Spectators Locked Out at Everist's Hearing
August 22nd, 2012

Medford, Oregon ---  The anti-mining circus at the Federal Court building in Medford, Oregon that brought us the Clifford Tracy debacle has reached new lows.

People who turned up to support local miner Dave Everist at his dismissal hearing earlier today are reporting that they were locked out of the court room by a member of the court.

The door, which the court insisted had been unlocked during the hearing, was pulled and tugged on to no avail by several persons in the mass of Everist's supporters and was found to have been locked from the inside after they were told to wait to come in the court room. Included among those who were locked out was Stanley Everist who is the brother of Dave Everist, as well as Mining Law advocate, Ron Gibson, who has been assisting Everist and his court appointed attorney, Brian Butler, with his mining law expertise.

In a phone conversation after the incident, Everist remarked that his attorney had wanted the spectators to be present.

"They didn't open the door until the hearing was over," Everist said. "I think I know who locked the door and I believe it was intentional. They didn't want the miners in here."

At least one of Everist's supporters intends to file a legal complaint over the incident and believes that the door was locked by Federal Prosecutor Douglas Fong.

Meanwhile, Everist's request for dismissal has been post-poned until Friday, August 24th. If the dismissal is not granted, Everist's trial will begin Tuesday, August 28th.

Dave Everist, known to locals and also miners around the country as "Miner Dave" after his well publicized arrest in February of 2012, is on trial for occupying his granted mineral property without an Approved Plan of Operation from the United States Forest Service.

On Tuesday, Everist appeared on 1440 KMED FM and was asked by radio host, Bill Meyer, why he was bothering to fight what appears to be a losing battle with the federal government.

Everist responded that he came from a military family and that while his eyesight prevented him from entering the service himself, he felt that he is still obligated to protect the principles laid down by the founders of this nation.

"It my duty to be a Keeper of the Republic," Everist said.
 


 

Mining Rights (dot) org is copyright 2010 by the South West Oregon Mining Association