should be dismissed. Thus, the prosecution must prove every element of the case against you.
Then, if you arrested and charged with DUI, probable cause will likely play an important role in your defense. Did the officer have sufficient grounds to stop you, and later arrest you? If not, your case must be dismissed.
Unless we are planning to scrap the Constitution, and adopt the policies of some of the most repressive regimes in the world, we are entitled to certain rights afforded to us in all criminal matters. No one is advocating drinking and driving - just the opposite. However, it is critical that people understand their rights and that the authorities build their cases properly, while respecting these rights.
Any time you are driving, a peace officer is generally permitted to inspect your license, registration and proof of insurance. These documents are generally requested at sobriety checkpoints simply because the officer is permitted to do so - it may also identify "problem" situations (a stolen vehicle, driving without a license, lack of insurance, etc.). But, another important, and perhaps unstated, reason is that people who are under the influence often have difficulty focusing their attention on more than one task. That is the reason why at a DUI stop, the officer may pose a question on one topic, and then "switch gears" and pose another question (or ask you to do something) in a completely different vein. For example, the officer may ask you why you are travelling that particular route, and midway through your response, he may ask you to produce your documents. Becoming confused, fumbling with your documents, not being able to locate your documents, etc., all add to the officer's probable cause that you are driving under the influence.
If you are placed under arrest, then you must submit to a chemical test, either breath or blood. If you are over the legal limit, you will be charged with DUI. Also, once arrested, the officer generally can search your vehicle. However, probable cause will still be important to your case. Even if you were over limit, if there was insufficient probable cause, the case should be dismissed. Thus, the prosecution must prove every element of the case against you.
Then, if you arrested and charged with DUI, probable cause will likely play an important role in your defense. Did the officer have sufficient grounds to stop you, and later arrest you? If not, your case must be dismissed.
Unless we are planning to scrap the Constitution, and adopt the policies of some of the most repressive regimes in the world, we are entitled to certain rights afforded to us in all criminal matters. No one is advocating drinking and driving - just the opposite. However, it is critical that people understand their rights and that the authorities build their cases properly, while respecting these rights.
Any time you are driving, a peace officer is generally permitted to inspect your license, registration and proof of insurance. These documents are generally requested at sobriety checkpoints simply because the officer is permitted to do so - it may also identify "problem" situations (a stolen vehicle, driving without a license, lack of insurance, etc.). But, another important, and perhaps unstated, reason is that people who are under the influence often have difficulty focusing their attention on more than one task. That is the reason why at a DUI stop, the officer may pose a question on one topic, and then "switch gears" and pose another question (or ask you to do something) in a completely different vein. For example, the officer may ask you why you are travelling that particular route, and midway through your response, he may ask you to produce your documents. Becoming confused, fumbling with your documents, not being able to locate your documents, etc., all add to the officer's probable cause that you are driving under the influence.
↧
Knife Laws in California: Is It Legal to Carry One ? By Jim March and also Sy Nazif, Esq.
OFF THE WIRE
The information posted below is from a well-known article written by Jim March on 5/16/2002 titled, "California Knife Laws: A Comprehensive Guide," url:
http://www.ninehundred.com/~equalccw/knifelaw.html
Also Sy Nazif, Esq. article is from the Bailingwire, newsletter.
ML&R
Philip & Bill
FOR THOSE OF US HERE IN O`SIDE CA, it is written out below.
THE LAWS VARIE FROM CITY TO CITY, TOWN TO TOWN,
COUNTY TO COUNTY ALSO....
California Knife Laws, Since Oceanside PD follows the state statue here it is,
Oceanside City Code 20. 10
1.
SECTION FIVE: DEALING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN PACKIN' STEEL
First thing: don't get nervous. If you've read this, you're not going to be breaking any knife laws. California's knife laws are actually pretty decent, better than most states (even the shall-issue gun permit ones). If you're nervous, the cop will read that, and he won't know what to think - but the conversation WILL go downhill.
If you're walking past a cop with a legally concealed knife, DO NOT "pat the knife" to make sure the concealment is still effective. That's the number one way cops spot people packing guns illegally. They'll think that's what you're doing. The resulting conversation won't be pleasant.
If there's any chance at all that the guy is gonna search you, politely declare that you're carrying a "pocketknife legal under state law". Got that? Tell him where it is on you, let him take control of it. DO NOT SCARE THE DUDE WITH THE BADGE AND GUN. Don't reach for nuthin' unless he tells you to do so. At all times, act like this is just a normal business transaction.
So what if he/she thinks your piece(s) is/are illegal?
You explain that California knife law has changed a bunch of times starting in 1997 and twice more that you know of, so you're not terribly surprised there's confusion. Calmly explain as much of the relevant Penal Codes as you can recall...if you're into big folders, PC653k and the bit in 12020 about "not readily available if concealed in the closed position" is a start. If he ain't buying, calmly ask for a supervisor.
If he wants to confiscate your cutlery, ASK FOR A RECEIPT. If he says anything about "that'll mean you'll get a ticket too, and/or an arrest", stand your ground and calmly ask for a receipt. He's bluffing because he wants your knife. Sorry if any cops reading this are offended, but it happens - I've met enough people it's happened to to be a believer, although it hasn't happened to me. If he just plain takes it without a receipt, get his badge number and/or car number (if the latter is all you can get, record the TIME). If it was a city or county cop, make a THEFT complaint in detail with your nearest California Highway Patrol station (they investigate local wrongdoing). If it was CHP, hmmm...complain to the CHP supervisors maybe, or the Sheriff, but for God's sake don't let 'em off clean.
IF YOU HAD TO THREATEN AN ASSAILANT WITH A DRAWN BLADE:
You have two choices: get the hell out of there ASAP and travel far and fast, because odds are, crooks that get chased off by an armed citizen love to file a "he threatened me" complaint and bust YOU. Bug out. NOTE: we're talking about a situation in which you haven't committed a crime, and since no actual violence occurred neither did anybody else. So "fleeing the scene" rules don't really apply. And you also don't want the SOB coming back with reinforcements and/or heavy artillery. Time to go!
If that's not possible, because the crook knows where you are or who you are (or have your car's license plate number), jump on 911 and report an attempted crime, pronto. There are too many lazy cops that just believe the first complaint. Make yours first. You'll probably have one major advantage: the crook will have a violent record and you won't.
IF YOU HAD TO ACTUALLY DRAW BLOOD IN DEFENSE:
When the cops show up, there are only three things you should say: I was in fear of my life, I'm too shaken up to talk, I want a lawyer. (If there are witnesses you know of, point them out to the cops and tell the cops to talk to them.)
Bernie Goetz didn't do that. He was furious at the four attempted muggers, he made that anger plain in a long discussion down at the station, and he ended up getting charged with murder and attempted murder when it was absolutely clear-cut self defense.
When a cop gets involved in a shooting, they understand that immediately afterwards, he's too shaken to explain clearly what happened. So most departments give him 24 hours to settle down before talking to him. But if you're involved in lethal force, some will take advantage of your rattled state to pry garbled statements out of you. You HAVE the right to remain silent. Use it.
I'm assuming here that if you drew or used steel, you had a damned good reason. That's a subject for a much more detailed (not to mention PROFESSIONAL) treatment - see Introduction for some reference works.
Oceanside City Code 20. 10
Knife Laws in
For my first Bailing Wiring Column, I was asked to write about knife laws in
Switchblades and other spring-loaded knives are generally illegal in California
Where does all this information leave us? The short answer is, in a mess. There are certainly things that are illegal: any switchblade with a blade 2" or longer, or concealed possession of any knife with a fixed blade. Other knives may or may not be legal,
![]()
The information posted below is from a well-known article written by Jim March on 5/16/2002 titled, "California Knife Laws: A Comprehensive Guide," url:
http://www.ninehundred.com/~equalccw/knifelaw.html
Also Sy Nazif, Esq. article is from the Bailingwire, newsletter.
ML&R
Philip & Bill
FOR THOSE OF US HERE IN O`SIDE CA, it is written out below.
THE LAWS VARIE FROM CITY TO CITY, TOWN TO TOWN,
COUNTY TO COUNTY ALSO....
California Knife Laws, Since Oceanside PD follows the state statue here it is,
Oceanside City Code 20. 10
Sec. 20.10 – Weapons - Possession in Public - Prohibited
No person shall be or appear in any street, alley, sidewalk, parkway or any public place or place open to public view while carrying upon his person, or having in his immediate possession, any dangerous or deadly weapon. This section shall not be construed to duplicate prohibitions of California state statute, or to prohibit the possession of weapons expressly authorized by California state statute.
1.
SECTION FIVE: DEALING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN PACKIN' STEEL
First thing: don't get nervous. If you've read this, you're not going to be breaking any knife laws. California's knife laws are actually pretty decent, better than most states (even the shall-issue gun permit ones). If you're nervous, the cop will read that, and he won't know what to think - but the conversation WILL go downhill.
If you're walking past a cop with a legally concealed knife, DO NOT "pat the knife" to make sure the concealment is still effective. That's the number one way cops spot people packing guns illegally. They'll think that's what you're doing. The resulting conversation won't be pleasant.
If there's any chance at all that the guy is gonna search you, politely declare that you're carrying a "pocketknife legal under state law". Got that? Tell him where it is on you, let him take control of it. DO NOT SCARE THE DUDE WITH THE BADGE AND GUN. Don't reach for nuthin' unless he tells you to do so. At all times, act like this is just a normal business transaction.
So what if he/she thinks your piece(s) is/are illegal?
You explain that California knife law has changed a bunch of times starting in 1997 and twice more that you know of, so you're not terribly surprised there's confusion. Calmly explain as much of the relevant Penal Codes as you can recall...if you're into big folders, PC653k and the bit in 12020 about "not readily available if concealed in the closed position" is a start. If he ain't buying, calmly ask for a supervisor.
If he wants to confiscate your cutlery, ASK FOR A RECEIPT. If he says anything about "that'll mean you'll get a ticket too, and/or an arrest", stand your ground and calmly ask for a receipt. He's bluffing because he wants your knife. Sorry if any cops reading this are offended, but it happens - I've met enough people it's happened to to be a believer, although it hasn't happened to me. If he just plain takes it without a receipt, get his badge number and/or car number (if the latter is all you can get, record the TIME). If it was a city or county cop, make a THEFT complaint in detail with your nearest California Highway Patrol station (they investigate local wrongdoing). If it was CHP, hmmm...complain to the CHP supervisors maybe, or the Sheriff, but for God's sake don't let 'em off clean.
IF YOU HAD TO THREATEN AN ASSAILANT WITH A DRAWN BLADE:
You have two choices: get the hell out of there ASAP and travel far and fast, because odds are, crooks that get chased off by an armed citizen love to file a "he threatened me" complaint and bust YOU. Bug out. NOTE: we're talking about a situation in which you haven't committed a crime, and since no actual violence occurred neither did anybody else. So "fleeing the scene" rules don't really apply. And you also don't want the SOB coming back with reinforcements and/or heavy artillery. Time to go!
If that's not possible, because the crook knows where you are or who you are (or have your car's license plate number), jump on 911 and report an attempted crime, pronto. There are too many lazy cops that just believe the first complaint. Make yours first. You'll probably have one major advantage: the crook will have a violent record and you won't.
IF YOU HAD TO ACTUALLY DRAW BLOOD IN DEFENSE:
When the cops show up, there are only three things you should say: I was in fear of my life, I'm too shaken up to talk, I want a lawyer. (If there are witnesses you know of, point them out to the cops and tell the cops to talk to them.)
Bernie Goetz didn't do that. He was furious at the four attempted muggers, he made that anger plain in a long discussion down at the station, and he ended up getting charged with murder and attempted murder when it was absolutely clear-cut self defense.
When a cop gets involved in a shooting, they understand that immediately afterwards, he's too shaken to explain clearly what happened. So most departments give him 24 hours to settle down before talking to him. But if you're involved in lethal force, some will take advantage of your rattled state to pry garbled statements out of you. You HAVE the right to remain silent. Use it.
I'm assuming here that if you drew or used steel, you had a damned good reason. That's a subject for a much more detailed (not to mention PROFESSIONAL) treatment - see Introduction for some reference works.
Oceanside City Code 20. 10
Sec. 20.10 – Weapons - Possession in Public - Prohibited
No person shall be or appear in any street, alley, sidewalk, parkway or any public place or place open to public view while carrying upon his person, or having in his immediate possession, any dangerous or deadly weapon. This section shall not be construed to duplicate prohibitions of California state statute, or to prohibit the possession of weapons expressly authorized by California state statute.
Knife Laws in California
Written by Sy Nazif, Esq Taken from the BAILING WIRE,
was given to me by John, From ABATE, of CA
For my first Bailing Wiring Column, I was asked to write about knife laws in California California
Of course, I wouldn't be a very good attorney without giving a few caveats before I begin. First, remember that carrying any weapon, even one that’s legal, can cause you a lot of grief with law enforcement. Cops routinely write tickets and make arrests for things they incorrectly think is illegal. Being found “not guilty” will not make up for the time and aggravation of getting arrested and missing work -- not to mention the cost of hiring an attorney. Also, this article only covers California California
With those warnings out of the way, California
In California, the following are illegal: (1) Any knife with a blade of 2" or longer, that can be opened with a button or the flick of your wrist; (2) concealed possession of any "dirk" or "dagger," i.e., any stabbing device with a fixed blade, regardless of blade length; (3) possession or sale of any disguised blades, i.e., cane swords, writing pen knives, lipstick knives, etc., or any knife that is undetectable to metal detectors; (4) possession of a knife with a blade longer than 2 1/2" on any school grounds; (5) possession of a fixed-blade knife with a blade longer than 2 1/2" on any college or university grounds; and (6) flashing or waiving any knife or weapon in a threatening manner. Also, certain municipalities have their own laws that may affect the legality of carrying a knife. In Los Angeles
Each of the above issues is discusses in greater detail below.
Switchblades - Penal Code § 653k
the knife "has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position."
The statute further states that it is unlawful to : (1) to possess a switchblade in a vehicle, (2) to carry a switchblade anywhere upon one's person, or (3) to transfer or attempt to sell a switchblade to another person. In the 2009 case of People v. S.C., the Court of Appeals held that possession of a switchblade in a person's pocket, boot, etc., is unlawful, even if even if in one's own home. In other words, it’s illegal to have a switchblade with a 2" or longer blade – period.
