McKibben Throws Out AAWC Case Against Dehne

Dehne Congratulates Judge on his decision; Attempt by AAWC to Further Supress First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Press and to seek Redress of Grievances Thwarted.

Judge Howard McKibben today threw out the Motion for Attorneys Fees filed by Thomas P. Beko against Sam Dehne. Beko had accused Dehne of being an "erudite agitator," a "delinquent school boy," lacking in "personal integrity and character," a "litigious fanatic," a "dissident whose sole purpose in life is to create havoc for local government," an "abuser of privileges that law affords citizens," "supreme public watchdog," and he says that Sam "despises" local government with a passion.

[Editor's note: The guitar playing and singing was a hit, however! <G>]

Dehne's case remains in Appeal and will likely be headed towards the Federal Courts sometime in the near future. Attorneys for Dehne presented a video showing what occurred in the meeting where he was thrown out and arrested, however a Jury decided against him. The issue of instructions to the Jury by the Judge may become an issue.

The case itself lacked solid foundation in that, the charges did not fit the man, in the opinion of Silver State News Editor Mark S. "Bear" Daniels. Dehne has served the Public for years, both in the U.S. Air Force and as a sincere Public Watchdog. His Online News Site has kept the citizens of Reno informed about the activities of Reno Government, including and in particular, the Airport Authority of Washoe County (AAWC), and the facts at his site continue to go uncontradicted by his opposition.

In terms of the Court of Public Opinion, where the Press lives, and an actual Court of Law, one thing is common and constant: if you refuse or fail to respond to a statement made about you, then it is considered that you are in agreement with the facts of the statement.

Dehne has railed against corruption in the AAWC for years, including their attempts to build a Cargo Jet facility in an area the Board of Trustees and Directors had excercised "Emminent Domain" in, for the purpose of clearing out homes and people for stated "Noise Abatement" procedures. Dehne cited the obvious hypocrisy in removing people from their homes so that there would be no further noise complaints, and then turning around and putting 80 to 100 cargo jets in the same area, to create noise for the neighbors that remained.

The AAWC is currently under scrutiny for its utilization of Airport property for non-aviation businesses, a violation of the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) terms and conditions, by which the AAWC receives millions in Federal funds. The AAWC is also under scrutiny, as is the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA), as AAWC personnel have been in charge of RARA and participated in the sale of racecourse lands at Stead Airport, Nevada, necessary to the conduct of the Reno National Championship Air Races RNCAR), back to their friends at the AAWC, a move which now threatens the RNCAR since the AAWC wishes to "Aggressively develop Reno-Stead Airport" according to statements made in 2004 by Krys Bart and Dean Schulz, the latter, the AAWC's Chief Planner.

Construction of buildings on the racecourse land would cause the cancellation of all further RNCAR events in that, both Federal and Nevada State Law prohibit the overflight of buildings at low altitude, by fast or slow moving aircraft, whether or not there are people inside or in the vicinity of those buildings. The duty of the FAA speaks for that: not only is the FAA charged with protecting lives from injury or loss, but just as important, protecting buildings and equipment from damage caused by aircraft operations, incidents and/or accidents.

As the Airport Authority has now declared those racecourse lands "Private Property," in direct violation of the Terms and Conditions of the FAA AIP Grant program, the AAWC is toying with an act of Fraud directed against the People of the United States and their government. Further, the AAWC are attempting to bypass the Federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that is required of them since the property is Airport Property, and therefore Public and not Private. Not only would Environmental standards be violated, but so would treaties that the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, have with the local Paiute Tribes, which the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts EIS impact statements to protect per established treaties.

Thus, comes the need for Public Watchdogs like Sam Dehne, to find these things out, report them, fight them, whatever the cost. Dehne has done so loudly and at great cost to himself for years. Silver State News Service Editor Daniels interviewed Dehne during the early part of 2004 in regard to his activities, and was witness to friends and strangers alike coming by and thanking Sam Dehne for his service to them as a Public Watchdog. Though Dehne's behavior is regarded as flamboyant and/or eccentric by his opposition, the people see Dehne as using those tactics to draw attention to their cause while at the same time, expressing something they would all like to do: thumb their noses at the AAWC and the ongoing corruption in Reno Government.

Silver State News Service will have an Editorial shortly that will go into further detail and aspects of the case as we see it here. As for Sam Dehne's appeal, Editor Daniels indicates "Sam has a great case."