The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: JLawson on August 21, 2012, 01:06:15 AM
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A former Marine involuntarily detained for psychiatric evaluation for posting strident anti-government messages...
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/20/outcry-after-military-veteran-detained-for-anti-government-facebook-posts/#ixzz249q65klp
A former Marine involuntarily detained for psychiatric evaluation for posting strident anti-government messages on Facebook has received an outpouring of support from people who say authorities are trampling on his First Amendment rights.
Brandon J. Raub, 26, has been in custody since FBI, Secret Service agents and police in Virginia's Chesterfield County questioned him Thursday evening about what they said were ominous posts talking about a coming revolution. In one message earlier this month according to authorities, Raub wrote: "Sharpen my axe; I'm here to sever heads."
Police -- acting under a state law that allows emergency, temporary psychiatric commitments upon the recommendation of a mental health professional -- took Raub to the John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell. He was not charged with any crime.
A Virginia-based civil liberties group, The Rutherford Institute, dispatched one of its attorneys to the hospital to represent Raub at a hearing Monday. A judge ordered Raub detained for another month, Rutherford executive director John Whitehead said.
"For government officials to not only arrest Brandon Raub for doing nothing more than exercising his First Amendment rights but to actually force him to undergo psychological evaluations and detain him against his will goes against every constitutional principle this country was founded upon," Whitehead said.
Raub's mother, Cathleen Thomas, said by telephone that the government had overstepped its bounds.
"The bottom line is his freedom of speech has been violated," she said.
Thomas said her son, who served tours as a combat engineer in Iraq and Afghanistan, is "concerned about all the wars we've experienced" and believes the U.S. government was complicit in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. One of his Facebook posts, she said, pictured the gaping hole in the Pentagon and asked "where's the plane?"
Whitehead said he found nothing alarming in Raub's social media commentaries. "The posts I read that supposedly were of concern were libertarian-type posts I see all the time," he said.
The big concern, Whitehead said, is whether government officials are monitoring citizens' private Facebook pages and detaining people with whom they disagree.
Dee Rybiski, an FBI spokeswoman in Richmond, said there was no Facebook snooping by her agency.
"We received quite a few complaints about what were perceived as threatening posts," she said. "Given the circumstances with the things that have gone on in the country with some of these mass shootings, it would be horrible for law enforcement not to pay attention to complaints."
Whitehead said some of the posts in question were made on a closed Facebook page that Raub had recently created so he questioned whether anyone from the public would have complained about them.
"Support Brandon Raub" Facebook pages have drawn significant interest, and other Internet sites had numerous comments from people outraged by the veteran's detention.
Raub's supporters characterized the detention as an arrest, complaining he was handcuffed and whisked away in a police cruiser without being served a warrant or read his rights. But authorities say it wasn't an arrest because Raub doesn't face criminal charges.
Col. Thierry Dupuis, the county police chief, said Raub was taken into custody upon the recommendation of mental health crisis intervention workers. He said the action was taken under the state's emergency custody statute, which allows a magistrate to order the civil detention and psychiatric evaluation of a person who is considered potentially dangerous.
He said Raub was handcuffed because he resisted officers' attempts to take him into custody.
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The Russkies used to pull this crap - you complain about us? You must be crazy!!
I've been following this, and a poster on another forum did a good analysis of his FB postings. Her perceived threat level was zero, but according to DHS standards, he probably ran 5-9 on a 10-point scale.
We've talked here about how the Bill of Rights is all but dead. This is another good demonstration of that fact.
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Nope, I'm still here.
There are funny noises on my phone though. ;D
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Tom was also the first person to come to mind when I saw the article. Copied the link in case no one posted it yet...
Not that it should make any difference in how this Marine was wronged, but I don't think Tom is a big Facebook enthusiast.
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Nah, I only have an FB account to play Jeopardy on line.
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According to Drudge, Judge ordered him "held" for another 30 days....He has NOT been charged with a crime.
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/08/21/military-vet-detained-for-psych-evaluation-over-anti-government-facebook-posts/
snip,..
Brandon J. Raub, 26, has been in custody since FBI and Secret Service agents and Chesterfield County police questioned him Thursday evening about what they considered ominous posts talking of a coming revolution. In one message earlier this month, Raub wrote: “Sharpen my axe; I’m here to sever heads.”
Police — acting under a state law that allows emergency, temporary psychiatric commitments upon the recommendation of a mental health professional — took Raub to the John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell. He was not charged with any crime.
The Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville-based civil liberties group, sent one of its attorneys to the hospital to represent Raub at a hearing Monday. A judge ordered Raub detained for another month, Rutherford executive director John Whitehead said.
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Lots more specifics at link....