It should also be noted that a pocketknife that was legal when manufactured, but is broken or modified so that it will open freely, is a switchblade within the meaning of the statute. For example, in the 2008 case of People v. Angel R., the Court of Appeals examined a conviction over a pocketknife that, as originally manufactured, had a hole in the back of the blade that prevented it from flicking open. The trial court found, however, that the knife had been modified or damaged, and the resistance mechanism did not function so that the knife would open with a flick of the wrist. Despite the original design of the knife, the Court of Appeals upheld the conviction.
Concealed Knives, Dirks, and Daggers - Penal Code § 12020
In California
Cane Swords and other Disguised Blades - Penal Code § 20200 et seq
Any knife or blade that is disguised so as to not look like a weapon is also illegal in California
Possession of Knives on School Grounds - Penal Code § 626.10
It is illegal for any person to bring or possess "any dirk, dagger, ice pick, knife having a blade longer than 2 1/2 inches, folding knife with a blade that locks into place, [or] razor with an unguarded blade . . . upon the grounds of, or within, any public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12 . . ." The law with regard to college campuses is similar, but less restrictive. Subsection (b) of the statute provides that it is illegal for any person to bring or possess "any dirk, dagger, ice pick, or knife having a fixed blade longer than 2 1/2 inches upon the grounds of, or within, any [college or university]."
Brandishing Knives - Penal Code § 417
In California
Local Ordinances - Here's Where the Law Gets Messy
If the laws above seem confusing, as the saying goes, "you ain't seen nothin' yet." Local ordinances vary from city to city, and county to county. Worse, California
For example, in the City of Los Angeles Los Angeles County
It gets worse. Los Angeles Code section 55.01 also makes it illegal to carry any weapon concealed on one's person. As such, in Los Angeles
Interestingly, the Courts have held that the Los Angeles Los Angeles Los Angeles
What is even more interesting is that other, more recent cases completely contradict the decision in People v. Bass. In the 1985 case of People v. Gerardoi, the defendant was charged with violating a local law of the City of Commerce that is nearly identical to the Los Angeles local law prohibiting carrying blades over 3". On appeal, the defendant cited the Bass case, arguing that the city code was invalid. The Gerardoi court rejected the holding of Bass, and found that the city code was valid.
depending on how and where you carry them, and where you are in California California
Ride safe, and stay legal. If either of these fail, call me!
ABOUT SY NAZIF, ESQ.
Sy Nazif is a life-long motorcyclist and an attorney who specializes in biker’s rights and representing motorcycle accident victims in California San Francisco
1-888-5-RIDERZ
This article is written for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Sec. 20.10 – Weapons - Possession in Public - Prohibited
No person shall be or appear in any street, alley, sidewalk, parkway or any public place or place open to public view while carrying upon his person, or having in his immediate possession, any dangerous or deadly weapon. This section shall not be construed to duplicate prohibitions of California state statute, or to prohibit the possession of weapons expressly authorized by California state statute.
↧
Ten Most Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs...............
OFF THE WIRE
BY: William J. Felchner
VIDEO,
http://youtu.be/CWNmCnyjUEA
Source: factoidz.com
USA - The outlaw biker gang can trace its origins to the period after World War II where returning veterans and other roadies began to organize themselves in clubs, pining for the freedom, action and nonconformity that the motorcycle offered. One of the seminal events in outlaw biker history was "The Hollister Riot," which took place over the July Fourth 1947 holiday weekend in Hollister, California, where some 4,000 motorcycle enthusiasts invaded the small town. The ensuing ruckus was later sensationalized in the July 21, 1947, issue of Life magazine, marking a famous milestone in biker history.
The Hollister Gypsy Tour, as the event was billed, included the Boozefighters, a South Central Los Angeles motorcycle club founded in 1946 by World War II vet William "Wino Willie" Forkner (1921-1997). Forkner reveled in his reputation as a biker hellraiser, and reportedly served as the inspiration for Lee Marvin's Chino character in Columbia Pictures' The Wild One (1953), which also starred Marlon Brando as bad boy Johnny Strabler, leader of the fictional Black Rebels.
Here are ten notorious outlaw biker gangs that rule the road in biker history. These are the so-called "1%ers," the bikers who operate out of the mainstream as compared to the other 99% of motorcyclists who abide by the law and norms of society. Kick start your engines and show your colors…
Hells Angels (1948-present)
Unarguably the best-known outlaw biker gang in history, Hells Angels owes its name to World War II and possibly the 1930 Howard Hughes movie of the same name. During Big Two, there did exist the United States Army Air Forces 303rd Heavy Bombardment Group (H) of the U.S. 8th Air Force which billed itself as Hell's Angels, flying B-17 combat missions out of Molesworth, England, from 1942-45.
Hells Angels was formed in the Fontana/San Bernardino, California, area on March 17, 1948 as an offshoot of the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, a California motorcycle club founded in 1945 by American veterans of the air war. Other independent chapters of Hells Angels later sprouted up in Oakland, Gardena and San Francisco.
Hells Angels eventually spread its wings, with the club now sporting charters in 29 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Denmark, France, Turkey and the Dominican Republic.The Hells Angels insignia is the infamous "death's head," designed by Frank Sadilek, a former president of the San Francisco chapter.
Both American and Canadian law enforcement have labeled the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) a crime syndicate, asserting that its members routinely engage in drug trafficking, extortion and violence. Hells Angels garnered notoriety at the Altamont Free Concert on December 6, 1969, when they were hired by the Rolling Stones to act as stage security. Mayhem ensued at the drug/alcohol fueled event that boasted of a crowd of 300,000, with four people losing their lives.
Mongols (1969-present)
The Mongols was founded on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, by Hispanic veterans of the Vietnam War. Reportedly denied membership in Hells Angels because of their race, the Mongols eventually branched out, currently boasting of chapters in 14 states and four foreign countries.
Law enforcement has classified the Mongols as a criminal enterprise, engaging in loan sharking, drug trafficking, racketeering, theft and murder for hire. ATF agent William Queen, using the alias Billy St. John, successfully infiltrated the Mongols in 1998, resulting in 53 Mongol convictions.
The Mongols and their hated rivals Hells Angels engaged in an infamous brawl and gunfight at Harrah's Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, in 2002. When the smoke had cleared, one Mongol and two Hells Angels lay dead on the casino floor.
Pagans (1959-present)
Lou Dobkins, a biochemist at the National Institute of Health, founded the Pagans in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1959. By the late 1960s, the Pagans were the dominant biker club on the East Coast, riding British Triumph motorcycles (later traded in for Harley Davidsons) and sporting their distinctive patch depicting the Norse fire god Sutr wielding a flaming sword.
The Pagans currently operate in eleven states, with Delaware County, Pennsylvania, serving as their Mother chapter. American law enforcement has classified the Pagans as a criminal enterprise, engaging in a host of illegal activities, including gun running, drug trafficking, arson, methamphetamine production and distribution, prostitution, racketeering and murder for hire.
In 2002, the Pagans and Hells Angels clashed at the Hellraiser Ball in Long Island, New York, where ten people were wounded and one Pagan was allegedly shot and killed by a Hells Angels member. Three years later, the Vice President of the Hells Angels Philadelphia chapter was killed by gunfire while driving his truck on the Schuylkill Expressway, with the Pagans allegedly carrying out the hit.
Outlaws (1935-present)
The Outlaws can trace their history back to 1935 when the McCook Outlaws Motorcycle Club was formed out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, Illinois. In the ensuing years, the club morphed into the McCook Outlaws, the Chicago Outlaws and the American Outlaws Association (A.O.A.). Their first out of state chapter came in Florida in 1967. In 1977, the Canadian biker gang Satan's Choice joined the Outlaws franchise, making it the first chapter outside of the United States. Today, the Outlaws are active in some 14 states, with international chapters in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, Norway, Poland, the Philippines, et al.
The Outlaws sport a distinctive patch comprised of a skull and crossed pistons. Their official motto, adopted in 1969, is "God forgives, Outlaws don't."
Law enforcement has categorized the Outlaws as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in drug trafficking, murder, extortion and prostitution. The Outlaws have had their run-ins with police and other biker gangs. In 2007, Outlaws member Frank Rego Vital was shot and killed outside the Crazy Horse Saloon in Forest Park, Georgia, by two Renegades motorcycle club members who had reportedly acted in self-defense.
Bandidos (1966-present)
The Bandidos was founded by Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran Don Chambers in San Leon, Texas, in 1966. The club's official motto is "We are the people our parents warned us about," with a big Mexican in sombrero brandishing a machete and pistol adorning the club's distinctive patch. The Bandidos currently boast of 104 chapters in the United States, along with international chapters in Germany, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Costa Rica, Belgium and the Channel Islands.
Law enforcement has classified the Bandidos as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, gun running and witness tampering. From 1994 to 1997 the so-called "Great Nordic Biker War" was waged in Scandinavia pitting Bandidos versus Hells Angels in a bloody turf war that resulted in eleven murders. Vagos (1965-present)
Originally called the Psychos, Vagos was formed in Temescal Valley, California, in 1965. The club's distinctive green/red patch pictures the Norse god Loki straddling a motorcycle. Vagos currently operates mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Both the FBI and the ATF consider Vagos an outlaw biker gang, engaging in drug trafficking, gun running, auto theft, money laundering and murder. In 2002, however, Vagos members turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California, police detective who had attempted to hire a Vagos hit man to murder her husband.
Law enforcement has successfully conducted several undercover investigations of Vagos and their illegal activities. In 2004, authorities arrested 26 Vagos members/associates and seized $125,000 in cash, drugs and weapons.
Pennsylvania Warlocks (1967-present)/Florida Warlocks (1967-present)
The Pennsylvania Warlocks was founded in Philadelphia in February 1967. The club's distinctive patch features the Harpy, the legendary winged beast from Greek mythology. The Pennsylvania Warlocks boast of chapters in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota and Massachusetts. The Pennsylvania Warlocks have been linked to organized crime and methamphetamine production and distribution.
The Florida Warlocks was founded by U.S. Navy veteran Tom "Grub" Freeland in Orlando, Florida, in 1967. The club's logo is a blazing eagle while their official motto is "To find us you must be good. To catch us…you must be fast. To beat us…you must be kidding!" The Florida Warlocks have chapters in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, the United Kingdom and Germany. The Florida Warlocks were successfully infiltrated by the ATF in 1991 and again in 2003, with convictions for drug and weapon charges resulting from the latter.
Sons of Silence (1966-present)
The Sons of Silence was founded in Niwot, Colorado, in 1966. The club sports a distinctive patch featuring the American Eagle superimposed over a large "A" – highly reminiscent of the Anheuser-Busch logo. The gang's official motto is "Donec mors non separat" – Latin for "Until death separates us."
The Sons of Silence boast of chapters in Illinois, Wyoming, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Kentucky, North Dakota, Mississippi and Germany. The Sons of Silence have been implicated in drug trafficking and weapons violations.
Highwaymen (1954-present)
The Highwaymen was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. The club's distinctive patch features a winged skeleton sporting a leather jacket, motorcycle cap and the black and silver colors. "Highwaymen forever, forever Highwaymen" serves as the gang's official motto.
The Highwaymen currently have chapters in Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Norway. The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club has been the subject of intense law enforcement scrutiny through the years. In 2007, the FBI arrested 40 Detroit Highwaymen members/associates on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking, theft, racketeering, insurance fraud, police corruption and murder for hire.
Gypsy Joker (1956-present)
The Gypsy Joker was founded in San Francisco, California, on April 1, 1956. The club's official patch features a grinning skull. Forced out of San Francisco by Hells Angels, the Gypsy Joker headed north to Oregon and Washington state in the late 1960s.
The Gypsy Joker has some 35 chapters worldwide, including active clubs in Australia, Germany, South Africa and Norway. The club is especially high profile in Australia, where in 2009 five Gypsy Jokers engaged in a drug-related shootout with a rival "bikie" gang (as they are called Down Under) in Perth.
Ten More Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs
Here are ten more infamous biker gangs, along with where established and years active.
•Free Souls (Eugene, Oregon, 1968-present) •The Breed (Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1965-present) •Rebels (Brisbane, Australia, 1969-present) •Grim Reapers (Calgary, Canada, 1967-1997) •Iron Horsemen (Cincinnati, Ohio, mid-1960s-present) •The Finks (Adelaide, Australia, 1969-present) •Brother Speed (Boise, Idaho, 1969-present) •Devils Diciples (Fontana, California, 1967-present) •Solo Angeles (Tijuana, Mexico, 1959-present) •Diablos (San Bernardino, California, 1964-present) About William J. Felchner William J. Felchner's many feature articles have appeared in such periodicals as True West, Hot Rod, Movie Collector's World, Sports Collectors Digest, Persimmon Hill, Big Reel, Corvette Quarterly, Old West, Antiques & Auction News, Storyboard, Goldmine, Autograph Collector, Warman's Today's Collector, The Paper & Advertising Collectors'
Frontier Times, Television History, Illinois and Military Trader.
BY: William J. Felchner
VIDEO,
http://youtu.be/CWNmCnyjUEA
Source: factoidz.com
USA - The outlaw biker gang can trace its origins to the period after World War II where returning veterans and other roadies began to organize themselves in clubs, pining for the freedom, action and nonconformity that the motorcycle offered. One of the seminal events in outlaw biker history was "The Hollister Riot," which took place over the July Fourth 1947 holiday weekend in Hollister, California, where some 4,000 motorcycle enthusiasts invaded the small town. The ensuing ruckus was later sensationalized in the July 21, 1947, issue of Life magazine, marking a famous milestone in biker history.
The Hollister Gypsy Tour, as the event was billed, included the Boozefighters, a South Central Los Angeles motorcycle club founded in 1946 by World War II vet William "Wino Willie" Forkner (1921-1997). Forkner reveled in his reputation as a biker hellraiser, and reportedly served as the inspiration for Lee Marvin's Chino character in Columbia Pictures' The Wild One (1953), which also starred Marlon Brando as bad boy Johnny Strabler, leader of the fictional Black Rebels.
