Cabot man arrested for impersonating a deputy sheriff. A.K.A KF5OBS  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: diyaudio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 06:39:35 am
content: Is this true ?ABOT, Ark. (KTHV) - A Cabot resident was arrested on Tuesday on multiple charges including impersonating a law enforcement officer.The Lonoke County Sheriff's Office and the Cabot Police Department arrested 27-year-old Sebastian Westerhold on Tuesday. Police had received a complaint stating that Westerhold had been acting as an officer, making fake money and giving minors alcohol.http://www.thv11.com/news/local/cabot/cabot-man-arrested-for-impersonating-a-deputy-sheriff/112555210

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 08:07:37 am
content: Certainly looks like him. We may have to wait a few years before seeing any new electronics videos or Miley Cyrus guitar covers.

author: Bryan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 09:57:31 am
content: Seem to recall he was open about some mental health issues in the past. Perhaps off the meds?

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:29:04 am
content: Sebastian has various issues to deal with in his life, most of them not good. Please can we be careful here?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:47:02 am
content: So sad to hear thisSebastian blogged once talking about the issues he was facing in the hope it would help othershttp://web.archive.org/web/20150825052426/https://jaunty-electronics.com/blog/2015/08/blog-inactivity-depression-gone-wrong/

author: diyaudio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 12:29:02 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 09, 2016, 11:47:02 amI'm sorry about this, I hope he gets off with a warning from the authorities.

author: joseph nicholas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 12:43:02 pm
content: This blogger seems to be more than just bi-polar. He appears to have lost touch with reality if the allegations are true. This is symptomatic of a type of schizophrenia.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:21:54 pm
content: Looks like he has a history of hassling his local police department to release certain files under the 'freedom of information'See below for a series of demands he made in writing not long before he was arrested for having fake IDs and fake money etc.https://contexte.aoc.arkansas.gov/imaging/IMAGES/DMS/CK_Image.Present2?DMS_ID=LCTGC991YSXERSAO9ND9K6ZAN1B5Z8The first written demands he made to the local police dept are available on his website here:http://jaunty-electronics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Amended_Complaint_w_Exhibits_Redacted1.pdfWhat a mess...

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 03:33:49 pm
content: Bit bored so I had a rummage around inside the Arkansas County Court website and managed to find a pdf copy of his impersonation case notes. On paper it reads really bad...Several x Class B Felony I (forgery)Class C Felony (possession of forgery device)plus two Class A Misdemeanors one of which is 'Criminal Impersonation II'.If you look up the penalties for these offences then it's clear that he is in fairly deep shit. The court case notes give statements from the officers and quotes from witnesses and it's pretty clear that he's been faking driver's licences and probably money too. The court documents also show that he's also got 'previous' wrt faking IDs and has been investigated by the FBI in the past over fake IDs (farkin hell...) There's other stuff in the court notes that I won't repeat here.Not sure if I'm allowed to link to the court files here, but it isn't difficult to get access on their website. Just search in the right places using a few keywords.

author: vodka
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 03:53:01 pm
content: Quote from: diyaudio on October 09, 2016, 12:29:02 pmAs that warning, he performed a serious crime as the suplanted of the deputy sheriff, and he has all the ballots for going to jail during 20 years(add all crimes).The only that might to avoid the jail is that the judge declare as incompetent mental so he would go to Asylum.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 04:25:45 pm
content: Keeping things in perspective, he's probably just faked a few IDs for himself and a few friends. He's probably supplied booze at a party to people he didn't realise were under 21. I suspect that the local cops already dislike him over the legal hassle he dished out to them over his claim to have legal access to some of their protected data and because he often pretends to be a police officer. There are people out there who like to modify their vehicles and pretend to be police officers and sometimes they take it too far. Having a fake sheriff ID is an example of taking it too far.If he gets a prison term I doubt it will be a long one.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 05:28:28 pm
content: Sebastian is the second person I have come across with Bipolar Disorder, the other is a close friend of the family. The old name for this condition is Manic Depression and people who have it switch (almost at random) between a low state where they are the most depressed person you have ever seen and a high state where they want to put all the world's troubles to rest. In a high state someone with Bipolar Disorder can have some pretty crazy ideas, ideas such as launching apro secase against the local Police Department, so maybe this could explain some of his actions.False IDs? Forgery? Alcohol to minors? Impersonating a police officer? No idea about those but diagnosed Bipolar Disorder would be a pretty good defense. One thing is sure, Sebastian needs help and he needs to be taking his medication on a regular basis, the staff at the jail will hopefully make sure that this happens.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 05:55:06 pm
content: I did find some newer court docs that list some extra (potentially very serious) charges brought against him. I don't think it's appropriate to list the extra charges here because of their nature (and they may be false). But it might be worth suspending any sympathy for him until this stuff is over. I suspect that the cops are trying to throw as much dirt at him as they can and hope some of it sticks in court.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 06:14:47 pm
content: I just found that too and if true he needs sectioning for his own safety because he won't last long in prison.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 07:39:00 pm
content: Sad story and it probably isn't going to end well.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 08:04:49 pm
content: Police State

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 08:52:32 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on October 09, 2016, 04:25:45 pmWe need to remember that at this stage these are merely allegations and that he is innocent until proven guilty.Our justice system can be too harsh. I hope the outcome will be fair and reasonable.

author: joseph nicholas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 08:55:42 pm
content: Its quite common in the US for the police to pile on fabricated charges and let the courts try to figure it out. Police work is quite a secure and comfortable way that authoritarian type to get ahead.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 09:15:40 pm
content: I stumbled upon this when his youtube videos suddenly stopped and some quick google searches came up with his arrest. I thought it was best not to bring this up in a public forum given that I certainly didn't know all the facts (I knew the charges, but that doesn't make it a fact). By his own words, Sebastian was dealing with personal issues. Let's not judge and I hope he's able to get through this.update: I also recall that Sebastian had a lawsuit filed against the local police force a year or more prior to his arrest (over encrypted police communications). If you read the court docs, you'll see he was viewed as a bit of a nuisance. Now they want to clobber him.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 09:41:11 pm
content: Well if he gets convicted having of child porn offences then he certainly will be clobbered.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 09:46:14 pm
content: Let's stick with the charges he has against him. Why bring up child porn?

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 09:53:20 pm
content: It's listed on one of the charges if you Google his name.Charges: FORGERY 1ST DEGREEQCRIMINAL IMPERSONATIONCONTRIBUTING TO DELINQUENCY OF A MINORKNOWINGLY GIVE ALCOHOL TO MINOR 1STCOMPUTER EXPLOITATION OF A CHILDBond: $15,000.00

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 10:02:50 pm
content: You're correct. He's in some deep shit.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 10:18:49 pm
content: Quote from: joseph nicholas on October 09, 2016, 08:55:42 pmNot just the police but also the DAs. Many of them use the 'tough on crime' approach to launch political careers.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 10:32:51 pm
content: QuoteYup, that's my view on it and you can bet they searched very hard for any dirt they could find.The impression I get is that he had a housewarming party that didn't exactly go to plan and (fairly feeble) complaints were made by a couple of guests including stuff about seeing him with fake money in his house. The cops turn up with an arrest warrant and then started digging for dirt. My impression from reading the court files is that they found something (as in three things?) on his computer that qualify as dodgy images. For all we know these weren't serious but they sure helped the cops with their case against him.Presumably he's in the county jail awaiting trial and this seems to be dated for early January 2017.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:02:22 pm
content: Quote from: zapta on October 09, 2016, 08:52:32 pmFrom everything I read and here about the privatisation of US jail system, and the statistics showing why the US has the highest incarceration rate in the world, I have doubts the result will be "fair and reasonable".

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:14:09 pm
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on October 09, 2016, 09:53:20 pmI don't see any Child Pornography charges. I see a whole lot of shit that could be levelled at someone who allowed a 17 year and 364 day old teenager to take a sip from a bottle of light beer at a house party though.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:24:55 pm
content: Quote from: Macbeth on October 09, 2016, 11:14:09 pmFWIW, the last charge is:http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-5/subtitle-3/chapter-27/subchapter-6/5-27-605but we should all remember, this is the US, we all know how trigger happy the US is, especially the further south you go, on calling somebody a sex offender.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:37:48 pm
content: You need to be careful of what you link to because that link also lists definitions of nasty stuff he definitely ISN'T being charged with.It could be as mild/simple as having three jpgs on a HDD that could be interpreted as 'explicit' in the bible belt of the USA. It's up to the cops to decide I guess?

