KingCast says Happy New Year and gives a top-10 year in review.

1. Created my signature post recognizing Mother Ann and my family as role models.
2. Prevailed on a bogus felony extortion charge by a nasty police chief and his prosecutor, watching them get fired and hastily resign under ethics charges, respectively.
3. Received Kudos from Daily Kos, NH Indy Media and a well-respected New Hampshire educator and his family.
4. With Alderman Fred Teeboom and Board member Sandra Ziehm, helped alter public policy on a pressing content-based, prior restraint First Amendment public comment issue at Nashua Public Schools, garnering the agreement of the Nashua Telegraph's editorial board and City Attorney Stephen Bennett. Received kudos from Nashua Board President Kim Shaw for my professionalism and level of discourse. Front page Telegraph stories no. 1 and 2.
5. Watched American Tower Corp. continue its deceitful ways.
6. Helped get KingCast and Justiceforkids up and running.
7. Boston writer James O'Brien completes his manuscript.
8. Explained the voice of this blawg.
9. Realized the value of embracing impermanence.
10. Wrote a better brief than Peter Kirsanow for my father, a 37-year employee of the former Diamond Alkali Company.
11. Bonus. My first commercial spot.

Peace.

CNN Money and Christopher King explain American Tower's "Sneaky options scheme."

See, the $15M that company execs just paid out over their deceitful backdated stock options and $300K in overtime fines settlement is really nothing, as I noted in this blawg entry yesterday. It's all very similar to what Enron crook Andy Fastow did. Read Bethany McLean's CNN piece here. Fastow is now serving his 10-year stint, schucking spuds at ClubFed.



Here's my/letter to former American Tower Chairman Steve Dodge and my first letter to American Tower from 2000 as I sought employment with this company to which I refer to as my "Holy Grail." Be careful of what you ask.

So while no one at American Tower has been indicted -- yet -- isn't that scene from the Boston Works advertising campaign, showing American Tower's headquarters at 116 Huntington, just a tad ironic? If you want to see more of that fascia and ATC's Woburn, MA American Tower facility and see how the company treated its worker bees as it built its empire, watch American Lawyer II and III at KingCast.net. Jim Taiclet, Gordon Gekko, whatever.

KingCast goes commercial?

I was fortunate to be cast in a commercial spot for Progressions Lounge that will air throughout Brockton and parts of Boston soon. The 30-second spot may soon be hosted on the website as well. Owner Jeff Summers and manager Shawn Yard have got a really Nice Thing going on down there, lotsa' ladies and lotsa' fellas of all races coming together so I hope the community continues to support some positive brothers like them. FWIW, Laurence Fishburne's career is probably safe, but I do engage in a bit of method acting on the dancefloor that came out nicely.

Boston Phoenix story on Freeman Z is just like KingCast's story on Michael Gannon: Record the police and go to jail.

This Boston Phoenix story about gadfly and Cambridge sound engineer Jeffrey Manzelli (a/k/a "Freeman Z") rings a bell with KingCast and here's why: Read this story about Nashua's Mike Gannon, who also got arrested for taping the police, but instead of it happening at T stop, it happened in the illusory comfort of his own home. And as with Freeman Z, Mike told me that he never hid anything from the police. See also the Nashua Telegraph forum entry with 852 reads.

Freeman says he does what he does to protect the rights of others. As the subject of the World's first law-based video podcast using actual courtroom footage, I appreciate his efforts.

Related video:
Day in Nashua
Advocacy in Action.

Related posts:
There's no privacy in a public courtroom.
We hear Judge Lynn loud and clear.

KingCast watches American Tower Corp admit deceit; pay back millions in bogus stock options.

As James O'Brien's book will note, I moved my entire life to New England to work for American Tower Corporation and they screwed me and many other employees. Then they screwed the Teresian Monks as they reneged on sale of a property. Former employee Michael Mae and I got them hit for $300K in overtime fines, several other employees and I sued them and now we gleefully watch them pay back $15 Million for their back-dating stock option scandal.

Here's an interesting CNN Money feature by Bethany McLean, whom I've just emailed, noting American Tower's questionable practice of backdoor options worth tens of millions "that you won't see in the compensation table of its proxy statement." It's in the "Related Parties Transactions," a section of proxies that

"became notorious in the wake of Enron, because it's where CFO Andy Fastow's infamous partnerships were actually disclosed to investors."