Here are ten notorious outlaw biker gangs that rule the road in biker history. These are the so-called "1%ers," the bikers who operate out of the mainstream as compared to the other 99% of motorcyclists who abide by the law and norms of society. Kick start your engines and show your colors…
Hells Angels (1948-present)
Unarguably the best-known outlaw biker gang in history, Hells Angels owes its name to World War II and possibly the 1930 Howard Hughes movie of the same name. During Big Two, there did exist the United States Army Air Forces 303rd Heavy Bombardment Group (H) of the U.S. 8th Air Force which billed itself as Hell's Angels, flying B-17 combat missions out of Molesworth, England, from 1942-45.
Hells Angels was formed in the Fontana/San Bernardino, California, area on March 17, 1948 as an offshoot of the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, a California motorcycle club founded in 1945 by American veterans of the air war. Other independent chapters of Hells Angels later sprouted up in Oakland, Gardena and San Francisco.
Hells Angels eventually spread its wings, with the club now sporting charters in 29 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Denmark, France, Turkey and the Dominican Republic.The Hells Angels insignia is the infamous "death's head," designed by Frank Sadilek, a former president of the San Francisco chapter.
Both American and Canadian law enforcement have labeled the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) a crime syndicate, asserting that its members routinely engage in drug trafficking, extortion and violence. Hells Angels garnered notoriety at the Altamont Free Concert on December 6, 1969, when they were hired by the Rolling Stones to act as stage security. Mayhem ensued at the drug/alcohol fueled event that boasted of a crowd of 300,000, with four people losing their lives.
Mongols (1969-present)
The Mongols was founded on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, by Hispanic veterans of the Vietnam War. Reportedly denied membership in Hells Angels because of their race, the Mongols eventually branched out, currently boasting of chapters in 14 states and four foreign countries.
Law enforcement has classified the Mongols as a criminal enterprise, engaging in loan sharking, drug trafficking, racketeering, theft and murder for hire. ATF agent William Queen, using the alias Billy St. John, successfully infiltrated the Mongols in 1998, resulting in 53 Mongol convictions.
The Mongols and their hated rivals Hells Angels engaged in an infamous brawl and gunfight at Harrah's Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, in 2002. When the smoke had cleared, one Mongol and two Hells Angels lay dead on the casino floor.
Pagans (1959-present)
Lou Dobkins, a biochemist at the National Institute of Health, founded the Pagans in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1959. By the late 1960s, the Pagans were the dominant biker club on the East Coast, riding British Triumph motorcycles (later traded in for Harley Davidsons) and sporting their distinctive patch depicting the Norse fire god Sutr wielding a flaming sword.
The Pagans currently operate in eleven states, with Delaware County, Pennsylvania, serving as their Mother chapter. American law enforcement has classified the Pagans as a criminal enterprise, engaging in a host of illegal activities, including gun running, drug trafficking, arson, methamphetamine production and distribution, prostitution, racketeering and murder for hire.
In 2002, the Pagans and Hells Angels clashed at the Hellraiser Ball in Long Island, New York, where ten people were wounded and one Pagan was allegedly shot and killed by a Hells Angels member. Three years later, the Vice President of the Hells Angels Philadelphia chapter was killed by gunfire while driving his truck on the Schuylkill Expressway, with the Pagans allegedly carrying out the hit.
Outlaws (1935-present)
The Outlaws can trace their history back to 1935 when the McCook Outlaws Motorcycle Club was formed out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, Illinois. In the ensuing years, the club morphed into the McCook Outlaws, the Chicago Outlaws and the American Outlaws Association (A.O.A.). Their first out of state chapter came in Florida in 1967. In 1977, the Canadian biker gang Satan's Choice joined the Outlaws franchise, making it the first chapter outside of the United States. Today, the Outlaws are active in some 14 states, with international chapters in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, Norway, Poland, the Philippines, et al.
The Outlaws sport a distinctive patch comprised of a skull and crossed pistons. Their official motto, adopted in 1969, is "God forgives, Outlaws don't."
Law enforcement has categorized the Outlaws as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in drug trafficking, murder, extortion and prostitution. The Outlaws have had their run-ins with police and other biker gangs. In 2007, Outlaws member Frank Rego Vital was shot and killed outside the Crazy Horse Saloon in Forest Park, Georgia, by two Renegades motorcycle club members who had reportedly acted in self-defense.
Bandidos (1966-present)
The Bandidos was founded by Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran Don Chambers in San Leon, Texas, in 1966. The club's official motto is "We are the people our parents warned us about," with a big Mexican in sombrero brandishing a machete and pistol adorning the club's distinctive patch. The Bandidos currently boast of 104 chapters in the United States, along with international chapters in Germany, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Costa Rica, Belgium and the Channel Islands.
Law enforcement has classified the Bandidos as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, gun running and witness tampering. From 1994 to 1997 the so-called "Great Nordic Biker War" was waged in Scandinavia pitting Bandidos versus Hells Angels in a bloody turf war that resulted in eleven murders. Vagos (1965-present)
Originally called the Psychos, Vagos was formed in Temescal Valley, California, in 1965. The club's distinctive green/red patch pictures the Norse god Loki straddling a motorcycle. Vagos currently operates mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Both the FBI and the ATF consider Vagos an outlaw biker gang, engaging in drug trafficking, gun running, auto theft, money laundering and murder. In 2002, however, Vagos members turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California, police detective who had attempted to hire a Vagos hit man to murder her husband.
Law enforcement has successfully conducted several undercover investigations of Vagos and their illegal activities. In 2004, authorities arrested 26 Vagos members/associates and seized $125,000 in cash, drugs and weapons.
Pennsylvania Warlocks (1967-present)/Florida Warlocks (1967-present)
The Pennsylvania Warlocks was founded in Philadelphia in February 1967. The club's distinctive patch features the Harpy, the legendary winged beast from Greek mythology. The Pennsylvania Warlocks boast of chapters in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota and Massachusetts. The Pennsylvania Warlocks have been linked to organized crime and methamphetamine production and distribution.
The Florida Warlocks was founded by U.S. Navy veteran Tom "Grub" Freeland in Orlando, Florida, in 1967. The club's logo is a blazing eagle while their official motto is "To find us you must be good. To catch us…you must be fast. To beat us…you must be kidding!" The Florida Warlocks have chapters in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, the United Kingdom and Germany. The Florida Warlocks were successfully infiltrated by the ATF in 1991 and again in 2003, with convictions for drug and weapon charges resulting from the latter.
Sons of Silence (1966-present)
The Sons of Silence was founded in Niwot, Colorado, in 1966. The club sports a distinctive patch featuring the American Eagle superimposed over a large "A" – highly reminiscent of the Anheuser-Busch logo. The gang's official motto is "Donec mors non separat" – Latin for "Until death separates us."
The Sons of Silence boast of chapters in Illinois, Wyoming, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Kentucky, North Dakota, Mississippi and Germany. The Sons of Silence have been implicated in drug trafficking and weapons violations.
Highwaymen (1954-present)
The Highwaymen was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. The club's distinctive patch features a winged skeleton sporting a leather jacket, motorcycle cap and the black and silver colors. "Highwaymen forever, forever Highwaymen" serves as the gang's official motto.
The Highwaymen currently have chapters in Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Norway. The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club has been the subject of intense law enforcement scrutiny through the years. In 2007, the FBI arrested 40 Detroit Highwaymen members/associates on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking, theft, racketeering, insurance fraud, police corruption and murder for hire.
Gypsy Joker (1956-present)
The Gypsy Joker was founded in San Francisco, California, on April 1, 1956. The club's official patch features a grinning skull. Forced out of San Francisco by Hells Angels, the Gypsy Joker headed north to Oregon and Washington state in the late 1960s.
The Gypsy Joker has some 35 chapters worldwide, including active clubs in Australia, Germany, South Africa and Norway. The club is especially high profile in Australia, where in 2009 five Gypsy Jokers engaged in a drug-related shootout with a rival "bikie" gang (as they are called Down Under) in Perth.
Ten More Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs
Here are ten more infamous biker gangs, along with where established and years active.
•Free Souls (Eugene, Oregon, 1968-present) •The Breed (Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1965-present) •Rebels (Brisbane, Australia, 1969-present) •Grim Reapers (Calgary, Canada, 1967-1997) •Iron Horsemen (Cincinnati, Ohio, mid-1960s-present) •The Finks (Adelaide, Australia, 1969-present) •Brother Speed (Boise, Idaho, 1969-present) •Devils Diciples (Fontana, California, 1967-present) •Solo Angeles (Tijuana, Mexico, 1959-present) •Diablos (San Bernardino, California, 1964-present) About William J. Felchner William J. Felchner's many feature articles have appeared in such periodicals as True West, Hot Rod, Movie Collector's World, Sports Collectors Digest, Persimmon Hill, Big Reel, Corvette Quarterly, Old West, Antiques & Auction News, Storyboard, Goldmine, Autograph Collector, Warman's Today's Collector, The Paper & Advertising Collectors'
Frontier Times, Television History, Illinois and Military Trader.
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USA - Quick summary of knife laws
OFF THE WIRE
by Carl Donath
After following rec.knives for a while, it became obvious that a quick summary of knife laws would be handy. Here's what little I've been able to glean from my reading.
My goal is to find the clear portion of what is flat-out legal and easily summarized. I realize most states confuse the issue unmercifully; I'll let others figure out how to push the limits.
WARNING: This document is created from hearsay and whatever laws I could find. For legal advice, ask a lawyer. I could be lying. I only provide this to try to slightly improve the general lack of information on this subject. YOU are responsible for your own actions. If you don't know exactly what the laws are for any state or locale you are in, GO FIND OUT. (http://www.ncsl.org/public/sitesleg.htmis a good start, containing pointers to all state legislative sites.) I haven't updated this for a while, so consider it a cursory guide.
Use this as guidance: kids have been suspended for mere posession of nail clippers.
Canada
Airlines
Summary: No knives or sharp instruments of anykind.
by Carl Donath
After following rec.knives for a while, it became obvious that a quick summary of knife laws would be handy. Here's what little I've been able to glean from my reading.
My goal is to find the clear portion of what is flat-out legal and easily summarized. I realize most states confuse the issue unmercifully; I'll let others figure out how to push the limits.
WARNING: This document is created from hearsay and whatever laws I could find. For legal advice, ask a lawyer. I could be lying. I only provide this to try to slightly improve the general lack of information on this subject. YOU are responsible for your own actions. If you don't know exactly what the laws are for any state or locale you are in, GO FIND OUT. (http://www.ncsl.org/public/sitesleg.htmis a good start, containing pointers to all state legislative sites.) I haven't updated this for a while, so consider it a cursory guide.
Explaination
State (hyperlink goes to detailed explaination)- Summary:
- Max length:
- Specifically illegal:
- Relevant laws:
- Quirks:
- Local restrictions:
Basically, I want to answer the question "I'm flying to state X tomorrow, so which knife can I take?"
Size limit, measured the most unpleasant way possible. Some may permit longer in certain cases, but I won't suggest anything longer if it's in a gray area.
Specific styles which are explicitly forbidden.
Switchblade= Push a button/lever, it does the rest.
Gravity knives = Opened by gravity or centrifigual force. Butterfly knives (balisongs) included.
A quick pointer to roughly where the relevant laws are (ex. Penal Code 642)
Dark humor points (ex: a 1" lockback in a pocket is illegal, but a 15" Bowie swinging free is ok)
City/county restrictions.
Use this as guidance: kids have been suspended for mere posession of nail clippers.
US Knife Law Summary
- Ballistic knives (automatic blade throwers) are prohibited.
- Switchbladesmay not be transported/mailed across state lines unlessthe recipient intends to use it for military use.
- Possessing a knife in a federal facility is prohibited unless it is a pocket knife with blade under 2.5".
State Knife Law Summaries
Arizona- Summary: Generally clear. Illegal to carry "deadly weapon, (except a pocket knife) concealed."
- Max length: None apparent.
- Relevant laws: ARS book
- Summary: Anything capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon is illegal. All concealed knives are a felony (except non locking folders).
- Max length: chaotic
- Specifically illegal: Switchblades, gravity knives, exotic conceal methods (pen, lipstick, whatever)
- Relevant laws: PC 653K, PC 12020(24), California Laws, Commentary (apparently removed - someone know where?)
- Note that interpretations by cops and judges are wildly varied. Police have actually told law-abiding citizens to break the concealment laws, and a judge has deemed a blunt-point knife (Spyderco Mariner) a stabbing weapon.
- Quirks: Pens may be illegal (potential stabbing weapon).
- Local restrictions:
- Los Angeles
- Three inch limit for open carry without a good explanation.
- Summary: Sounds normal.
- Max length: Cutting edge under 4 inches
- Switchblades: Are legal to carry with a Dangerous Weapons Permit (DWP) only. Good luck trying to find a police station that has an application.
- Gravity knives: Same
- Relevant laws:
- Local restrictions: Some police chiefs don't want to give out DWP's
- Summary: A "common pocketknife" is OK. All "concealed weapons" (knives included) require a license.
- Max length: None apparent.
- Relevant laws: Chapter 790
- Local restrictions:
- Atlanta: A blade over 3" that LOCKS is illegal.
- Summary: Generally OK.
- Max length: None apparent.
- Specifically illegal: automatics & throwing stars.
- Relevant laws: Statutes mentioning "knife"
- Summary: OK for "normal" knives. Don't try to conceal any bowie, dirk, switchblade or butcher knife.
- Max length: None apparent.
- Specifically illegal: none apparent.
- Relevant laws: 97-37-*
- Quirks: Threatening actions with a knife in the presence of less than three people may be acceptable.
- Summary: any folder 4" or less is OK.
- Max length: 4"
- Relevant laws: State Laws (search for "knife")
- Summary: "Penknives" are OK. Anything else is borderline illegal and may require a concealed weapon permit.
- Max length: None apparent.
- Relevant laws: MD Statues Crimes and Punishments § 36, § 36A-O
- Quirks: You may carry a "weapon as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger", but it's up to a tribunal to decide the reasonableness/appropriateness of posession.
- Local restrictions:
- Cecil, Anne Arundel, Talbot, Harford, Caroline, Prince George's, Montgomery, St. Mary's, Washington, Worcester, Kent, and Baltimore Counties have special prohibitions regarding children under 18 carrying knives. See § 36(a)(3).
- Summary: Nothing over 3.5"
- Max length: 3.5"
- A longer blade maybe legal, but it's subject post-fact to a judge's decision.
- Relevant laws: Statutes mentioning "knife"
- Statutes may refer only to concealed knives.