Guess those remarks about good Kentucky Hemp and tall old trees are now going to send me to the funny farm for an eval.? :-\
That's why I don't FB.
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According to Drudge, Judge ordered him "held" for another 30 days....He has NOT been charged with a crime.
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/08/21/military-vet-detained-for-psych-evaluation-over-anti-government-facebook-posts/
snip,..
Brandon J. Raub, 26, has been in custody since FBI and Secret Service agents and Chesterfield County police questioned him Thursday evening about what they considered ominous posts talking of a coming revolution. In one message earlier this month, Raub wrote: “Sharpen my axe; I’m here to sever heads.”
Police — acting under a state law that allows emergency, temporary psychiatric commitments upon the recommendation of a mental health professional — took Raub to the John Randolph Medical Center in Hopewell. He was not charged with any crime.
The Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville-based civil liberties group, sent one of its attorneys to the hospital to represent Raub at a hearing Monday. A judge ordered Raub detained for another month, Rutherford executive director John Whitehead said.
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Lots more specifics at link....
Guess those remarks about good Kentucky Hemp and tall old trees are now going to send me to the funny farm for an eval.? :-\
That's why I don't FB.
Do they have wideband and get the Outdoor Channel there?
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In one message earlier this month, Raub wrote: “Sharpen my axe; I’m here to sever heads.”
Sounds like lyrics to a song... ???
Maybe the posts don't translate well, I dunno. But what about the 4th and 5th Amendments? How can a judge order someone detained without charges or did I miss it?
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A judge can adjudicate anyone they deem "questionably fit".
From Drudge: "Police — acting under a state law that allows emergency, temporary psychiatric commitments upon the recommendation of a mental health professional."
Pretty soon we'll ALL be in a rubber room! I just hope they'll let us bring "The Corner". ;D
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There has to be more to this story.
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There has to be more to this story.
There might be...but it could be as minor as a liberal brother or sister reporting him saying they are worried he is a Tea Party Terrorist.
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a 72 hour hold could be a over zealous doc, or a blanket poilicy. A 30 day hold signed by a judge is alot diffrent. That takes actual documentation of things that happen during that 72 hour hold or before. From the story( pinch of salt) it said he had a civil rights "activist" lawyer at that hiring. Not many shrinks would risking losing thier lic, which is what would happen if it was found out to be politically motivated.
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a 72 hour hold could be a over zealous doc, or a blanket poilicy. A 30 day hold signed by a judge is alot diffrent. That takes actual documentation of things that happen during that 72 hour hold or before. From the story( pinch of salt) it said he had a civil rights "activist" lawyer at that hiring. Not many shrinks would risking losing thier lic, which is what would happen if it was found out to be politically motivated.
It also said it was based on STATE law, so what you know from your area doesn't necessarily apply.
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All state laws say basicly the same thing. That being said if a medical professional has a reason to beleave that you are a danger to yourself or others. They can have you commited. they varry by what the is and is not a reason. if during the 72 hour hold he treid to kill himself or others. No judge would let him out. We don't have all the facts here.
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Florida has the Baker Act,...from our latest BHO threats,...on Facebook fan,....72 hour eval. than a hearing to your competency....
Yes they can involuntarily send you away for 72 hours.....
What happens after that is just part of the "system".....
It is not designed in your favor...
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Nope, I'm still here.
There are funny noises on my phone though. ;D
Tom I would think that this post is funny if it wasn't so scary. You know someone like you who has put them self out there to tell everyone many truths and opinions, in this day and age, with the Patriot Act has to be careful to an extent. As wrong as I think it is and even me saying that possibily one war has already been faught to free us of that type of oppression and that it may happen again if some people don't figure things out is a scary line to toe.
Also, if I had the Clearence I wouldn't be surprised to find out all of us on this here forum have not been the subject of sort of government prowling. We are all extremists in this administrations eyes.
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Their objective is to silence any one who doesn't "Ooh and aah" over the Emperors new robe.
It's the job of Patriots to yell "Hey asshole, yer nekkid". ;D
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UPDATE:
Judge orders his release. Like "Right The (insert expletive) Now!""""
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Va-judge-orders-release-of-detained-veteran-3810234.php
snip
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered the release of a former Marine who was detained for psychiatric evaluation after posting strident anti-government messages on Facebook.
Prince George County Circuit Judge W. Allan Sharrett said at the end of a one-hour hearing that the involuntary commitment order issued by a magistrate against Brandon J. Raub was invalid because it contained no allegation or basis to hold him, according to the head of a civil liberties organization that represented the 26-year-old veteran.
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Hey Big Sis,.....and Holder...... Go pound sand,....you still suck!!!!! ::)
What the heck,....I'm on enough lists anyway.... ;D
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What the heck,....I'm on enough lists anyway.... ;D
Who here isn't? ;D