Read the comments section to see how it works!

For more about American Tower -- who actually made a company video celebrating Gordon Gekko, read this. And for video reference to a reign of corporate terror, watch "American Lawyer II and III" at KingCast.net.

Query: Was he using an American Tower cell site for that call?

KingCast, Nashua Board serve up the biggest question for Attorneys Loughman and Flygare:

The ongoing issue over restrictive public comment First Amendment violations at the Nashua School Board saw substantial activity last week: Nashua City Attorney Bennett and I sent a high kicker to the backhand side at 40-30 as he issued a 5-page opinion solidly supporting The First Amendment, Alderman Teeboom, Board member Ziehm KingCast and Justiceforkids. The law really couldn't be much clearer.

The Board in turn knifed a backhand down the line and we moved to cover it with Vagalebre #1, in which some substantial factual issues were distinguished between that case and this one, chiefly that there was still another spoken forum at the board available to Plaintiffs whereas in this case there is not.

Now we knock off the volley for a winner into the open court:
Case Western Reserve had a darn fine law school, as there I learned in my comparative studies that a state can afford no less protection to its citizens than that which is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Since Vagalebre is basically the only case of its kind supporting any kind of content or viewpoint-based speech restrictions in the Country, and scores of cases cited by Attorney Bennett and me analyze the U.S. Constitution and fall in our favor, it would indeed be unlawful for New Hampshire -- again, the "Live Free or Die State" -- to afford less protection to its citizens in the face of well-established law. And as I ask in my first visit to the Board, caught on film, "What compelling governmental interest is being furthered and why would you want to?"

I shall await the published opinions of Attorneys Loughman and Flygare on this issue.

Nashua School Board President Kim Shaw gives a First Amendment Holiday gift to KingCast.

Even though Ms. Shaw (pictured in red) and I are apparently on opposite sides of the restrictive First Amendment public comment policy, I watched her compliment me on yesterday's broadcast of my second appearance at the Board. Each time I issued principled and vigorous commentary that has been supported by the City Attorney and the Nashua Telegraph editorial board, even though similar actions in Columbus resulted in almost-elected U.S. Congressional hopeful Mary Jo Kilroy calling the police on me, as noted in the Justiceforkids video referenced at this post.
But Ms. Shaw said, almost verbatim:

"I wish to commend Alderman Teeboom and Mr. King for their civility and professionalism in addressing this difficult issue.... when the public sees this type and level of discourse it really helps everyone."

The Ohio Board of Grievances, when placing me on a year suspension several years ago (watch "Day in Nashua" or explanation), wrote "King is a philosophical orator," as if that were a bad thing. Wasn't John Quincy Adams a lawyer and philosophical orator? Ghandi was, too. For that matter, Atticus Finch..... and others, like Martin Luther King? Malcolm X? Aristotle? Isn't that what a Civil Rights advocate is supposed to be?

Watch for some of the footage on KingCast, and I'll be back to retrieve that license soon, buoyed by this experience in Nashua, working to help make the World a better place in which to live.

Peace.

KingCast bids goodnight to James Brown, the Father of Soul.

James Brown, The Hardest Working (and most frequently-sampled) Man in Showbitness has left our midst today.


We'll add him to a list of brothers we will miss, including luminaries Ahmet Ertegun, Gordon Parks, Kirby Puckett and Rick James,
Ed Bradley and Gerald Levert. And Lou Rawls, Coretta Scott King and William Styron.Word.

Will there be a protracted First Amendment Federal Court battle over free speech in Nashua schools?

It appears that way, if the Board accepts Attorney Flygare's suggestion. Read the comments, to see what Attorney Flygare advised the Board in this issue, as well as my comments relative thereto, noting that he and Attorney Loughman of course have a pecuniary interest in the matter because it is doubtful that Attorney Bennett would argue against his own 5 page legal opinion.

And remember this fact, which Attorney Flygare's opinion wholly ignores, from the post, "Vagalebre is worthless in the face of a Constitutional challenge..."

Nonetheless, the court concludes that the policy is
valid as a reasonable time, place, and manner restriction governing the special meetings for the reasons discussed infra, and because the policy leaves open the opportunity for the public to otherwise speak at the regular meetings.

I specifically asked the Nashua Board if there were other opportunities in this instance and the answer was an unequivocal "no."

