We Get (Hate) Mail
Here’s an e-mail communication we received recently:
Subject: this webpage
your website is atrocious, biggoted and as a former Fullerton resident, who spent my entire childhood there, you have distroyed my once fond memories of that time. I will never go back there and sadly, I see only continued decline and chaos there, if the town leaders are all like you and your moronic followers. Get a life….you horrible biggots. I am a Republican and ashamed of YOU!
Apparently we have somehow shattered this poor communicant’s idyllic reveries of growing up in Fullerton. Ah! Childhood Lost.
But bigoted? Bigoted against incompetent buffoons? Well, then, guilty, as charged.
Newsflash: we are not the ones who used Redevelopment to reward campaign contributors and overbuild the city; nor did we permit the Fullerton Police Department to run amok, committing every sort of crime from theft to murder. We didn’t rip off water rate payers with an illegal 10% tax year after year to pay for our own bloated pensions. Continued chaos and decline is inevitable if the Three Blind Mice stay in office.
The pathetically ironic admonition to “get a life” is, of course de riguer. And it sort of spoils the otherwise kooky bathos of the note.
Apparently, the author of this email is horribly misinformed and uneducated who doesn’t have a clue in HELL as to what is REALLY going on in Fullerton!!
and you didnt allow continuing beatings and killing of citizens by city coppers to be swept under the rug- while your “demonized city officials” lied about these incidents – making up false allegations
FFFF bloggers or contributers are not the bigots-you are-obvius friend of the F troop
I don’t think the issue is so much about political affiliation, rather, it has much more to do with an ever present hunger by politicians for money and power.
The email could be from Mckinley’s wife. She is a “strong” supporter of her sociopathic husband.
Some people really have a hard time digesting the truth, and don’t like the kind of honest friend that FFFF has become to the citizens of Fullerton.
What I personally like most about FFFF, is that it has the chutzpah to tell people in charge that their breath stinks and that their lack of moral turpitude is sinking our city into an abyss, and it does so in an open and honest way that allows and provides a forum for the accused and their cronies, to refute the allegations and even give their side of the story on the blog via posts from bloggers that can weigh in on either side of the story.
This is truly a more balanced and real time approach to traditional journalism.
Love the way he plugs himself or herself with his or her “I’m a Republican” statement. As if being a Republican makes him superior.
What a Gonad!!!
bigot gets me- since when is repoting the truth that is verified in legal documents, bigotry?
I think the big time bragging republican emailer friend of one of the 3 fossils, needs a course in the US Constitution -especially concentrate on 1st Ammendment- what a jerk
bigot indeed
Merit the left says the same thing about Glenn Beck. Remember, the truth has no agenda!
I agree that the email can be from a council person’s family member, who else would defend them???
Wrong those kind of republicans don’t represent me! I am as conservative as you get too!
I love the lack of censorship on this blog!
A blog like FFFF, run by staff like FFFF’s should be in every community.
As FL stated above, FFFF has the nads to inform the citizens of Fullerton that “the emporor has no clothes.”
Great for all. You guys rock and you know it.
Where there is power, there is money, and when the two are combined, there lives the parasite of corruption!!
How does this make sense?
“will never go back there and sadly, I see only continued decline and chaos there, if the town leaders are all like you and your moronic followers.”
well, guess what, emailer-THE CITY IS and THEY ARE, and thats a fact-no one is making that up
Thats why a recall has been made
Now take a nap
Well its working, never go back? Good riddance… I have lived here since 1961….. I guess I’m a masochist, I have a love hate relationship with this town. Just like the people who live in the flight path of Fullerton airport and say, They should close it down, Hey, it was here way before you, why did you move there in the first place? Oh, your Korean and don’t speak english……. I have to drive to the hood to get good BBQ now…
I’ve learned that the same sheople ( a cross between a sheep and people) who won’t speak up about what’s truly going on here in Fullerton, are the first ones that will look down their noses at those of us who have the the intestinal fortitude to speak up.
It’s like they think your the big bad wolf when in reality your more like the noble sheepdog who is trying to hold the wolf at bay in order to protect the sheople who seem to blindly trust anyone with a badge or who happens to go to the same church as they do.
Shucks Andy, Mayberry just ain’t what it used to be!
The writer can’t spell for shit either!
Fullerton are you hearing the sounds of bleating sheeple? I am!
To; Mayor Jones and Chief Hamilton
Subject: The state of affairs in the city
Your leadership is atrocious, biggoted and as a former Fullerton resident, who spent my entire childhood there, you have distroyed my once fond memories of that time. I will never go back there and sadly, I see only continued decline and chaos there, if the rest of the town leaders are all like you and your moronic followers. Get a life….you horrible biggots. I am a AMERICAN and ashamed of YOU!
