Decay In Law Enforcement 28

Liberty In Peril

formerly,

The Llano Ledger

11-8-19

5-25-18

... Hey, Sheriff? Is it true Llano County Attorney Becky Lange has advised you to stay out of the "Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764" fiasco? That right, Bill? Isn't that obstruction of justice? Also true your deputies have advised the Bolens to accept the status quo and not force the no-trespassing issue with Greene? If so, isn't that also obstruction and official oppression? When will you do your job, Bill? As an elected official, you answer to the public, forget? -- No honor? ... No honor at all? If the foregoing allegations are indeed true, didn't you swear an oath to uphold the law and Constitution? Why aren't you doing so? No guts?

Your deputy has been accused of abusing authority. What action have you taken other than ignore the complaint? Why aren't both Rodriguez and the County Attorney under criminal investigation? The County Attorney appears to be obstructing justice, accepting the word of Greene in lieu of two surveyor companies who strongly assert otherwise. Both the County Attorney and District Attorney have ignored complaints. Par for the course in Llano County, isn't it? Failed to do their jobs. No surprise there, right, Bill? Both receiving 'special consideration' up to and/or including a bribe from Greene? Regardless, clearly, no justice in Nazi Llano County. Bottom line? Desperate need for an outside criminal investigation. Conveniently, forget? This County is ruled by men, certainly not rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute criminal law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose only mandate would be to adjudicate such cases. Total independence. Until that happens, the criminal bastards who falsely believe they run and own this hell hole County will continue to do as they please.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... "No justice. Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence. The only way to rein in these criminals, particularly the murderers in blue.

Sadly, the achingly clueless bastards in law enforcement don't need a legitimate reason to kill. Enjoy carte blanche to murder on the job. Nearly always, with impunity. ... Right, Sheriff? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--kers, the department, and the city. Any officer engaged in, or threatening this kind of unnecessary violence needs to be criminally prosecuted. Not protected and coddled. Not put on paid leave, -- no more than a paid vacation. Not sent home without pay to catch up on his beauty sleep.

Firing is egregiously insufficient. How can the law enforcement community be trusted? No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than the criminal jackbooted bastards in law enforcement. ... Right, Sheriff? Madam County Attorney? "Sonny Boy?"

These are extremely dangerous times for our formerly great country. ... Hear the rumble? An unwanted dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming. -- As our legislators and other government officials figuratively 'fiddle while Rome burns.'

Not good enough. Nowhere near. Short of an unwanted dreaded second American revolution, only one way for these atrocities to end. Again, time for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate such cases. Total independence.

Local and state authorities are egregiously incapable of handling these cases. Tend to protect their own. ... Right, Sheriff? Goes with the territory, doesn't it, Bill? Precisely, why there is no faith or trust in your criminal jackbooted bastards. Local authorities here in Nazi Llano County have their heads figuratively, securely lodged so far up their clueless ass their eyeballs are turning inside out. Protect and coddle your clueless, out of control officers. Imagine that.

Unadulterated, blatant ongoing horse shit. ... Right, Bill? F--k these jackbooted bastards. Aren't worth a crap. Continually abrogate their oaths of office to protect and defend the United States Constitution. ... Right, Sheriff? Includes not only deputies, but the brass as well. No principles. No honor. Lying, conniving, abusive, murderous jackbooted thieving thugs. The American Civil Liberties Union needs to step up and represent the victims of abusive law enforcement.

To say nothing of innocent civilians all across our formerly great country who are victimized by abusive police. Need far better representation than a public defender. Forget? It's how the bastards in government line government coffers. All too often, looting the innocent. Those on the bottom of the food chain. ... Right, Sheriff?

No justice. The American Way. Nazi America. When is this shit finally going to end? All of it. Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty five weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace.

Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting. Who the hell are they?

When will the goddamned 'law' 'enforcement' community finally stop making excuses for engaging in outrageous criminal activity including blatant murder, violent assault, sexual assault, theft, drug trafficking, etc.? List can go on and on. Protecting its own no matter what it does or doesn't do? Convenient, isn't it, Sheriff? Again, no foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all branches and levels of government, -- including law enforcement.

