The Post-Times

Philadelphia, PA
World Press Association
July 4th, 2009

The four men known as the ‘Robin Hood Gang’, were brought into court for a hearing today; David Lang age 28, Peter Hash age 32, Steven Cotes age 27, and Michael Reed age 37. This should have been the stage of the proceeding where they heard the charges against them, declared their pleas, and had a date set for trial. However, true to form, this went anything but they way it should have.

They refused legal counsel, claiming that they would be better off representing themselves than having “some lackey of the corrupt state set them up for compromising their rights.” When presented with the charges against them, they refused to plea, claiming they did not recognize a federal court‘s jurisdiction over them as “the Constitution has been violated so many times in so many ways the Federal government is no longer a legitimate body.” The judge, the Hon. Francis Le Plume, explained to the defendants that failure to plead would be viewed by the court as a de facto plea of ‘no contest’ and then asked each individual how they plead. They did not waiver from their stance. He then instructed the court recorder to officially record pleas of no contest to the 5 felony charges being leveled against each of the men, and summarily sentenced them to 150 years in prison each.

There has been some debate over whether Judge Le Plume overreached the authority of the bench, but without attorneys to defend them, the men were incapable of mounting any legal counter argument at the time. Whether this ruling will withstand appeal, or if there will even be an appeal, remains to be seen. At this time the four men remain in the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia awaiting assignment to a prison.

Crowds had gathered outside the courthouse cheering for the ‘heroes of the people’ and decrying the ‘tyrants of the oligarchy’ as their signs read. Yet none of them appreciated the poetry of a group of men who demanded accountability for crimes being sent to jail for vigilantism. Their rather grandiose manifesto demanded a more organized society with greater accountability for law and order. Yet somehow they hoped to accomplish that through violence done under cover of night, hidden behind masks. Seldom is hypocrisy the key to leading real social change.

For several months these men enacted our darkest desires against the worst elements of our high society. We secretly praised them for acting out our revenge. However, we also are all now sighing a breathe of relief to know that these marauders are removed from the social landscape. Let us now join together in building the society we desire.

JD Adler
WPA