The website has done its best to educate the people in Fullerton of the crimes inflicted on them. But, as always most people lack the brains to understand what is going on in their city. The powerful in the FPD and bhind the scenes will prevail and remain in control as this movement is concluded.
THE WEBSITE IS NOW A NUISANCE AND NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY DELETED.
Edie’s comments are boring and ridiculous and Edie IS NOW A NUISANCE AND NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY DELETED
*yawn*
Always love how folks like that can’t be specific with their bland commentary. The writer must be one of those who benefitted from the corruption.
WordPress upgrade… test comment. Blah blah.
Long time lurker, time to post. Not trying to hijack the thread, just sharing a few random thoughts:
The city’s “Old Guard” is shaking in their boots and heels. Their decades old grip and influence on the city is crumbling and they do not know how to go about derailing or stopping it. In the Digital Age, they are in over their heads. They are as fearful as losing their influence and being rendered irrelevant.
Efforts to this point of stopping the Recall have been, and IMHO, will continue to be, futile.
The 3 blind mice were once contributors to their city – years ago. Successful professional men. At what point do their actions on the City Council or Chief’s office outweigh their accomplishments earlier in life and begin to damamge their city?
I will have more random thoughts later.
To the Email communicator above; “your website is atrocious, biggoted and as a former Fullerton resident, who spent my entire childhood there, you have distroyed my once fond memories of that time. I will never go back there and sadly, I see only continued decline and chaos there, if the town leaders are all like you and your moronic followers. Get a life….you horrible biggots. I am a Republican and ashamed of YOU!”
BELIEVE ME…”it ain’t what it used to be”, that is Fullerton…I mean. I was born and raised here all my life…that includes my entire childhood, junior years, adult hood, parenthood and walking the time before my senior years…living in Fullerton! AND IT IS NOTHING LIKE MY CHILDHOOD. The actions of our police force and the leaders of our once wonderful city….have ruined it with LIE, COVER UP and CORRUPTION!!!
IT IS NOT THIS WEBSITE that has “destroyed your once fond memories”…it is the ‘peacekeepers and leaders’ or our city that has destroyed your once fond memories! Believe me, it did mine…and I am sure many others.
Instead of “shooting darts” why don’t you “get your head out of the sand”…and look around!
Amen girl…
I agree Fullerton PS except if I may inject a couple other of my thoughts-
As far as influence-unfortunately the 3 of them are able to hold the taxpaying citizens hostage with their votes and they often vote for their own best interest-which inludes kronyism without thought to the taxpaying citizens-evidenced in the legal documents of continued coverup. lack of action lies and silences-except for lies, by all of them, regarding the FPD strongarm tactics, wrongful arrest, beatings, killing, charges into the wrong homes and other assorted incidents
this kind of power is held by mafia gangsters, and should not be held by those who were elected to do right by everyone and not just their chosen few.
As far as being irrelevant-well, they are at this point.
It’s been a sleepy Sunday for me, until I read that email and laughed. Now I’m wide awake! Thank you Complete Lunatic! You do the GOP proud!
My roots just hit the water table. Glad you left. Guess you are ok with parasites and snuff films. We are not. The city is much safer now than ever cuz the lights don’t go out anymore.
please change me
I heard Rincon offered $50 for you…..
maybe i need to rethink being a Republican…..
When this is all over, when the swamp is finally drained, Fullerton will be a safe, friendly city again.
I completely agree with above posters; Fullerton is fortunate to have FFFF active in their community.
Hopefully, maybe, other cities will take note.
It took the murder of Kelly Thomas for people like me to start paying attention. Because of Kelly, I pay attention to the actions of the police and local government now. Plenty of people are, now.
Thanks and praises to FFFF, KFI, and you Fullerton guys and gals for staying with this story and keeping it alive and awake. John and Ken will be there on Wednesday, and hopefully so will I. I really want to be there for this.
Justice for Kelly. Hope for Fullerton. You’re winning, and the bad guys know it. They know it.
This is the same kind of action that took down the Soviet Union; people sick and tired of being in a society, where their freedoms were dictated to them by others. Like a rubberband that snaps when stretched too far, the people will revolt and push back when suppressed and mistreated.
I think the writer means that we are bigoted against blindly loyal Republicans. If I am correct, I would have to agree. We are not loyal to Republicans who do not share our values and commitment to small government, personal freedoms, individual rights, and ensuring that all levels of government are subordinate to the people.
In other words, this twice unanimously endorsed Republican (OC Republican Party and CRA) is absolutely disloyal to Bankhead, Jones and McKinley.
Chris, you are the only one on this blog dirtier then me.
