Kenneth Bryan Dawson poses with a deer he killed
The publisher of a right-wing news site, who signed off on articles leading to the suicide of small-town Alabama mayor Fred "Bubba" Copeland, pleaded guilty in 2019 to a state charge of hunting on baited land. That is a misdemeanor and drew a fine of $500, but public documents in the matter suggest Kenneth Bryan Dawson might get away with a much more serious offense -- being a felon in possession of a firearm. That's from a report this evening at donaldwatkins.som.
Watkins, an attorney and online investigative journalist, sees signs that Dawson is receiving softball treatment from the Alabama "justice system." Is that a form of favoritism from conservative courts to a conservative media figure, who also has ties to the state's right-of-center political and religious communities? Has the rule of law become a joke in Alabama? If so, that isn't a breaking story because, as we wrote in our sixth post back in 2007, the rule of law was a plaything for the seedy, creepy, integrity-challenged bottom feeders who thrived in Alabama courts back then, 17 years ago. In fact, we showed that "dishonesty, fraud, and deceit" were three words that defined the state's justice apparatus all those years ago.
Still, it's a disturbing prospect to think that a man's conservative "credentials" could allow him to flaunt the law and avoid significant punishment. Court records show that Alabama judges are not making much of an effort to ensure the law applies to Bryan Dawson, Watkins reports.
Under the headline "Will Kenneth Bryan Dawson Escape Criminal Charges for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm?" Watkins writes:
1819 News co-founder, president, CEO, and publisher Kenneth Bryan Dawson is about five weeks away from escaping prosecution on federal and state charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm on January 18, 2019.
As Jeff Martin of the Montgomery Independent reported today, Dawson was arrested on January 18, 2019, for hunting on baited land, which is a misdemeanor. Reportedly, Dawson was hunting with a rifle. Dawson posted bond and was released from jail on the same day.
Kenneth Bryan Dawson’s criminal court docket sheet for this Elmore County, Alabama District Court case may be reviewed by clicking here. The case name is: State of Alabama v. Kenneth Bryan Dawson, DC-2019-000168.00.
On May 5, 2019, Dawson pleaded guilty to this misdemeanor charge and paid a fine of $500.
Is anyone in the Elmore County justice system taking the bigger issues surrounding Bryan Dawson seriously? It doesn't look that way, Watkins writes:
As the docket sheet in Kenneth Bryan Dawson’s case shows, neither the Elmore County prosecutor, nor the judge assigned to his case, ordered a criminal-history report on Dawson. Had they done so, the report would have confirmed that Dawson was a career criminal, as defined under Alabama and Colorado state laws.
Kenneth Bryan Dawson is a convicted cocaine trafficker, serial motor-vehicle thief, and attempted murderer in Colorado. Dawson is not permitted to possess a firearm for any purpose, nor is he allowed to be in the presence of others who possess firearms.
Dawson meets the definition of a “Habitual Offender” under Colorado and Alabama laws. Yet, the judge in Dawson's Elmore County case did not enhance his fine or sentence based upon Dawson's “Habitual Offender” status. In fact, the docket sheet shows that this "enhancement" factor was completely ignored by the judge.
In any event, Dawson’s attempted murder conviction is a crime of violence, as defined under federal criminal law. Dawson’s multiple Colorado felony convictions make him a “Habitual Offender.”
So, it doesn't bother officials in Elmore County that a Habitual Offender can openly possess a firearm in their jurisdiction? Maybe not, but it should bother other Alabamians, especially since this matter seems to scream that a fix is in. How could this happen? Watkins provides some clues:
Kenneth Bryan Dawson is also reported to be a longtime federal law enforcement informant.
There is no public record where Dawson’s gun rights were restored to him by the states of Colorado or Alabama, or by the federal government.
The five-year statute of limitations under federal and Alabama state laws for prosecuting Kenneth Bryan Dawson for possessing a firearm on January 18, 2019, will expire on January 16, 2024. (There was a Leap Year in 2020 when February had 29 days).
Kenneth Bryan Dawson is the man who greenlighted 1819 News’ November 1, 2023, media “hit job” on Smiths Station, Alabama, Mayor Fred “Bubba” Copeland. An emotionally distraught Copeland committed suicide three days after 1819 News “outed” Copeland’s cross-dressing fetish (in the privacy of his home) and exposed his amateur works of erotic fiction.
The premeditated "hit job" by Kenneth Bryan Dawson and 1819 News targeted Bubba Copeland because of his cross-dressing fetish/gender identification. This homicide qualifies as a federal hate crime under 18 U.S.C. § 249 that resulted in Bubba Copeland's death. This "hit job" also rises to the level of premeditated murder under Alabama state criminal statutes.
To date, the prime suspects in this hate-crime/homicide are Kenneth Bryan Dawson, 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Robert Jeffrey Poor, and 1819 News reporter Michael Craig Monger.
Will federal and state law-enforcement officials in Alabama have the courage to prosecute Kenneth Bryan Dawson for being a felon in possession of a firearm on January 18, 2019? Does Dawson’s status as a federal law-enforcement informant give him immunity from prosecution?
We will know the answer to both of these questions by January 16, 2024.
If you care about justice in Alabama -- if you care about the rule of law anywhere, please mark your calendar. In fact, this would be a splendid opportunity for caring Americans to jam the Elmore County Courthouse in protest.