Again, why the push to silence the public in New Hampshire, the "Live Free or Die" State? It appears that some elected officials would rather active dissenters just go ahead and die, doesn't it?

I shall await the Board's decision, but I'm calling the ACLU to have an intake form at the ready for us to consider our options.

PS: Attorney Flygare says it is not uncommon for judges to reach differing conclusions, but that statement ignores the major factual distinction detailed above. And I can't wait to see if he finds any other case in the Country since 1997 to support Vagalebre, while we've got not just one, but dozens of others coming down in our favor. That's because of:

1) The factual distinction, and;
2) The correctness of our position.

Christopher King's open letter to James "Bubba" Stewart.

Dear James: You are as gifted a motorcycle rider as John McEnroe is tennis player. Your place in history is already set, but you can make it even stronger: A veteran Caucasian MXer up here in NH and I talk about you and Ricky Carmichael all the time and the one thing he always mentions is that unlike Ricky, you have a unique set of hurdles to clear every time you get out there, and I can safely tell you that it ain't about how many triples or whoop-dee-doos you clear:

It's about race, the same as Arthur Ashe had to deal with when he broke ground in tennis, as he told me in an interview as he encouraged me to move from reporting to go on to law school. While Arthur in many ways understood John, he had a different set of rules by which to play. On a related note, just now my friend and I -- whom you might even know -- talked about whether you are stuffing too many people too often recently, and all I can say is be careful out there. Work with a martial artist if you aren't already, and hone your skills to an even higher level: You have to stay beyond reproach, because people will try to tear you down. Trust me, I've been walking this planet exactly twice as long as you and I don't want anyone to dim your fire they way they tried to dim mine.

Best of luck in 2007 my brother.

PS: Happy Birthday. I only knew it was 1985 but not the date. Quel coincidence.

Related movie: "Live Revolution" at KingCast.net

Related posts:
The Clydesdale.
The voice of this blawg.
Changing law through a blogsite.

Justiceforkids.net says Tyshea Stewart was raped and is still missing in Ohio.

Columbus Public Schools have on prior occasion covered up gang rape. I recommend the unlawfully (Nashua Telegraph editorial/City Attorney opinion) speech-restrictive Nashua School Board listen to the audio post in that first link in full. Now KingCast affiliates at Justiceforkids.net are alleging that the establishment there is covering up the rape and disappearance of Tyshea Stewart, who was taken from her family and separated from her sister by Franklin County Children's Services. Here is the Attorney General's office report on that situation, and here is the JFK press release. Read the comments from WSYX Channel 6 reporter Maria Durant in this post, and appreciate this excerpt from the press release:

Clearly, Maria Durant along with her news station was interested in the story. Two interviews were conducted with the grandmother Sheila Stewart, footage of Ms. Stewart was taken, and P.A.S.S. provided supportive factual evidence to support the allegations made by Ms. Stewart regarding the abuse, neglect and isolation of her grandchildren by individuals within FCCS. However, Maria Durant, indicated Channel Six News decided to kill the story completely when Prosecutor Ron O'Brien stated "Tyshea Stewart" said she was not raped..... It appears Prosecutor Ron O'Brien was holding a personal grudge against Ms. Kent and her advocacy group for filing a complaint with the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel on October 11, 2005 on behalf of four elderly P.A.S.S. parent/clients and their children against not only him, but his Assistant Prosecutor David Buchman, which is still in the hands of the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel.

Related movies: Advocacy then and now.

KingCast asks, "where has the Vagalebre online decision gone?"

This is what Nashua School Board Acting Superintendent Chris Hottel sent to Alderman Teeboom yesterday:

"....I am also attaching a copy of the Vagalebre case, which can be found online at the following address: http://www.nhd.uscourts.gov/Isys/isysquery/7f96edd5-1cd3-4b24-a76a-191924317278/1/doc. You may recognize the name of the justice who signed the order in that case, Judge Joseph A. DiClerico, Jr. He is well-known in the state."

That link, which worked perfectly yesterday when I inserted it into the post "Vagalebre is worthless in the face of a Constitutional challenge..." now appears dead.

More about Christopher King's biographer, James O'Brien.

As noted in the Charles Barkley/Michael Wilbon post, men of less social prominence than Sir Charles have writers of less social prominence as well (economies of scale), but we all keep on pressing, and that First Amendment expression is part of what makes America the Beautiful. Here's James' prior life in music, and yes he is an "angry, thoughtful and eloquent young man," as noted. He was a damn fine musician and he is a damn fine writer so I'm thrilled and honored to see what he produces next week on the first final.

