Smoke and Mirrors 9

   I have to start today with a correction from yesterdays post. I remembered one direct statement from Tom Piatek. I can't quote the conversation from memory, but the conversation was about explosives or materials for explosives, something along those lines. I don't remember the exact statement. I do remember Tom's response. He said, I don't fu__ with that sh__.
   David Stone Sr.'s attorney (Swor) took his turn on the cross-exam of Murray. He reinforced many points that been pointed out throughout the trial. He outlined Stone's religion, a christian based faith, focused heavily on the book of Revelation. He believes that certain current events are signs of the end times. And he believes he should be prepared for if and/or when that time comes. I'm not going to get into theology, I'm the wrong guy for that, but it seems to me that if you believe in the Bible as the Word of God, then you probably also believe what is written in Revelations.
   He went into some other things, but the spine of his defense is the First Amendment, freedom of speech and freedom of religion, it's just that simple. I have not, and will not claim that none of these guys did anything wrong. I question the ethics of some of the things I've heard. Some statements certainly lack integrity. But what I believe to be "wrong" and "ethical" and "integral" are probably different than what you believe. It's part of what is supposed to make this country great. The "law" is more defined. And I won't even try to say that no laws have been broken. There are some guns that will probably be classified as illegal weapons. There's some evidence that they may have trespassed on private property. But they are being charged with seditious conspiracy, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. These are the main charges anyway. They carry life sentences. That's an awfully long time. It's an awfully long time for a kid with a two year old baby, who in the course of this investigation was never recorded or heard saying one negative word about the government, the police, or anyone at all. Where is the conspiracy? Life in prison is a long time for a guy who when asked about explosives says "I don't fu-- with that sh--. Where is the conspiracy. A life sentence is a long time for a young guy that showed up to five meets over two years. A lifetime behind bars is a long time for a decorated U.S. Marine who voiced a negative opinion about the Judicial System. It is an awfully long time for someone who was preparing for hard times, professing his religion, and speaking his mind. Even if we don't agree. The only conspiracy I see is the governments attempt to convict these guys of Sedition.
   Up until yesterday all the testimony, and "evidence", has been verbal or recorded audio/video. And most was intended to build their case of  seditious conspiracy. All of which has been weak at best, in my opinion. For the majority of  the last two day's they have had Agent Paul Johnson on the stand. He was the team leader for the FBI's evidence collection team. The prosecution made a very tedious task of entering more than one hundred and forty exhibits into physical evidence. I've been waiting to see this stuff. With as weak as the evidence is that I've seen so far. I was expecting to see something pretty substantial. Here is a list of the goods.
   An Internet printout about funnel shaped charges.
   An Internet printout about bomb making
   A receipt from a gun shop
   A receipt for .223 rounds
   A hand written list of ammunition magazines
   A zip lock bag with AR-15 rounds
   An Internet print out about smoke bombs
   An Internet print out of chemicals for different colored smoke
   A fireworks chemical page
   Another print out about smoke bombs
   A topographical map of Stone's Tomer Rd. property
   A diagram of parts for an AR-15
   A print out about L.A.W. rockets
   A hand drawn diagram of a home made grenade
   A print out about T.O.W. rockets
   An Internet printout about potato cannons
   Another topographical map of the Tomer Rd property
   Auto Sear Modification Instructions for an AR-15
   Fireworks
   An Internet print out about hand grenades
   A diagram that the FBI agent said I don't even know what that is
   Instructions for water purification
   An Army Engineering Field Manual
   Fuse
   Four gas masks
   Five flak jackets that 
   Firearms and ammunition
   A scope
   A typed list of rules of protocol
   A list of phone numbers
   A list of Hutaree code names
   A napkin with the address of Su-Press-On, Inc written on it
   A poem
   A print out titled the new revolution
   A hand drawn map of "base"
   A list of things the Hutaree needed:
         toilet paper
         cast iron cook ware
         a dutch oven
         batteries
         food
         fuel
         whiskey
         medical supplies etc. etc. etc. (the entire court laughed including the judge when this list was read, well the prosecuting attorney didn't laugh...)
   A list of alert codes 
   A corner of a magazine with an ad for an AR-15 auto sear
   An Internet print out about CitiCorp
   An Internet print out about Germany answering Obama's call for U.N. Troops in U.S.