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:39:12 pm
content: Quote from: Macbeth on October 09, 2016, 11:14:09 pmActually in the US it would be a 20 year old and 364 day old child.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 12:00:07 am
content: Quote from: sleemanj on October 09, 2016, 11:24:55 pmThe whole "Sex Offender Registry" thing in the US is disgusting. There are many, many ways you can get on it other than being a pedo/rapist. Say you're drunk and get busted for taking a piss in an alley; they can charge you with indecent exposure, boom on the registry.I have a friend who, when he was in college (20) stated dating dating (what he thought was) a 18 year old Senior in High School. Turns out she was really 15 and had a fake ID. I actually met her and let me tell you, she didn't look 15! Well, her dad found out she was dating my friend, had him arrested, charged with statutory rape, etc.Luckily for my friend, his family could afford a good lawyer. The DA later dropped the charges. If not, his life would have been ruined.Anyway, in this case it looks like KF5OBS is being charged with possessing digital child porn; however it's fairly easy to set someone up for this, either by hacking their PC, or simply sending a *single* picture to their phone via text message. Even if the person immediately deletes it and never requested it, they can still be charged. The CP laws are *very* broadly worded.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 12:20:08 am
content: Quote from: iampoor on October 09, 2016, 11:39:12 pmInsane

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 12:37:00 am
content: I think he may be completely on his own here because I think he was divorced recently and few (if any?) people seem to be on his side...Even his house mate seems to have told the police that he has pretended to be a policeman on numerous occasions. This is written in the court files.The alcohol charge claims that all of the guests had their names written on the cups they were drinking from. Is that a USA thing? Do you guys write your names on your plastic cups at a party? The cops found the cups, said they could smell booze in the cups and then married up the cup names to the (under 21yr old?) guests.What is it with the USA? I bet these guests can have a rifle but they can't drink beer at a party if they are 20 years old?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 12:57:32 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on October 10, 2016, 12:37:00 amWow, is that all?Here in Australia it's not illegal for a minor (18, not 21) to drink alcohol at a private party.You might get a slap on the wrist if you host a party and don't have the kids parents permissionandyou know they are underage,anddon't provide adequate supervision.And even if you do fall foul of our liquor laws it's never a jailable offence, just a fine.America is crazy.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:04:31 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on October 10, 2016, 12:37:00 amThis is probably the worst thing?Here in NSW it's not going to end well for you if you do that:http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s546d.html

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:09:19 am
content: I actually know of someone that was charged with possessing child porn on their computer. I can't give all the details. This person has fled the USA rather than face charges. I offered to help the person's wife w.r.t. to getting a lawyer, etc. We went to the local courthouse to get a copy of the official charges. The police described finding photographs of a young girl (it was his niece, at the beach), where they claimed the photographer had focused the camera at the girls crotch area. Note that the girl was not undressed. Now I didn't see the photos, but if you read the report you definitely got the sense that the police were stretching the facts to meet their arrest warrant.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:18:14 am
content: QuoteI'm not really sure what to make of it all but it looks like there was a falling out during the housewarming party and then one or two guests complained to the cops about an incident during the party. I suspect that the cops must have thought christmas had come early for them. This is the same guy who is giving them grief through the courts asking frivolous questions and making various legal demands of the police dept!So my guess is they milked the complainers for any dirt and the alcohol was then mentioned along with alleged sightings of fake cash (that was never found). Even his housemate grassed him up over the alcohol and told the cops about the fake sheriff ID etc. That's how they knew to look for the discarded cups in the bin with the names on them. What a mess...

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:30:53 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 10, 2016, 01:04:31 amHe's also likely to get a conviction for the fake driver's ID he (allegedly) provided for a 19yr old ladyfriend so she could go out drinking with him and pretend she was 21. They found several copies of her fake ID in his room. I think she is facing charges too?It doesn't look good at all. But here in the UK it seems really odd that a 19 year old can't legally have a drink in a US nightclub anyway?

author: gnavigator1007
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:42:49 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 10, 2016, 12:57:32 amYes America is crazy. The law books are so swollen from overreacting to individual events that make the news. There is always this response that "we have to do something about this" and politicians need to be seen taking action. The law paints in such broad brush strokes here and a large portion of our population has become accustomed to being criminalized for trivial matters. I remember many years ago as a teenager going to parties (I probably shouldn't have been attending) and being amazed that law enforcement would show up and try to arrest anyone of legal drinking age for supplying minors with alcohol. Their arrival always resulted in a mad rush by the underage to flee the scene and if not, they were told they had to leave. Effectively, this meant that by trying to prevent underage drinking, they caused a large number of party goers to get behind the wheel intoxicated. Bear in mind people could get their license age 16 here but can't legally drink until 21. Parents present at such a party could end up losing custody of their children on top of all the other legal issues. It was and is still common enough and parties continue. What exactly they're celebrating I've never understood. USA! USA! USA! Or something...

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:53:10 am
content: Quote from: gnavigator1007 on October 10, 2016, 01:42:49 amIt's a bunch of "THINK OF THE CHILDRENS!!1one" scaremongering.Consider this: At 17 you can enlist in the military and die in the desert for a lie, but you can't (legally) drink alcohol. That's fucking insane.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 01:53:19 am
content: To give some idea of how different it was in my day here in the UK, I can remember my parents letting me stay in our old house for several days on my own as we moved to another property in another town. Obviously, I invited my mates around and we were all just 15-16 years old. The house was essentially empty and without power but my job was to mind the house and sleep in a caravan in the garden until the move was complete. I think my parents were worried about squatters and if someone would steal the caravan.So there we were, four schoolkids playing cards, drinking cider and lager and smoking cigarettes in the empty house. A concerned neighbour called the cops thinking we were burglars and the house got surrounded by several police officers. We were caught bang to rights, pissed up and merry on cheap booze and fags but the cops really couldn't give a shit. They were just relieved that we weren't burglars and this meant less paperwork and no need for a chase and a scuffle.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 03:36:49 am
content: Actually i don't know if the big Liability you have in any area is worth the live in america.The onus no more compensate the bonus....

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 03:20:52 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on October 10, 2016, 01:53:19 amProbably because it's not illegal to drink alcohol in the UK as a minor, especially on your own property. It's also not illegal to supply your child with alcohol providing they are at least 5 years oldGood times, though I'm sure your parents could have been prosecuted for child neglect or something in this over-nannying day and age.

author: setq
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2016, 03:48:05 pm
content: I used to brew my own cider when I was 14 here in the UK (bread yeast, cheap apple juice, sugar in a coke bottle warmed by the hot exhaust of a 486 PC). Also purchasing fireworks, alcohol, knives, chemicals. Not a sausage from the police. I got stopped once at the age of 15 with a good old suspicious teenage classic; the "Head bag" packed full of air bombs, white lightning (cheap cider) and some home made "special fireworks". They took a look in it and told me not to set them off on the park in case I set fire to something and made me pour the cider down a drain and put the cans in a bin.Glad I don't live in the US. I'd probably be in prison or something.None of this did me any harm in the long run!

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2016, 11:45:50 am
content: Probably you will be like this guy

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2016, 01:05:59 pm
content: On a serious note...If we assume that (in the real grown up world) the forgery charges are actually fairly insignificant... the forgery 'motives' appear to be fairly lame ones. To get a girlfriend into a nightclub and to (probably harmlessly) impress a few locals that he is a sheriff. The 'alcohol to U21s at a party' charges are laughable to someone like me in the UK. It's not a big deal unless the cops want to make it a big deal I guess.If we also ignore the cops' (probably lame) attempt to pin porn charges on him then it may be the case that he could be in trouble wrt keeping all his lab gear safe. If he really is on his own and stuck in a cell somewhere then he could get exploited here.What will happen to all his lab gear? Will it get confiscated and sold at a pittance to a house clearance company? I get the impression that he's a tenant and not a homeowner...