- Quirks:
- A "knife" is defined as having a blade over 3.5". A pocketknife under 3.5" is not a knife.
- Local restrictions:
- Linconln
- Switchblades are illegal.
- Summary: General folders OK. Single-edged fixed blades may be.
- Max length: Under 18 may not possess knife with 5" or longer blade, or 10" or longer overall. No other apparent limitation.
- Specifically illegal: gravity knife, switchblade knife, dagger, dirk, stiletto, or ballistic knife "without any explainable lawful purpose" (i.e. an ill-defined exemption). Manufacturers and sellers are not exempt.
- Relevant laws: 2C:39-3.e 2C:39-9.d 2C:39-9.1 (Statutes, search for "knife" or "knives")
- Summary: If it looks like a weapon, it's illegal.
- Max length: 6" (?)
- Specifically illegal: Switchblades and gravity knives unless hunting or fishing with permit
- Relevant laws: Penal law
- Local restrictions:
- New York City
- Must be under 4"
- Summary: Generally OK.
- Max length: None apparent.
- Specifically illegal: switchblades, belt-buckle knives
- Relevant laws: NRS 202
- Specifically illegal: switchblade, springblade knife, gravity (butterfly) knife, or similar weapon;
- Relevant laws: Search Statutes for "knife"
- Summary: 3" or less OK. Don't posess anything "designed to cut and stab another".
- Max length: 3" measured from where the handle ends, not where the sharpened edge begins.
- Specifically illegal:
- Posession of a dagger, dirk, stiletto, sword-in-cane, bowie knife, or other similar weapon designed to cut and stab another.
- Concealed carry upon one's person of the above-mentioned instruments or weapons, or any razor, or knife of any description having a blade of more than 3".
- Relevant laws: Title 11 Criminal Offenses § 11-47-42
- Quirks: Children under 18 may purchase the above weapons with written parental permission.
- Summary: Folders under 4" are OK.
- Max length: 4"
- Specifically illegal: Switchblades, gravity knives (probably)
- Quirks: Fixed blades are probablya no-no.
- Summary: Folders under 5.5" OK.
- Max length: 5.5"
- Specifically illegal: Switchblade, throwing knives, daggers (in general), bowie knives, swords and spears.
- Relevant laws: Penal Code 46
- Quirks: The one state people associate with Bowie knives explicitly forbids them.
- Summary: Don't conceal a dirk or bowie knife. Don't take a dangerous weapon (esp. bowie knife or dagger) to church.
- Max length: None apparent.
- Specifically illegal: Switchblades.
- Relevant laws: 18.2-308, search statutes for knife or knives.
- Quirks: 3.1-370: your knife must be cleaned daily.
- Summary: Anything over 3" is in a gray area.
- Max length: 3"
- Specifically illegal: switchblade, springblade knife, gravity (butterfly) knife, concealed dagger/dirk
- Relevant laws: Statutes mentioning "knife"
- Relevant laws: 134.71 (1)(a)9, 134.71 (1)(g)1, 134.71 (1)(h)1 (relating to pawn brokers), 941.24 (switchblades)
Canada
- Summary: Careful; the country is getting antsy about weapons.
- Specifically illegal: a knife that has a blade that opens automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to the handle of the knife.
- Relevant laws: Annual Statutes Of Canada, 1995 Chapter 39 (Bill C-68)
Airlines
Summary: No knives or sharp instruments of anykind.
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Existing As A Motorcycle Club!
by Lj James
Existing As A Motorcycle Club!
As the days go by, I see more and more injustice done to motorcycle club members. There are many who are always ready to stand and fight for their rights, while many others could give a shit less! I have had many laugh at me when I say motorcycle clubs need to unite in order to save themselves from a complete ban across the country. People tell me their is just too much hatred between a lot of the motorcycle clubs! The fights between the MC's are what the government is using to slowly destroy all MC's! There are real wars going on all over the world you never see on TV at all! Why is it that when two different MC members get into a fight it is on every news channel and in every paper? More often then not there is some TV docudrama made about it!
I look at the MC's out there and there are some that I do not like, their values and beliefs are not the same as I believe a motorcycle club should be! I believe in the ole skool values of brotherhood, loyalty, freedom. If I have something, my brother too has that something! I believe if someone starts a fight with my brother they are starting a fight with us both! I do not believe in robbing and stealing to get what I want! I do not believe a motorcycle club member should use his MC membership to bully and extort people! Most MCs Share these beliefs but there are shades of grey in some areas and some times a small difference can mean a lot. The Value of Brotherhood is held the same by almost every MC out there! The love of the motorcycle and the feelings we feel while riding these motorcycles with our brothers as a motorcycle club are felt the same by just about all of us! Most of our core beliefs are very similar if not exactly the same! The point I am trying to make is that the MC's out there that you and I may not like is much closer to what we are then these out-of-control government agencies that are trying to destroy all of us!
I am reminded of the scene in the Movie Braveheart where hundreds of different Scottish Clans come together. Some got along, others did not and yet others outright hated each other and would fight on sight to the death! If you or I where to take a look at two of these clans that hated each other, it would probably take a long time for us to figure out what their differences were. To us these clans would appear the same! There came a time for these clans when the grip of England that had slowly been growing tighter around the necks of all of them reached a point where the leaders of these clans realized they would rather live with people who may not agree with everything they do, but at least they could understand their values! I am sure this choice was easier to make when everyone knew the only other choice was to watch as they were are all slowly destroyed one by one and erased from history!
This is the Point where American Motorcycle Clubs are now at! We do not need to like each other and we can even still hate each other! But we must work together before it is too late! There are countries around the world that have already banned motorcycle clubs all together! MC members who hated each other yesterday are finding respect for each other as they fight side by side for their simple right to just exist!!!
We know what the road ahead of us holds. Do we just continue riding till we get there or do we begin preparing for the storm ahead?
Existing As A Motorcycle Club!
As the days go by, I see more and more injustice done to motorcycle club members. There are many who are always ready to stand and fight for their rights, while many others could give a shit less! I have had many laugh at me when I say motorcycle clubs need to unite in order to save themselves from a complete ban across the country. People tell me their is just too much hatred between a lot of the motorcycle clubs! The fights between the MC's are what the government is using to slowly destroy all MC's! There are real wars going on all over the world you never see on TV at all! Why is it that when two different MC members get into a fight it is on every news channel and in every paper? More often then not there is some TV docudrama made about it!
I look at the MC's out there and there are some that I do not like, their values and beliefs are not the same as I believe a motorcycle club should be! I believe in the ole skool values of brotherhood, loyalty, freedom. If I have something, my brother too has that something! I believe if someone starts a fight with my brother they are starting a fight with us both! I do not believe in robbing and stealing to get what I want! I do not believe a motorcycle club member should use his MC membership to bully and extort people! Most MCs Share these beliefs but there are shades of grey in some areas and some times a small difference can mean a lot. The Value of Brotherhood is held the same by almost every MC out there! The love of the motorcycle and the feelings we feel while riding these motorcycles with our brothers as a motorcycle club are felt the same by just about all of us! Most of our core beliefs are very similar if not exactly the same! The point I am trying to make is that the MC's out there that you and I may not like is much closer to what we are then these out-of-control government agencies that are trying to destroy all of us!
I am reminded of the scene in the Movie Braveheart where hundreds of different Scottish Clans come together. Some got along, others did not and yet others outright hated each other and would fight on sight to the death! If you or I where to take a look at two of these clans that hated each other, it would probably take a long time for us to figure out what their differences were. To us these clans would appear the same! There came a time for these clans when the grip of England that had slowly been growing tighter around the necks of all of them reached a point where the leaders of these clans realized they would rather live with people who may not agree with everything they do, but at least they could understand their values! I am sure this choice was easier to make when everyone knew the only other choice was to watch as they were are all slowly destroyed one by one and erased from history!
This is the Point where American Motorcycle Clubs are now at! We do not need to like each other and we can even still hate each other! But we must work together before it is too late! There are countries around the world that have already banned motorcycle clubs all together! MC members who hated each other yesterday are finding respect for each other as they fight side by side for their simple right to just exist!!!
We know what the road ahead of us holds. Do we just continue riding till we get there or do we begin preparing for the storm ahead?
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ROSARITO BEACH WET T-SHIRT CONTEST - 8/4/2012 PART 1
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| 2ND PLACE |
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| WINNER |
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USA - Limited supply of these FREE survival "business" cards -
Limited supply of these FREE survival "business" cards - http://www.survivallife.com/
Get one today (you only need to take care of shipping!) and carry 11 handy tools right inside your wallet.
This tiny but powerful survival tool is no bigger than a business card and fits right in your wallet, so you'll always have it on you.
Here's what the tool includes:- 11-in-1 Functions:
- Can Opener
- Knife Edge
- Slotted/Flathead Screwdriver
- Ruler
- Bottle Cap Opener
- 4 Position Wrench
- Wingnut Wrench
- Saw Blade
- Direction Ancillary Indicator
- 2 Position Wrench
- Keychain Hole
- Dimensions: 2- 5/8” x 1- 3/4”
- Durable Stainless Steel construction
- Leather-look sleeve
- Diagram of functions
- Credit card size fits easily into wallets
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|
Disclaimer: You must be 18 or older to purchase this item. The laws to carry knives vary by state and Survival Life holds no responsibility for an individual's actions once a knife is purchased. It is the buyer's responsibility to know the laws of their state. Failure to do so could result in embarrassment, injury, death, imprisonment, or one of several other very bad outcomes to you or to others around you. The bearer of these cards accepts all responsibility for their use or misuse.
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CA - For the Northern CA folks; two rogue bad cops
OFF THE WIRE
Important Information
or the Northern CA folks; two rogue bad cops: Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff officer Padgett. Officer Padgett is assigned to the Rancho Cordova PD, but is really a Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff. Padgett has been writing bogus tickets. Lately writing helmet tickets on store bought DOT Certified helmets. He states the clasp is not DOT Approved...no such thing. When challenged, he generally backs down. We believe he is writing so many bogus tickets to get time and a half. When a cop goes to court, they automatically gets 6 hours at time and a half pay. Padgett just walks in and says he is dismissing charges and walks out.
Next one is CHP officer Dimiceli. He works I 80 in the Sacramento area. Extremely confrontational. Has written two bogus tickets on Mark Temple. Latest one, he handcuffed a motorcycle rider who was wearing a helmet that the officer didn't like. He held the motorcycle rider in the back of his patrol car for 45 minutes until the riders wife showed up with another helmet. If anyone has received a ticket for any reason, even if you chose not to fight, we need information. Fortunately the motorcycle riding community has started to listen and learn. All stops have been recorded. Without that, it would be extremely difficult to fight.
One last item, last night on CBS Channel 13, local news, they did a little report on how to handle police stops. They stated you MUST get permission to record cops. That is extremely incorrect. State court cases and federal courts have stated no expectation of privacy. I have contacted channel 13 to see who gave them that info...probably the CHP.
Important Information
or the Northern CA folks; two rogue bad cops: Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff officer Padgett. Officer Padgett is assigned to the Rancho Cordova PD, but is really a Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff. Padgett has been writing bogus tickets. Lately writing helmet tickets on store bought DOT Certified helmets. He states the clasp is not DOT Approved...no such thing. When challenged, he generally backs down. We believe he is writing so many bogus tickets to get time and a half. When a cop goes to court, they automatically gets 6 hours at time and a half pay. Padgett just walks in and says he is dismissing charges and walks out.
Next one is CHP officer Dimiceli. He works I 80 in the Sacramento area. Extremely confrontational. Has written two bogus tickets on Mark Temple. Latest one, he handcuffed a motorcycle rider who was wearing a helmet that the officer didn't like. He held the motorcycle rider in the back of his patrol car for 45 minutes until the riders wife showed up with another helmet. If anyone has received a ticket for any reason, even if you chose not to fight, we need information. Fortunately the motorcycle riding community has started to listen and learn. All stops have been recorded. Without that, it would be extremely difficult to fight.
One last item, last night on CBS Channel 13, local news, they did a little report on how to handle police stops. They stated you MUST get permission to record cops. That is extremely incorrect. State court cases and federal courts have stated no expectation of privacy. I have contacted channel 13 to see who gave them that info...probably the CHP.
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Columbia, South Carolina - The State Should Apologize
OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
A news story published yesterday in the Columbia, South Carolina State raises ethical questions about the incestuous relationship between journalists and official sources. You can read that story, written by Andrew Dys here.
Essentially, journalism has two components, one artistic and the other mundane. The mundane component involves collecting and brokering information obtained from public documents and human sources. Ideally, a reporter will find a story to tell in the information he has collected and then tell it cogently. Dys is a cogent writer but his statements are often so wrong than the State does a disservice to the people of South Carolina by publishing them.
The State’s Story
Dys and the State newspaper have lied to their readers and the lies are so careless and misleading that at least some of them must be answered.
In his lead, or as journalists usually write it “lede,” Dys states that five “bikers connected to the Rock Hill Hells Angels” will be sentenced today. In fact, two people were to be sentenced today and one of them was a woman accused of delivering 50 legally obtained Percocet pills to a paid FBI informant and agent provocateur named Joseph Dillulio. The transaction was illegal and the woman, named Johanna Looper, would never have profited from it except by subterfuge. Dillulio engaged Looper in conversation after she made the delivery. He asked how she was. Looper who was indigent and desperate replied honestly and Dillulio presented her with a gift of $40. On that basis, Looper was charged with narcotics conspiracy, a crime which carries a penalty of 20 years in prison. In January, Looper threw herself at the mercy of the court and pled guilty. Federal justice is so blatantly unfair that about 92 percent of all federal prisoners plead guilty to something whether they are factually innocent or not.
Looper pled guilty because the United States no longer has an adversarial system of justice but rather an administrative system of justice in which the key question is not about guilt or innocence but about how to speed accused persons to prison in the most efficient manner. Cooperative defendants always fare better in the federal courts that uncooperative defendants who insist on their innocence. In the words of David O. Carter, a former Marine and a U.S. District judge in Orange County, California, “If the people knew what goes on here (in federal court) they would burn the courthouse down.”
The State couldn’t find news in that.
Dys then wrote, “The Hells Angels were a gang, federal prosecutors proved at trial earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Columbia. A gang that was no different than black or Hispanic street gangs, the Mafia gangs of Italian whites, that police and courts in America repeatedly prove maim and kill and sell drugs and intimidate those who try to stop them, prosecutors argued.”