Gosh knows he's got enough/material to sift through!

I have spoken with several current U.S. Servicemen about what I am doing; they all support me entirely, and for Good Reason: They are dying to protect the freedoms that School Board member Sandra Ziehm, Nashua Alderman Teeboom and I support -- as advanced in City Attorney Stephen Bennett's 5 page opinion.
Read the comment section for more clarification.

Related sites: KingCast.net and Justiceforkids.net.

The Nashua School Board's cited case is worthless in the face of a Constitutional Challenge to the public comment restrictions.

Alderman Teeboom today emailed me a copy of Vagalebre (which link now appears to be dead) pursuant to the Nashua School Board meeting in which the Board disrespected the well-reasoned 5 page opinion of its own counsel and tried to sustain an unlawful, content and viewpoint-based prior restraint on free speech.

Remember how I said in this post earlier today that it was readily distinguishable? Well I didn't want to show my hand until I had read the full (unreported) case, but now that I have, this is why the Board will lose if we have to file suit:

Nonetheless, the court concludes that the policy is
valid as a reasonable time, place, and manner restriction governing the special meetings for the reasons discussed infra, and because the policy leaves open the opportunity for the public to otherwise speak at the regular meetings.

I specifically asked the Nashua Board if there were other opportunities in this instance and the answer was an unequivocal "no." You can watch this exchange on KingCast in the near future. And that's not even to mention that the case has been superceded by new reported and unreported federal law, much of which was contained in City Attorney Bennett's opinion; although the Doyle case I initiated was not cited it too is 100% on point.

Game over, insert coin. Substantial coin if a Constitutional challenge is mounted, with or without the ACLU.

Straight from the headlines: Nashua Telegraph still supports Christopher King; Sandra Ziehm and Fred Teeboom as Board ignores its own attorney.

As today's lead, front page story shows, the Nashua Public School Board has apparently decided to ignore the sage advice of its learned counsel Stephen Bennett.


Read more about that in yesterday's post about forging new public policy, wherein I note that the board is ignoring not only the Doyle case that I initiated before passing the case to John Waddy in Columbus, but that the board is ignoring 15 cited, published opinions in favor of one unpublished opinion -- and that case in itself may be readily distinguished as well. When Alderman Teeboom wrote me from following this blawg and I agreed to address this situation with him, I never envisioned that we would actually have to approach the ACLU but it now appears that way -- through no fault of Attorney Bennett -- who did an admirable job.

What makes me say the Telegraph supports us? This editorial, for starters.

What's with the revoked law license mentioned in today's story, you ask? It was suspended for a year, and that question involves the "nigger lover" case, as I explain to city prosecutor Tim Goulden in KingCast short film "Day in Nashua."

This case has inspired me to get my license back and to practice again.

Peace.

Christopher King, Sandra Ziehm and Fred Teeboom forge new First Amendment public policy on Nashua School Board public comment speech restrictions.

We have prevailed, as you can see by the legal opinion issued on 14 December 2006 by Nashua City Attorney Stephen Bennett.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Mother Ann would be so proud, and James O'Brien's book has a new hook -- just in time for the final manuscript, due 31 December, 2006.

The board of education’s prohibition against public comment on “administrative and personnel-related problems” is a content based, not content neutral, restriction on speech. See Leventhal v. Vista Unified School Distr., 973 F. Supp. 951, 958 (S.D. Cal. 1997)

There remains the serious issue of the Board limiting public comment to agenda items, but that would be so foul and patently obfuscatory I hasten to add that they won't do that. At least not immediately.

So as the Nashua Telegraph front page Sunday story and last week's editorial have proved, one lone blogger -- and a couple of dedicated city officials -- can indeed make a difference in this World, and that fills my heart with glee in this Holiday Season.

It's all about Fair Play.

And special thanks to Mom, Dad & Sis for supporting me in my attempts to bring more Justice into this World.

Peace.