Corruption within law enforcement remains an existential threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. So what else is new? ... Right, Bill? Same old duplicitous, aggressively stupid shit occurs right here in Nazi Llano County. ... Doesn't it, Sheriff?

Think it'll change any time soon? Don't hold your breath, readers. Not how things work in Nazi America, right, Sheriff? Highly reminiscent of how your goons operate though, isn't it, Bill? Forget? 'Stupid is as stupid does.' F--ked up is f--ked up no matter where, no matter how. Problem throughout all law enforcement.

Including right here in Nazi Llano County, right, Sheriff? Too many officers clearly have their heads securely lodged where the sun seldom shines. Egregious insanity continues to be perpetrated by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Ongoing issue. All over our formerly great country.

Not just in Dallas as in the Guyger case, but all over the nation. No end to it. Surprised? Why? In today's increasingly national socialist climate anything goes, right, Bill? Live in a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. Certainly, a problem here in Nazi Llano County, isn't it, Sheriff? Your goons, however, aren't held accountable when they egregiously f--k up. Ever.

Precisely why you refuse to release information on your deputies to the long-suffering public? That is, employment history, criminal background, results of drug testing, etc.. ... Got to protect your criminal jackbooted thugs preying on the citizenry with virtual impunity, right, sir?

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to a Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property. Why are you protecting this clueless son of a bitch, Sheriff?

Why hasn't he been prosecuted for official oppression? Where is financial compensation for the damage this jackbooted piece of human excrement is responsible for? Ferociously pointedly, why are the District Attorney and the County Attorney continuing to protect this jackbooted piece of shit? He and others like him present an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties.

Equally to the point, why are your jackbooted pieces of human excrement refusing to enforce Berardi's property rights? Your goons have failed to take action against Theresa Ahrens when she tore down a no trespassing sign and barrier on Berardi's property. Have you, your goons, and/or Madam County Attorney been bribed by Johnny Greene?

Ahrens frequently drives all the way through Berardi's property. Coup de grace? When Berardi complained to Llano County Deputy Idle about the trespassing, the officer's response was insane. Said the Sheriff told him to tell Berardi since Ahrens believes she owns his property she can't be charged with trespassing. Perfect Catch-22, right, Sheriff? You're not fit for office, Bill. Bribed by Johnny Greene?

Why is Theresa Ahrens allowed by your goons to dictate what vehicles can and cannot be parked on Berardi's property? Ahrens claims she has proof the property belongs to her where the vehicle was parked. Has failed to produce it. Surveyors say otherwise. Back up Berardi. Yet, your jackbooted bastards refuse to enforce Berardi's property rights. Why? Somebody lining somebody's pockets, Sheriff?

Ms. Ahrens micro-mini portable 'house' is parked on an unused unmarked Llano County road. Imagine that. Madam County Attorney well-aware. Has done nothing. Shit squat. Egregiously ignored her oath of office. Someone bribing you, Becky? Lining your pockets, Counselor? Paying you not to sell the unused unmarked County road to Berardi? Doesn't the County want and need the sale money, to say nothing of the resultant tax income?

No question, County and State agencies remain determinedly, concertedly, achingly incapable of criminal investigation of their own. Precisely, why a new federal agency desperately needs to be created whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate only such cases. Total independence. Certainly, go a long, long way to cleaning up this cess pool County. Rein in the outrageously corrupt, abusive, achingly inept, self-serving assholes who run and own this hell hole.

Sheriff, you falsely claim the Kingsland County Commissioner has the authority to resolve this ongoing property rights issue. Clearly, doesn't. You, Madam County Attorney, and "Sonny Boy" are certainly an egregious impediment, continue to determinedly stonewall. Someone's pockets are being lined. Again, where's financial compensation for the damage Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 is directly responsible for to the Pace Arrow? Why hasn't he been prosecuted for this damage, to say nothing of infringement of Berardi's property rights? -- Just getting started, Sheriff. Far more to come.

-- You're not doing your jobs, Sheriff. You've got a loose vicious dog problem in Kingsland, Bill. When will you and the troops finally do something about this ongoing issue? Certainly, a recurring problem on Skyline, particularly on occasion at the intersection of Odessa. Pedestrians, runners, and cyclists are at risk. Too busy lining County coffers with bogus tickets?"

