Monroe City Court should simply comply with the appellate court's order from 1987 and schedule the trial. After 38 years, this man deserves his constitutional right to defend himself before a jury
The Issue
Lester Paster's case reveals a troubling legal paradox where the system has essentially frozen him in limbo:
What Happened:
1987: Arrested three times for picketing. A lawyer he claims he never hired entered a "no contest" plea without his consent.
Appeal Victory: The Second Circuit Court of Appeal agreed with Paster, set aside the plea, and ordered Monroe City Court to give him a new trial.
38 Years Later: That court order has never been enforced—no trial has occurred.
1997: Arrested again, but prosecutors reduced charges to avoid giving him a jury trial.
Present: He protests continuously, but authorities won't arrest him (which would trigger a trial) and courts won't schedule the trial already ordered.
The Core Problem:
Paster is caught in a Catch-22. He can't get his trial unless arrested and prosecuted, but authorities refuse to arrest him. Meanwhile, a higher court's order mandating a trial sits unenforced for nearly four decades.The Simplest Solution:
Monroe City Court should simply comply with the appellate court's order from 1987 and schedule the trial. After 38 years, this man deserves his constitutional right to defend himself before a jury—regardless of whether anyone thinks the original charges matter anymore. The issue now is about the rule of law itself: when courts issue orders, they must be obeyed.
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