By Kat Kanning

October 28th, 2008

Danny Riley was sentenced to a 432 month imprisonment today. Riley is one of the four imprisoned supporters of tax-truthers Ed and Elaine Brown. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for 11:30 am, but actually started at 10:00 am in an apparent attempt to keep sympathizers from attending the “public” hearing.

The prosecutor in the case recommended a total of 457 months imprisonment. I did not hear his reasoning, since the hearing had begun early.

Riley spoke at length about the Universal Commercial Code. The judge looked exceedingly bored during Riley's speech, often not even looking at Riley and practically rolling his eyes at what was being said. One of Riley's points was how the lawyer was forced upon him. He said that the man did not represent him, but the judge kept asking for the lawyer's approval on the proceedings. Danny called the judge biased and partial, saying, “Judge, I have yet to see you follow the law in here.” Riley listed multiple problems with the trial – he called 66 witnesses, all of which were denied. All the evidence he obtained in discovery disappeared while Riley was imprisoned. Requests for other reasonably discoverable material, such as helmet-cam video, was denied. Riley called the proceedings, “Justice by the barrel of a gun.”

During the sentencing, the judge said that Danny was a danger to the public – but gave examples only of how they thought Danny was a danger to government officials. Nothing Danny was accused of doing made him a danger to the public, and government enforcers were only in danger while harassing the Browns on their own property. Had the Federal Marshals left the elderly couple alone, they would not have been in any danger, nor would anyone else involved.