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Public commenters tell Belknap County commissioners they plan litigation over alleged constitutional violations
Summary
Two civil-rights advocates accused county courts and child-welfare processes of constitutional violations and urged the board to report alleged crimes to the FBI; commissioners acknowledged the remarks but no formal investigation or staff directive was recorded.
During the public-comment period, two self-identified civil-rights advocates delivered extended statements alleging systemic constitutional violations and asking the county to take action.
Tanawa Downey (self-identified in the record) told commissioners that charging by information rather than by grand-jury indictment is unlawful and said he was "prepared to litigate this to the United States Supreme Court on behalf of more than 700,000 people that are currently imprisoned across America illegally and unconstitutionally." He urged the board to report any suspected criminal conduct by public officials to the FBI and to notify co-conspirators to mitigate culpability.
Jessica Saxton, also identifying herself as a civil-rights advocate, made related allegations concerning unlawful removal of children and said judges and law enforcement officers, and at times Child Protective Services, had facilitated such removals. Saxton urged commissioners to examine Title IV funding and said she was "serving you guys tonight with that affidavit of criminal, conspiracy." Both speakers urged the board to report alleged conduct to the FBI; the transcript records the chair saying the remarks were "duly noted." No formal response from the county attorney or an action to investigate was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Why it matters: the speakers made serious allegations about potential constitutional violations and criminal conduct in charging and child-welfare procedures. Those claims, if pursued, would move outside the county-commission agenda and into legal and investigative channels. The transcript shows no immediate staff direction or factual rebuttal recorded during the meeting.
What the record shows: the advocates cited constitutional provisions, federal statutes (including references to Title 4 funding and 18 U.S.C. §4 and §242), and a Supreme Court case name (Hurtado v. California, 1884). Commissioners acknowledged the comments but did not (in the recorded transcript) direct follow-up steps or public-investigative action. If county officials pursue any investigation or reporting, that would be a separate matter and is not captured here.