author: Barryg41
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 12:28:31 pm
content: Here in the southern state of Louisiana, its ok at any age to drink alcohol as long as your parents, spouse or guardian is present and approves.Louisiana State Legislature Laws: (see 2.a.ii)4. UNLAWFUL SALE, PURCHASE, AND POSSESSION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES§93.10. DefinitionsFor purposes of R.S. 14:93.10 through 93.14, the following definitions shall apply:(1) "Purchase" means acquisition by the payment of money or other consideration. Purchase does not include such acquisition for medical purposes either when purchased as over the counter medication or when prescribed or administered by a licensed physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, hospital, or medical institution.(2) "Public possession" means the possession of any alcoholic beverage for any reason, including consumption, on any street or highway or in any public place or any place open to the public, including a club which is de facto open to the public. "Public possession" does not include the following:(a) The possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverage:(i) For an established religious purpose.(ii) When a person under twenty-one years of age is accompanied by a parent, spouse, or legal guardian twenty-one years of age or older.(iii) For medical purposes when purchased as an over the counter medication, or when prescribed or administered by a licensed physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, hospital, or medical institution.(iv) In private residences.(b) The sale, handling, transport, or service in dispensing of any alcoholic beverage pursuant to lawful ownership of an establishment or to lawful employment of a person under twenty-one years of age by a duly licensed manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of beverage alcohol.(3) "Alcoholic beverage" means beer, distilled spirits, and wine containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume. Beer includes but is not limited to ale, lager, porter, stout, sake, and other similar fermented beverages brewed or produced from malt wholly or in part or from any substitute therefor. Distilled spirits include alcohol, ethanol, or spirits or wine in any form, including all dilutions and mixtures thereof from whatever process produced.Acts 1995, No. 639, §1; Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 78, §1.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 12:51:10 pm
content: I was just wondering what happened to that guy.

author: Jwalling
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 04:38:36 pm
content: Quote from: Barryg41 on October 12, 2016, 12:28:31 pmI don't know if that's a good thing. There should be a cut-off age. A 5 year old is certainly not equipped to make a decision like that.

author: Jwalling
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 05:04:31 pm
content: Quote from: AcHmed99 on October 12, 2016, 04:52:22 pmAs much as I wish that were true, the flaming idiots do exist here. Witness every summer when some poor kid or baby get locked in a car with all the windows shut on a hot summer day and dies. Usually happens more than once every summer without fail.

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 08:42:18 pm
content: When he posted that video on his bipolar disorder I sent him a long message thanking him for his openness. When I hadn't seen any updates from him this summer I had an inkling and googled his name. Reading about his troubles was a real bummer. I thought about posting here, but like others, I didn't feel comfortable with that. I sincerely hope he is just a victim of a vindictive DA or local police, that the charges are trumped up, and that he manages to get a fair sentence. Having said that, while his medical condition certainly needs to be factored in when deciding just how accountable he is in front of the law for his alleged crimes, it doesn't absolve him of his responsibilities toward others. I foresee a long and difficult path ahead of him, no matter how this plays out, and I sincerely wish him all the best on his road to recovery. I just wish he wasn't subject to a justice system that so clearly favors punishment over rehabilitation.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 09:12:53 pm
content: Quote from: Jwalling on October 12, 2016, 05:04:31 pmThe problem with all of these "won't you think of the children?!" laws are there are ample laws already on the statute that cover abuse like that. If someone abuses their child by getting them drunk that is neglect and endangerment, etc. already. Adding a new law so that 0% alcohol is allowed in a child just means you criminalize perfectly decent people who may give a child a small glass of shandy or a sip of wine at most (which I recall spitting out and couldn't understand how adults would turn perfectly delicious grapes into that vile concoction!)In Europe we have traditions, like in France children will often be served diluted wine at the table with a meal, merely as an aperitif. In Ireland, children will be given the sacrament and take a sip of "the blood of Christ" in a catholic church. In England, we get to neck a can of Carlsberg Special Brew at age 5 and fuck you m8 wot u gonna do about it? In Scotland it will be a 6 year old with bottle of Buckie and ah see you jimmy? ah fuckin glass ya, ya sassenach cunt'

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 11:08:18 pm
content: The drinking laws in this country are just insane. You can join the army and go kill people at 18, but you can't drink alcohol until you rare 21. I was brought up differently. If an adult in our house had an alcoholic beverage and I asked for a taste, I was given a taste, not some crazy lecture on how it is for adults only and kids are forbidden. So by the time I got to college, I knew what it tasted like and wasn't curious - and having it freely available was no real temptation. You could easily tell the kids that came from families that made anything remotely alcoholic off limits, the ones who snuck parties when their parents weren't home - once exposed to freely available alcohol they went overboard and drank way too much at every opportunity. It just wasn't a big deal to me, and nothing I had to hide - I'd call my Mom and as part of the conversation tell her I had a beer after dinner with a couple of the guys down the hall. She didn't yell, she didn't give me a lecture.As for the overblown child porn laws - there are pictures in family photo albums of me and my sister in the bathtub together. Today, my parents would be arrested for child pornography. The problem is, any time someone tries to suggest making the laws a little more sensible, they are accused of being child predators themselves, or simply not caring about what happens to children. Someone rapes an 18 month old baby, castrate the fucker on the spot, but tub pictures for the photo album, or having to register as a sex offender because you took a drunken whiz in an alleyway is just ridiculous.It boggles the mind, since most of the politicians are lawyers and if there's anything they OUGHT to know about, it's proper wording of the laws, but everything is always a gross overreaction to what is a real and serious problem, with such vague wording that you get crap like the drunken public urinater having to register as a sex offender.But think of the chiiiiiiiildren.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2016, 11:55:27 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on October 12, 2016, 11:08:18 pmExactly.I remember, when I was a kid (maybe 6-7?) asking my dad for a sip of his beer, he obliged. I actually thought it tasted "OK" as I recall, but I wasn't curious about it anymore.When I was 15-16, my mom told me that if I wanted to have a beer or wine, that was fine, she'd buy me whatever I wanted, as long as I drank it at home. That took the "Alcohol is Forbidden" aspect away for me, which in turn made me not really care about "partying" or whatever. (Aside from a glass of wine at Christmas, I never took my parents up on their offer, either.)That's why I don't understand the huge crackdown on teenage drinking in the last 5-10years. I see "Teens: Drinking can kill you!" PSAs two, three times a night on TV. I see it on billboards, it's everywhere! There's no way they can be effective.The more you try to push a teenager in one direction, the harder they're going to push back! They think it's cool precisely because the adults don't want them to do it.The problem is, they're doing really stupid, dangerous shit, like Vodka enemas! (The idea being, your intestine absorbs the alcohol immediately, so you get drunk near instantly. Since it bypasses the stomach, nobody can smell it when you talk, thus they won't get caught.)*Sighs* These stupid, over reactionary "THINK OF THE CHITLENS" laws will be the end of us, if we don't start to pull in the reins soon.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2016, 12:24:29 am
content: When I was 5 or 6, I used to get my own drink on Christmas day. My Dad always has Crown and ginger ale, and he's make one for me (the smallest splash of whiskey and the rest ginger ale, but it definitely had alcohol in it). Sip of beer, no problem, During the summer, he'd come home from work, mix up a gin and tonic, and go sit out on the patio or get in the pool with us. Always got a sip of the drink - and I've never had a gin and tonic that reminds me exactly of that because there's less quinine in the tonic these days and/or it's artificially flavored.But we're the crazy ones for wanting a simpler time when most people didn't go out and get piss drunk and smash shit for the sake of smashing shit, or because their favorite sports team lost (or won - doesn't seem to matter). When the town drunk was looked upon sadly (and there was only one of them, not half the town - and he was just locked up for the night to save him from himself and not charged with some laundry list of crimes, digging an even deeper whole from which he could never escape without even more booze). I don't buy the whole "we just didn't hear about stuff because no internet back then" argument. The stuff that did happen was handled. Done and over, not dragged out in a televised circus trial for a month.And now we think a guy who says nasty things about women while talking with other men is utterly disgusting, while the same people who say so , or at least some 80 million of them, bought a book which is nothing BUT a guy doing everything possible to degrade a woman and make her submit to his will. And these words are somehow a worse offense than actual crimes which cost lives and put national security at risk. It's all just disgustingly upside down. I say we go off and start our own country with only a few very sane laws and just let the rest of the world go to hell in a handbasket while we carry on enjoying life and not being offended by every little word.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2016, 12:36:57 am
content: QuoteI have long advocated a "two systems, one country" solution where you would split the country up, so the people interested in re-distributing other people's money, taking in undocumented immigrants, letting undocumented pharmacists (=drug dealers) go free, ..., can do that to their hearts' content.50 years later, we can meet to see which side has flourished and which floundered.if the conservatives were half smart, they would have taken up that approach, as it is the only way to save america.And when you re-write the constitution, make no changes to it other than to add an Article 50.