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

The enclosed emails were sent to the Llano County Attorney and Sheriff, respectively, vis a vis the above matter. Remain unanswered. The County Attorney appears to be protecting and defending the deputy at behest of Kingsland property owner Johnny Greene. May have received some consideration from Greene up to and including a bribe. Are the County Attorney, Greene, and the Deputy under criminal investigation? If not, why not?

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

As you're well aware, we have an outrageously corrupt, abusive, achingly inept Llano County Sheriff's Office here in Nazi Llano County. Worse, you and your office aid and abet these SS jackbooted bastards in black. The issue at the moment is the same it's been the last six months.

How is it two surveyor companies, the Appraisal District, the Tax Office, the Precinct 3 Commissioner, even the goddamned Sheriff himself now states Kingsland resident James Berardi owns the lots in contention all these months?

Yet, you ludicrously assert that's not the County's legal position. It's not? Why not? You claim you're not a real estate expert. Rather than accept the advice of two surveyor companies, the Precinct 3 Commissioner, the Appraisal District, the Tax Office, and even the Sheriff himself, you've inexplicably chosen to follow the advice of property owner Johnny Greene, -- who conveniently happens to be reportedly in the oil industry.

Question to be asked. Could you have received any 'consideration' in return, -- up to and including a bribe? Only way to know for sure is for the District Attorney to conduct a criminal investigation. Apparently, there has been none. If not, why not?

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Our achingly useless, worthless, gutless Sheriff has ignored an email vis a vis the damage this jackbooted thug is responsible for. Interestingly, his fellow officers believe him to be an idiot. Yet, the Sheriff continued to defend this piece of human excrement until he realized this entire fiasco would not be swept under the carpet.

Rodriguez is indeed an idiot. Would you believe this piece of crap ordered the motor home to be moved on to an unmarked unused Llano County road? That motor home has indeed been moved back to where it was parked before Rodriguez forced it to be moved. Why hasn't the County paid for the cost of moving it back? To say nothing of the damage.

Equally pointedly, why is it the County has allowed Theresa Ahrens to park and live in her tiny cottage on that very same road? Why hasn't she been evicted by the County? Why was she assessed taxes on an adjacent improvement she doesn't own?

Why is it, Counselor, Johnny Greene is paying for the attorney retained by Ms. Ahrens? Is Greene attempting to make this all go away by bribery? Greene has also informed Berardi he is going to sue. For what? Has Greene lost his mind?

What about Wells who installed a $4500 septic system on a lot turns out he does not own as a result of Greene, an outrageously inept County, to say nothing of the Llano County Attorney who remains equally determinedly clueless?

How about Bolen who hasn't a pot to piss in, but was nonetheless f--ked over by Greene to say nothing of an egregiously inept County, to say nothing of you and your goddamned equally incompetent office?

None of this is going away, Counselor, -- any time soon. Will not be swept under the carpet as all the other crap going on in this hell hole County. Not a chance. Expect a full expose in this publication whether or not this outrageous fiasco finally gets resolved. Including full public exposure of both the Sheriff and his jackbooted thug.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Archive and retain all reports vis a vis damage to the Pace Arrow resulting from egregious abuse of authority perpetrated by Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764, on the Berardi property in Kingsland on 8-16-17.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Highly reminiscent of our outrageously bought and paid for judiciary, Llano County prosecutors, Sheriff Bill Blackburn and his criminal SS jackbooted bastards in black who continue to egregiously disgrace themselves and the badge, do as they please regardless of the law and Constitution, carefully consider the following. It's appalling. Runs against the grain of everything our formerly great country once stood for. No longer.

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

"The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission recognized District Attorney Wiley “Sonny” McAfee on August 22 for his efforts in prosecuting natural and cultural resource violations as well as environmental crimes. The commission named the 33rd and 424th district attorney the 2019 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Prosecutor of the Year. McAfee serves Burnet, Llano, Blanco, and San Saba counties. Elected in November 2012 and taking office on January 1, 2013, he has been instrumental in a number of high-profile cases involving Texas game wardens and Texas State Park police officers."