UPDATE: The school board tonight disrespected its own counsel, adopting an apparently unreported case cited by a private counsel, Barbara Loughman, Vagalebre et al. v. SAU #47, C-97-JD (cited here and apparently unreported in this instance where it is cited without a reporter number as well) even though Attorney Bennett cited about 15 reported cases -- most of them more recent -- in his well-reasoned opinion. Alderman Teeboom and I spoke out against it, and the Telegraph will likely feature a story on it in a few hours. Then we discussed our options in approaching the ACLU. Here is what the New Hampshire Clair Ebel said in the front page Sunday paper on 9 Dec:

Claire Ebel, executive director of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union for the last 25 years, said she doesn’t see the liability argument as an excuse for censorship. "When you set up a public forum, you are bound to allow the public access to that forum."

PS: Remember, the 2000 Doyle/case is right on point.

KingCast bids goodnight to Ahmet Ertegun.

I've been too busy with the First Amendment/issues at Nashua Public Schools to note the passing of a First Amendment guru of musical sorts, Ahmet Ertegun, pictured with Ed Bradley, RIP.


Related post: Word!

KingCast; Christopher King prepare First Amendment speech to Nashua School Board on public comment restrictions.

In 1992 as founder of the Education Coalition we spoke with white children in Geauga County about the First Amendment and the value of education. In 1997 I spoke to more children in Columbus, Ohio, receiving commendation on MLK Day.

Tomorrow I will address the Nashua, New Hampshire School Board regarding the same issues, as part of the ongoing struggle to address the Julia Earl superintendent mess (terminated a half-year and $65,000.00 ago on paid administrative leave), vis a vis the overbroad, viewpoint-based prior restraint First Amendment speech ban she initiated against anyone wishing to publicly discuss comment on "administrative and personnel-related problems."

I'm still formulating it -- I'll be doing that all evening -- but if my skillset and first presentation on 4 December '06 is any indication, it will be a stirring moment. Both will soon be featured on KingCast and Justiceforkids.

As far as positing a strong First Amendment position, I sincerely hope that the board won't call the police on me, as they did in Columbus (which Board member Loretta Heard said had racial implications) or issue a bogus criminal indictment, as they did in Jaffrey.

The difference between Nashua, Jaffrey and Columbus?
In Nashua I've got an Alderman and a school board member backing the effort, and a newspaper that had the chutzpah to speak up in support of the First Amendment, as last week's Nashua Telegraph Editorial and front page Sunday stories indicate. Columbus had a strong independent newspaper, as noted by the Columbus Alive 1999 feature on my client, Jerry L. Doyle, who won a Federal speech lawsuit on this very issue that I initiated, but then they got bought by the major paper. As a former journalist, I know how that goes.

On a related note, I am giving a copy of Charles Barkley's second book, "Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man," edited by my cousin, to someone who has befriended me in a major way over the past several months. Samuel Jackson's entry is the most intriguing so far, but I love what U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told Mike and Chuck:

"Don't let anyone trivialize your agenda.... you can't sharpen a knife without friction."

I have this to say to Sir Charles:

You don't have to be a large black man for some elements of society to hate you. You can be a relatively small black man, or any man or woman with large ideas about the First Amendment, and find yourself reviled quicker than you can snatch a rebound. Similarly, watch the clowns at American Tower call me a "Dangerous Black Man" in "American Lawyer #II and III" at KingCast.net, and maybe one day we can trade hoops/tennis lessons. BTW, your commercial with Dwayne Wade is hootlarious.

When you are a man of Chuck's statute you can have Wilbon write your book. When you are a lesser-acclaimed man you get it done with a grassroots writer like Boston's James O'Brien, whose first draft manuscript is due in 10 days. But any way you do it, you do it to the best of your ability and hold your head high.

Viva the First Amendment.

Nashua Telegraph supports the First Amendment, Christopher King, school board member Ziehm and Alderman Teeboom vs. public comment speech restriction.

Holy cow. When I wrote the strident "laying down the law" blawg entry this morning I had no idea that the Nashua Telegraph editorial board had issued this editorial, soundly backing our position. Talk about prescience; and read the front page Sunday story on the issue earlier this week.

It should be a no-brainer, but it wasn't in Columbus, as this post about my former friend, former school board president and almost-elected U.S. Congressional candidate Mary Jo Kilroy illustrates, with video.

In New Hampshire, the "Live Free or Die" state, I went though a personal and professional hell on another First Amendment issue from my tenure as legal chair of the area NAACP, involving a man who faced 3 drawn police guns and a body cavity search, for loitering. I stood my ground and prevailed earlier this year. Now this. See, given the front page story in the Telegraph last week, it is obvious that I, as a wrongly-accused felon, mere blogger and man pending readmission to the Bar, made a difference in public policy -- and that is something that most bloggers only dream about. I am truly blessed.