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2016, 12:45:06 am
content: Quote from: steverino on October 09, 2016, 09:15:40 pmI made a phone complaint against a deputy about 5 years ago. About 2 months ago they clobbered my rental house with sledge hammers. They smashed my doors down AFTER they were inside (through unlocked doors). They used a sledge hammer against my walls, they did $1,000s in damage. There were 30 of them, with helicopters, tanks, flash bangs. It turned out to be a false allegation and they did not find anything and no arrests were made. I wished I had the nerve to tell them I got the message, I did and have learned to keep my mouth shut.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2016, 11:45:45 pm
content: Quote from: AcHmed99 on October 13, 2016, 12:31:04 amPeople always trot out the McDonald's Coffee incident as an example of our litigious society, however, MickeyD's really did screw up bad.They had the coffee maker set wrong and the water was *near boiling* when it came out. They also didn't snap the lid correctly onto the cup.So, when the woman took the coffee, the cup squeezed together (because the lid wasn't afixed) and *scalding hot coffee* spilt all over her lap. It was so hot, itfused her labia together.She required several skin grafts and surgeries afterwards. She deserved every penny she got from her lawsuit.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2016, 12:01:10 am
content: Quote from: AcHmed99 on October 13, 2016, 11:51:57 pmThe "CAUTION: HOT" warnings were already on the cups before that incident took place. McDonalds put the warning on their cups when they switched from styrofoam to double-paper hot beverage cups. (Before that, cold drinks were in paper cups and hot drinks in styrofoam.)It's just a visual reminder that it's a hot drink. There's no law mandating they put the warning on the cups or anything...

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 09:01:46 pm
content: In case anyone is interested, I have been following Sebastian's plight... He has tried to seek protection from Arkansas state law under Act III, on the basis of his past mental illness. The first hearing on that matter has been concluded, and he has now been presumed fit to stand trial. He is scheduled to appear before a jury in the beginning of April. From the moment of his arrest in March of last year he has been held at the Lonoke county jail. His next report before the judge, regarding the matter of an independent evaluation of his mental status i believe, is to be held in the last week of February.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 10:33:16 pm
content: IIRC they filed a hefty list of charges against him. Which of those made it into the court case?

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 11:05:58 pm
content: QuoteFrom what I can see in the latest court docs there are 8 violations to do with forgery and impersonation and to do with providing alcohol to minors.Then there are another 3 to do with porn and yet another one is for an alleged assault on a teenage girl (2nd degree sexual assault, Class B Felony).From what I can see in the statement from the cops, that last one is what kicked off the whole investigation. The cops went to his house after the "assault at the party" claim from the teenage (age 16?) girl.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 12:10:03 am
content: Just to make things worse, it looks like the 19 year old girlfriend he made the fake driver's licence for has just been to court for careless/prohibited driving and driving with no insurance.She is also going to court for a qty of 3 class B felony forgery charges to do with the fake IDs/driver's licence (allegedly) produced by KF5OBS. In the police statements it appears that during an official police interview, KF5OBS waived his right to remain silent and admitted that he made the fake ID/licence with help from the girl. The motive was to get into nightclubs.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 12:41:37 am
content: Thanks for looking these things up! I doubt the prosecutor is taking charges to court without some real evidence so it seems KF5OBS has dug a really deep hole for himself. Despite his mental problems I can't really feel sorry for him (a crime is a crime) but it is sad to see a person sink so deep.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 10:16:40 am
content: Quote from: timb on October 13, 2016, 11:45:45 pmThe other important thing about that case is that it's often trotted out as an example of excessive punitive damages, but in actuality, the plaintiff only sought recovery of medical costs. It was a jury who awarded a huge settlement (which made the news big), but the award was later slashed to a fraction by a judge(news didn't bother reporting this as widely).There are tons of examples of absurd lawsuits in USA, but ironically the one that's become the poster child of them was actually a very reasonable case, where the system worked as it should.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 12:09:01 pm
content: Sad to hear of someone having mental health issues, blowing up into serious legal drama.Just one thing I want to say, because no one else seems to have mentioned it.If the police want to throw you in a hole, and they get access to your computer, does anyone really believe they _won't_ 'find' child porn? I thought this had become standard operating procedure.In fact, given the ability to backdoor virtually any computer connected to the net these days, as demonstrated by the NSA malware leaks, I'd assume whatever incriminating material they wanted could be put on anyone's computer, even before the SWAT raid.

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 12:42:52 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on January 11, 2017, 12:09:01 pmI expect that a podunk sheriff's office in a backwater in arkansas is not capable of such 'sophistication'. I will say that this particular police department has a history of corruption. Police chiefs tend not to last very long there, have a history of leaving 'unexpectedly', with the most recent one having been forced to resign just in the past week, after less than a year in office, indicating that problems with this department are still very much ongoing. In 2008 the police chief and his wife were arrested for some pretty egregious offenses, including methamphetamines and sexual abuse of inmates in the county jail where Sebastian is being kept. It's a real sh*it-hole, if you'll pardon my language.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 10:54:28 pm
content: jeez... I just had a look through the website for the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office.You can view the inmates roster and see the mugshots of all the current inmates (including KF5OBS who does look out of place there). It's a properly scary bunch of people and I'm glad I'm not living day to day in amongst that lot!http://www.lonokeso.com/roster.php?grp=20Some of the women look scary enough but there's some male inmates that look big, mean and very pissed off. There are plenty of drug addicts, rapists, murderers, burglars, robbers, wife beaters, sex offenders and lots of unstable and scary looking nutcases covered with compulsory/wonky tattoos.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 11:50:56 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 11, 2017, 10:54:28 pmJust your typical Walmart customers!

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2017, 11:59:51 pm
content: Also, don't forget that in all the months he has been locked up in that jail, those are the only people he has been able to directly interact with (besides officers/staff/lawyer). This is due to the fact that Lonoke county jail has a video-visit only policy in place. The only way for family and friends to have contact with an inmate there is through a crappy and ridiculously overpriced skype-like chat, either at home or in a booth at the actual jail. No direct face to face is permitted, let alone physical contact. This is utterly barbaric, if you ask me.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 12:50:16 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 11, 2017, 10:54:28 pmI think if you were thrown in jail you'd probably look mean and very pissed off. It kinda goes with the territory.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 01:44:03 am
content: Quote from: coppice on January 12, 2017, 12:50:16 amSome look small and skinny, some look bored, some look happy and some look like they are about to fall asleep. Not sure which ones I'd want to share a cell/block with but the big angry nutcases wouldn't feature high on my shortlist.

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 08:36:26 am
content: $25 grand bail? This guy have no family? In Illinois, you post 10% of that with the court. In most other states you can usually get bail paid by a bail bondsman for 10% of the bail (or post the whole thing yourself.) Either way, he would normally either have to put up only $2,500, the difference is if it is refundable or not. That is not a lot of money. There is a video of him showing off his $20,000 scope.

author: raspberrypi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 10:39:25 am
content: Was this guy a member on this forum? Why was he hanging out with minors and buying them alcohol? I remember as a kid we had some older people that used to like to buy us alcohol because they really didn't have any friends that were their age. That or they just like the idea of hanging out with drunk teenage girls. Some I felt bad for, but some were just loser pedophiles trying to hook up with our girl friends. Nows a bad time to be unwell in this country since the republicans are taking away our health insurance. I'm already seeing the effects with my medicare premium (I get it because of an eye condition, I'm only 34). Hope this incident forces him to get medicated but he could be going to a prison for profit where he won't be.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 10:48:18 am
content: Quote from: raspberrypi on January 12, 2017, 10:39:25 amHe is a well known electronics Youtuber:https://www.youtube.com/user/KF5OBS

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 06:24:57 pm
content: Quote from: JoeN on January 12, 2017, 08:36:26 amOn one of the court forms he had to declare his status in terms of employment and any cash/assets he owns. The penalty for making a false declaration is pretty serious and he basically declared that he had no job, no savings, no car, no property. I think this declaration is used to decide if/how he might be able to fund his own defence but it also shows you why he wasn't able to meet even the basic bail bond requirements. I think the girl who is also going to court for the same forgery charges managed to get out on bail because she was caught for careless driving and driving without insurance last December.QuoteI think it's reasonably safe to assume that most of his test gear was donated to him by sponsors for use in his videos.