The District Attorney has ignored a complaint filed earlier by this publication regarding special treatment accorded Texas oil man Johnny Greene by the Llano County Attorney and Sheriff vis a vis a property dispute involving a local banker, three other local property owners with homes encroaching on land they don't own, one of which is on an unused Llano County road. To say nothing of damage to a Pace Arrow motorhome on that property. All a result of egregious abuse of authority by Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764. The circumstances of this fiasco can be found above in each and every edition of this publication since this happened two years ago. The Sheriff, the County Attorney, and the District Attorney have all determinedly, concertedly ignored this ongoing, unresolved fiasco raising one ferociously pointed question. How much were they bribed?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty five weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred eighty five weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred eighty five weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

Readers, this is but one of about four other highly questionable killings by law enforcement in Llano County in the last decade or so. There was one within the City of Llano, another in a field near Fuzzy's Corner, Buchanan Dam, yet another in Point Tella, Buchanan Dam, still another in Tow. If there are any others I may have neglected to mention, kindly email.

It's time the public be fully informed. -- Know what we're dealing with here and how 'law' 'enforcement' operates in this hell hole County. If these jackbooted bastards are not reined in, the life lost could be yours courtesy of a law enforcement system that is no longer accountable to anyone. ... Right, Sheriff? TL? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?

The Sheriff seems to have no clue the people who pay him and his goons are entitled to know whom is killing whom and why. This shit always seems to be swept under the carpet. Ignored. The attitude of these jackbooted sons of bitches is trust us. They can't be. They've lied too many times. Refuse to be accountable to anyone. We live in a goddamned fascist police-state where law enforcement does as it pleases. Usually, with impunity. That has to change.

The Texas Rangers have become rubber stamp to atrocities committed by law enforcement. This also has to change. No one is holding law enforcement accountable any longer. No one. No one in state or federal government. This is precisely why Ferguson triggered such an uproar. There was no justice there. None here. None anywhere. Officers are abusive, corrupt, inept.

Falsely ticket and arrest the innocent to line County coffers. Court fees charged continue to be horrendous. -- Aren't taxpayers already looted to pay these costs? Aren't you boys not only double f--king those falsely accused, but taxpayers also hellaciously looted to pay the very same costs? Yet, the criminal bastards in power in Llano continue to pile on the fees. This is nothing more than goddamned bullshit. This money finds its way into the pockets of the corrupt, abusive bastards who falsely believe they run and own this hell hole.

Would you believe the last time the Sheriff's Office happened to be 'audited' during the Garrett regime, reportedly, auditors couldn't figure out what went where and why? Yet, surprise, surprise. Nothing was done. There has to be transparency. There is none. Why would these thieving bastards want any? ... Right, Sheriff? TL? How else could they so easily steal and loot with virtual impunity? Worse, this reinforces jackbooted power in this goddamned, godforsaken hell hole County.

The public has a right to know the histories of the Sheriff's goons. Clearly, the Sheriff doesn't think so. That is, where they came from. Why they left where they were. What is happening here is the Sheriff is using 'personnel matters' as a convenient excuse to deny the public access to the history of outrageously corrupt, abusive, inept officers who are no more than criminals themselves.

He's protecting his outrageously corrupt, abusive, inept jackbooted bastards. Worse, the standards imposed by sheriff's offices statewide with the exception of metropolitan counties are well below those of DPS and city police departments. Why? So the corruption, abuse, ineptness, and outright stealing can continue unabated? This has to change. ... Can't have that, can we? Sheriff? TL?

The public should understand Llano County authorities have it all sewn up. Did you know the Texas Attorney General does not have the authority to investigate and prosecute County authorities on his own? The District Attorney has to call for an investigation by the Texas Rangers. Then, the State can prosecute if it so chooses.

Consequently? Guess what? Nothing will happen. Nothing ever does. The goddamned corruption continues unabated until you, the public, pressure authorities. Precisely, why we all enjoy the 'best' government money can buy. Literally. Without question, the corrupt, abusive, inept sons of bitches are all bought and paid for. Firmly clamped to the taxpayer tit. Dependent on money looted from innocent citizens caught in their web. Phony fines and court costs cleverly designed to f--k the innocent and enrich the pieces of shit who falsely believe they run and own Llano County. Right, Sheriff? TL? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?