In fact, no such thing was proven even after five of the defendants insisted on a trial.
Plyler
After a month-long trial, one of the defendants, named Thomas Plyler, was found not guilty. Plyler beat the odds. About 90 percent of all federal defendants who insist on a trial are convicted anyway. The conviction rate in federal court exceeds 99 percent for three reasons. First, prosecutors play pernicious games in federal court including the hiding of evidence of actual innocence and strategies that include “evidence dumps.” A legal scholar named Bennett L. Gershman writing in the Case Western Reserve Law Review probably coined the term “Games Prosecutors Play” to describe the entrapments, “sentence entrapments” and discovery strategies that prosecutors usually describe as “stings.” One federal prosecutor in Los Angeles in another motorcycle club case memorialized the term “guerilla street theater” as an alternative to sting. An attorney named Andrew Carlon writing in the Virginia Law Review described what goes on in federal courts as a manifestation of “The Sadistic State.”
It is, Carlon wrote, “a system where…incentives and motives have short circuited: The emergence, irreducible to its individual components, of a state run amok. It is a state that has decided that, since its unique function is the power to punish, it must pursue punishment as an intrinsic good, independent of desert (or, indeed, of the other, more consequentialist aims of punishment), transforming itself into a ‘punishment machine.’ But as we have seen, punishment without desert reduces to sadism. We get the ‘sadistic state,’ which wields power, most fully realized through the infliction of pain, as an end in itself, the human beings in its power merely means to that awful end.”
One of the most sadistic facets of this case, which was originally titled U.S. versus Daniel Bifield et al., was a strategy of blackmailing defendants into plea deals by criminally charging their significant others. Two wives (Somying Anderson and Lisa Bifield) and one girlfriend (Looper) were charged with participating in what Dys thinks was a Hells Angel conspiracy. Charges were dropped against Anderson just before the beginning of trial because the case against her was always nonexistent. After the prosecution rested in the trial, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed all charges against Looper’s boyfriend, Donald Boersma. But the strategy did work on the lead defendant, Daniel Bifield, who pled guilty last December 27th in order to spare the woman who is clearly the love of his life. “I fell on my sword and did the right thing” the romantic Bifield said. It did not work. Mrs. Bifield still faces at least seven years and up to life in prison. Dan Bifield thought he had been double-crossed and attempted to renounce his plea agreement. He failed because it is a particularly decadent agreement. In that document Bifield waived “the right to contest either the conviction or the sentence in any direct appeal or other post-conviction action.” It was, in short, a pact with the devil signed in blood. Bifield also “agreed” to frustrate the sort of work Dys should be doing. He waived “all rights, whether asserted directly or by a representative, to request or receive from any department or agency of the United States any records pertaining to the investigation or prosecution of this case, including without limitation any records that may be sought under the Freedom of Information Act….”
RICO
Dys also misrepresents the federal statue that allows defendants accused of state crimes to be charged with federal crimes that carry penalties that are ten to twenty times more severe than those in state court – RICO.
The Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations law was the centerpiece of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. It was written by a Senatorial aide named G. Robert Blakey, who is now the William and Dorothy O’Neill Professor of Law at Notre Dame. And, it is named for the fictional character Rico “Little Caesar” Bandello who was inhabited on film by Edward G. Robinson. Robinson’s Rico character, in turn, was a parody of Alphonse Gabriel “Scarface” Capone. Shortly before he went to jail for tax evasion, Capone tried to get out of rum running and into the milk business. RICO was intended to prevent future gangsters from using criminal funds to infiltrate legitimate “enterprises.”
The original intent of RICO was lost when the Supreme Court redefined the meaning of the term “criminal enterprise” in a case titled United States versus Turkette. After Turkette, enterprise no longer meant a bar, bowling alley or dairy that had been corrupted by a “mob.” Turkette changed the meaning of ‘criminal enterprise” to any group of three or more people who among them committed two or more crimes in the previous decade. The Columbia Law Review excoriated the decision for creating “the crime of being a criminal.” Practically, the redefined RICO allowed federal prosecutors to federalize any crime.
Dys tells the State’s readers that RICO is “used to prosecute the worst criminals. Sentences for RICO require the razing of forests of trees to print all the pages of numbers of years in a prison” and he quotes a former prosecutor named Miller Shealy who says, “RICO is what people remember is used in Mafia trials. RICO is the huge hammer for the prosecution. RICO is about the worst punishment there is.” Dys’ recounting of whatever Shealy actually said is both dissembling and perjorative.
Dys goes on to claim that “prosecutors proved the case against 15 of 20 Hells Angels members and associates” which is also inaccurate. What prosecutor Julius Richardson did was convince a majority of the defendants to sign plea and sentencing agreements which is entirely different than proving guilt. Coerced confessions in plea deals are considered heresay.
Journalism And Propaganda
Dys work on this case represents the seedy underside of reporting in the autumn of print journalism. Federal cases like Bifield are increasingly secretive. Prosecutors hide great chunks of cases in order to gain a competitive advantage over defendants and to frustrate the press from telling citizens “what goes on here” lest citizens “burn the courthouse down.” Consequently reporters often depend on police and court house sources to tell them what the story is. There is no getting around that for most of what is still left of the working press. Unscrupulous prosecutors can simply refuse to talk to reporters who don’t cooperate. So gutless reporters, as opposed to Woodward and Bernstein, cooperate and keep their jobs. The State should not be condemned because it is gutless. Nobody expects the State to be the Washington Post.
However, even gutless reporters can remain cynical and skeptical in their hearts. Even today, there is a bright and clear line between collaborating with injustice and cheerleading for it. That is the line Dys and the State have crossed.
Twice in the last month Dys has vilified defendants in this case. On April 15th Dys wrote: “The Hells Angels must have forgotten the page in the codebook that says the United States government does not allow selling methamphetamine, cocaine and assault rifles to be used in crimes, money laundering and ongoing criminal enterprise kept alive by intimidation and fear.” Dys seems to assume that “the Hells Angels” Motorcycle Club was on trial because, he also seems to assume, members of that club are all soulless thugs rather than fellow passengers on the sinking American boat. The prosecution tried to promote that fiction but that was not what the Bifield case was about. The case was about spending millions of dollars to entice innocent people to break the law on hidden camera – like Candid Camera in hell.
About the lead defendant, Dys wrote: “He did not say whether he approved of himself, his associates and other outlaw bikers selling narcotics and guns that end up in the hands of school kids who get shot or turn into junkies or go to prison later as dope dealers.” It is completely untrue that the Hells Angels as a group or the defendants in this case are responsible for the death or corruption of school children and it is irresponsible to say so.
Dys also says: “It was proved in court: Rock Hill Hells Angels and associates sold drugs and guns and laundered money as part of a crime ring that reached as far as New England, with leadership of the group getting kickbacks from all the criminal activity.” None of that was proven at trial. The “crime ring” to which Dys refers was a fairy tale.
In yesterday’s story Dys claims “the final outcome” of the case was what “the public demanded and prosecutors delivered.”
The final outcome of this corrupt and completely invented case was that people still don’t know what goes on in federal court. Dys is not a journalist. He is a propagandist. The
State should apologize to its readers and reconsider its coverage of the case.
VIDEO
agingrebel.com
A news story published yesterday in the Columbia, South Carolina State raises ethical questions about the incestuous relationship between journalists and official sources. You can read that story, written by Andrew Dys here.
Essentially, journalism has two components, one artistic and the other mundane. The mundane component involves collecting and brokering information obtained from public documents and human sources. Ideally, a reporter will find a story to tell in the information he has collected and then tell it cogently. Dys is a cogent writer but his statements are often so wrong than the State does a disservice to the people of South Carolina by publishing them.
The State’s Story
Dys and the State newspaper have lied to their readers and the lies are so careless and misleading that at least some of them must be answered.
In his lead, or as journalists usually write it “lede,” Dys states that five “bikers connected to the Rock Hill Hells Angels” will be sentenced today. In fact, two people were to be sentenced today and one of them was a woman accused of delivering 50 legally obtained Percocet pills to a paid FBI informant and agent provocateur named Joseph Dillulio. The transaction was illegal and the woman, named Johanna Looper, would never have profited from it except by subterfuge. Dillulio engaged Looper in conversation after she made the delivery. He asked how she was. Looper who was indigent and desperate replied honestly and Dillulio presented her with a gift of $40. On that basis, Looper was charged with narcotics conspiracy, a crime which carries a penalty of 20 years in prison. In January, Looper threw herself at the mercy of the court and pled guilty. Federal justice is so blatantly unfair that about 92 percent of all federal prisoners plead guilty to something whether they are factually innocent or not.
Looper pled guilty because the United States no longer has an adversarial system of justice but rather an administrative system of justice in which the key question is not about guilt or innocence but about how to speed accused persons to prison in the most efficient manner. Cooperative defendants always fare better in the federal courts that uncooperative defendants who insist on their innocence. In the words of David O. Carter, a former Marine and a U.S. District judge in Orange County, California, “If the people knew what goes on here (in federal court) they would burn the courthouse down.”
The State couldn’t find news in that.
Dys then wrote, “The Hells Angels were a gang, federal prosecutors proved at trial earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Columbia. A gang that was no different than black or Hispanic street gangs, the Mafia gangs of Italian whites, that police and courts in America repeatedly prove maim and kill and sell drugs and intimidate those who try to stop them, prosecutors argued.”
In fact, no such thing was proven even after five of the defendants insisted on a trial.
Plyler
After a month-long trial, one of the defendants, named Thomas Plyler, was found not guilty. Plyler beat the odds. About 90 percent of all federal defendants who insist on a trial are convicted anyway. The conviction rate in federal court exceeds 99 percent for three reasons. First, prosecutors play pernicious games in federal court including the hiding of evidence of actual innocence and strategies that include “evidence dumps.” A legal scholar named Bennett L. Gershman writing in the Case Western Reserve Law Review probably coined the term “Games Prosecutors Play” to describe the entrapments, “sentence entrapments” and discovery strategies that prosecutors usually describe as “stings.” One federal prosecutor in Los Angeles in another motorcycle club case memorialized the term “guerilla street theater” as an alternative to sting. An attorney named Andrew Carlon writing in the Virginia Law Review described what goes on in federal courts as a manifestation of “The Sadistic State.”
It is, Carlon wrote, “a system where…incentives and motives have short circuited: The emergence, irreducible to its individual components, of a state run amok. It is a state that has decided that, since its unique function is the power to punish, it must pursue punishment as an intrinsic good, independent of desert (or, indeed, of the other, more consequentialist aims of punishment), transforming itself into a ‘punishment machine.’ But as we have seen, punishment without desert reduces to sadism. We get the ‘sadistic state,’ which wields power, most fully realized through the infliction of pain, as an end in itself, the human beings in its power merely means to that awful end.”
One of the most sadistic facets of this case, which was originally titled U.S. versus Daniel Bifield et al., was a strategy of blackmailing defendants into plea deals by criminally charging their significant others. Two wives (Somying Anderson and Lisa Bifield) and one girlfriend (Looper) were charged with participating in what Dys thinks was a Hells Angel conspiracy. Charges were dropped against Anderson just before the beginning of trial because the case against her was always nonexistent. After the prosecution rested in the trial, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed all charges against Looper’s boyfriend, Donald Boersma. But the strategy did work on the lead defendant, Daniel Bifield, who pled guilty last December 27th in order to spare the woman who is clearly the love of his life. “I fell on my sword and did the right thing” the romantic Bifield said. It did not work. Mrs. Bifield still faces at least seven years and up to life in prison. Dan Bifield thought he had been double-crossed and attempted to renounce his plea agreement. He failed because it is a particularly decadent agreement. In that document Bifield waived “the right to contest either the conviction or the sentence in any direct appeal or other post-conviction action.” It was, in short, a pact with the devil signed in blood. Bifield also “agreed” to frustrate the sort of work Dys should be doing. He waived “all rights, whether asserted directly or by a representative, to request or receive from any department or agency of the United States any records pertaining to the investigation or prosecution of this case, including without limitation any records that may be sought under the Freedom of Information Act….”
RICO
Dys also misrepresents the federal statue that allows defendants accused of state crimes to be charged with federal crimes that carry penalties that are ten to twenty times more severe than those in state court – RICO.
The Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations law was the centerpiece of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. It was written by a Senatorial aide named G. Robert Blakey, who is now the William and Dorothy O’Neill Professor of Law at Notre Dame. And, it is named for the fictional character Rico “Little Caesar” Bandello who was inhabited on film by Edward G. Robinson. Robinson’s Rico character, in turn, was a parody of Alphonse Gabriel “Scarface” Capone. Shortly before he went to jail for tax evasion, Capone tried to get out of rum running and into the milk business. RICO was intended to prevent future gangsters from using criminal funds to infiltrate legitimate “enterprises.”
The original intent of RICO was lost when the Supreme Court redefined the meaning of the term “criminal enterprise” in a case titled United States versus Turkette. After Turkette, enterprise no longer meant a bar, bowling alley or dairy that had been corrupted by a “mob.” Turkette changed the meaning of ‘criminal enterprise” to any group of three or more people who among them committed two or more crimes in the previous decade. The Columbia Law Review excoriated the decision for creating “the crime of being a criminal.” Practically, the redefined RICO allowed federal prosecutors to federalize any crime.
Dys tells the State’s readers that RICO is “used to prosecute the worst criminals. Sentences for RICO require the razing of forests of trees to print all the pages of numbers of years in a prison” and he quotes a former prosecutor named Miller Shealy who says, “RICO is what people remember is used in Mafia trials. RICO is the huge hammer for the prosecution. RICO is about the worst punishment there is.” Dys’ recounting of whatever Shealy actually said is both dissembling and perjorative.
Dys goes on to claim that “prosecutors proved the case against 15 of 20 Hells Angels members and associates” which is also inaccurate. What prosecutor Julius Richardson did was convince a majority of the defendants to sign plea and sentencing agreements which is entirely different than proving guilt. Coerced confessions in plea deals are considered heresay.