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 07:15:13 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 12, 2017, 06:24:57 pmFirst of all, there is no requirement at all in the US that you fund your own bail. Hence my question, "This guy have no family?". Also, though he would have to have someone else do it, the scope I saw could easily be sold for $5K or more and $25K bail appears to mean $2,500 (non-refundable) to the bail bondsman, which is just not a huge chunk. Maybe he and his family think it is better to stay in for some reason. That is truly not a huge bond. That's exactly the bond generally used to keep excessively poor people in jail, but he doesn't seem that type to me at all. I live in the U.S. and I know how this is designed to go down. It keeps dirt poor blacks in jail and no one else, just no one wants to admit that is the case.About posting bond in Arkansas if you want to use a bondsman:https://www.firstarkansasbailbonds.com/how-a-bond-works/In Illinois, since we know that a bondsman will fund almost anyone, by state law the court has to act as the bondsman and take the 10% themselves, but it is refundable if good behavior actually occurs and the defendant always shows up on time. So you can say Illinois is fairer. Yet even Illinois is accused from time to time at being unfair for requiring poor people to post what usually are pretty reasonable bonds, even for felonies (other than murders, those can easily be $1MM or more which means $100,000 up front). more:http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sheriff-tom-dart-proposing-to-scrap-illinois-cash-bond-system/

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 07:44:23 pm
content: Court records show he has been declared indigent (for the purpose of being appointed a public defender). Also, I have not read all the documents listed under his case, it would not surprise me if his bail was raised or withheld completely in response to the later charged leveled against him (which arent shown on the information at the lonoke jail roster), and specifically his efforts to seek protection under act 3 (mental illness or defect). I dont know enough about the american justice system though, it is purely speculation on my part.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 07:52:39 pm
content: Yes, the whole thing is a mess. If you look through all his court history he has had a recent divorce and his wife has an order against him for child support payments which he couldn't even meet before these charges were brought against him.QuoteI believe he sold some flashy test gear (including that $20k scope?) early last year so maybe he needed this money for legal costs for his divorce. Maybe he has few assets left? Who knows?QuoteI haven't read the earlier notes for quite some time but I do recall that the initial bail was $15k and it now looks to be $25k.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 09:16:01 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 12, 2017, 07:52:39 pmWhat baffles me is that they provide all this kind of highly private information on internet. Is there no such thing as privacy in the US??

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 10:16:46 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 12, 2017, 09:16:01 pmArrest records and court records are typically open records. I can find my driving tickets on my county's website, also my property tax information. I don't know about family court, but probably that is open too. Participants in court cases can petition the judge to seal certain parts of cases, but only under very specific conditions, where actual dangers exist far above the danger of embarrassment. Most of this behavior is derived from the Constitution's 6th Amendment:In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedyand public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defenceThis is almost always copied into the state's Constitutions, and would be required in most cases anyway, because of the Incorporation Doctrine (Amendment #14) anyway.http://law.justia.com/constitution/texas/sections/cn000100-001300.htmlExcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishment inflicted.All courts shall be open, and every person for an injury done him, in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law.Openness is sometimes carried to fault, but this openness is expected and has been there since 1787, just like the peaceful and professional progression of gentlemen presidents.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 10:46:35 pm
content: Quote from: JoeN on January 12, 2017, 10:16:46 pmSo your car insurance company can determine whether you are speeding often and increase the premium by an arbitrary amount and your potential new employer can check the value of your home to have some idea on what kind of (lowest) salary you are likely to accept. These kind of open records can cause a myriad of problems and (financial) disadvantages for you! In the NL (and typically in Europe) these kind of records are either secret or anonymised. Even the full names of convicted fellons are not disclosed.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 11:10:24 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 12, 2017, 10:46:35 pmThey've trying to anonymise certain accusations here WRT rape after some high profile cases. I can understand why but it's almost impossible to keep such a thing out of the public. Now, once you've been convicted of a crime, then your anonymity should be public. After all, laws are public and your penalty is to pay back society.The police here also shame people, particularly drink drivers and dangerous drivers on social media or on their website.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 12:09:47 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 12, 2017, 09:16:01 pmEssentially, no. The US does not recognize privacy as a basic human right, and as such there are no data protection laws like you have in Europe. There are many kinds of information the government is not allowed to collect without a warrant, but nothing stops third parties (like credit bureaus) from collecting whatever they want, information the government is allowed to purchase as needed. (Yup, facepalm.)That said, court records, tax records, etc. are often public even in countries with privacy laws, as government workings are often considered public knowledge per se. Here in Switzerland, for example, companies are not allowed to collect (never mind sell!) any data that isn't specifically needed for a customer's desired business interactions, but you can see anyone's tax filings, or look up a license plate number and find the registered owner.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 03:08:15 pm
content: This is sad, I'm sorry for him.Anyone has any news about this?

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 06:34:52 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on January 11, 2017, 12:09:01 pmThat is a perfectly valid excuse in this country and a number of people have gotten off from it. Just because something is on your computer does prove you are responsible for it. But of course the land of the free is different.Another example was when this forum was spamed with CP on Christmas day. You can quite easily find your browser s cache filling up with unwanted crap.

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 04:54:31 am
content: Quote from: tooki on January 15, 2017, 12:09:47 pmHeh. We don't allow that in the U.S. It would normally be something that would be allowed, almost all other types of licenses are public. To understand why this particular bit of information is not public, one only has to think about how often Americans solve problems without using the courts.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 06:52:39 am
content: Quote from: tooki on January 15, 2017, 12:09:47 pmI've always been amazed by the public access to police mug shot photos in the US.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 20, 2017, 11:55:37 pm
content: Quote from: JoeN on January 16, 2017, 04:54:31 amIt's the same in the UK - complete records are available online of the vehicle tax and MOT (including the MOT pass/fail history and annual mileages). For some strange reason the insurance indicator on a vehicle is available online, but technically only to the policyholder for free who has to tick a box in order to check the MID (Motor Insurance Database).Now finding the address of the registered keeper from a numberplate (who may or not be the driver) is another matter. Unfortunately the DVLA let this information out for buttons to private parking tattooed thug legalised criminals who pay them a bung, but Joe Public is certainly not allowed it so easily.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 09:50:10 am
content: Quote from: Macbeth on January 20, 2017, 11:55:37 pmYou realize it's 2017 and that most of us tattooed folksaren'tcriminals, right?

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2017, 05:59:34 pm
content: Quote from: Towger on January 15, 2017, 06:34:52 pmYes. Fortunately I didn't see any of it but I still worry about some of those who did getting in to trouble.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 12:11:57 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 12, 2017, 10:46:35 pmI don't know if this is the case in other states, but in California if you get a speeding ticket (or any other traffic ticket) you have three options:Pay the fine. The ticket goes on your record that insurance companies can see, and they will likely raise your rates.Go to court. If you win, the ticket goes away. If you lose, the ticket goes on your record and insurance companies can see it.Go to traffic school. This is typically an 8 hour class that covers basic driver and traffic safety. You still have to pay the fine, but the state will mask the ticket from your record and the insurance companies will not see it.Option 3 can only be exercised once every 18 months. If you get another ticket within 18 months of the first, insurance companies will be able to see both tickets.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 01:27:43 am
content: With such laws Americans are no longer entitled to say anything bad about other countries!

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 04:43:29 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 24, 2017, 01:27:43 amDo we? I look at the cover of the BBC and Telegraph today and all I see are articles about the U.S. I look at all of our papers and I don't see any articles about Britain. It seems to go the other way around most of the time, people opining from across the world what our laws should be or who Americans should vote for. I suppose our leaders have things to say about Putin or Syria or whatever, but the average American doesn't care that much.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 10:24:15 pm
content: Quote from: JoeN on January 24, 2017, 04:43:29 amIt's because the USA is so entertaining to watch from a distance

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 10:49:46 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 24, 2017, 10:24:15 pmThat too and there is probably much more to follow! But I was hinting towards a more serious issue. I strongly believe that a punishment for a crime (whether it is a parking ticket or time in jail) is a matter between the person and the government. It is nobody else's business because otherwise the person would be a criminal forever subjected to random punishments. If (for example) an insurance company raises my insurance premium because I get a speeding ticket every once in a while I get punished twice for one crime. Interestingly the Americans have a specific 'double jeopardy' clause in their constitution! How does all of that add up?

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 11:16:21 pm
content: If you dig deep enough into that courthouse website you can read stuff that shouldn't really be public info. eg you can read correspondence between both parties in a divorce or other legal case. Some of it is quite intimate and passionate (even kinky) and some of it is petty, vindictive and some of it describes violent behaviour and any alleged threats made between parties. You also get to see the income breakdown, savings, assets (net worth?) of anyone involved.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 11:16:53 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 24, 2017, 10:24:15 pmI suspect it's because the U.S. is the 800 pound gorilla in the room and draws attention for that reason.Example: I think a lot more people in the UK know who the U.S. president is versus the number of Americans who know the name of the UK's prime minister. I'd be very surprised if more than one American in a thousand can name the PM.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 11:35:52 pm
content: QuoteThat's partly because your (crazy, bigoted and outspoken) new president is 'box office' entertainment for the whole worldI'm not sure what our PM would have to do to begin to compete. Over here our politicians are a generally uninspiring (but generally sensible) lot and I sometimes wonder how some of them got any votes.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2017, 11:56:48 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 24, 2017, 11:35:52 pmI think that my comment probably applied to just about any American president versus the British PM. Other than Churchill, I doubt that most Americans could name even one other PM.MaybeThatcher, but even that's stretching it.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 12:05:06 am
content: Do not let this get into politics.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 12:14:31 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 25, 2017, 12:05:06 amOK Boss!