Family matriarch Mother Ann, to whom this blawg is dedicated -- would be proud: Her first husband was a lawyer.

Here's a quote from an old friend I received this morning:

Congrats back on beating the rap. Good for you for standing up and taking action for what you believe in, despite the sacrifice. You do what most people are unwilling to do.

Related post & case: The case that led the way is contemplated by Columbus Alive's 1999 feature on my client Jerry L. Doyle, for whom I initiated his winning Federal case in 2000 on a virtually identical issue.

Related cases: West Virginia, Oklahoma.

KingCast, Tom Vaughan lay down the Law of the Land at Nashua School Board meetings.

Going into the weekend, this is my update on the public comment First Amendment restrictions at the Nashua, NH School Board that bar any public comment about personnel problems. Unbelievable, but true. As noted in the comments sections of this post involving dialogue (blogologue?) between Board member Tom Vaughan and me, this is what I believe the law of the land will be when I approach that podium on Monday evening, as I wrote him in the above link:

"...[W]ho determines what is harrassive, I might ask? And that would be a time/place/manner issue, not grounds for a total bar. In other words, if a speaker delivers scathing commentary in a cordial and genteel manner, the board has no recourse to stop said speaker if s/he is directly addressing an issue of public concern. That's the Law."

In the following paragraph you can read exactly what I need to say -- in a cordial and genteel manner -- to the Board at its Monday meeting about (discharged?) Superintendent Julia Earl's personnel problem as countenanced by Michael Brindley's front page Sunday Nashua Telegraph story.

Note: All of this will be on KingCast and Justiceforkids soon for review by the World public.

Crime and Federalism's discussion on blacks and crime.

This week's pot bust, netting millions of dollars of illicit drugs (6,700 marijuana plants worth $24 million) went down in posh, almost exclusively white neighborhoods. Obviously, the poor folks who distribute these drugs down the food chain conduct their business in more urban areas where crime is more visible and the police patrol more vigorously so they get caught more often. Duh. But don't tell that to Mr. Zarkov, who wrote in and believes that blacks are -- get this -- more genetically prone to comit crime. For a deeply compelling read, check the 30 comments that follow at Crime and Federalism.

Related link: What Crime and Federalism owners said about this blawg. Coincidentally, an old friend of mine caught up with me via email and had this to say about my First Amendment stand in Jaffrey:

Congrats back on beating the rap. Good for you for standing up and taking action for what you believe it, despite the sacrifice. You do what most people are unwilling to do.

Soon there will be more video about the First Amendment public comment speech restrictions as noted herein, where Nashua School Board member Tom Vaughan wrote in to this blawg. There's another board meeting on Monday. Stay tuned.

Nashua School Board member Tom Vaughan and Christopher King blog about First Amendment restrictions.

School Board member Tom Vaughan contacted me right here, at Chris King's 1st Amendment Page, to discuss pending matters as noted most recently in this omnibus post, containing links to most of my other posts on the Julia Earl situation vis a vis board restrictions against any public comment speech concerning school board administrative or personnel-related problems. Read the comments section to these two/posts to see what I wanted to talk about, what I was denied the right to talk about, and how it all pans out. I believe I am 100% in the right, and a Constitutional challenge to the restrictions would be successful. Meanwhile, I am waiting on City Attorney Stephen Bennett, who last week promised his opinion would issue in short order.

I love this exchange: This is precisely the sort of principled dialogue that this blawg was designed to facilitate; the sort of dialogue that is outlawed at the school board.

Related post: The voice of this blawg.

Related story: I am a former G-Man (Ohio AAG's office '92-'95) who tries to help government do the right thing, such as the time CNN and Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Mike Royko showed up in Columbus in '96 to contemplate the craziest tattoo case ever: The issue was exactly how my former boss, Betty Montgomery, could be ORDERING our client, 8-Ball Tattoo, to provide a tattoo to a man deep in the clutches of HIV positivity, who who had a previously-administered tattoo that was not healing properly. Read paras. 3-4 of this entry to find that the state eventually adopted a physician consent standard that our client and I had lobbied for, ab initio.