Yeah, well, I dont vote or expess opinions based on if there is an R or D by a person’s name-Anyone who does that is a narrow minded, ignoramous who doesnt care about anyone but themselves.
there is more to a person it then meets the eye-especially in public service in California, I learned my lesson and it wont ever happen agin as far as im concerned. R , D, I, G or Feline-doesnt matter as long as you dont lie and have some decent past/present character and ideas that have the concerns of the majority of taxpayers in mind.
Amen.
Exactly right. Vote issues and individuals, not party.
bigot [ˈbɪgət]
n
a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, esp on religion, politics, or race
[from Old French: name applied contemptuously to the Normans by the French, of obscure origin]
SDLocal, I echo your entire statement.
I guess we have the ass end of the elephant in charge of Fullerton. We are the pooper scoopers.
To the original poster.. Guess what NO CITY IN AMERICA IS THE SAME AS IT WAS WHEN YOU GREW UP.
It doesn’t matter what organization you’re a member of, what school you went to, or what kind of cars and clothes you once had and loved. THEY’RE NOT THE SAME and THEY NEVER WILL BE!
Go look in the mirror. You’re not the same as you were 5 years ago.
The only thing we can do is accept change and try to make a difference in that change is a positive one.
Fullerton schools produced those writing skills? I guess we didn’t teach basic grammar / punctuation back then.
Gary Fullerton: Don’t prejudge police officers’ actions
The fatal confrontation between the Fullerton Police Department and Kelly Thomas in July is a good example of critics condemning the officers (and everyone else involved in the process) before virtually any of the facts are known. As the father of a schizophrenic son myself, I can appreciate the fact that Kelly Thomas was mentally ill and had little or no control of himself at the time of the incident. I know firsthand that when severely mentally ill individuals fail to take their medication, bad things can happen.
Of course, the police should be fully trained in understanding mental illness and the manner in which sufferers can best be handled. But once a severely mentally ill person suffers a psychotic break, he is out of control and almost impossible to handle without the use of force.
I have no personal knowledge of the specific facts of the Thomas case. But I do know that what the public knows of the incident is insufficient to make a judgment.
If the facts prove that the officers used excessive force, they should pay the appropriate price. But if the facts prove that the officers only did what they had to do to overcome the resistance of a severely mentally ill person in extreme rage, then they only did what they had to do to defend themselves. My experience has taught me to not rush to judgment in evaluating a situation until the facts are known. And I suspect that there is much about this incident that few actually know.
Gary Fullerton, an attorney, is a retired Los Angeles Police officer.
http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_19122094
Maybe Mr. Fullerton (the irony!) isn’t aware that the DA finally presented Mr. Ramos and Mr. Cicinelli with his felony greeting card.
In any case his essay misses one important fact: nobody joyfully prejudged his brethren. We expressed outrage that they got special treatment after murdering a helpless man.
I notice this idiot is still clinging to the “Kelly was an out of control superman” myth despite video proof to the contrary.
It is not true that “once a severely mentally ill person suffers a psychotic break he is out of control and almost impossible to handle without use of force.” Not true at all. I strongly suspect, after hearing what the D.A. described was shown on the video, that Kelly was not out of control. He actually took several minutes of verbal threats and berating before he tried to RUN AWAY. Running away is not a threatening move. While he was sitting on the curb being threatened and berated by Ramos for fifteen or sixteen minutes, Wolfe could easily have approached and applied handcuffs. But that was not the plan. These guys have done this sort of thing before. One escalates the suspect/victim while the other is conveniently out of the picture for a few minutes then suddenly has to run in and assist, at which point they beat the guy up. We’ve seen other videos of other victims of Fullerton police officers that have been posted on the internet. This is what they do.
Perhaps Mr. Fullerton feels that his son needs a beating when he is “psychotic” and out of control, but that is not what everyone does. I have worked on an inpatient psychiatric unit for five years. Every single day, 24 hours a day, we have people who are admitted in a psychotic episode. They are often brought to the hospital by some really great LEOs in my community who have, in fact, been trained in how to interact with mentally ill persons. We do not have weapons of any kind on our unit. No sticks or bats or guns or tasers. Nothing. We are not allowed to lay our hands on a patient in any way that goes beyond de-escalating and self-defense. Even self-defensive actions are designed to cause no physical harm whatsoever to a patient. We never have to use any self-defensive actions beyond verbal de-escalation and redirection. And guess what? No one has ever been harmed on our unit, patients or staff. Furthermore, it is a very, very rare occasion that any kind of restraint would be used (maybe twice in the five years I’ve been there) and even then it is to protect the person from hurting themselves in some way (for instance, if they were banging their head against a wall) and it is kept as brief as possible.