Interestingly, the former Sheriff and District Attorney were reportedly forced to retire after an outrageous scandal involving a drunk driving police officer from out of town. Including special treatment of the drunken son of a bitch that no other citizen caught doing the same would have been afforded. An honest, honorable Llano County Deputy suffered the consequences. Forget? Great officers do not last in this hell hole County. ... Right, Sheriff? TL? "Sonny Boy?" Madam County Attorney?

With all ongoing abuse in this goddamned County, one thing remains for damned sure. We're just getting started, Sheriff. You will continue to be exposed for whom and what you and your corrupt, abusive, inept jackbooted bastards have become, truly are, not what you phonies purport to be, that is, how you continue to f--k over a public you've falsely sworn to protect and defend. -- Exposure, the only way short of an unwanted dreaded revolution to force desperately needed change in a goddamned fascist police-state. The Fourth Reich.

Have your jackbooted thugs been tested for steroids, Sheriff? If you've nothing to hide, Bill, release the results of all drug testing. 'Personnel matters?' Bullshit. Looted taxpayers have the right to know. They're footing the bill for all this goddamned corruption, abuse, ineptness. When will you and the boys end the shakedowns? Looting of the innocent to line County coffers? No honor at all?

Where are your swastika armbands, you fascist son of a bitch? You and your thugs remain out of uniform. Once again, Sheriff, and ad nauseum, did you and/or your goons pressure Schilling to exit the race? Did you steal the election? If so, an aggressively stupid, achingly gutless public gets what it truly deserves. One of the most corrupt, abusive, inept 'law' 'enforcement' agencies in our formerly great country.

11-8-19

Have any information, knowledge of, experience with a purportedly non-profit volunteer clean-up group called Looking Forward In Llano County affiliated with the Llano County Attorney's Office? Email this publication at libertyinperil@protonmail.com to provide information and/or arrange a meeting to discuss this matter. If requested, your identity will be protected. The question is quite simple. Is this group what it claims to be and on the level?

11-8-19

Man's best friend. ABC News reports:

"A state's attorney's office in Illinois has welcomed its newest member: Hatty the black lab. The 2-year-old dog was sworn into the Cook County State's Attorney's Office on Tuesday, placing her right paw over a law book during the ceremony. Hatty's primary handler and victim witness specialist Stephanie Coehlo, left, holds the black lab as Hatty is sworn in by Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago, Oct. 29, 2019. Hatty will join the office to provide support to children who are victims of sexual assault, according to State's Attorney Kim Foxx. "Coming to this work with compassion and understanding of victims' experiences helps to ensure the system is fair and just to everyone," Fox said on Twitter. "Hatty was trained to help provide comfort and relaxation while victims are in the courthouse or while they are giving their testimony."

Who better, more qualified for the job?

"Hatty is expected to handle between 150 to 200 cases each year, according to Cook County. She is the office's first therapy dog and was trained by inmates through the group called Duo, which is an assistance dogs provider and training organization based in St. Louis, Missouri. "We are proud to have a resource like Hatty to provide a source of comfort for victims as they navigate this difficult process," the Cook County office said in a tweet."

11-8-19

Clearly, not all Republicans are nazis. Governor of Oklahoma is certainly not. NBC News reports:

"More than 450 nonviolent offenders in Oklahoma reunited with their families in the largest mass commutation in U.S. history. Brody Whisenhunt clutched his mother outside the Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center on Monday, sobbing and declaring it the best day of his life. His mom, Robin Whisenhunt, was a free woman as she walked out of the minimum-security women's facility in Taft, Oklahoma, southeast of Tulsa, one of 462 nonviolent offenders who were released from prison in what the state said was the biggest one-day mass commutation in U.S. history. "It means the world," Brody Whisenhunt said. "I miss my mom more than anything, and just to have her back is great."

Here's the issue:

"Like many of the inmates freed Monday, Robin Whisenhunt had been jailed for simple drug possession, which, along with low-level property crimes, was a felony until 2016. That was when voters fed up with Oklahoma's rate of incarceration — the highest in the nation, with as much as 1 percent of the state's population behind bars — voted to reclassify them as misdemeanors. On Friday, the day the new law took effect, the state Pardon and Parole Board voted unanimously to recommend that Gov. Kevin Stitt commute the sentences of 527 nonviolent offenders. He agreed, and just three days later, he was at the Warrior Correctional Center to greet the 70 or so women who were released there Monday."