Nashua School Board's legal advice on First Amendment Restriction as opposed by Christopher King, Alderman Fred Teeboom and Board member Sandra Ziehm.

Here is a copy of the email sent from Attorney Tom Flygare to the Board on 31 October 2006:

Kim – I believe that paragraphs 9 and 10 of the Policy 1130 (“Board Meetings”) are consistent with both the state Right to Know law and US Constitution. Nothing in the Right to Know law requires a “Public Comment” period at Board meetings, so the Board may subject such comments to reasonable regulation. The prohibition in Policy 1130 against “personal attacks” and discussion of “personnel-related problems” does not violate the First Amendment rights of speakers because they have many other channels of communication open in the community, including letters to the editor and talk radio, just to mention two outlets. The Board’s policy has not [sic] impact on those other forms of citizen free speech.

I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions, please give me a call on my cell phone – [555.....] Thank you.

For the reasons why this analysis is flawed, review para. 3 of this blawg entry, then these/two blawg entries, as well as the comments from Alderman Teeboom in his email to Attorney Flygare and City Attorney Stephen Bennett in the comments section.

KingCast watches Evel Knievel sue Kanye West.

We were just waiting for this ugly thing to happen. KingCast respects the careers of both of these men immensely, so we'll just have to see how it pans out. Did Kanye infringe or is it clearly a parody? Time, a gaggle of attorneys and a bunch of dead trees will tell. FWIW, the 'Touch the Sky' video is one of the funniest, best sorted videos we've ever seen.

Related post: Preserve the First Amendment at all costs.

Related post: The Clydesdale.

KingCast presents: NAACP leaders pro and con.

Last week I provided substantial support to NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer Ted Shaw for his vigorous support of voluntary desegregation in public schools. This week I point out some questionable activity on the part of Silicon Valley NAACP President Rick Callender; Here's another take on it.

As for me, I'm no criminal: Just a hard-working First Amendment Civil Rights advocate, as this front page Telegraph story explains.

Anyway, this is a difficult piece to write because I know Rick Callender has done things to take a stand in the community -- and he is friends with one of my favorite rappers, E40, who is finally getting the commerical success he's deserved for years -- see Wickipedia. Sadly, I also am privy to other information I mention in the comments section, the depths of which I am not about to delve into on this blawg.

Related story: Police mess with Rick Callender.

Whatever the case, NAACP CEO Bruce Gordon stands by his man, at least for now:

Nashua School Board, The First Amendment, Christopher King, Freed Teeboom and Sandra Ziehm: You can read it in the Sunday Papers.

In Michael Brindley's Nashua Telegraph story, to be precise. But read this blawg entry first. It's all about Fair Play and Civil Rights:

"King pledged to get the policy changed by working with city attorneys and the board. By Friday afternoon, Shaw said the policy is under review."

The story also contains comments on my prior Constitutional Law background, and on my law license, suspended for a year several years ago. For more on that, read the ACLU post (their help on another matter when I was NAACP legal chair was not ultimately necessary as all charges were withdrawn), and watch the Justiceforkids and KingCast videos, particularly the KingCast video "Day in Nashua," in which I describe to Nashua Prosecutor Tim Goulden -- who wants me to get my license again -- the events surrounding the case that started the suspension, involving a landlord who called my client a "nigger lover."

My biographer, Boston-based writer James O'Brien will have his comments in his first draft by years' end if I ever find the time to finish working with him, and you can read what my law mentors, tenured OSU Law Professor Lou Jacobs, and noted Civil Rights Attorney Terry Gilbert had to say about me in this post.

Hint: Jacobs, in his support letter, mentions my unconventional style, but goes on to discuss the elements of "racism, ignorance and reactionary politics."

I will practice again, and plan to reapply by 2008, using all of the positive letters of recommendation I am gathering now.

Peace.

KingCast speaks: Why we love America.

Only in America can one go from being a falsely-accused felon on one First Amendment case to assisting city officials to create public policy on another First Amendment case within a matter of days. I guess the system works, after all, as long as you truly have integrity. And if you keep on keepin' on.

Thanks, Mother Ann. And Mom & Dad & Sis.

Nashua School Board member Sandra Ziehm joins Alderman Fred Teeboom and Christopher King against Nashua School Board First Amendment Restrictions.