I have a feeling that there is open hostility and animosity on the part of LE toward mentally ill and homeless persons in Fullerton–just reading some of the comments on this blog and seeing what happened to Kelly Thomas strongly suggests that. That is what a mentally ill homeless person will react to–seeing one of these guys approaching, knowing what is going to happen next, because they have been harassed, threatened, and/or beaten by police officers before, or they have witnessed it happening. If Ramos approached Kelly Thomas, who was shirtless and whom Ramos did not even feel the need to pat down for a weapon, in any kind of hostile or threatening way, then from the get go his approach was wrong, incompetent, and likely to lead to some sort of escalation, which I suspect was his intent.
What they hey, look at how these police officers are approaching other people they arrest–breaking fingers, false arrest, lying on reports, sexual assault, and so on.
They are choosing to abuse folks that they see as having less social power and lower perceived social status. They so were not counting on anyone to care about what happened to Kelly Thomas. And maybe, if he hadn’t died, they would have gotten away with that. But he did die and the world did find out about it. It makes me feel a least a little bit of hope that people all across the country and beyond saw that and said it was wrong. And the good people of Fullerton and neighboring communities who have had the courage to show up, speak out, and demand justice are champions for justice and heroes.
I mean this with all sincerity. The good people of Fullerton who are showing up to speak out against brutality and corruption are heroes to me. So thank you, on behalf of all the Kelly Thomases and Veth Mams and Martinezes and Quinonezes and women and children and men and women everywhere.
Bravo, blessusall. Excellent post.
And bravo to merijoe. You put up with plenty on this blog, and you remain steady and on point. You have a true-blue, fearless compass, and I respect you for this.
It’s as if Fullerton is going through an intervention.
Actually, Fullerton IS going through an intervention.
It’s painful, embarassing, outraging and potentially dangerous, but intervention works — at least some of the time.
I have high hopes for Fullerton, like I have high hopes for my kids, me, you guys, my Country and everything else.
I’m not stupid. I’m a hopeful pragmatist. Homo sapiens made it through the Dark Ages; we can make it through this.
All it takes is courage and commitment. We continue to say NO until the bad guys say yes.
Evil always capitulates in the face of truth, as long as truth stands fast. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here today.
There. We win. Welcome to the the Founding Fathers’ way of creating a Constitutional Republic.
It’s easy. All it takes is courage and commitment, which is usually everything, ultimately.
It’s worth it, if you have kids and/or grand kids — or are planning on it.
Our parents and grandparents did it for us, you know.
Justice for Kelly Thomas. Hope for us all.
WTF is wrong with people?
Fucking black hard hearted demons living in their own world-who, like the hate mail author, see “policeman” and automatically assume they were doing their jobs and any “FFFF” or other person who sees this as what it is, Murder, burps out stupid comments and “brilliant” anaylsis advising that “we dont have all the facts or we’re just talking out of our ass – there’s probably more to the story we dont know yet”
The pictures of Kelly with his face looking like corned beef hash arent enough (because??? why , again?) certainly doesnt prove anything does it?
neither are the witnessess who got on the bus and saw the whole incident a few mins earlier, nor was the cell phone video where we hear cries of Kelly calling out to God and his dad to help him
(well that certainly doesnt prove anything either)
And the doctor’s diagnoses of what killed him
and the numerous taser darts and injuries on Kelly’s body are because of what again?
(none of that proves anything either)
we wont even go into the DA’s desciption from the pole tape that he saw, the witnesses, the doctors diagoseses etc.
(non of that is proving excessive force either)
Even though Mr Fullerton or whatever his name is, is a big giant turd and. obviously, a friend of the FPD 6, I only hope that this never happens to his MI son.
what a bastard
Aw come on, why’d the demons have to be black..
Referring to someone as being black hearted means someone who is cold, uncaring, unfeeling, seeing only the negative in others, having nothing good left to give, mean, hateful, etc.
I know.
black hearted-not african american
“I have no personal knowledge of the specific facts of the Thomas case”
You’re a little late to the game because we sure as hell do.
“I have no personal knowledge of the specific facts of the Thomas case.”
Then why the hell would you even say anything??? Don’t talk shit about shit you don’t know shit about.
Mr. Fullerton, being a former LE officer as you claim, I notice you missed one very important point on your history lesson.
These things do happen and more often than you ellude to sir. Many incidents of excessive force that have never been brought to the media’s attention.
The DA has charged 2 of 6 officers with felony crimes. Are they presumed innoncent until proven guilty, YES!!!
But there appear to be 151 witnesses who saw things in a much different light than yourself, THEY were there. Perceptions will vary, granted.
