If you've made the trip to the other side of the lake lately it would be hard to miss the Free Ward Bird signs and rallies taking place in Moultonborough and Center Harber. Perhaps it's just me but the story really touches a cord and reflects a divergence between our civil liberties and common law. It also seems to show a growing gap between what is private verse the facebook/google mentality that everything is shared and open to the world equally.
The case in a nutshell is that a woman knowingly trespassed on private property, was confronted by the owner Ward Bird and she refused to leave. The woman then claims that he brandished a firearm. A jury of his peers convicted Ward of the crime and he is now going to serve a sentence of 3-6 years in prison. There are far more details and court documents here at www.freewardbird.com.
On a side note, gun toting property owners isn't all that new here in the granite state. As a child, before Crescent Point in Wolfeboro was developed, Mr. Berry used to patrol his border, had a small gate house and even would sit in his row boat with a shotgun off the point to make sure everyone new what was what. Needlessly to say we showed a little common sense/courtesy and stayed off Mr. Berry's land.
