The owner of an unpermitted firearms training center in southern Vermont says he won’t comply with a judge’s order to dismantle much of the facility he built in the woods near the New York border.
Daniel Banyai says he’s looking for “the proper constitutional attorney” to help him appeal. He has until May 5 to appeal the March 4 order.
The town of Pawlet has asked a judge to hold Banyai in contempt for refusing to end training activities on the property, have the structures there surveyed and remove any buildings that were constructed without local zoning permits. He was also fined $46,000.
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
The Vermont Constitution forbids private military units from operating outside state authority, providing that “[t]he military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.” Vt. Const. ch. 1, art. XVI.
The owner of an unpermitted firearms training center in southern Vermont says he won’t comply with a judge’s order to dismantle much of the facility he built in the woods near the New York border.
Daniel Banyai says he’s looking for “the proper constitutional attorney” to help him appeal. He has until May 5 to appeal the March 4 order.
The town of Pawlet has asked a judge to hold Banyai in contempt for refusing to end training activities on the property, have the structures there surveyed and remove any buildings that were constructed without local zoning permits. He was also fined $46,000.
Pawlet is right over the hill from where I live in NY (I'm literally on the VT border). I heard about this dude last year from friends who live in Pawlet. I checked out his FB page (where he hides his militia training behind the label of being a school, and conducting educational classes). I've been following the story ever since. He's threatened townspeople (the "commercial center" of Pawlet is about three stores, church, and a few fancy houses--no gas station, no convenience store) and refused previous court orders. The town has been living in a degree of terror. There are no police in Pawlet, so it's all on the county, and they've been standoffish, previously. All this was before Jan 6, of course.
sugar magnolia wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:37 pm
WTF is a "constitutional attorney" anyway?
Someone, not necessarily licensed by the state as an attorney, who will march into court and loudly proclaim that the court has no jurisdiction, that the "de jure" government is irredeemably corrupt and that he is a "Patriot" who is fighting to return "we the people" to their rightful place.
sugar magnolia wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:37 pm
WTF is a "constitutional attorney" anyway?
Someone, not necessarily licensed by the state as an attorney, who will march into court and loudly proclaim that the court has no jurisdiction, that the "de jure" government is irredeemably corrupt and that he is a "Patriot" who is fighting to return "we the people" to their rightful place.
sugar magnolia wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:37 pm
WTF is a "constitutional attorney" anyway?
Someone, not necessarily licensed by the state as an attorney, who will march into court and loudly proclaim that the court has no jurisdiction, that the "de jure" government is irredeemably corrupt and that he is a "Patriot" who is fighting to return "we the people" to their rightful place.
From October 1920. Keep reading, as the article is blog-like and there is keyinfo every few paragraphs.
During an environmental court hearing on June 22, which related to several state administrative violations regarding the use of his land, Banyai claimed twice that he’s an active member of the military. The first time, he said he was out of the country on deployment when the town served him with papers regarding permitting violations.
...
ATF’s bulletin, which was posted on social media and circulated among those concerned about Slate Ridge earlier this year, warns law enforcement officers about Banyai.
It lists his felony charges, and says he was “served with a warning notice to surrender his firearms by ATF. Following this notice, he posted vague posts about shooting individuals on his Facebook page. He is believed to be unlawfully in possession of a large cache of firearms and ammunition. Banyai is currently prohibited from possession or purchasing a firearm and has refused to follow the order to surrender his firearms.”
A leaked bulletin from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) says Banyai falsely claims to be “a federal agent, a member of the military special forces community or an emergency management professional and he may present false credentials.”
...
Residents, who have brought issues at Slate Ridge to officials’ attention since 2017, are frustrated by the lack of action toward Banyai considering the use of his property still violates several of the town’s bylaws.
“We have attended each Select Board, Development Review Board, and Planning Commission meeting for over a year now in order to respectfully make our concerns heard by the 16 town officials, and the town attorney, to little avail,” a spokesperson for the group told the board. “Why have the servants of the people, who are supposed to be our voice, not upheld the bylaws that promise to ‘conserve the value of our homes’ and ‘promote the health, safety, and general welfare’ of our townspeople?”
Pawlet has taken action against Slate Ridge, but the town of 1,200 has little capacity to handle the situation on its own. Attorney Merrill Bent with Woolmington, Campbell, Bent & Stasny has attempted to help them enforce local permitting and zoning rules, along with violations related to Act 250. Banyai fights back, doxing local officials and adding the #corruptpawlet hashtag on posts. He’s even accused selectboard members of having affiliations with the Ku Klux Klan.
The owner of an unpermitted firearms training center in southern Vermont says he won’t comply with a judge’s order to dismantle much of the facility he built in the woods near the New York border.