Journalism And Propaganda
Dys work on this case represents the seedy underside of reporting in the autumn of print journalism. Federal cases like Bifield are increasingly secretive. Prosecutors hide great chunks of cases in order to gain a competitive advantage over defendants and to frustrate the press from telling citizens “what goes on here” lest citizens “burn the courthouse down.” Consequently reporters often depend on police and court house sources to tell them what the story is. There is no getting around that for most of what is still left of the working press. Unscrupulous prosecutors can simply refuse to talk to reporters who don’t cooperate. So gutless reporters, as opposed to Woodward and Bernstein, cooperate and keep their jobs. The State should not be condemned because it is gutless. Nobody expects the State to be the Washington Post.
However, even gutless reporters can remain cynical and skeptical in their hearts. Even today, there is a bright and clear line between collaborating with injustice and cheerleading for it. That is the line Dys and the State have crossed.
Twice in the last month Dys has vilified defendants in this case. On April 15th Dys wrote: “The Hells Angels must have forgotten the page in the codebook that says the United States government does not allow selling methamphetamine, cocaine and assault rifles to be used in crimes, money laundering and ongoing criminal enterprise kept alive by intimidation and fear.” Dys seems to assume that “the Hells Angels” Motorcycle Club was on trial because, he also seems to assume, members of that club are all soulless thugs rather than fellow passengers on the sinking American boat. The prosecution tried to promote that fiction but that was not what the Bifield case was about. The case was about spending millions of dollars to entice innocent people to break the law on hidden camera – like Candid Camera in hell.
About the lead defendant, Dys wrote: “He did not say whether he approved of himself, his associates and other outlaw bikers selling narcotics and guns that end up in the hands of school kids who get shot or turn into junkies or go to prison later as dope dealers.” It is completely untrue that the Hells Angels as a group or the defendants in this case are responsible for the death or corruption of school children and it is irresponsible to say so.
Dys also says: “It was proved in court: Rock Hill Hells Angels and associates sold drugs and guns and laundered money as part of a crime ring that reached as far as New England, with leadership of the group getting kickbacks from all the criminal activity.” None of that was proven at trial. The “crime ring” to which Dys refers was a fairy tale.
In yesterday’s story Dys claims “the final outcome” of the case was what “the public demanded and prosecutors delivered.”
The final outcome of this corrupt and completely invented case was that people still don’t know what goes on in federal court. Dys is not a journalist. He is a propagandist. The
State should apologize to its readers and reconsider its coverage of the case.
VIDEO
↧
AUSTRALIA - Tattoo registry rejected as infringement on rights
OFF THE WIRE
Tattooists have rejected a proposal for a Queensland tattoo registry to discourage bikie-related money laundering, with lawyers saying it would impede on privacy.
The registry would force people wanting tattoos to register their intentions with the Government, in an attempt to stop bikie-related tattoo parlours taking receipts for fake customers.
Gold Coast MP for Mermaid Beach, Ray Stevens, who put the proposal to State Parliament last Thursday, said bikie-related crime is a huge concern for his electorate.
"Under the Health Act there should be a register of people getting tattoos so that we can identify those people getting tattoos," Mr Stevens said.
"Rather than have John Smith, Bill Brown and all the other fake names of people who are paying $5,000 or $10,000 for tattoos.
This is a way for these bikie clubs to clean their money." But Australian Tattooists Guild spokesman Josh Roelink says the registry is a "huge infringement on civil liberties and privacy".
Mr Roelink, who is a tattooist in the northern NSW town of Lennox Head, says the majority of people he has spoken to would not want to register a tattoo.
"The majority of our clients would probably be reluctant to do it, and it's just a huge infringement on civil liberties and privacy," Mr Roelink said.
"The second concern we have is where the resources are coming from and who's going to pay for it all.
"Who's going to be the department that's going to process them? If it's going to be under the Health Act then it's going to be the Health Department and I think those resources could be used a lot better.
"Also it just means extra work for [tattooists] when we're already under a barrage of red tape for our businesses." Under the Tattoo Parlours Act 2012, tattoo shops in New South Wales are required to make financial business records including invoices, receipts, cash flow statements available for inspection by police at any "reasonable time".
Mr Roelink says the money that would be spent on establishing a tattoo registry could be better spent elsewhere.
"If they really want to stop the idea of money laundering then they should be giving the money to the powers that are actually going to provide it and police it instead of trying to create something completely separate," he said.
"It's just a complete waste spending money trying to create infrastructure for something that could be policed in a better way." Registry 'overkill' Queensland Council for Civil Liberties president Michael Cope says the proposed laws are "overkill" considering the powers police and government agencies already have to investigate unexplained wealth or suspect cash transactions.
Mr Cope says such a move would also be a violation of freedom of speech, and the he doubts a registry would be effective.
"There are already ample powers under the Cash Transaction Reports Act to deal with cash transactions," Mr Cope said.
"To have people's names recorded because they've had a tattoo done, is an unnecessary invasion of privacy because you'll be recording the names of people who will be perfectly innocent.
"It just seems to be one of these crazy ideas people come up with.
I'd like to see any evidence that it's been done anywhere and had any effect.
"I don't see how that is going to generate any significant important evidence." Bikies bad for business One Gold Coast tattoo artist, who wants to remain anonymous to avoid further bikie-related violence at his business, says the association between bikie gangs and tattoo parlours is doing serious harm to the industry.
He says it is unfair that tattoo shops are the only businesses being singled out, considering bikie gangs are known to run other types of businesses for the purposes of money laundering.
"They don't just own tattoo shops," he said.
"They own hairdressers, they own car shops - it's more than just tattoo shops.
"If you want to start nailing people getting tattoos, you may as well do it to any dude that goes and gets his car done, or any dude that goes and gets a haircut.
"They've got restaurants - so, what, you go and get registered to have a meal?" New South Wales barrister Mark Polden says focusing on tattoo parlours may only serve to drive illegal activity elsewhere.
"Even if it were to be established, let's assume for argument's sake, that money laundering was going on through these kinds of businesses, all it's going to do in all probability is to drive that into another business," Mr Polden said.
"Whether it's smash repair businesses or hairdressers or whatever it is, it's probably just going to move the problem elsewhere isn't it?" Mr Polden also expressed some concern that some younger customers could be encouraged to avoid the registry by using equipment bought online.
"It could have an unintended consequence of causing people to resort to do-it-yourself with a tattoo gun bought over the internet in non-sterile conditions," Mr Polden said.
"That's a very undesirable outcome." The Queensland Government has not yet determined whether the registry will be introduced.
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/tattoo-registry-rejected-infringement-rights-062938299.html
Tattooists have rejected a proposal for a Queensland tattoo registry to discourage bikie-related money laundering, with lawyers saying it would impede on privacy.
The registry would force people wanting tattoos to register their intentions with the Government, in an attempt to stop bikie-related tattoo parlours taking receipts for fake customers.
Gold Coast MP for Mermaid Beach, Ray Stevens, who put the proposal to State Parliament last Thursday, said bikie-related crime is a huge concern for his electorate.
"Under the Health Act there should be a register of people getting tattoos so that we can identify those people getting tattoos," Mr Stevens said.
"Rather than have John Smith, Bill Brown and all the other fake names of people who are paying $5,000 or $10,000 for tattoos.
This is a way for these bikie clubs to clean their money." But Australian Tattooists Guild spokesman Josh Roelink says the registry is a "huge infringement on civil liberties and privacy".
Mr Roelink, who is a tattooist in the northern NSW town of Lennox Head, says the majority of people he has spoken to would not want to register a tattoo.
"The majority of our clients would probably be reluctant to do it, and it's just a huge infringement on civil liberties and privacy," Mr Roelink said.
"The second concern we have is where the resources are coming from and who's going to pay for it all.
"Who's going to be the department that's going to process them? If it's going to be under the Health Act then it's going to be the Health Department and I think those resources could be used a lot better.
"Also it just means extra work for [tattooists] when we're already under a barrage of red tape for our businesses." Under the Tattoo Parlours Act 2012, tattoo shops in New South Wales are required to make financial business records including invoices, receipts, cash flow statements available for inspection by police at any "reasonable time".
Mr Roelink says the money that would be spent on establishing a tattoo registry could be better spent elsewhere.
"If they really want to stop the idea of money laundering then they should be giving the money to the powers that are actually going to provide it and police it instead of trying to create something completely separate," he said.
"It's just a complete waste spending money trying to create infrastructure for something that could be policed in a better way." Registry 'overkill' Queensland Council for Civil Liberties president Michael Cope says the proposed laws are "overkill" considering the powers police and government agencies already have to investigate unexplained wealth or suspect cash transactions.
Mr Cope says such a move would also be a violation of freedom of speech, and the he doubts a registry would be effective.
"There are already ample powers under the Cash Transaction Reports Act to deal with cash transactions," Mr Cope said.
"To have people's names recorded because they've had a tattoo done, is an unnecessary invasion of privacy because you'll be recording the names of people who will be perfectly innocent.
"It just seems to be one of these crazy ideas people come up with.
I'd like to see any evidence that it's been done anywhere and had any effect.
"I don't see how that is going to generate any significant important evidence." Bikies bad for business One Gold Coast tattoo artist, who wants to remain anonymous to avoid further bikie-related violence at his business, says the association between bikie gangs and tattoo parlours is doing serious harm to the industry.
He says it is unfair that tattoo shops are the only businesses being singled out, considering bikie gangs are known to run other types of businesses for the purposes of money laundering.
"They don't just own tattoo shops," he said.
"They own hairdressers, they own car shops - it's more than just tattoo shops.
"If you want to start nailing people getting tattoos, you may as well do it to any dude that goes and gets his car done, or any dude that goes and gets a haircut.
"They've got restaurants - so, what, you go and get registered to have a meal?" New South Wales barrister Mark Polden says focusing on tattoo parlours may only serve to drive illegal activity elsewhere.
"Even if it were to be established, let's assume for argument's sake, that money laundering was going on through these kinds of businesses, all it's going to do in all probability is to drive that into another business," Mr Polden said.
"Whether it's smash repair businesses or hairdressers or whatever it is, it's probably just going to move the problem elsewhere isn't it?" Mr Polden also expressed some concern that some younger customers could be encouraged to avoid the registry by using equipment bought online.
"It could have an unintended consequence of causing people to resort to do-it-yourself with a tattoo gun bought over the internet in non-sterile conditions," Mr Polden said.
"That's a very undesirable outcome." The Queensland Government has not yet determined whether the registry will be introduced.
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/tattoo-registry-rejected-infringement-rights-062938299.html
↧
Miss Lube Rack 1955
I thought this would tickle your funny bone.....
And she is still giving the country a grease job......!!
For my friends who are politically aware..... (Gentlemen, start your Engines...)
Before she Was Famous - Nancy D'Alesandro (Pelosi) - Miss Lube Rack 1955
↧
↧
USA - Feds press group to pull 3-D printed gun designs
OFF THE WIRE
Defense Distributed has removed the blueprints after receiving a warning letter from the State Department.
By Kim Peterson
The idea of people printing their own guns at home is not sitting well with the U.S. government.
A Texas nonprofit group that developed the gun has taken down its blueprints from the Internet after receiving a letter from the State Department. Defense Distributed has received plenty of attention for developing a design that lets people print their own guns using a 3-D printer. The guns are made of plastic and need only a small metal firing pin to work.
"I immediately complied, and I've taken down the files," Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, told Betabeat. "But this is a much bigger deal than guns. It has implications for the freedom of the Web."
It may be a little late. The instructions for how to make a 3-D printable handgun called The Liberator have been downloaded more than 100,000 times and can be found on other websites, according to The New York Daily News. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, as the saying goes.
The website that previously hosted the files, Defcad.org, has posted a banner notice saying that "files are being removed from public access at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense Trade Controls. Until further notice, the United States government claims control of the information."
It's a bit tougher to make this gun than you might think. Gizmodo reports that you need a decent printer, something like the $8,000 Stratasys machine that Defense Distributed used at one point. You also need a metal firing pin. And you need a 6-ounce piece of steel in the body to keep the gun legal under the Undetectable Firearms Act.
In other words, Smith & Wesson (SWHC +1.03%) and Sturm Ruger (RGR -0.08%) aren't exactly sweating this one.
The gun in the photo, by the way, is not The Liberator but a different 3-D printed gun from Defense Distributed.
A Texas nonprofit group that developed the gun has taken down its blueprints from the Internet after receiving a letter from the State Department. Defense Distributed has received plenty of attention for developing a design that lets people print their own guns using a 3-D printer. The guns are made of plastic and need only a small metal firing pin to work.
"I immediately complied, and I've taken down the files," Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, told Betabeat. "But this is a much bigger deal than guns. It has implications for the freedom of the Web."
It may be a little late. The instructions for how to make a 3-D printable handgun called The Liberator have been downloaded more than 100,000 times and can be found on other websites, according to The New York Daily News. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, as the saying goes.
The website that previously hosted the files, Defcad.org, has posted a banner notice saying that "files are being removed from public access at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense Trade Controls. Until further notice, the United States government claims control of the information."
It's a bit tougher to make this gun than you might think. Gizmodo reports that you need a decent printer, something like the $8,000 Stratasys machine that Defense Distributed used at one point. You also need a metal firing pin. And you need a 6-ounce piece of steel in the body to keep the gun legal under the Undetectable Firearms Act.
In other words, Smith & Wesson (SWHC +1.03%) and Sturm Ruger (RGR -0.08%) aren't exactly sweating this one.
The gun in the photo, by the way, is not The Liberator but a different 3-D printed gun from Defense Distributed.
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MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
| |
Motorcycle Only Checkpoint Introduced The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) reports that Congressman James Sensenbrenner (Wisconsin) filed a bill on Tuesday, May 7th to prohibit the federal funding of motorcycle only roadside checkpoints. The bill, H.R. 1861, has nine original co-sponsors however, we need many more to pass this landmark legislation. Sensenbrenner had this to say in a 'Dear Colleague letter' that is circulating in the House of Representatives; 'In the 112th Congress, I introduced H.R. 904, a bill to prohibit the Department of Transportation (DOT) from providing funds to state and local authorities for the purpose of creating motorcycle only checkpoints. Section one of the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act contains the same language as H.R. 904. However, this bill also contains language to force the DOT to focus motorcycle safety efforts on crash prevention programs, not national helmet mandates.' The bill was officially introduced on May 7th. It's important to contact your sitting member of the House of Representatives and ask them to be a co-sponsor of this important legislation. Ask them to contact Congressman James Sensenbrenner and lend their support as co-sponsor of H.R. 1861. You can contact the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 Contact for Rep. Kristi Noem; DC:Toll-Free Phone: (855) 225-2801 Phone: (202) 225-2801 Sioux Falls (605) 275-2868 Rapid City (605) 791-4673 Aberdeen (605) 262-2862 Watertown (605) 878-2868 |
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Bikers and Politics
OFF THE WIRE
BY: Luke Short
Source: isurfhopkins.com
HOPKINS COUNTY, KY—In recent political ads funded by incumbent Hopkins County Attorney candidate, Todd P’Pool, opposing candidate and Nortonville City Attorney, John C. Whitfield, is portrayed as the member of a potentially “dangerous” biker club called the Iron Order.