There is not a sintella of evidence that has been presented to show Kelly Thomas offered a level of resistance that came even close to justifie the beating he received.
YOU must be questioning the DA who repeated the words of Officer Ramos about getting F’d up before Kelly did anything that could be remotely construed as resisitant.
Put fear into a mentally ill subject, YES they might try and run or fight, it doesn’t justifie that level of force. Cops cannot start the fight then claim they were overcoming force by the suspect.
For the record if one did some reasearch they would find that the Los Angeles Police Department has created about 80% of the laws on the books that not only protect cops from crooked police managers, many of the laws on the books requiring specific procedures be followed were CREATED by LAPD misconduct.
We can start with the Christopher Commission Reports for starters, then the 10 year decree by the Federal Courts to WATCH LAPD’s actions and conduct.
You give the perception that those Officers found guilty in the Rodney King case by a jury in a civil rights trial were innoncent, but were simply found guilty because of public perception and outrage.
So Mr.Fullerton since your an attorney and former cop, put together some factaul data on the actual excessive force cases you represented in a court of law and won?
If you have been paying attention you might realize this case might not have ever been charged, but was because of the public outrage.
Seems things aren’t getting done these days without folks getting nasty, or have you been asleep the last couple decades?
LOL, “distroyed”.
Furthermore, it’s like LE is about 100 years behind the times in California. Seriously. Frankly, it is completely bizarre. I suspect that some of them, who have never been anywhere besides their small little Orange County world absolutely believe that THEIR reality IS what reality is. It just means they are small-minded people who live in small little worlds and have not been exposed to much beyond those small little worlds. And the small little worlds are run by other small-minded folks (Pat McKinley?) who keep passing down these small-minded ways of seeing things and doing things, and it just goes on and on. If you just read what even the most articulate of the trolls on these blogs have to say, it is obvious that they have an extremely limited world view, limited experience outside of their own small worlds and small minds, and, furthermore, despite the fact that they and the people around them in their work probably really believe they are more intelligent than the average Fullerton police officer because they can write complete sentences with decent spelling, their limited ability for abstract reasoning is a dead give away that they are not really that bright after all.
More random thoughts are in order, but first a clarification. I am a public servant in Fullerton, I do not work for the city of Fullerton.
There are some fine folks here whose thoughts and writings are dead on (no pun intended). There are also a few knuckleheads. On the blog, if the ratio of fine folks to knuckleheads is 11:1, it indicates a high level of support for justice for Kelly. In a courtroom, the same ratio equates to a deadlocked jury and possible freedom for alledged perpetrators. Scary.
Random lyric as my mind thinks about the upcoming trial. “Justice for money, what can you say? We all know it’s the American Way.”
More lyrics:
Hey politician, can’t believe a word you say.
Almighty media, whose truth do you sell today?
Watchdog of justice, who keeps their eye on you?
Con man, song in hand, who you singin’ to?
The more I get to see, the less I understand
I’m just another ordinary man.
Almighty media = Fullerton Observer, OC Register
Watchdog of justice = media
Con man = Goodrich
Yes, you are correct…some cop licker is going to be on the jury – maybe more than 1 and you need uniamous to convict in criminal trials-worrisome, no matter what they are presented with, will hang up the verdict.
Doesnt the defense get to pick jurors on top of it? and who’s to say these cop lickers won’t lie to get on the jury?
Nice job Blessusall in setting that idiot Gary Fullerton cop straight about his ‘everyone jumping to conclusions’ speech.
Admin, it might be worth posting the picture of Kelly Thomas’ battered face from time to time. I cannot imagine that someone could look at that and believe that it was necessary for six police officers to literally crush the face of a shirtless man who had no weapon in order to subdue him for arrest.
BLESSUSALL,
I am afraid Kelly’s face, is the face of what is to come in the future. When management has absolutely no control over it’s people, and then, when something does go horribly wrong, it is these very people who try to hide, quash facts, and obfuscate the truth.
Many, many years ago, a small handful of people protested a conflict. More and more people joined in, and soon, a nation was at war with it’s people. The war was the Vietnam War. If these people can form a massive movement in a very short period of time, as they did, with no internet, then it should be easy for us to do the same thing with it.
Until all citizens are UNITED in this fight against corruption, and police misconduct, these entities will continue their dirty deeds.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
All citizens “UNITED” is a very tall order. I was hoping to start with the recall of the three mutten heads, and the clean up of the FPD. I admit it would be great if all were united, but it’s not going to happen like that. This is the land of big goverment and lawyers. As bad has it is here, it’s worse someplace else.
