June 20, 2007
WHERE'S JANET RENO WHEN YOU NEED HER?:
Browns narrowing law officers’ options (Nashua Telegraph, Jun. 20, 2007)
How long will federal law officials play Mr. Nice Guy and continue to wait for convicted tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown to turn themselves in?Anyone knowing the answer to that question hasn’t stepped forward to say so. Meanwhile, the Browns continue to bask in the spotlight, vowing that they won’t be taken alive.
And it’s all about money. Specifically, their refusal to pay federal income taxes on some $1.9 million they earned between 1996 and 2003. Now their resistance threatens to cost them everything.
As the Browns continue their defiant talk, it becomes clearer that they live in a fantasy world of their making. They stand tall only in their own mind. [...]
Steve Monier, a former police chief who is now U.S. marshal for New Hampshire, has been trying to coax the Browns to surrender.
This has been going on for weeks to no avail. He’s even allowing the Browns to receive visits, including one from Randy Weaver, a survivor of the Ruby Ridge massacre.
Rare in life to get a second chance at a guy like that. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 20, 2007 8:13 AM
"He’s even allowing the Browns to receive visits..."
Christ, I'm just a dumb old Liberal Arts major and I could get these people out of their house without firing a shot.
1) Cut the power
2) Cut any other utilities (jam cell phone signals too)
3) Nobody goes in
4) Nobody comes out, unless they're waving a white flag
5) Erect a cordon sanitaire around the house. I understand that these folks live on 100 acres of land. Don't give them access to it. Keep them confined to the house.
Waco and Ruby Ridge happened because the cops forgot that they've got all the time in the world and were impatient to "look good" in front of the media.
Posted by: Bryan at June 20, 2007 9:03 AMBryan, I think those moments went south because they went in to "Look good in front of the media". Playing to the cameras is good for the budget, bad for justice.
Posted by: Robert Mitchell Jr. at June 20, 2007 11:41 AM