To find out more on these issues, iSurf News contacted both P’Pool and Whitfield to get their sides of the story.
“John Whitfield is the organizer of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club, LLC nationwide. It’s not just one small, local clubhouse,” said P’Pool. “You can look at the Kentucky Secretary of State website and you can look at organization number 0750057, and that will show you that he is the organizer of the Iron Order Motorcycle, LLC for the entire nation.”
After reviewing the specific portion of the KY State Secretary’s website P’Pool is referring to, which can be found at
https://app.sos.ky.gov/ftshow/%28S%28233zdf551tohxi55b4xcaq2z%29%29/default.aspx?path=ftsearch&id=0750057&ct=06&cs=99999
, iSurf News found that John C. Whitfield is listed alongside 4 other Organizers in the “Initial Officers at time of formation” category.
P’Pool went on to reference the Iron Order’s website as well, listing off several of the officers’ names—which include monikers like, “CGAR,” “QBALL,” “RAINMAN,” and more— and said that, “The ‘SHARK’ is our very own John Whitfield of Hopkins County.”
“So far, there’s no problem,” said P’Pool. “You’ve just got a guy who wants to have a nickname and ride around on a motorcycle. The problem comes in when you Google ‘Iron Order Jessup, Georgia,’ and you find out that their members have been arrested for unlawful acts of criminal street gangs; they were in a bar fight, shots were fired, members of the Iron Order have been arrested for criminal street gang activity. The problem arises when you Google ‘Iron Order Virginia Pagans,’ and you see where a member of the Pagan motorcycle gang was fatally shot by the Virginia State Police tactical team when the ATF were trying to execute a federal search warrant—he was a known meth dealer. The Iron Order attended the funeral and actually rode with the Pagans in honor of the fallen meth dealer who was shot and killed by ATF agents when they tried to execute a federal search warrant.”
“There’s a further problem when members of law enforcement in Hopkins County receive Officer Safety alerts, because the Outlaws have declared war against the Iron Order,” said P’Pool. “The Outlaws are on the FBI watch-list, the Pagans are on the FBI watch-list, and I have in my hands an Officer Safety alert that tells our local officers to be on the lookout because the Outlaws declared war on the Iron Order—and the ATF feels that this is a credible threat. This was issued back in December of ’09. The month before my opponent filed for County Attorney, the Outlaws declared war on the Iron Order. We received that intelligence from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s criminal intelligence analyst. I contacted the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and they did verify that they issued this Officer Safety alert. Why would our local officers receive an Officer’s Safety Alert here in Hopkins County? It’s because John Whitfield brought the Iron Order to downtown Madisonville, and that puts officers at risk, because of this kind of activity.”
iSurf News acquired a copy of the above mentioned Officer Safety alert, which states that it was issued by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Criminal Intelligence Analyst, B. Diane Hogue, on December 18th, 2009. What follows is a direct transcription of the main body of information found in this particular alert.
“Subject: Officer Safety—Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
Please disseminate to OHP law enforcement personnel..Officer Safety Issue.
The Outlaws have declared war against the Iron Order MC. The Outlaws and Bandidos have been helping each other the last year, and in this recent incident the Bandidos were with the Outlaws when this proclamation was made. The importance to this in Oklahoma is the Iron Order has several police officers that are members and this may spread to other motorcycle clubs that are law enforcement strong. Oklahoma has a large Bandido population in the southern part of the state and the Outlaws have been in OKC, Ardmore, as well as SE Oklahoma and Tulsa. In the last 24 hours there have been incidents involving those clubs. Further, the Hells Angels (whom we have only a few known members in Oklahoma) have shot and killed 3 officers in recent weeks throughout the US.”
In addition, the alert mentions that the ATF “feels that this is a credible threat.”
Though iSurf News has attempted to contact the OHP Headquarters to verify the accuracy of the alert and to find out any additional information with regards to Hopkins County, as of this report, the OHP has not responded to our inquiries.
P’Pool also mentioned that, “Last month, we had a stand-off here in Hopkins County with a boy who is not an official member of the Outlaws, but his father was an official member of the Outlaws, and he [the boy] was absolutely part of what’s called a ‘feeder gang’—the Double Pistons, I think—out of Clarksville, TN.”
“So all of this is connected,” said P’Pool. “It’s dangerous. I support responsible motorcycle ownership, I have no problem with people who ride motorcycles, but I do have a problem with gang colors, nicknames, and criminal activity. And I have a serious problem when an individual wants to be a prosecutor, to have access to sensitive government information, and he runs in these circles. That’s dangerous.”
“The local Iron Order chapter does have a meth dealer who was convicted and he is a member of the local club,” said P’Pool. “If you look in the HopNMad Chapter, you’ll see Mike ‘Lollipop’ Melton, who does have meth charges, was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine, and pled guilty to the lesser charge of possession of methamphetamine. He’s displayed throughout the website here at the HopNMad Chapter. And if you look at their photographs, you can see liquor bottles in there, too. That’s where they party. It’s where they party, and, quite frankly, if you’re consuming alcoholic beverages on a place of business, then you’re presumed to be selling alcohol, and you’re supposed to have a liquor-license. That’s in the ABC Law. So if they are serving alcohol in there, which I believe they are, they are in violation of the law.”
After speaking with P’Pool, iSurf News contacted Hopkins County Attorney candidate, John C. Whitfield, to obtain his response to the allegations mentioned above.
In regards to the Officer Safety alert and the Outlaw’s “declaration of war against the Iron Order,” Whitfield stated that, “It’s an absolute fabrication. What you’re talking about was a bogus alert from one of the outlaw clubs—I think it was The Outlaws themselves—that made its way to the ATF. It has no credibility at all; it’s bogus. In fact, one of the guys in our club is an ATF agent, and so we called him at Oklahoma and told him to check on this— and this has been a year ago—and he found it out to be non-credible. That’s the truth.”
In explaining what the Iron Order motorcycle club is all about, Whitfield stated that, “The Iron Order is the largest, law-abiding club in the country. It was started by a former secret-service agent in 2004. It’s based out of Louisville, but it’s all over the country now. More than half of our guys are military or law enforcement. We have doctors, a lawyer—I’m the only lawyer—we’ve got professionals, CPAs, and we have working ‘Joes’ too, that just have nothing else better to do than to ride bikes. But the goal of the club was, and is, to try to change the image of some of these outlaw motorcycle clubs. The Outlaws, Pagans, Hell’s Angels—they call them ‘one-percent’ clubs—and those are ‘bad guys.’ There are a lot of people that we have found that like to ride Harley’s, that enjoy riding Harley’s, and didn’t really have anywhere to go because it was the ‘one-percent’ clubs or nothing really. You had Christian motorcycle groups, which were great, but there was a pretty good niche for people wanting to do this kind of thing, so that’s how the club started; that’s how it evolved. I got involved with it a couple of years ago and I developed what’s called, ‘The Division of Legal Affairs,’ that deals with making sure that the club remains lawful and that all the legal aspects of it are taken care of.”
“We have what’s called the Hopkins County-Madisonville ‘HopNMad’ chapter of the Iron Order. It’s right down here on Franklin St. next to the courthouse,” said Whitfield. “It’s probably the most ‘white bread’ biker place you’ve ever seen. We’ve got a pool table in there, it’s clean, we’ve got a kitchen upstairs, and on Friday nights it is open and we have families come in and little kids. We had a Nintendo Wii Bowling Tournament during April last year for Big Brothers-Big Sisters. So we had all our guys down there playing Wii Bowling—I mean, that’s the kind of club this is. A couple of weekends ago, we went to the Taylor Patterson Poker Run, and we were the only bikers that showed up. We donated money for that. One of the guys from the HopNMad chapter is serving in Afghanistan right now, too. Most of our Board is made up of military guys as well. So this is the kind of club he [P’Pool] is kickin’ on.”
“I’m on the International Board of the Iron Order because I’m a lawyer and I can handle things that need to be handled,” said Whitfield of his involvement with the club. “We don’t permit felons in the club and we’re the largest law-abiding motorcycle club that wears a 3-piece patch in the country. I’m on the Board of Directors for the Iron Order—we have a president, we have regional directors, and if you get on the website you’ll see all of this—and all the guys on the website are military and one of them is a doctor. What I did here is, we had to organize the local HopNMad chapter, and so we needed to prepare corporation papers—they call them LLC papers because this is a Limited-Liability Corporation—so I drew them up for the HopNMad chapter incorporated here in Madisonville so that we had legal protection. It’s like any company, and we’re non-profit. That’s it.”
In response to P’Pool’s statement that the Iron Order’s presence in Madisonville could pose a threat to our local law enforcement, Whitfield stated that, “Let me tell you something. I’m a grandfather, OK. I take my 4 year-old grandchild down to the clubhouse all the time. I mean, it’s like ‘Happy Days.’ It’s not anything like what you would consider a ‘biker bar.’ There are kids in there all the time. To say it’s a threat is absolutely incredible. You ask any of the police—we have an unbelievable relationship to the police. We’re right next door to the fire department, we’re right next door to the police department, and we get along with them fine. We’ve no issues at all. In fact, as I told you, most of our guys are law enforcement or military throughout the country.”
Replying to the criminal incidents and questionable behavior mentioned by P’Pool, both of which he stated involved members of the Iron Order (occurring in both Virginia and Georgia), Whitfield stated that, “There was a guy that was in the Pagans. He was shot and killed, and that was in Virginia. I think it was his uncle that was friends with one guy in our club, who happened to be the doctor I was telling you about, who is also an ornate minister out of Louisville. The uncle and my guy—the doctor—were best friends. So the Iron Order guy drove to Virginia to attend the funeral of this fellow. That’s it. He went to a funeral of his best friend’s nephew.”
“Let me tell you about what happened in Jessup, Georgia,” said Whitfield. “I went down there when this happened to make sure I knew what was going on. 5 or 6 of our guys were in a bar, and there was another club that they call a ‘one-percent’ club—these national ‘one-percent’ clubs, like the Pagans, Outlaws, and the Bandidos, all have these ‘support’ clubs that are associated with them—and one of these associated clubs jumped our guys in a bar and beat 2 of our guys down. They hurt our guys pretty bad. That’s what he’s [P’Pool’s] talking about there. They just arrested everybody. They’re getting ready to dismiss the charges against my guys, because they didn’t do anything wrong. I went down there and saw it and talked to the prosecutors and the lead investigator.”
In regards to what could have prompted the altercation, Whitfield stated that, “The Iron Order is not liked by the ‘one-percent’ world. The Iron Order is not liked by these outlaw motorcycle clubs because we’re law-abiding and we let everybody know we’re law abiding. We don’t break the law, we’re getting bigger, and it’s a threat to some of these outlaw clubs. We’re the anti-outlaw motorcycle club. We provide an outlet for guys that want to ride, have fun, and wear a 3-piece patch. When you wear a 3-piece patch, it’s kind of a big deal in the motorcycle world, and these other outlaw clubs say that you have to have permission from them to wear a 3-piece patch, but we don’t; we don’t ask permission from anybody, we just do it. And because we’re law-abiding, and we’re full of cops, a lot of the outlaw clubs don’t like us—they just hate ‘cop clubs’ and that’s what we are. So, as a result, every now and then, you’re going to have little issues, and that was one of them in Jessup. This had nothing to do with us here in Madisonville.”
Whitfield also rebuked allegations that a felon, Mike “Lollipop” Melton, was a member of the Iron Order—who P’Pool also stated had been convicted of methamphetamine possession.
“He’s not in the Iron Order,” said Whitfield. “We call him ‘Lollipop’—his name is Mike Melton, he’s a great guy, and he works at J-Lock. He had an issue with the law in the past and he pled guilty to a felony, but he’s not a member of the Iron Order. We know him. I know who he is—he’s a friend of mine—but he’s not in the Iron Order, because he can’t get in. We don’t like drug dealers, and we don’t let felons in. We don’t let them in—period.”
On the topic of alcohol consumption within the HopNMad Chapter’s headquarters in Madisonville, which P’Pool said he believed was occurring without the acquirement of a liquor-license, Whitfield said that, “I don’t have any kind of clue what he’s talking about. Do we serve alcohol without a liquor-license? No, sir.”
In regards to the nickname, “Shark,” Whitfield stated that, “I’m kind of proud of that actually. I tell you what, it’s strange, because every now and then, these guys will call the office and say, ‘Is Shark there?’, and it took the girls a while to figure out who ‘Shark’ was. Now they give me grief about it. It’s on my bike, too.”
“To say that we are a threat to the community is an absolute joke,” said Whitfield. “Have you ever heard of a guy named Bob Saget? Bob Saget was the dad on ‘Full House’ and he was the host on ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos.’ Well, he’s got a new reality show coming out called, ‘Strange Days,’ that will be on A&E, and the whole premise is to put Bob in a funny situation to see how he reacts. Well, they ended up needing a motorcycle club, so they contacted us. So we filmed in February, leaving from Louisville and going all the way to Bike Week in Daytona—a whole week with Bob Saget—and that episode is going to be aired December 1st on A&E. It’s going to have me in it, the president of our local chapter, Ronnie Hayes, and I’ve seen the take and it’s really funny. It’s just about how goofy we are. I mean, we’re going to be on a national TV show on December 1st with Bog Saget—the dad on ‘Full House’ and probably one of the biggest nerds that ever lived. So if that’s going to happen, you tell me how in the world we’re going to be a threat to anybody. They chose us. These producers weren’t going to go to a ‘one-percent’ club, but they went to us because we’re a law-abiding military-cop club. In fact, we made Bob an honorary member. So Bob is an honorary member of the Iron Order.”