Daniel Banyai says he’s looking for “the proper constitutional attorney” to help him appeal. He has until May 5 to appeal the March 4 order.
The town of Pawlet has asked a judge to hold Banyai in contempt for refusing to end training activities on the property, have the structures there surveyed and remove any buildings that were constructed without local zoning permits. He was also fined $46,000.
Pawlet is right over the hill from where I live in NY (I'm literally on the VT border). I heard about this dude last year from friends who live in Pawlet. I checked out his FB page (where he hides his militia training behind the label of being a school, and conducting educational classes). I've been following the story ever since. He's threatened townspeople (the "commercial center" of Pawlet is about three stores, church, and a few fancy houses--no gas station, no convenience store) and refused previous court orders. The town has been living in a degree of terror. There are no police in Pawlet, so it's all on the county, and they've been standoffish, previously. All this was before Jan 6, of course.
Looks like this guy is also having criminal trouble in New York. What a lovely man.
While Daniel Banyai’s legal issues in Vermont are dragging as he awaits a ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court on his challenge to an Environmental Court decision, New York’s criminal court could be moving toward a resolution.
Banyai, of West Pawlet, has an Environmental Court ruling against him over failure to obtain permits. He has been ordered to cease using the shooting facility he calls Slate Ridge at 541 Briar Hill Road, pay $46,600 in fines and deconstruct all unpermitted enhancements, which he has said are valued at $1.6 million.
Banyai has challenged that decision in the state Supreme Court where his attorney has argued the town issued a permit only to later rescind it and questioned whether Banyai even needed permits for much of the work he has done.
But that’s in Vermont. In New York, Banyai’s is facing three different criminal charges, the most serious of which is criminal possession of a weapon.
County Exec Says Armed Residents Are For 'Significant Emergency'
For the second time in less than a week, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman addressed critics who are opposed to his launching an armed unit of deputies to patrol in emergencies.
"The Provisional Deputy Sheriffs are nothing more than a list, a database of people, who would be willing to volunteer in the event that there was an emergency," Blakeman said Monday. "They would not be activated unless there was a very significant emergency."
Shortly before Blakeman spoke, dozens gathered on the steps of the Legislative Building to air their concerns about the plan, including the question of what constitutes an emergency.
As for another question, Blakeman announced they will have to wear uniforms that identify them as special provisional deputies "so that they don't get injured by police or other law enforcement."
Approximately 100 people applied to be deputies and Blakeman said he's being proactive by building up resources for worst-case scenarios.
"They would not be going out on patrol," he said. "Primarily, their task would be to guard and protect government buildings, hospitals, utility plants, sewer treatment plants, churches, mosques and synagogues and things of that nature."
Blakeman said using the deputies in that way "would free up our police officers to do other work."
Despite skills in the use of firearms as a key criterion for the job and preference for those with law enforcement and military background, the county executive said everyone will get training starting this week, from the use of deadly force to the penal law.
"Most of the people on this database list that we have don't even need it," he said. "It'll be a refresher course for them."
He expected to have the first group of 25 provisional deputies potentially ready for duty in a month or so.
Before the deputies are officially certified, "they have to get a letter from their physician that they are fit both mentally and physically."
Training aside, "they will have no powers whatsoever unless an emergency is declared," Blakeman said. "I don't know why there are people [who] are opposed to this. They all are licensed to carry or have a firearm. I don't know what the whole brouhaha is all about."
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
Vermont Supreme Court rejects Daniel Banyai’s appeal The court found Banyai’s attacks on the sanctions against him, including an active arrest warrant, were “impermissible.”
The Vermont Supreme Court on Friday upheld contempt sanctions imposed on Daniel Banyai, owner of the former Pawlet weapons training facility Slate Ridge.
The court heard oral arguments in the appeal in January. Banyai, who faces an ongoing arrest warrant for failing to comply with orders to remove unpermitted structures on his property, was not present for that hearing.
Daniel Banyai, owner of Slate Ridge, facing new charges following arrest in Pawlet After a struggle with a local constable following a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon, Banyai was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, according to state police. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
Banyai is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in Rutland Superior criminal court. He was held overnight at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility for lack of $15,000 bail, according to a state police press release issued Wednesday night.
Banyai, 50, has had an active arrest warrant since last year after an Environmental Court judge found him in contempt of court orders to dismantle unpermitted structures on his Slate Ridge property. He was ordered to turn himself in to the Vermont Department of Corrections.
Banyai remained on the lam despite continued police efforts to locate him. According to his intake report at Marble Valley, he is also facing contempt of court charges stemming from the underlying arrest warrant.