Uber update: KingCast is pleased to report that, based on my conversation today with City Attorney Stephen Bennett, a new rule will issue in the next several days. It it my understanding it may closely mirror the Oklahoma Defamation language noted below, and the footage from my 4 Dec. '06 appearance at the school board will visit KingCast and/or Justiceforkids.net in due course. It should appear on Nashua Cable 19 on Sunday, 10 Dec. 2006 starting at 12p.

Update: Go to bottom of this entry and read the second comment for proof that I am right. For background on this issue, read this post -- with its related links -- noting that now-suspended Nashua School Board Superintendent Julia Earl's proposed and accepted restrictions against anyone who wants to address personnel problems is coming under substantial fire.

With Ms. Ziehm officially coming on board I am now going to ask for a meeting with City Attorney Stephen Bennett, Alderman Teeboom and any and all interested Board members to resolve this issue, using a defamation standard for public speakers as noted in the above post.

Here's what Ms. Ziehm wrote me:

"I tried to call you today but there is another Christopher King in Nashua. Just wanted you to know that I agree with you [in your visit to the Board on 4 Dec. 2006].

Freedom of Speech cannot be overstressed. I read the right to know law from cover to cover, took a class and saw nothing to support suppressing the people. Because it would put the board in a precarious position does not relieve of us the obligation to give the public a chance to express their concerns to their elected representatatives. Truthfully, I would like to hear from the citizens because it acts as a balance to my judgements. Thus far in my tenure, citizen input has been my most valuable resource.

I would be interested in any interpretative information you (case law) might be able to provide me. I often feel bound and gagged by the system so any clarification I can obtain would be greatly appreciated. I thought your comments last night were well verbaged and presented. I often wish more folks would speak up!"

My telephone number is 555......

Please feel free to call anytime.
Sandra Ziehm"

I telephoned and emailed Ms. Ziehm, and you better believe she knows all about Columbus, Ohio school board protester Jerry Doyle (1999 Columbus Alive profile story) and the Federal case I initiated that is 100% on point, as noted in this 2000 Freedom Forum story: Jerry was there to talk about what else but personnel issues!

Update: 200 Jerry Doyle v. Cols. School Board Federal Case I initiated.
Update: 2005 West Virginia case affirming Defamation standard.
Update: 2004 Oklahoma case striking "no-negativity" standard.

Christopher King discusses the voice of this blawg.

First this quote from Daily Kos:
"What first drew me to King was his sense of humor, and that really unlocked his whole style of writing for me. I am just very glad his case was dismissed. To this day, one of my greatest nightmares is being in court and having Christopher King on the other side."

I would like to take this opportunity to refer newbies (and older readers) to my signature post with Mother Ann. In so doing I will note that once you remove a bogus indictment against me as NAACP legal redress chair, and once you remove a bogus unauthorized practice of law case against me, within days you have professional people in Nashua recognizing my commitment to social justice and general professionalism:

See this post relating to First Amendment speech restrictions in Nashua Public Schools, and recognize that Alderman Teeboom is hardly the only one to send me kudos for my spirit and professionalism. I've kept the other comments to myself for now, for future use in the Board situation, or for when I petition the Ohio Supreme Court for readmittance as a licensed attorney, which is more about the money than anything else at this point.

Do I regret some of the mean-spirited things I've said? In some ways, yes. But I've never said I was perfect: My biographer, Boston-based writer James O'Brien said that period of this blawg is a very dark and ugly place for him to spend time in, and as noted in this Daily Kos diarist's entry entitled "Congratulations Christopher King," it's awfully easy to second-guess someone's actions when the armchair quarterback is not the one being persecuted:

Those whose lives are lived 'beneath the radar,' devoid of the mind-blowing shock of outrageous selection for violation of basic human rights, can never understand what it is to undergo an ordeal such as the one that was inflicted upon Christopher King.

When those who have the power invested in them by virtue of being elected, or appointed to, positions of public trust choose to carry out a vendetta against one (such as Christopher King) who demands to be treated with respect and within the confines of the law, but who rubs the institutional feathers the wrong way, it is all too common that those of us who live our lives in comfort choose to turn away, too fat and lazy to come to the aid of a fellow human being who, by the very act of standing up for his own human rights, stands up for us all.

Truth of the matter, all I ever wanted to do was discuss First Amendment issues like the Patriot Act (see the very first post), some/sports, and BMWs. Now I can do that.

PS:Viva Wildcat!