“We’re not anything close to what P’Pool tries to make us out to be,” said Whitfield. “It’s a desperate move.”
When, and if, more information arises in regards to this matter, iSurf News will bring it to you as soon as possible.
Luke Short
iSurf News
BY: Luke Short
Source: isurfhopkins.com
HOPKINS COUNTY, KY—In recent political ads funded by incumbent Hopkins County Attorney candidate, Todd P’Pool, opposing candidate and Nortonville City Attorney, John C. Whitfield, is portrayed as the member of a potentially “dangerous” biker club called the Iron Order.
To find out more on these issues, iSurf News contacted both P’Pool and Whitfield to get their sides of the story.
“John Whitfield is the organizer of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club, LLC nationwide. It’s not just one small, local clubhouse,” said P’Pool. “You can look at the Kentucky Secretary of State website and you can look at organization number 0750057, and that will show you that he is the organizer of the Iron Order Motorcycle, LLC for the entire nation.”
After reviewing the specific portion of the KY State Secretary’s website P’Pool is referring to, which can be found at
https://app.sos.ky.gov/ftshow/%28S%28233zdf551tohxi55b4xcaq2z%29%29/default.aspx?path=ftsearch&id=0750057&ct=06&cs=99999
, iSurf News found that John C. Whitfield is listed alongside 4 other Organizers in the “Initial Officers at time of formation” category.
P’Pool went on to reference the Iron Order’s website as well, listing off several of the officers’ names—which include monikers like, “CGAR,” “QBALL,” “RAINMAN,” and more— and said that, “The ‘SHARK’ is our very own John Whitfield of Hopkins County.”
“So far, there’s no problem,” said P’Pool. “You’ve just got a guy who wants to have a nickname and ride around on a motorcycle. The problem comes in when you Google ‘Iron Order Jessup, Georgia,’ and you find out that their members have been arrested for unlawful acts of criminal street gangs; they were in a bar fight, shots were fired, members of the Iron Order have been arrested for criminal street gang activity. The problem arises when you Google ‘Iron Order Virginia Pagans,’ and you see where a member of the Pagan motorcycle gang was fatally shot by the Virginia State Police tactical team when the ATF were trying to execute a federal search warrant—he was a known meth dealer. The Iron Order attended the funeral and actually rode with the Pagans in honor of the fallen meth dealer who was shot and killed by ATF agents when they tried to execute a federal search warrant.”
“There’s a further problem when members of law enforcement in Hopkins County receive Officer Safety alerts, because the Outlaws have declared war against the Iron Order,” said P’Pool. “The Outlaws are on the FBI watch-list, the Pagans are on the FBI watch-list, and I have in my hands an Officer Safety alert that tells our local officers to be on the lookout because the Outlaws declared war on the Iron Order—and the ATF feels that this is a credible threat. This was issued back in December of ’09. The month before my opponent filed for County Attorney, the Outlaws declared war on the Iron Order. We received that intelligence from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s criminal intelligence analyst. I contacted the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and they did verify that they issued this Officer Safety alert. Why would our local officers receive an Officer’s Safety Alert here in Hopkins County? It’s because John Whitfield brought the Iron Order to downtown Madisonville, and that puts officers at risk, because of this kind of activity.”
iSurf News acquired a copy of the above mentioned Officer Safety alert, which states that it was issued by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Criminal Intelligence Analyst, B. Diane Hogue, on December 18th, 2009. What follows is a direct transcription of the main body of information found in this particular alert.
“Subject: Officer Safety—Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
Please disseminate to OHP law enforcement personnel..Officer Safety Issue.
The Outlaws have declared war against the Iron Order MC. The Outlaws and Bandidos have been helping each other the last year, and in this recent incident the Bandidos were with the Outlaws when this proclamation was made. The importance to this in Oklahoma is the Iron Order has several police officers that are members and this may spread to other motorcycle clubs that are law enforcement strong. Oklahoma has a large Bandido population in the southern part of the state and the Outlaws have been in OKC, Ardmore, as well as SE Oklahoma and Tulsa. In the last 24 hours there have been incidents involving those clubs. Further, the Hells Angels (whom we have only a few known members in Oklahoma) have shot and killed 3 officers in recent weeks throughout the US.”
In addition, the alert mentions that the ATF “feels that this is a credible threat.”
Though iSurf News has attempted to contact the OHP Headquarters to verify the accuracy of the alert and to find out any additional information with regards to Hopkins County, as of this report, the OHP has not responded to our inquiries.
P’Pool also mentioned that, “Last month, we had a stand-off here in Hopkins County with a boy who is not an official member of the Outlaws, but his father was an official member of the Outlaws, and he [the boy] was absolutely part of what’s called a ‘feeder gang’—the Double Pistons, I think—out of Clarksville, TN.”
“So all of this is connected,” said P’Pool. “It’s dangerous. I support responsible motorcycle ownership, I have no problem with people who ride motorcycles, but I do have a problem with gang colors, nicknames, and criminal activity. And I have a serious problem when an individual wants to be a prosecutor, to have access to sensitive government information, and he runs in these circles. That’s dangerous.”
“The local Iron Order chapter does have a meth dealer who was convicted and he is a member of the local club,” said P’Pool. “If you look in the HopNMad Chapter, you’ll see Mike ‘Lollipop’ Melton, who does have meth charges, was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine, and pled guilty to the lesser charge of possession of methamphetamine. He’s displayed throughout the website here at the HopNMad Chapter. And if you look at their photographs, you can see liquor bottles in there, too. That’s where they party. It’s where they party, and, quite frankly, if you’re consuming alcoholic beverages on a place of business, then you’re presumed to be selling alcohol, and you’re supposed to have a liquor-license. That’s in the ABC Law. So if they are serving alcohol in there, which I believe they are, they are in violation of the law.”
After speaking with P’Pool, iSurf News contacted Hopkins County Attorney candidate, John C. Whitfield, to obtain his response to the allegations mentioned above.
In regards to the Officer Safety alert and the Outlaw’s “declaration of war against the Iron Order,” Whitfield stated that, “It’s an absolute fabrication. What you’re talking about was a bogus alert from one of the outlaw clubs—I think it was The Outlaws themselves—that made its way to the ATF. It has no credibility at all; it’s bogus. In fact, one of the guys in our club is an ATF agent, and so we called him at Oklahoma and told him to check on this— and this has been a year ago—and he found it out to be non-credible. That’s the truth.”
In explaining what the Iron Order motorcycle club is all about, Whitfield stated that, “The Iron Order is the largest, law-abiding club in the country. It was started by a former secret-service agent in 2004. It’s based out of Louisville, but it’s all over the country now. More than half of our guys are military or law enforcement. We have doctors, a lawyer—I’m the only lawyer—we’ve got professionals, CPAs, and we have working ‘Joes’ too, that just have nothing else better to do than to ride bikes. But the goal of the club was, and is, to try to change the image of some of these outlaw motorcycle clubs. The Outlaws, Pagans, Hell’s Angels—they call them ‘one-percent’ clubs—and those are ‘bad guys.’ There are a lot of people that we have found that like to ride Harley’s, that enjoy riding Harley’s, and didn’t really have anywhere to go because it was the ‘one-percent’ clubs or nothing really. You had Christian motorcycle groups, which were great, but there was a pretty good niche for people wanting to do this kind of thing, so that’s how the club started; that’s how it evolved. I got involved with it a couple of years ago and I developed what’s called, ‘The Division of Legal Affairs,’ that deals with making sure that the club remains lawful and that all the legal aspects of it are taken care of.”
“We have what’s called the Hopkins County-Madisonville ‘HopNMad’ chapter of the Iron Order. It’s right down here on Franklin St. next to the courthouse,” said Whitfield. “It’s probably the most ‘white bread’ biker place you’ve ever seen. We’ve got a pool table in there, it’s clean, we’ve got a kitchen upstairs, and on Friday nights it is open and we have families come in and little kids. We had a Nintendo Wii Bowling Tournament during April last year for Big Brothers-Big Sisters. So we had all our guys down there playing Wii Bowling—I mean, that’s the kind of club this is. A couple of weekends ago, we went to the Taylor Patterson Poker Run, and we were the only bikers that showed up. We donated money for that. One of the guys from the HopNMad chapter is serving in Afghanistan right now, too. Most of our Board is made up of military guys as well. So this is the kind of club he [P’Pool] is kickin’ on.”
“I’m on the International Board of the Iron Order because I’m a lawyer and I can handle things that need to be handled,” said Whitfield of his involvement with the club. “We don’t permit felons in the club and we’re the largest law-abiding motorcycle club that wears a 3-piece patch in the country. I’m on the Board of Directors for the Iron Order—we have a president, we have regional directors, and if you get on the website you’ll see all of this—and all the guys on the website are military and one of them is a doctor. What I did here is, we had to organize the local HopNMad chapter, and so we needed to prepare corporation papers—they call them LLC papers because this is a Limited-Liability Corporation—so I drew them up for the HopNMad chapter incorporated here in Madisonville so that we had legal protection. It’s like any company, and we’re non-profit. That’s it.”
In response to P’Pool’s statement that the Iron Order’s presence in Madisonville could pose a threat to our local law enforcement, Whitfield stated that, “Let me tell you something. I’m a grandfather, OK. I take my 4 year-old grandchild down to the clubhouse all the time. I mean, it’s like ‘Happy Days.’ It’s not anything like what you would consider a ‘biker bar.’ There are kids in there all the time. To say it’s a threat is absolutely incredible. You ask any of the police—we have an unbelievable relationship to the police. We’re right next door to the fire department, we’re right next door to the police department, and we get along with them fine. We’ve no issues at all. In fact, as I told you, most of our guys are law enforcement or military throughout the country.”
Replying to the criminal incidents and questionable behavior mentioned by P’Pool, both of which he stated involved members of the Iron Order (occurring in both Virginia and Georgia), Whitfield stated that, “There was a guy that was in the Pagans. He was shot and killed, and that was in Virginia. I think it was his uncle that was friends with one guy in our club, who happened to be the doctor I was telling you about, who is also an ornate minister out of Louisville. The uncle and my guy—the doctor—were best friends. So the Iron Order guy drove to Virginia to attend the funeral of this fellow. That’s it. He went to a funeral of his best friend’s nephew.”
“Let me tell you about what happened in Jessup, Georgia,” said Whitfield. “I went down there when this happened to make sure I knew what was going on. 5 or 6 of our guys were in a bar, and there was another club that they call a ‘one-percent’ club—these national ‘one-percent’ clubs, like the Pagans, Outlaws, and the Bandidos, all have these ‘support’ clubs that are associated with them—and one of these associated clubs jumped our guys in a bar and beat 2 of our guys down. They hurt our guys pretty bad. That’s what he’s [P’Pool’s] talking about there. They just arrested everybody. They’re getting ready to dismiss the charges against my guys, because they didn’t do anything wrong. I went down there and saw it and talked to the prosecutors and the lead investigator.”
In regards to what could have prompted the altercation, Whitfield stated that, “The Iron Order is not liked by the ‘one-percent’ world. The Iron Order is not liked by these outlaw motorcycle clubs because we’re law-abiding and we let everybody know we’re law abiding. We don’t break the law, we’re getting bigger, and it’s a threat to some of these outlaw clubs. We’re the anti-outlaw motorcycle club. We provide an outlet for guys that want to ride, have fun, and wear a 3-piece patch. When you wear a 3-piece patch, it’s kind of a big deal in the motorcycle world, and these other outlaw clubs say that you have to have permission from them to wear a 3-piece patch, but we don’t; we don’t ask permission from anybody, we just do it. And because we’re law-abiding, and we’re full of cops, a lot of the outlaw clubs don’t like us—they just hate ‘cop clubs’ and that’s what we are. So, as a result, every now and then, you’re going to have little issues, and that was one of them in Jessup. This had nothing to do with us here in Madisonville.”
Whitfield also rebuked allegations that a felon, Mike “Lollipop” Melton, was a member of the Iron Order—who P’Pool also stated had been convicted of methamphetamine possession.
“He’s not in the Iron Order,” said Whitfield. “We call him ‘Lollipop’—his name is Mike Melton, he’s a great guy, and he works at J-Lock. He had an issue with the law in the past and he pled guilty to a felony, but he’s not a member of the Iron Order. We know him. I know who he is—he’s a friend of mine—but he’s not in the Iron Order, because he can’t get in. We don’t like drug dealers, and we don’t let felons in. We don’t let them in—period.”
On the topic of alcohol consumption within the HopNMad Chapter’s headquarters in Madisonville, which P’Pool said he believed was occurring without the acquirement of a liquor-license, Whitfield said that, “I don’t have any kind of clue what he’s talking about. Do we serve alcohol without a liquor-license? No, sir.”
In regards to the nickname, “Shark,” Whitfield stated that, “I’m kind of proud of that actually. I tell you what, it’s strange, because every now and then, these guys will call the office and say, ‘Is Shark there?’, and it took the girls a while to figure out who ‘Shark’ was. Now they give me grief about it. It’s on my bike, too.”
“To say that we are a threat to the community is an absolute joke,” said Whitfield. “Have you ever heard of a guy named Bob Saget? Bob Saget was the dad on ‘Full House’ and he was the host on ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos.’ Well, he’s got a new reality show coming out called, ‘Strange Days,’ that will be on A&E, and the whole premise is to put Bob in a funny situation to see how he reacts. Well, they ended up needing a motorcycle club, so they contacted us. So we filmed in February, leaving from Louisville and going all the way to Bike Week in Daytona—a whole week with Bob Saget—and that episode is going to be aired December 1st on A&E. It’s going to have me in it, the president of our local chapter, Ronnie Hayes, and I’ve seen the take and it’s really funny. It’s just about how goofy we are. I mean, we’re going to be on a national TV show on December 1st with Bog Saget—the dad on ‘Full House’ and probably one of the biggest nerds that ever lived. So if that’s going to happen, you tell me how in the world we’re going to be a threat to anybody. They chose us. These producers weren’t going to go to a ‘one-percent’ club, but they went to us because we’re a law-abiding military-cop club. In fact, we made Bob an honorary member. So Bob is an honorary member of the Iron Order.”
“We’re not anything close to what P’Pool tries to make us out to be,” said Whitfield. “It’s a desperate move.”
When, and if, more information arises in regards to this matter, iSurf News will bring it to you as soon as possible.
Luke Short
iSurf News
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