CG,
You are correct in that govt. and lawyers are one of the problems. Another, are people who can name stars that appeared on Dancing With The Stars, or Survival, but not who is President, etc.. I do not have anything against people who watch tv, however, corruption counts on creating diversions of the public’s attention to be successful. Remember, no military just goes into a battle, without a diversionary tactic to draw off some of their enemies’ forces.
It is only when a Kelly Thomas happens, do we realize how far gone our rights are. Our first sense is despair, then anger, then action. We need to do something about both political corruption, and police abuse. Both hit us in the pocketbook, and both should be eliminated at the source.
I, for one, do hope that the good people of Fullerton, can once again regain the innocent city they chose to live in, however, it will not come anytime soon, or cheaply.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
These are some of the people you can thank for behaving atrociously and bringing decline and chaos to the City of Fullerton:
McKinley
Sellers
Ramos
Wolfe
Cicinelli
Hampton
Craig
Blatney
Goodrich
Rincon
Major
Siliceo
Tong
Cross
Wren
Nowling
Mejia
Lira
Hamilton
Kirk
Nguyen
Mater
Thayer
Diaz
Miller
Dont forget the cops who tried to brow beat the attorney into saying Kelly stole his mail….. we will probably never know who these Gestapo were.
Also the undercover guys who busted into the Nordell’s home and wrote false reports. Were there four of them? I’ll have to go back and check.
I have a serious question, about something that has been bothering me for a while now.
Merijoe commented about this, but I’ve wondering about it for a while now.
How difficult would it be for them to “stack” the jury?
From what I understand, potential jurors are selected at random, probably by a computer. We all get those jury summons from time to time. And you don’t know anything about the actual case…you only know that you are supposed to report on a certain day and you may or may not actually be assigned to a jury. (I’ve been summoned a bunch of times but never actually served on a jury). So a cop-kiss up wouldn’t necessarily, of his or her own accord, be able to infiltrate the jury for this case because they wouldn’t know when the jury is being selected. Can you “volunteer” to be a juror? I don’t know…but even if you can, can you volunteer to be a juror for a particular case? Probably not.
BUT…I’m wondering, is there any way that cops or corrupt city officials could secretly infiltrate the system to get the jury “stacked” with cop supporters? How difficult would it be for them to get jury summons sent to their friends? It’s supposed to be random, but is there any way they could circumvent that?
Because I really think that is what’s going to happen. There are a lot of powerful, corrupt groups watching this who do NOT want to see cops go to jail. And I don’t think it’s because they think Ramos and Cicinelli are innocent. They know full well what Ramos and Cicinelli did. But they don’t care. They don’t want Ramos and Cicinelli to go to jail because it would be a HUGE precedent. It would send a loud, clear message that cops are not above the law. It would strip cops of the absolute power they feel they have. And there are a lot of city officials and police all across the country who don’t want that to happen. They want cops to be able to operate with impunity.
So I just have this sinking feeling that they are going to try to use any means possible to try to get Ramos and Cicinelli off. And they don’t even really care about them personally. They just don’t want cops to lose the absolute power they have.
So that’s what I’m wondering…how difficult would it be for them to stack the jury. I’m not talking about when the attorneys “weed out” potential jurors. I’m talking about even before that point. Is there any way that they could infiltrate the system so that jury summons are sent to their friends and people who they know are cop supporters? Or maybe even people who are bought and paid for?
from my recent experiance – received one of those jury summon thingys in the mail-called in everyday like it said, my number came up and that meant i had to go in- i waited in a room with about 50 others, then we all, give or take a few that had some excuse and couldnt stay, were brought into a courtroom where a judge, both attorneys and the idiot who was charged, all sat, the judge told us why we were there the called 12-14 of us at a time to sit in the jury box, the judge asked us to fill out a paper that resembled an essay test you get at school with questions like you name and what you do, who know-Im pretty sure it asked specifically if you were friends or relatives or employees of law enforcement (officers), the judged went one by one and asked if we had problems with “whatever is specific to the charged asshole” mine was a lady accused of shoplifting who needed a taped interpreter to change everything from english to spanish so she could understand it-the judge asked everyone one by one if they had a problem with that contraption that changes english to spanish, I think my arm almost flew off, I raised it so fast. The judge tried to argue with me “if I was vacationing in another country and got in trouble wouldnt I want to understand the language” I think I almost threw my shoe at her-I answered her-the attorneys didnt like my answer so I was dismissed, Im sure if I didnt express myself i could have gotten on that jury-so you see and hear who you are to be a juror for when you enter into that courtroom. I think someone less honest then me will want to get on the jury for the copper and not say how they really feel- maybe you get more intense questioning by the judge as the crowd thins out
Ramos will need all 12 jurors to agree or disagree to convict-if only 1 person disagrees and holds out, its a hung jury and he can walk free
..
