The American Defendant Advocating for the wrongfully arrested. Combating police abuse and misconduct.
Guilty until proven innocent ... tell your rights to someone who cares
NORTHWEST FLORIDA, 2010-11
ISSUE 2
TheAmericanDefendant
Is An Alternative
ToMugshotPublications
ThatCriminalizePeople
WhoHaveOnlyBeenArrested
www.americandefendant.info
1
Hi all, We want to tell you that we are happy to produce this little magazine to highlight police abuse and misconduct in an effort to reduce it. The title for this publication implies not that our zine defends Americans, but that it is representative of the defendant, who is innocent until proven guilty within the American justice system.
Listen Folks, what happened - happened. The officers involved have apologized and our agency has sworn to take care of the problem. Just go home, go back to work, and let’s just put this all behind us ...
2
Let’s not put this behind us ...
“The publication of truthful personal information about police officers is linked to the issue of police accountabilty through aiding in acheiving service of process, researching criminal history of officers, organizing lawful pickets, and other peaceful and lawful forms of civic involvement that publicize the issue.” - Judge Richard Smoak United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida 3
Recent firings of local law enforcment officers Mark Bomia of the Parker Police Department was arrested in October 2010 for strangling and shooting his girlfriend to death while on duty. Officer Bomia was fired.
Officer Mark Bomia, PPD
Officer Benjamin Logue, BCSO Arrested for sexual battery in June, 2010, Logue was arrested again in late October on charges of tampering with a witness, kidnapping, and child neglect. Officer Logue was fired after the second arrest.
Officer Joshua Lanier, BCSO After several incidents of misconduct and several moves around the department, the BCSO decided, finally, to fire officer Lanier in October after he was arrested by the Escambia County Police Department at a music festival for refusing to leave the VIP tent.
4
Police Abuse Isn’t Just Physical “The American police are involved in psychological warfare against those Americans who don’t frighten them with imposing papers and threats.” - Jack Kerouac In a relationship, psychological abuse is taken very seriously. There are various agencies, including government, non-profit, and business, that handle cases and reports of psychological abuse as a matter of domestic violence. There are hotlines, advertisements, awareness campaigns sponsored by city officials and business leaders everywhere. The reason is that abuse doesn’t have to be physical to have a detrimental affect on the well-being of a person. Psychological abuse can send people into depression, drug abuse, isolation, and acts of violence. We know of the consequences and why it is important to stop those who engage in it, yet, police officers do it frequently. Regularly we hear reports of police officers engaging in various kinds of psychological abuse; taunting, name-calling, yelling, threatening incarceration. Defined in any medical-dictionary such behavior is psychological abuse, and it is important that it be viewed as such. Important most of all is that this behavior works to provoke people into acting in a way that gets them arrested. Once in custody abuse can escalate, a criminal history is created, and a person’s social integrity, job eligibility, and self-esteem are compromised. Police abuse isn’t just physical, it’s psychological. 5
The American Defendant See the First Issue Online! www.americandefendant.info
Hi all, we hope that you are enjoying issue 2 of The American Defendant. We want you to know that we know that some of you have been arrested for crimes you didn’t commit. We want to tell you that, even though, while you were being hustled through the justice system there may have been police officers somewhere sharing pornography (via computers paid for with tax-payer dollars), or attempting to hush a witness related to their own case, it’s okay - there are people who care. We want to express to you that we must try to avoid the police, whenever possible, and learn to be mediators when trouble arises at home or in the public. If you find yourself approached by an officer, stay calm, be polite, remember your rights, and get out of there as quickly as possible. Most of all, we want to remind you that we can build a safer community by reaching out, encouraging each other, and sharing stories of police abuse and misconduct. We can help reduce the amount of abuse through education, sharing information, and making it common knowledge. There are many ways to do this and The American Defendant is simply offering one more way. It’s free, it’s open to anyone, and we want to encourage you to make use of it. www.americandefendant.info
6
Sufficient Hydration = Incarceration Who would have thought being sufficiently hydrated was a crime? After my mandatory incarceration for peeing “too clear”, I would suggest that the Bay County criminal justice system thinks so. I was jailed for a short time due to a “dilute” urinalisis, as it was put to me. I was told that clear urine indicates that I am trying to “hide” something, since I’m on probation. The truth, of course, is that I ride a bicycle - avidly. In fact, my road bike is my primary mode of transportation, therefore I typically drink more than a gallon of water throughout an entire day. Unfortunately, my protest was not considered and I was filed through the hierarchy of the system to find myself waking up in the Bay County jail. Now I realize that some, because I’m on probation, won’t consider my incarceration for peeing clear a possible violation of my rights. For some, if you are on probation, you must have deserved it and therefore you have no rights. Although if you do consider it, I was forced to go to jail, not for any trace of drugs or alcohol, but for sufficient hydration. On top of this, there were threats of increased incarceration, shackles from head to toe upon my release, and a question as to whether or not I had forgotten my “mommy’s vibrator”. I’m not homeless, but they released me at the Rescue Mission. Though it was unclear as to what crime had been commtted, and by whom, the officers barked at me to stay out of trouble. I returned the suggestion and guessed my trouble had been keeping hydrated.
7
R.C. Hall
R.C. Hall is a local cyclist, artist, and activist. He lives and works in Panama City, FL.
Simply knowing your rights won’t save you from police abuse and misconduct. Report it. www.americandefendant.info
8
TREAT POLICE LIKE WILD ANIMALS Police officers are under a lot of pressure. They are nervous and have a tendancy to use force and weapons such as pepper spray and tasers indicrimanately. And sometimes discriminately. Therefore, when approached by an officer or in the presence of an alleged crime scene, make no sudden movements and stay calm. Most of all do your best to stay away from them! Police officers are in the business of writing tickets and making arrests. Do your best to avoid them obeying the laws for the safety and well-being of yourself and others. 9
10
www.americandefendant.info