"Peacable, God-fearing" militia man claims rights infringed while attempting to overthrow government

[guruoo]

Georgia militia man claims rights infringed upon
Huff denies intent to incite violence

* By Jamie Satterfield
* Knoxville News Sentinel
* Posted September 23, 2010 at midnight


What started as a bid to throw President Barack Obama out of office via a Monroe County grand jury is fast turning into a constitutional battle royal in a federal court in Knoxville.

Darren Wesley Huff, a self-proclaimed Georgia militia man who headed to Madisonville, Tenn., with a gun on his hip and a handgun carry permit in his wallet to help carry out the citizen's arrests of Monroe County officials who refused to consider charges of treason against the president, contends in a slew of federal court motions that his own government has trampled on rights guaranteed him under the U.S. Constitution.

Huff is charged in U.S. District Court in Knoxville with traveling across interstate lines armed and ready to incite violence if necessary to take over the city of Madisonville and the Monroe County Courthouse located there.

But Assistant Federal Defender Jonathan Moffatt contends Huff is a peaceable, God-fearing citizen who exercised his right to peaceably assemble, bear arms and speak his mind when he and others showed up in Madisonville in April in support of Monroe County resident Walter Fitzpatrick's bid to arrest those officials who refused to consider the indictment of Obama for holding the nation's highest office without proof of U.S. citizenship.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/sep/23/ga-militia-man-claims-rights-infringed-upon/

[TheMadMonk]

1. Judge should agree "Every citizen has the "right" to attempt the overthrow of govt. However,...

...he has no constitutional guarantee of success."

And continue, "We are here to discuss the price of failure. Now sit down and shut up Mr Huff."

[The Magistrate]

2. Well Put, Brother!

"We are here to discuss the price of failure."

[ScarletFyre]

3. I wonder

What his Free Republic user name is?

[old mark]

4. This could become amusing. I knew a former Black Militant from the 1970's

who spoke with revolutionary passion to a judge who was about to sentence him and ended his polemic with, "So, Judge, what do you have to say for yourself?" The Judge replied, " Five years."

Could be an interesting trial.

We all might have the right to try, but they have no duty to make it easy...


mark

[Motown_Johnny]

5. the guy is clearly a nut, but I am not convinced the charges are warranted

He wasn't trying to overthrow the government. If he had gotten everything he wanted we would have a President Biden. That isn't overthrowing the government.


It sounds like all they have on him is one statement made to a cop who stopped him for no other reason than the stickers he had on his vehicle. Don't you think bumper stickers should be considered free speech? Do you want to be pulled over while driving through another state because of the sticker(s) on your vehicle? That one statement shouldn't be enough to lock someone up. If he were truly a criminal he wouldn't have said anything to the cop.


I'm glad they arrested the nut and ran him through the system to make sure he doesn't have any outstanding wants or warrants but I don't think being a birther is a felony.

[RandomThoughts]

6. You make an interesting comment.

I have had people try to hold some comment I have made against me, it is comical.

Really that is trying to find something to use against a person, that is how broken law enforcement works, they pick someone they think is a criminal then try to find a crime to attach to them.

And with so many laws and ways to take things out of context, anyone can be railroaded. I have said things to learn things, or for other context even showing people what they are doing, or to help someone talk.

And sometimes just telling stories to have fun, and you can find people that will try and use that instance to define you. Why, because it is not about who you are, but who they want to think you are to justify what you show them they are.


Not sure about that guy, but the concepts of justice in many things are skewed, and need to be repaired, hence why I do not relinquish the debt of beer and travel money, and many good times owed to me. I don't hold it against people, but the things behind some of them sometimes. And they will pay.


Although I like to spend my time finding the great things in people, so many wonderful people out there, could take a life time to even glimpse the great contributions so many give to society in so many fields.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. Thanks for that (I was expecting flames) n/t

[guruoo]

15. Charges, per Judge: 'participation in a riot, disruption of a meeting, threatening to harm a juror'

And that's just the local ones. Sounds like the feds may have unspecified charges still pending:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34155452/STATE-of-TENNESSEE-v-DARREN-WESLEY-HUFF-Arraignment-June-28-2010

[Motown_Johnny]

8. I just reread this and now I am pretty sure the charges are bull shit

it says that he turned out on that April day... that he and others were there... blah blah blah (all past tense)


So this arrest was made after the fact. Clearly there were no crimes committed at the "rally".


I'm calling bull shit on this one. Arresting the guy after a "peaceable assembly" because of the stickers on his car and an off hand comment made to a cop is bull shit.



As I said earlier, no he wasn't trying to overthrow the government, if he had gotten everything he could have possibly hoped for then we would have a President Biden. That isn't overthrowing the government.

[dmr]

9. Here's the court transcript of his arraignment:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/34155452/STATE-of-TENNESSEE-v-DARREN-WESLEY-HUFF-Arraignment-June-28-2010

Interesting bits of detail from the judge.
:hi:

[old mark]

10. Interesting transcript - thanks! nt

[old mark]

11. I wonder if the court would have shown so much restraint if the President had been a republican

and the "revolutionary" had been a leftist...he may have been shot while trying to escape...


mark

[Toots]

13. Republicans love the "Bush* Doctrine"

If they even think you might someday do something they feel is wrong they have the right to go after you with the full forces they can muster..

[hobbit709]

12. "Peacable, God-fearing" while packing heat and looking for trouble.

OK, whatever.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. Part of the sovereign citizens movement is to flood the courts with nonsense.

[gratuitous]

16. "Peaceable"

I don't think that word means what Mr. Moffatt thinks it means.