My X Rated Phone Call

Messages to pass along and updates from Commander X behind bars..

My X rated call…

For many years NYC Free Assange folks have had rush hour vigils every Thursday and I’d gone to take pictures as usual. Double events are rare for me but I’d gotten dates mixed up and said yes to pics at another event too; it was hours later than normal when hundreds of pics from the day finished uploading and my phone rang.

Did I really want to interrupt my sorting and posting for a call? It was a recorded request in a Nurse Ratchet voice asking if I wanted to receive a call from a Federal inmate. Abso-frigging-lutely the pictures can wait.. it’s about flippin time he’s out of the hole and can talk again.. just cross my fingers we can connect in under three tries.

After successfully navigating BoP terms of service menus with menacing prompts to waive my rights and consent to recordings, the unmistakable voice was on the other end.

Can you hear me now?

After “yes I can hear you now” it was off to the races. It doesn’t take long to learn the boy has the gift of gab; he’s a fabulous storyteller and powerful orator who can go on at length, with fascinating detail and barely pause for a breath.

Our call was an hour full throttle. Under ideal conditions it’s hard to get a word in, but with the prison phone system it’s near impossible. The echo filled, distorted call is billed at 21 cents a minute and 1930’s audio quality make exchanges better suited to CB radio protocols with announced breaks.

Instead X did most of the talking which was perfect, except his energy was so high he went at warp speed which is not my best pace. I have a stack of notes dashed off with points to cover but there’s almost no followup. A few critical items got, “wait, wait, wait, please say that again slowly.“ Here’s the summary roughly in order.

First was thanks to the supporters and correct detail for getting donations to his account and mail delivered. —>> 312 314 885 <<— (no spaces w online forms)

There are two options for sending funds directly for folks inside USA. The trust fund goes to the commissary for food and personal items. The pin/debit account that goes on his tablet for phone time. It's easy to use once you have correct ID.

https://web.connectnetwork.com/trust-cdcr/   inmate # 312314885 file # UMD885

For perspective an hour of phone time for an inmate is about $13 for 21 cents a minute. Best Buy sells a $30 burner with unlimited text and call for $15 per month. What a racket, it makes you wonder how that markup is even legal.

He has gotten to the point where most of his basics are now accumulated and the biggest joy this week was finally getting a box of Q-Tips on his commisary account. This milestone can be appreciated by all the Q-tip fans who know six weeks is too long for ears to wait! There was also a request to thank Amy Beth, Natalie and Ian for the books which all arrived.

Next was concern for his doggies. Natalie is babysitting “the boys“ while he is detained and all funds from his book sales go directly to her and that is used for their care. Supporting them is appreciated as much as supporting him directly.

What’s happening in jail?

Overall his voice was strong, upbeat and energized. He is preparing for his day in court with the same enthusiasm he had for every Op he ever promoted. Using commitment to the cause as a barometer it’s fair to say X is all in for his freedom.

Several times during the course of discussion he emphasized the conditions as the most disgusting, fetid and foul facility he has ever been in. He ran down a list of other jails and time served, including concert related infractions with overnight stays in several states for comparison. Suffice it to say he is qualified to dole out jail rankings.

Hopefully all the details will be shared in his own words in a not too distant future. This is the late night, mom brain version with some fuzzy timing capturing the spirit more than specifics of journey from solitary to the dog cage.

The Beginning ~ July 20th hearing day…

On background for court case X has mountains of praise for Jay Rorty and the collaborative rapport between them. Before the Zoom call they had X at a table in full manacles and there was a discussion with Jay, X and the judge where she ordered him released for the hearing.

There are oodles of kudos to Jay Rorty. Everything from case law citations to legal maneuvers or motions that X related with respect and delighted chuckles. It’s almost on par with joy from watching #FreeCommanderX bubbles pop up in the Zoom chat. He loved that big time… forever lulz history.

Next we ventured into the philosophy and ethics of civil disobedience; that went from Zoom bubbles to DDoS events as a form of protest. We covered a jumble of PayPal14 history and case law with big time props to Stanley Cohen who put that case in play in the Court of public opinion and the defendants were virtually unscathed.

Great reference for that is Stanley in his own words with lorax live in 2013. There were a slew of Stanley’s PayPal strategy mentions so this covers that subject for any who missed it the first time. Whew, off the hook for remembering!

my2c

Relating the Courthouse protest was one of the few direct questions X had and part for me to do the talking. He was surprised to learn Glory was in California and outside the courthouse with a megaphone. He asked for a big shout with thanks to Steve @SlowNewsDay crew along with Anonymous Bites Back and asked for folks to send him pictures.

Apparently that note is missing, but it feels like Shutterfly was the service X identified who can send images to an inmate’s tablets. He’d love to see pics from that or whatever else folks want to send that won’t offend BoP censors. **Aug 12 update.. there was a card that wandered to another group the service is Shutterfly, yaay mom brain victory!

The video link is Rokfin.

Offense for Defense…

One point emphasized was that his time served now exceeds any prior sentence for DDoS and it is his big mouth that is the greater offense in the eyes of DoJ. He noted that the law that he was protesting that made feeding the homeless a crime has been reversed as well. He has a lot of details relating to damages that flew right by me but with luck he can ennumerate those himself before long.

Another super fuzzy detail is the name and Eastern European maybe Slavic nationality of the hactivist also held there and details of that case where a request to preserve an email account was charged as conspiracy. Another story for X to tell himself.

He was adamant that a campaign be launched to get letters to the judge supporting X as an advocate for free speech and peaceful protest who engaged in nothing more than a digital sit in and petetion for redress to the government meant to serve the people.

Advocacy Letter campaigns have been an important part of past cases and judges do weigh the volume and merits of submissions to the court. A collection of letters make news and create pressure; they are a treasure trove of quotable citations. This is an example that should also inspire folks to be creative in finding known or notable names to throw some weight behind a good cause.

That’s as far as my note cards and memory goes. Send jail mail :~)

Christopher Doyon - 312 314 885

Santa Rita Jail - 5325 Broder Blvd

Dublin, Ca. 94568