Stood tall:

"It's such an honor to be with my fellow Oklahomans outside the walls of Eddie Warrior Correctional Center," Stitt, a Republican who was elected last year, said. "This is the first day of the rest of your life," Stitt said, telling the women: "We're behind you. Oklahomans want to give you a second chance." The rest of the 527 inmates, 65 of them, are due to be freed once other holds are cleared up. All were being given driver's licenses or other state-issued identification cards, possessions vital to applying for jobs and seeking housing. Officials said more commutations are likely in the near future, potentially freeing up as many as 2,000 beds in the crowded prison system and saving the state $12 million."

Get this:

"At facilities across the state Monday, officials shepherded former inmates into the daylight, some of then overcome with emotion. "This is joy!" one woman shouted at the Taft facility. "This is for Yahweh. Thank you, father. Oh, my God, I'm so happy."

Seatbelts on:

"Another woman appeared dazed as she tried to walk out. "It's OK, darlin'," an aide told her as she guided her in the right direction. "You're doing great."

Sad, isn't it? Hopefully, she'll recover.

Equally encouraging? Get this:

"I've had a lot of time to think, not being able to see my children," Whisenhunt said. "I'm from out of state — having to be in this state and so far away from my family has really given me some time to think about everything." "I'm just so glad that Governor Stitt gave us this opportunity to be able to go home to our families," she said. For Lori Scott, freedom meant the first chance to see Jasper, her 3-month-old grandson. "I don't want to never put him down," said Scott, who had been less than a year into a 12-year felony sentence for drug possession at the Taft facility. Scott said she had been given new hope that she could set her life straight. "God's not done yet," she said. "He's given us the chance to be able to do something different with our lives." At Kate Barnard Correctional Center in Oklahoma City, Lana Lemus clasped her daughter in her arms on her first day of freedom. "I've been out of her life for three years," said Lemus, who'd also been jailed for felony drug possession. "She's my hope. She's never given up on me," Lemus said. "So it's a great opportunity for a lot of women out there, and all I have to say is thank you."

11-8-19

The criminal jackbooted bastards in blue do as they please. Usually, with impunity. Think the following is justice? NPR reports:

"Leo Lech stands on a pile of wood in his neighbor's yard, which overlooks the back of his former home in Greenwood Village, Colo. In 2015, the home was destroyed by the police during a standoff with a gunman and has since been razed and rebuilt. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that the city does not owe Lech any compensation. An armed shoplifting suspect in Colorado barricaded himself in a stranger's suburban Denver home in June 2015. In an attempt to force the suspect out, law enforcement blew up walls with explosives, fired tear gas and drove a military-style armored vehicle through the property's doors."

Apparently, patience is of limited value to these clueless jackasses. Would be laughable if not so goddamned tragic.

"After an hours-long siege, the home was left with shredded walls and blown-out windows. In some parts of the interior, the wood framing was exposed amid a mountain of debris."

'Thoughtful' of them, no?

"A federal appeals court in Denver ruled this week that the homeowner, who had no connection to the suspect, isn't entitled to be compensated, because the police were acting to preserve the safety of the public."

Jesus Christ. In the circles of law enforcement, day is night, night is day, and shit smells perversely sweet. All ass backwards.

"Under no circumstances in this country should the government be able to blow up your house and render a family homeless," Leo Lech, the house's owner, told NPR. "This family was thrown out into the street without any recourse." Lawyers for Lech argued that the police's destruction of his home was a violation of the Constitution's Takings Clause, which says private property cannot be taken for public use without "just compensation."

Gets worse:

"But the problem with that argument, the appeals court ruled, is that courts have long held that police cannot be on the hook for property damage caused in the process of trying to make an arrest. "As unfair as it may seem, the Takings Clause simply does not entitle all aggrieved owners to recompense," the appeals court wrote."

... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looms as these clueless jackasses on the court 'fiddle while Rome burns,' -- so to speak.