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 01:05:39 am
content: This case against KF5OBS is a kind of microcosm with respect to just how batshit crazy the USA often appears to the rest of the world. This guy is basing his defence on mental issues and has a history of mental illness wrt bipolar disorder and self harming. Yet he (legally?) owns a 40 calibre Glock handgun according to some court documents. But in the USA he can't legally give alcohol to a 20 year old at a housewarming party and the local cops have thrown him in jail (for a YEAR) waiting for a trial in April for stuff that would probably have resulted in a police caution here in the UK.My guess is that the trial date will slip again. It appears that the defendant can opt to waive their right to a speedy trial if they want more time to prepare a defence but it does seem wrong to stick someone in jail for a year for stuff like this. If there were any grownups in charge in their system you would think that his gun would be confiscated and he would be sent home awaiting trial. But then again I think that the local cops want him out of the way. He was becoming a major PITA to them in his legal battle against them over his freedom of information case. His last appearance in the courthouse for his legal case against the local police station was about three weeks before he got busted by the police raid at his new house. The last legal document produced by the local police was just seven days before the raid. It was another written legal response from the police to yet more requests from KF5OBS wrt his freedom of information demands.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 01:35:45 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 25, 2017, 01:05:39 amOne thing to keep in mind is that the UK has much more uniform police and prosecution policies than we have here. We're divided into 50 states, each with their own laws, and each of these states are divided into multiple counties. Each county has its own district attorney that determines who to prosecute and for what. The position of district attorney is an elected position in many counties, so the political element factors into it as well. DAs often have to show that they're "tough on crime" to win election.Your Crown Prosecution Service covers the whole country and I'm sure they are much more uniform in their policies and practices.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 02:35:23 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 25, 2017, 01:05:39 amEven the impersonating an officer part?Here in Oz that's pretty serious and you get two years in jail and/or a large fine.It really sucks he can't (or won't?) post bail and has to spend a year in there.QuoteHe is free to leave on bail.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2017, 05:03:46 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 25, 2017, 02:35:23 amYes, impersonating an officer is taken very seriously over here too. For some reason, a lot of hams like to push the limits of this. They put flashing light bars on their cars, spotlights on their rear view mirrors, pusher bumpers up front, sirens, and many of the other characteristics of a police car. Like the one in the photo below. Some of these guys even wear badges that look almost identical to real police badges. We call these people whackers.As for bail, it must be because he either can't or won't pay the bail set by the judge. Except for special circumstances, it's almost unheard of for a judge to deny someone bail, unless the suspect is an extreme flight risk, which I doubt is the case here. Typically, people who can't afford to put up the entire bail amount themselves go to a bail bondsman, who will put up the bail and charge you 10% of the bail as a fee, and you don't get this 10% back even if you show up for your trial.

author: Hugoneus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2017, 04:22:42 pm
content: Wow, I just saw this. Unreal, especially the child pornography additional charges as well as sexual assault.

author: neil t
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2017, 07:53:17 am
content: Hi my name is Neil this is my formal introduction.I have personal knowledge of child abuse and abusers.I Am Astounded.I have Grandchildren.This Bullshit is disgraceful.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 09, 2017, 11:35:05 am
content: Quote from: Sal Ammoniac on January 25, 2017, 05:03:46 pmYep, seen a few of those around. In Australia they are commonly known as "wannabes". More often than not, they are members of a volunteer association such as the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA), Rural Fire Service (RFS), the State Emergency Service (SES) etc...Now don't get me wrong, the vast majority of volunteers do an amazing job in those organisations and are largely made up of people who want to do their bit for the community. They essentially supplement the "professional" emergency services when the shit really hits the fan and in some areas are the first responders to many incidents. They earn a lot of respect in my opinion.However to join such an organisation usually involves very little vetting or background checks and unfortunately attracts a special type of person who wouldn't ordinarily make it through the application process (let alone training) in full-time government emergency service. I know of one particular person who is a member of a particular volunteer organisation who drives around Sydney in a crappy old Ford Falcon sedan. He has amber LED lights on his dash and rear parcel shelf, antennas galore (for his many programmable radios and scanners) and removable "Emergency Response" door magnets. Although people like this usually go over-board and stick out like dog's balls. No one believes them to be anyone of authority.Thankfully in the state I live, Police radio is almost all encrypted (with the exception of some very remote areas that still use VHF radio out of necessity). Pretty much the only emergency services you can listen to here are the Ambulance and Fire Brigades (that mostly use mobile data terminals anyway) and most of the radio traffic consists of generic messages.

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 09, 2017, 11:58:06 am
content: Quote from: KF5OBS on February 09, 2017, 03:59:43 amYou just blew your defense. For someone hoping to be acquitted by means of mental defect, you are sure coherent and the admission of drug use will only hurt your case. Were you under the influence of drugs or were you under the influence of a mental defect? Reasonable doubt and all that...Before you make another public statement about the case, talk to your attorney.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2017, 12:12:25 pm
content: Quote from: MarkS on February 09, 2017, 11:58:06 amWho knows if he's currently being medicated or the fact that, for whatever reason, a huge weight has been taken off his mind, which has been plaguing him for years from what I can see? Drugs do seem to have made a huge impact on him rightly or wrongly.Good that he is owning up to his wrongs and it's sad that children are involved.

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 09, 2017, 05:19:59 pm
content: My point is that he is currently under indictment for several felonies and in the US, once arrested, anything you say can and will be used against you in court. To put it another way: What he posted is now potential evidence against him. I cannot even edit out his reply from mine as it could be considered potential evidence against him and doing so could result in a charge of destruction of evidence, a felony.When you're in his situation, you do not make any public statements about the case without your attorney.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 01:18:25 am
content: I think there really isn't anything more that can be said in this thread. Dave, even though you're not responsible for what people write on this forum, I think it would be sensible to lock the thread for now if for no other reason than it really isn't EE related.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 01:28:12 am
content: I don't think it's really any of our business what he has done or how he responds to it. I have never suffered mental illness myself but I have dealt with it on a few occasions with friends and family members and to say that it's difficult would be an understatement. I give someone a lot of credit for owning their mistakes, far too often people get into situations like this and blame everything and everyone but themselves. I don't know the guy and I don't know exactly what he's done so I'm not going to judge him for it. I don't envy his position and I hope he's able to overcome his issues and get on with life once all this is over.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 02:04:10 am
content: Quote from: james_s on February 10, 2017, 01:28:12 amI could not have put it better myself. IMHO this thread can serve as a good reminder for people to keep their sh*t together OR ELSE.

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 12:05:43 pm
content: Quote from: Halcyon on February 10, 2017, 01:18:25 amWhether you like it or not, he is a member of this electronics/youtube community. The fact that he is in some dire straits of his own doing doesn't change that. I don't know whether his post is detrimental to his defense, but I would argue that is his business. If he wishes to ask for correspondence, or express his own thoughts on the position that he is in, then I think he should be allowed to do so. I can only applaud the willingness he has shown to embrace his mistakes. If you're to find your way back to a place where you can once again be a positive member of society, I imagine that is quite possibly the only path that might have a chance of leading you there.

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 01:50:56 pm
content: Quote from: thomastheo on February 10, 2017, 12:05:43 pmYou and the others that have posted since me seem to assume that I am being critical of him. What I posted was a warning. You DO NOT EVER publicly discuss your case after arrest without consulting with your attorney and no competent attorney will allow it except under extremely slim circumstances. What I want him to do is not say anything more. This is common sense in the American judicial system. He needs to exercise that common sense before he really screws himself up.I do hope he can get past this and get well, but in the mean time he needs to exercise his right to remain silent.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 01:59:15 pm
content: Quote from: MarkS on February 10, 2017, 01:50:56 pm"When stories like this surface about a person, that person pretty much has 3 options: denial, silence, and own that shit. I’m going to attempt the latter."I think he's already made his mind up.

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 02:00:12 pm
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on February 10, 2017, 01:59:15 pmThat's his choice, but it is very ill advised.

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 02:08:06 pm
content: Quote from: MarkS on February 10, 2017, 01:50:56 pmI am quite unfamiliar with the american justice system, so please excuse my ignorance on the subject. It would indeed be quite unfortunate if he makes things even harder for himself with regard to his legal position, even if it might help him in another way to share his story. It is his right to do so, of course, but as you say, if it were my brother that was in his position then I would wrestle the keyboard (or more likely a pen in this case) right out of his hands.