   Iron on name patches
   Patches
   2 flags
   Ammunition magazines
   A coffee can
   Load bearing vests

   A reloading press
   Low frequency walkie talkies
   7.62 rounds
   5.56 rounds
   .22 rounds
   .223 round
   2 bags of fatigues
   A bucket of cardboard tubes
   A bag of cardboard tube
   Canned goods
   Wire
   A container of gun powder
   Cardboard tubes and fuse
   More fatigues
   A box of ammo magazines
   Cardboard tubes
   More cardboard tubes and fuse
   Ammo
   Circuit breakers
   More cardboard tubes
   Firearms handguns
   More fatigues
   Blankets
   Gloves
   Cold weather supplies
   Helmet
   Rifle sights
   A tactical laser sight
   More Magazines
   A bandoleer style shotgun ammo belt
   Brass casings
   A timer
   CB radio
   Some disassembled radios
   Wires and clips
   Cold weather clothes
   A street sign with bullet holes in it. (that wasn't even on Stones property)
   A picture of a spent firework. (two cardboard tubes taped together with duct tape, the ends of the card board tubes are burnt)
   A picture of a car with a Hutaree sticker on it.
   An Army Tech Manual on Incendiaries
   A List of Hutaree members names
   OpticsPlanet.com Invoice
   Red dot sight
   3 DVD's High Risk Entry, Sniper, and The Art of Camouflage
   A gillie suit
   A scope
   A bag of firearm parts
   More scopes
   More Fatigues
   This is the scare tactic that I've been talking about. Here is a list of stuff, all this stuff was piled on and under two lunchroom size tables. The tables are set up right directly in front of the jury so they get to stare at it for two days or more. A good amount of this stuff can be found in almost any home in America, but let's not even go there. Let's talk about ammo. The FBI agent stated that they seized an estimated 32, 960 rounds of ammunition. Okay, there are more than twenty members of the Hutaree, but I'll stick with twenty because it's a nice round number. 33,000 divided by 20 is 1,650 rounds per person. But wait, I can't tell you the make and model of every gun they confiscated, but I heard .22 cal, .223 cal, .40 cal, 9mm, 7.65, 5.56, 12 gauge, .45 cal., .38 cal. and that's just what I remember off the top of my head. That's nine different caliber weapons. Take that 1,650 rounds per person and you get about 183.3 rounds per weapon type, per person. I know the numbers are not going to work out in that exact ratio, but that 33,000 rounds breaks down very quickly, I'm sure you see my point anyway. I don't know how many guns they admitted, I'd guess around forty. Divide forty by 20...This pile of stuff is not that much if you think about it for just a minute.
   They have Military literature, Internet print outs, schematics for homemade grenades, papers of political statement, phone numbers, addresses of members, name tags, code names. So friggin' what!!! Information is not illegal. They are a "militia" for Pete sake. They train in and learn military tactics, and learn about making and using low grade explosives. There's nothing wrong with having this knowledge. It makes sense for them to learn this stuff, they're a militia...
   They had gunpowder, a loading press, cardboard tubes, fuse, ammo casings, circuit breakers, wire, etc. So they loaded their own ammo, big deal. They had the equipment to build fireworks and pyrotechnics. And they set up trip wires with pyrotechnics, so when they were training on finding and avoiding trip wires they could make a bang when someone messed up. They didn't introduce any steel pipe into evidence or even any PVC. Cardboard tubes...Where's the weapons of mass destruction? Where is the stuff that blows up buildings? Where's the stuff that kills masses of people? Where's the fucking PROOF man???
   They haven't introduced any written or printed plan of specific action, no specific targets, no specific dates, times, locations, tactics, NOTHING. Where's this plan for a conspiracy of sedition? I'm still waiting...
   Everyday I sit in the courtroom I feel stronger and stronger that things are going to work out for these guy's in the end. And it pisses me off to think of what these guy's have been through over the last two years. You would think that after hearing from the head of the FBI's investigation, the undercover informant that investigated the group for TWO YEARS, and seeing the physical evidence that was confiscated you would have a pretty clear picture of the conspiracy at hand. I don't know, I'm still sitting there scratching my head wondering what these guys are doing sitting in the courtroom.
   I'm signing out for the night. I hope you all have a good weekend. And I hope to maybe see you in the courtroom next week. I'll be there watching the Smoke and Mirrors. Until next time...