Think you've heard it all? You haven't. Gets far worse. Get this:

"The suspect in the case, who was wanted in connection with shoplifting, was taken into custody after a 19-hour standoff. More than 100 officers from agencies around the Denver area responded to the incident. Authorities say the suspect stole two belts and a shirt from a Walmart. After he left the store, police say, he broke into Lech's house for protection and was firing at officers with a handgun. Eventually, SWAT officers entered the home and apprehended him. Left in the wake of the arrest, though, was a Greenwood Village, Colo., home that looked as if it were collateral damage in a war zone."

Took over a hundred of these f--kers 19 hours to take him into custody? Turned a house into a war zone? These jackasses are idiots. Not qualified to wear a uniform. What could they possibly been thinking? Clearly, insanity rules:

"The interior of the Lech Home was a mass of debris and destroyed belongings from the projectiles launched into the home by the Defendants. Chemical munitions or other projectiles were stuck in the walls. The Lech Home was completely uninhabitable and its condition posed a danger to anyone entering the home," one of Lech's attorneys, David Williams, wrote in a federal lawsuit filed in August 2016."

Judgment, clearly lacking. Absent without leave.

"At the time of the episode, Lech was renting the home to his son, John Lech, who lived there with his girlfriend, her 9-year-old son and two dogs. The boy, who was home alone when the gunman entered, was able to get out of the house safely. The family members all moved in with Lech until they found another place to stay. The city of Greenwood Village condemned Lech's home. It was completely razed to a vacant lot, and Lech said he has spent around $400,000 rebuilding it — not to mention the $28,000 in legal fees he also incurred as he pursued compensation from the city and police."

Nazi justice:

"City officials paid Lech's family $5,000 in compensation, a sum that Lech's lawyer deemed "unconscionable." "There needs to be a line drawn for what police departments can do and what they need to do to compensate citizens for this kind of damage," Lech said. "I didn't want to sue anyone for millions. I just wanted fair market value for my house."

Clearly, not possible in a de facto fascist police-state.

Insult to injury? Epitome of cluelessness? Get this:

"Melissa Gallegos, a spokeswoman for the city of Greenwood Village, sent NPR a statement saying the damage done to the house was necessary to "get the gunman out without any loss of life" and referring to the standoff as a police emergency."

You're an idiot, Ms. Gallegos. Out to lunch. Clueless.

Gets worse:

"What Mr. Lech also failed to tell you was that he chose on his own to demolish the house rather than repair it, repour the foundation that wasn't damaged and built a bigger better house where the old one stood," said Gallegos. In her message, she included a photograph of Lech's new home."

Jesus Christ. Proof positive 'you can fix ignorant, can't fix stupid."

"If Lech has his way, his legal battle is not over. Another lawyer for Lech, Rachel Maxam, said she hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will agree to review the case."

Good luck. With five GOP nazis entrenched, hard to believe you'll get justice.

"The appeals court, affirming the lower court, ruled that police attempting to make an arrest cannot be considered eminent domain, even when a property is severely damaged. In fact, the court stated, when police are performing their public safety duties, they cannot be "burdened with the condition" that they pay for property damage."

Effectively grants the jackbooted bastards carte blanche to do as they please. Convenient, isn't it? ... Hear the rumble?

"The court noted that if police officers "willfully or wantonly" destroy property, they can be sued in a civil tort case. Lech tried to pursue that legal argument in Colorado state court, but he was not successful. Lech said he will leave the legal quibbling to the attorneys, but he thinks his case illustrates a principle that should not generate much controversy. "Whether you call it eminent domain or whatever, you can't be blowing up people's houses," he said."

Law enforcement delusionally believes it can. ... And does. Forget? We now live in a de facto fascist police-state.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

More of the same old nazi justice. CBS News reports:

"Nathan Myers and Clifford Williams spent 43 years behind bars for the same crime. The nephew and uncle are both innocent and have been exonerated — yet only one is eligible to be compensated for the wrongful conviction."

Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all?

"In 1976, Williams and Myers were wrongly convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder for a shooting that left one person dead and another injured in a Florida apartment complex. This year, they became the first to be exonerated under the state's Conviction Integrity Unit, an initiative that gives incarcerated individuals the ability to petition their cases if they present a claim of innocence. Myers and Williams walked free in March after the state uncovered and corroborated new physical and scientific evidence."