Man in wheelchair shot to death by Phoenix police
By David Schwartz. Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Ian Simpson | Reuters – Sat, Oct 15, 2011…
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PHOENIX (Reuters) – A man in a wheelchair was shot to death by two Phoenix police officers on Saturday after he pointed a handgun at them, a police spokesman said.
The man, who was not identified by authorities, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting at a downtown bus and light rail station, Sgt. Steve Martos said.
Martos said two veteran officers responded to a call of shots fired at the station at about 2:20 a.m. Witnesses said the man had assaulted his girlfriend and he may have shot a gun.
The officers said they approached the man, who became belligerent and initially wheeled away from them, Martos said.
The man then swung back and wheeled toward officers, pulling a gun out of his waistband, Martos said, and ignored commands to drop the weapon.
“The suspect then raised and pointed his handgun at officers,” Martos said in a statement. “Fearing for their life, the officers shot the suspect.”
Martos said the officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard department policy in officer-involved shootings.
(Reporting by David Schwartz. Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Ian Simpson)
(This story corrects the time of incident in the third paragraph)
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Reposted here by Xer: In case anyone is interested.
This issue is directly related to Kelly Thomas.
The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation has been mobilizing every year since 1996 for a National Day of Protest on October 22nd, bringing together those under the gun and those not under the gun as a powerful voice to expose the epidemic of police brutality.
The Coalition also works on the Stolen Lives Project, which documents cases of killings by law enforcement agents nationwide. The second edition of the Stolen Lives book documents over 2000 cases in the 1990s alone (available for $15 from Amazon.com or from the National Office.)
Research and collection of data in preparation for a second volume continues, and volunteers for researching or editing are welcomed.
The Call for the 16th National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation
October 22, 2011
Across the U.S., Black, Latino, and poor neighborhoods are treated like occupied territory by increasingly militarized armies of law enforcement. People are criminalized and brutalized for their perceived status – socioeconomic, immigration, mental health, and/or racial, gender, or sexual identity. People living in our communities, especially youth, are routinely stopped, harassed, beaten, and even killed.
_In Chicago, the home of the first Black president, police have shot 44 people so far this year, mostly youth of color, including 13-year-old Jimmell Cannon, who was shot eight times.
_NYPD continues to stop hundreds of thousands of youth of color every year for the most minimal suspicion, fewer than 10% of which result in arrest, and far fewer in charges or conviction.
_Police nationwide continue to kill with very little consequence. Twelve Miami cops shot at 22-year-old Raymond Herisse 100 times, then threatened those who recorded the incident, destroying their cellphones. A Tucson SWAT team shot at 26-year-old Iraq War veteran Jose Guerena over 70 times, claiming that he fired at them and then leaving him to bleed to death in his home. Both their allegations of gunfire and drug-dealing were later revealed to be false. In New York and New Jersey, at least 28 people have been killed by police since October 22 of last year, while at least 35 people have been killed by law enforcement in Washington State in the last 12 months. The killing of 22-year old Oscar Grant in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2009 resulted in a rare conviction for the officer who shot him; however, he was freed after mere months in prison, while people protesting the outrageous verdict were met with police violence and mass arrests. In the weeks following that cop’s release, SF cops killed Charles Hill, a 45-year-old homeless man, on a subway platform and 19-year old Kenneth Harding after he supposedly failed to pay a $2 train fare, then left him dying on the pavement in front of dozens of outraged witnesses.
_Police routinely abuse the mentally ill and disabled. Fullerton, CA cops beat to death homeless and mentally ill 27-year-old Kelly Thomas, described by many in the community as “a gentle, childlike soul.” In Fresno, CA, 28-year-old Raul Rosas, Jr. died after being tasered by police. His girlfriend said “I didn’t call the Fresno County Sheriff to kill him. I called because he needed help with his mental illness.” Raul went into cardiac arrest and was denied access to three medical ambulances that showed up to assist.
_Recently enacted anti-immigrant laws have given police in the states of Arizona, Georgia, and Alabama sweeping powers to stop people “suspected” of being undocumented on no other basis than appearance. The hostility and racism stoked by these policies have already culminated in violence, as seen in the killing of 15-year-old Sergio Adrián Hernández Güereka by a border patrol agent and the beating death of 42-year-old Anastasio Hernández Rojas at the hands of La Migra. More than one million have been deported under the Obama administration.
_Racially targeted mass incarceration exacerbates the criminalization and marginalization of Black people, playing the same role as the Jim Crow laws that sprang from the Virginia slave codes of 1705. In 1954, 90,000 Black people were incarcerated. Now, over 900,000 Black people are imprisoned, a tenfold increase, while the total U.S. Black population has merely doubled in the same period. The U.S. also has the highest incarceration rate worldwide, with 2.4 million people in prison.