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 02:34:34 pm
content: Quote from: thomastheo on February 10, 2017, 02:08:06 pmThat is perfectly understandable. Once you have been arrested, as I've already said, anything you say can and will be used against you. It is up to the prosecutor to decide if your statement is relevant to the case and the judge as to whether it is admissible, but but any verbal or written communication has the potential to be subpoenaed. This site and it's servers are located in the US, so the hosting company will have to comply with any subpoena.As an example, he mentioned being high on opioids. Were they prescribed to treat his mental conditions? We don't know. If not, they are classified as controlled substances with heavy penalty for possession. With his statement it would be trivial to get another search warrant to look for the drugs. It's like a man on trial for murdering a woman, only to exclaim on the stand: "I didn't kill her! She was alive after I was done raping her!" Prosecutor:Defense attorney:

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 02:52:43 pm
content: Pretty sure I've heard that defence before on Law and Order SVU or CSI what have you.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2017, 04:28:17 pm
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on February 10, 2017, 02:52:43 pmThose shows create real problems for our legal system. Juries expect DNA evidence and airtight cases for everything because that's how it works on TV.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2017, 12:32:18 pm
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on February 10, 2017, 01:59:15 pmSometimes a public confession can work in your favour. Remember Oliver North in the late 80's? IIRC he didn't get convicted because they couldn't find an impartial jury or something like that after he confessed in public (on TV).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2017, 01:03:37 pm
content: Quote from: thomastheo on February 10, 2017, 12:05:43 pmAll well and good... but has he asked? This thread was going on long before the subject was even "made aware" of it. Whether this is detrimental or not to his cause is not for us to decide or worry about. It also has nothing to do with the EEVblog. Sure, by all means if you feel the need to offer him whatever assistance you can, then do so, but it's not the purpose of this forum unless I'm mistaken?Far more harm can be done than good by this thread. As you said yourself, it's his business, let's revert to why we're here... Electronics Engineering.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2017, 05:36:47 pm
content: Quote from: Halcyon on February 09, 2017, 11:35:05 amWhy is that a good thing? Radio has been one of my hobbies for a long time and for years I've had several scanners and love to listen to all the stuff that's going on around me. Keeping an ear on what the police are up to lets me know what sort of stuff is going on and hearing what they deal with and how professionally they handle it has given me a good deal of respect for them. It's illegal to interfere with what they're doing, or to use such transmissions to aid committing a crime but I feel that citizens have a right to monitor the official communications of our public servants.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2017, 05:52:59 pm
content: My respect for the local police force has increased significantly since I've started monitoring via Scanners. The amount of BS calls they get is staggering.

author: raspberrypi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2017, 08:30:34 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on January 12, 2017, 07:52:39 pmHe said he had a 400-600 mg/day oxycodone habit. That will take precedence over EVERYTHING! The pills you get when you have a tooth pulled are usually 5mg oxycodone/325 acetaminophen (why they add tylenol is beyond me). For chronic pain the pills can go as high as 80mg in a time release or 20mg in instant release. The street value of oxycode is about $1.00 per 1mg!!!! So he was spending close to $400-600 a day. Or if he was getting them from a doctor there is a limit on how much they give you. As of 2017 the DEA passed a ridiculous law saying you can only get the equivalent of 50mg/day of morphine. I had a very severe injury that left me partially crippled for life and have to take the limit. but if something goes wrong like I need another surgery the doctor cant give me any more any more and I just suffer as when I was hospitalized a few weeks ago. The only way to get around this is to have the doctor prescribe you a stronger drug. So even with this guy getting the drugs legally he would still need to augment his habit.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2017, 09:32:43 pm
content: Quote from: raspberrypi on February 11, 2017, 08:30:34 pmThe APAP is added to discourage abuse. Most people know that taking several paracetamol is life-threatening, so they will not take multiple percocets at once to "see what it feels like". That it is an effective pain-reliever, itself, is a side benefit: as long as the effects are additive, it reduces the (dependence-forming) opiates needed to relieve a constant level of pain.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2017, 01:51:37 am
content: Quote from: helius on February 11, 2017, 09:32:43 pmYou can remove the APAP by crushing the pills, dissolving them in water and then putting the mixture in the freezer for 12 hours. Once it reaches <32f you strain the mixture through a coffee filter. The white sludge in the filter is the APAP and the liquid is pure opiate.Edit: My bad, the above isn't for removing the APAP, it's for removing the fillers.I really feel for KF50BS. Drugs, especially opiates, can make you into a totally different person. I know, I'm a recovering addict myself.Anyway, KF50BS, I really hope you get the help you need. I hope you're going to NA meetings in jail and taking your bipolar medication (my ex had good luck with Geodone for her bipolar). Hopefully this is your rock bottom; it's going to be a hard climb back up, but you'll get there!

author: raspberrypi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2017, 10:25:21 am
content: Quote from: timb on February 12, 2017, 01:51:37 amSo many internet myths so little time. What you guys know about electronics I know about chemistry. The oxy and the APAP are both water soluble. Mixing it with water will dissolve the drugs and separate out the insolubles like the fillers and binders. Freezing the solution is going to make the drugs less soluble, not what you want. To get the acetometophen out you are going to have to use a few solvents and vacuum filtration by trying to get the APAP to precipitate out. . 5mg is not much material to work with either.I think the APAP was so that they could patent the drug and get another 7 more years when oxys went generic. You can take up to four grams of APAP a day so thats not going to really deter people. Plus if they don't feel sick they will just take more not knowing/caring about the long run liver toxicity.

author: timb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2017, 02:18:09 pm
content: Quote from: raspberrypi on February 12, 2017, 10:25:21 amYou're totally correct, it's just to remove the fillers. It's been a long time since I heard about that particular method. I think the idea was to make it hit harder (as a concentrated liquid), since you obviously can't (or shouldn't) rail something with APAP, as it's not very pleasant for your nose. (Then again, I suppose snorting anything isn't very good for your sinuses to begin with!)My bad, I didn't mean to perpetuate a myth! (And there are *a lot* of them when it comes to drugs.)

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2017, 06:43:26 pm
content: Looking at the latest court docs there have been a few events recently.It looks like he's tried to get his bail bond reduced but this request has been flatly denied by the judge. This is based on KF5OBS' prior convictions and the serious nature of the pending cases according to the judge.So it looks like KF5OBS 'has some previous' or has 'got form' as we would say here in the UK. Not sure what these convictions were but presumably they must be significant to the pending cases.The other thing is that he is trying to deny the court/jury access to the police evidence against him because he thinks it was obtained with an illegal search. So he's trying to make the evidence inadmissible in court. He's also claiming mental defect as a possible defence, and he's claiming he isn't being medicated adequately in jail.What a mess....

author: raspberrypi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2017, 04:47:54 am
content: And when he gets out of jail he can look forward to not having health insurance. I wonder if some/all of this could have been avoided if we had the right to healthcare like in other(all) 1st world countries. The part that bothers me is the sex with minors or trying to get underage girls drunk to have sex with them. That could all be bull shit though. I knew when I turned 21 living in a small town that going to parties where some of the people were under 21 was asking for trouble.

author: Hugoneus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2017, 10:33:36 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on February 25, 2017, 06:43:26 pmDon't these conflicts ultimately hurt his case even more? If claiming mental defect then why try to eliminate the evidence?Either way, what a mess.

author: cprobertson1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2017, 02:24:29 pm
content: Quote from: raspberrypi on February 12, 2017, 10:25:21 amOxycontin and Paracetamol aresynergisticas well - in that one improves the uptake of the other (or both in this case). In fact, in this case, the combined effect is greater than the effect of it's constituent parts (so if A = x, B = y, then (A+B) > (x+y)) - same as with paracetamol + ibuprofen which is a common pain med. Also helps with congestion if I recall...ANYWAY - way off topic.It's interesting to see how this court-case will play out - has there been any news recently regarding the case?

author: thomastheo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2017, 04:46:24 pm
content: Yes, there have been developments in his case. Sebastian plead guilty, and has been sentenced to 72 months of probation, as far as I can tell from the documentation available on the Arkansas Court Connect site. I wish him luck with his rehabilitation, and that he may get back to electronics just as quickly as he can. I won't even pretend to be able to state what's best for him, but if I were in his position, I would gather my things and return to Germany at my earliest opportunity.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2017, 02:54:22 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 12, 2017, 10:46:35 pmYou would think. When you quit from a Belgian company, they give you a paper, stating how much money you earned last year and how much vacation days you can have this year. And you are supposed to hand it over to your next employer. Otherwise for that year you have 0 vacation days.Now my employer knows, that he is paying x extra above my previous one. Good luck getting a raise.Are you #$@&%* kidiing me? Belgium managed to piss me off again.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 17, 2017, 10:53:05 pm
content: QuoteI'm not sure about this. I think he pleaded 'no contest' because the prosecution offered him a plea bargain if he pleaded no contest to the charges. So I think he gave this plea just to escape the mess with some fines and some jail time. He may even be free now. I think he was given 120 days' jail time but he had over a year of jail credit time. So I'm not sure if he is free or not.google for "Nolo Contendere" for the official definition of his pleaQuote

