White Hope Mine court update

These links are for two interviews with the miners and their lawyers in the Lincoln Montana White Hope mine case. This was forwarded to me by Fred Kelly Grant, the lead lawyer in the case, for public distribution. The interviews are from KTVH TV in Helena and were played in Great  Falls also on a local station this morning.

I was in Helena yesterday with Rick Delapp, one of our Oath Keepers leaders from Kalispell for the scheduled pre-trial conference in Judge Lovell's courtroom.  The miners' lawyers got pretty much everything they wanted.  There will be further action between now and January and I will keep you up to speed as the case progresses.

Paul Stramer

Hi Fred!

Here is the link to the story that I did with you guys in October. Below that is the story from today as well. Thanks again for meeting with me and keep me posted on any new developments!

http://www.ktvh.com/2015/11/miners-versus-u-s-government-which-claims-are-accurate/

Today’s Story:

http://www.ktvh.com/2015/11/mine-owners-meet-forest-service-in-federal-court/

Thanks again,

Mikenzie 

Mikenzie Frost

KTVH-TV Reporter/Producer

mfrost@ktvh.com

www.ktvh.com

Direct: (406) 457-2732

After Action Report - Operation Big Sky - White Hope Mine in Lincoln Montana

I am back in Eureka after 1 month and 4 days in Lincoln Montana at Operation Big Sky, the security operation for the White Hope Mine, where George Kornec and his partner Phil Nappo, asked the Oathkeepers to come and make sure the US Forest Service didn't deny them their due process rights under the 4th and 5th Amendments to the US Constitution.

My role was to establish communications from a very remote mining location, far off the grid and without any telephone or cell service, and to make sure those comms stayed up and running 24/7 while we were in the area. The challenge was daunting. The only power available at the mine was solar, or by generator. The distance between the mine and Lincoln is about 20 miles, but the terrain is difficult to say the least. The mine sits in a big bowl with mountains in 3 directions around it, and only one narrow V pathway out, which was in the general direction of Lincoln but not a straight shot for signal.

I picked the Three Bears Motel in the west end of Lincoln because I saw there could be a signal pathway right down the highway through Lincoln which pointed in the general direction of the mine.  I rented the room closest to the highway, and went to the mine that night to set up a portable base station for the security crew already on station just 150 feet from the entrance to the mine's main shaft.

White Hope Mine - legal pathway in sight, Judge issues order.

Judge Charles C Lovell has issued and caused to be served by U.S. Marshals, an order that might be looking out for the interests of the Miners, and shows a pathway for them to have their day in court.

I am not a lawyer, and no legal expert by any stretch, but it appears that in making clear that the miners must answer the summons issued earlier, and that they need to be represented by "Licensed Council" before a pretrial conference on Sept. 4th, that at least within the rules of a federal court/ corporate tribunal, the miners might be on a path that will lead to a trial before the end of the year.

Oathkeepers has promised to be here until such a court date is actually set, so it looks like we might be here at least another 2 to 3 weeks, but I think the USFS has been sent a message by this Judge that yes these miners have a right to be heard BEFORE any taking of their property, and I think (all of this is just my opinion) that for any government agency to interject themselves into this while these orders are in effect they would not only be in trouble with the court, but they would lose all semblance of fairness and destroy their own credibility with not only the Judge, but most of all the public.

That last one is the most important, because really, this case is being tried RIGHT NOW as we speak in the COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION and we are winning that trial big time.