Law enforcement continues to harass and sexually assault people, most especially women and the transgendered. According to the website InjusticeEverywhere.com, sexual misconduct was the second most common complaint (following excessive force) against police in 2010, involving 618 cops.
_Young schoolchildren are increasingly labeled and treated as criminals by school security and local police. Eight-year-old Aidan Elliot was peppersprayed and handcuffed by Colorado police, and ten-year-old Sofia Bautista was removed from her elementary school, then taken to a NYPD precinct, handcuffed, and interrogated for hours, while police nationwide continue to use tasers on students as young as six.
_Meanwhile, repression against those who take action against injustices continues to escalate. Over a dozen activists with Food Not Bombs have been arrested in Orlando for feeding the homeless in public parks. The killings of Oscar Grant, Kenneth Harding, Kelly Thomas, Raymond Herisse, and John T. Williams (in Seattle) were all caught on video. Now, as if in retaliation against the subsequent public outrage, police in cities and towns nationwide have attacked and arrested people merely for recording their activity, while in Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts, video-recording the police is now explicitly illegal. Cops haven’t stopped killing and brutalizing people—they’re just making it a crime to record them while they do. Repression against progressive and antiwar activism has intensified: simultaneous FBI raids on activists from numerous antiwar and international solidarity organizations in three U.S. cities took place on September 24, 2010. Twenty-three activists now face serious jail time for refusing to participate in the ensuing grand jury witch hunts that clearly intend to discourage and intimidate would-be dissenters.
_These vicious attacks are not going down without opposition. Whether standing up to police violence when it happens, as we saw in the video of Kenneth Harding’s shooting, or organizing inspiring prison strikes in Georgia and California, people are uniting to fight back. Determined outcry from people nationwide against the shooting of unarmed men crossing the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina has finally brought convictions of the guilty cops and exposed the sort of extensive cover-ups that are routine with police shootings. More and more crimes against the people are being revealed, as we have seen with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ Operation Fast and Furious, which intentionally provided weapons to Mexican drug cartels, and the overturning of over 4,000 convictions of youth in Pennsylvania after it was found that juvenile judge Mark Ciavarella received kickbacks from private for-profit detention centers. Once we have seen the man behind the curtain, how can we pretend he is not there? One thing we know from years of experience is that when this system has to answer to organized people, it can’t easily get away with all the things it’s used to doing. Resistance matters.
THE VIOLENCE OF THE COPS, THE COURTS, THE FBI, LA MIGRA, AND HOMELAND SECURITY IS INTENSIFYING. OUR RESISTANCE MUST INTENSIFY AS WELL! Every year, thousands of people nationwide express their outrage, creativity, and resistance in response to the crimes of this system. People speak out and perform, they march in the streets, and more. The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation embraces and encourages any and all such expressions of people’s righteous outrage.
As said by the mother of Gil Barber, gunned down by a deputy in High Point, NC in 2001, “October 22nd is our day.” ORGANIZE against these injustices! BREAK DOWN the barriers between communities that these crimes seek to strengthen! MOBILIZE people of all communities in the most visible way…and on October 22, 2011, WEAR BLACK! FIGHT BACK!
JOIN US if there is already an October 22nd event in your area. CREATE one if you are in an area where there is currently no group organizing. For listings of activities in your area, check the website http://www.october22.org.To start building for an event in your area, email info@october22.org
http://www.october22.org/
What has become of my country makes my heart feel sick. What on earth happened to the America I was born and raised in? And, what do you want to bet your hate mail increases after this is posted?
Xer
List of Assembly Points (in California) for October 22, 2011
Central Valley, California
Caravan of Resistance:
11:00am Stockton Police Station, 22 East Market Street
12:30pm Manteca Police Station, 1001 W. Center Street
2:00pm Stanislaus County Jail, 115 H. Street (Modesto)
3:00pm March
4:00pm Community Forum on State Repression at Cesar Chavez
http://wearealloscargrantcv.blogspot.com/
Fresno, California
5:00pm Vigil at corner of N Street and Mariposa, across from the Downtown Library/Fresno Police Department
559-268-2261
IWAPGH@aol.com
Los Angeles, CA
1:00pm Gather at Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive Street
2:00pm March to MacArthur Park
4:00pm Rally
6:00pm Stolen Lives candelight vigil
323-446-7459
October22.LA@gmail.com
Contact the National Office of October 22nd at:
Info@october22.org
or 1-888-NO BRUTALITY
(1-888-662-7882) toll free October 22nd Coalition
P.O. Box 2627
or 1-646-537-1714 New York, NY (voicemail, please leave message) 10009