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2017, 07:56:26 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 17, 2017, 10:53:05 pmIn American law this is at best a distinction without a difference. Maybe it will matter back in his home country, but it counts as a conviction in the USA in the same manner as a guilty plea does.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2017, 06:52:20 pm
content: QuoteHe might not have much choice here... Tucked in amongst the court documents is a rather ominous looking letter sent to the courts from the Dept of Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS/ICE/ERO). They wanted to know more info about this case wrt the issuing of a detainer.The chap writing this letter was a deportation officer. It doesn't look good... I suspect that KF5OBS won't be free for very long as it looks (to me) like the next step in this sorry saga could be compulsory deportation back to Europe.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2017, 09:55:30 pm
content: Looking at the latest court docs I think KF5OBS has now been transferred to the Lasalle Detention Center, located in Jena, Louisiana.QuoteIt looks like he is in the early stages of the deportation process although this doesn't mean for sure he will get deported. But his address on the court docs is now that of the above detention centre in Louisiana.http://www.immigrationdetention.org/wiki/lasalle-detention-center/

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2017, 07:00:22 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 19, 2017, 06:52:20 pmMost Europeans don't fight this and self-deport when this sort of thing happens. It's the third-world people that have more of a vested interest in staying that is so bad they will sit in jail for years rather than go back to their own country. You can deport me to Germany any time you want, BTW.

author: yada
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2017, 05:24:00 pm
content: QuoteOxycodone and Tylenol have completely different metabolic pathways. They neither compete nor complement each other. Oxy binds to opiate receptors where Tylenol has no binding affinity and doesn't block pain by acting upon sigma opioid receptors. Tylenol acts more like an NSAID then an opiate, it works more at a cellular level neutralizing the effect of a substance cells excrete causing mild pain. Oxys work on just receptors in the brain (also bind to opiate receptors in the large intestine, but then have a anti-diarrhea effect) The two are put together so that the drug company can file a patent for a new drug. If you notice these new drug will come out exactly 7 years after the first formulation because that when the patent runs out.I don't know why people say these things...

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2017, 07:11:30 pm
content: QuoteIn this case KF5OBS has been filing fresh cases/petitions quite recently so he is definitely still fighting for something. The most recent case/petition was issued just a few days ago. I think he has at least one child in the USA but one of the recent cases is to do with paternity of another child. I think this case is getting very complicated with multiple legal docs from KF5OBS against the police for contempt and against his ex wife and now his (ex?) girlfriend. i.e. the girlfriend he did the fake IDs for. However, I don't think the USA wants him in the country anymore. They have apparently found a history of previous convictions and this is what they are using as a means to get him deported. It is a total mess.http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/may/19/filer-of-lr-suit-convicted-facing-depor/?f=news-arkansasQuote

author: Hugoneus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 05:20:20 am
content: Just keeps getting messier and messier... I feel terrible for the child (children?) involved.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 09:37:48 am
content: And given the current administration's attitude towards deporting criminal foreigners, even over little things and regardless of children, they're not gonna turn a blind eye to this serious stuff, even if he's not Hispanic...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 10:06:10 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 25, 2017, 07:11:30 pmHow do you read that article? I don't see any article text?And is that a new Tektronix logo T-Shirt he's wearing?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 10:11:11 am
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 24, 2017, 09:55:30 pmI think he'll have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to stay now. The wheels are in motion.I hope he has favorable circumstances back home (friends, family etc).Extra sad because kids are involved it seems.

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 10:13:17 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on May 29, 2017, 10:06:10 amTHere's a clue on the bottom of the page:This story is only available from the Arkansas Online archives. Stories can be purchased individually for $2.95. Click here to search for this story in the archives.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 10:56:44 am
content: QuoteIt looks like the articles only appear for a couple of weeks then get archived. I didn't keep a copy but the article was quite detailed.Try this alternative news link as it still seems to work and the text appears the same as the Arkansas article...http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2017/may/19/filer-of-lr-suit-convicted-facing-depor/

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 11:33:10 am
content: Seven pages of slightly disturbing voierism. I'm surprised the mods haven't locked this thread by now (considering the usual policy), it has nothing to do with electronics.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 11:58:15 am
content: Quote from: Gyro on May 29, 2017, 11:33:10 amSebastian is part of our community and he has a big following. This thread is basically the only place that is keeping people up to date with progress in his case.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 12:20:03 pm
content: In amongst his various legal letters there is a current address and (inmate?) reference number at the place in Louisiana. I could post this up here but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. However, he did ask for people to contact him when he was in the Lonoke jail. I think you can send letters and possibly send him phone credits (so he can call you?). I'm not sure it works the other way around.Should I provide his current address info here?

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 01:09:44 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on May 29, 2017, 11:33:10 amHe has a Youtube channel on Ham radio and electronics (KF5OBS, hence the title of this thread). He didn't have that many subscribers at the time this ordeal started (just a couple of thousand), but many of them were also members of this forum, so he was considered one of our own.Here is his Youtube channelin case you'd like to check it out.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 01:17:13 pm
content: Quote from: G0HZU on May 29, 2017, 12:20:03 pmIt might be an idea for people to PM you for the details, unless Dave has other views, I don't know how this stuff works.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 01:27:53 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on May 29, 2017, 01:17:13 pmYeah, I don't know how it work either, so better to PM it I guess.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 01:32:45 pm
content: I'm just thinking that if it's too public the prison or whatever could get inundated by someone with a grievance that could just be counter productive.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 02:21:37 pm
content: Quote from: Hugoneus on May 29, 2017, 05:20:20 amI agree. Most what he did is just goofball stuff but messing with children just doesn't fly with me.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2017, 04:53:31 pm
content: Quote from: Dave on May 29, 2017, 01:09:44 pmSure, I understand that and am aware of his Youtube channel. It's just that, having seen this thread keep popping up over the past few months, there seems to be a distinction between posts offering the guy support and the ones discussing what he's done, what's going to happen to him etc. in the 3rd person.I don't personaly know the guy and am not going to pass judgement on what he's done (even if some of it sounds pretty unsettling). I'm just (as said) slightly disturbed by the 3rd person discussions of what 'one of our own' has done what's going to happen to him etc. (that's all that I meant by voierism).

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 09, 2017, 11:33:15 pm
content: Sebastian has tweeted he's back in Germany now and will post an update on here shortly.

author: BalticLab
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2017, 12:25:19 am
content: Hey guys (and girls)!I'm only on a cell phone so typing is Kind of tedious but i wanted to update the community as quickly as possible.First things first, thank you for your support! I'm glad to See that many of you took a very critical and even somewhat skeptical approach to all evidence presented.Lets Start with the end result: 6 years Probation, $ 1000 fine and banned from the USA for life.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2017, 12:48:42 am
content: Thanks for the update.Quote from: KF5OBS on July 10, 2017, 12:25:19 amI'm curious to know how this works.How can someone get "6 years probation" and be banned from the country for life?Surely once you are banned from the country and leave their laws no longer apply to you? Or does this 6 years probation get reflected back to your German legal system somehow?Do you legally "start fresh" in Germany? or now become under German probation?

author: BalticLab
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2017, 12:54:56 am
content: Whats the status with me now? Well, i live in Germany (near Kiel) now after getting deported last Friday. I'm doing relatively well. It'll be a while until i get back to blogging though, if at all.

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2017, 12:56:18 am
content: Quote from: KF5OBS on July 10, 2017, 12:54:56 amI've watched your channel since way back, best of luck to you.BTW, don't forget to change your forum country flag.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2017, 01:03:54 am
content: Takes courage to speak to any of this, I wish you well Sir.

author: BalticLab
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2017, 01:19:00 am
content: QuoteOne is the criminal sanction the other is immigration law. Certain criminal charges make you inadmissable to the USA.Nothing follows me to germany so here im 'clean'.

author: D. Head
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2019, 09:07:15 pm
content: He is back again.Has done a live-stream:

author: OwO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 03:41:57 am
content: Quote from: KF5OBS on July 10, 2017, 12:25:19 amThat's good, no need to go back to that ****hole. Also consider changing your flag and getting a D* callsign