How about that? How come they didn't get it right the first time? A too aggressive prosecutor? A 'judge' with his head figuratively, securely lodged up his clueless ass?

"Florida, however, is the only state that prevents individuals from receiving compensation if they've committed separate, unrelated crimes. The state's "Clean Hands Provision" stipulates an individual is entitled to compensation only if they were "not convicted of another violent felony or more than one non-violent felonies." That's the provision costing Williams. At 19 years old, Williams was convicted of attempted arson and of attempted burglary four years later. He served time on probation and behind bars."

An unjust law. Outrageously, unconstitutional. No equal treatment.

"Thirty-five states, the District of Columbia and the federal government have some way to compensate those who've been wrongly convicted. The amount varies, but the majority of states, including Florida, provide at least $50,000 for every year someone is wrongfully convicted. Florida caps the amount at $2 million. Myers has filed his claim and is expected to see his $2 million paid out over at least ten years through an annuity. Myers said the state is now punishing his uncle a second time around for his prior convictions."

Outrageously, unjust.

"I might have died in prison," Myers, 62, told CBS News. "My uncle did the same 43 years as me, and you're telling me you're not going to compensate him? That's not human. He's 76 years old. He needs help."

Matters not in a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Two months after his release, Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer. "We don't have a penny, not one dime," added Myers. "It's important for [Williams] to get something for the time he lost, the time he can't make up, to help with his life down the road." The answer could be SB 346, a bill making its way through Florida's state senate. The measure eliminates the Clean Hands Provision, as well as streamlines the claims process."

About time. What took so long?

"Myers met with state lawmakers earlier this month to advocate for its passage. His calls are becoming more urgent. "You're still blaming him for what he did over 60 years ago," Myers added. "But he did his time for that. Now, I just pray something happens to help him out for doing the time for something he didn't do."

Nazi justice.

"The pair have always maintained their innocence. Myers said his biggest regret is that the family that helped fight for his freedom wasn't able to see him be released. "I was so sad that my mom wasn't going to be there to see me come home free," Myers added. "I always told her, before she passed away, that I was going to fight this case until I die because I'm innocent. Then, I'd tell her, we'd be together again."

Here's the problem:

"Seventy-two people have been exonerated in Florida since 1989, according to The National Registry of Exonerations. However, only 11 of those individuals have filed compensation claims and seven have been awarded. The state has since paid $8.8 million, in addition to one undisclosed settlement amount. It's unclear how many individuals were denied, or deterred from filing, under the Clean Hands Provision. Michelle Feldman, the state campaigns director at the Innocence Project, said a 90-day deadline to petition for compensation is also a driving factor for the low amount of awards granted. "A lot of people haven't filed because they're not eligible," Feldman said. "I think there's been a recognition for a long time now that the compensation law is not working at all."

Get this:

"Myers said he's adjusting to his new freedom. He's applied to work in the juvenile justice system, is learning about social media and is working to get his driver's license. He said despite being sick, Williams is in good spirits. "He's just happy to be free, to be home," added Myers. "Now we have the chance to be our own men, with our own destiny. We're responsible for what we do with ourselves. We have a choice in what we get to do."

The system must change. ... Hear the rumble?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

More of the same. Another dark day in law enforcement as our formerly great country continues to nazify. ABC News reports:

"A Connecticut police officer has retired after a civil rights organization raised concerns about his membership in a far-right group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies, a town official said Friday."

How did this go on as long as it did? Where is continuous vetting of officers during their entire time of employment?

"Officer Kevin P. Wilcox retired from the East Hampton Police Department on Oct. 22, according to Town Manager David Cox. That was one week after The Associated Press reported that Wilcox had been a Proud Boys member and made online payments to a group leader."

Fascinating, isn't it? Hard to believe the brass didn't know this was going on. Likely ignored it until exposed by The Associated Press.

"Wilcox had been an East Hampton police officer since 1999. His retirement was a "revision" of a previously planned retirement date in December, Cox wrote in an email."

Convenient, isn't it? The criminal jackbooted bastards in blue certainly take care of one another. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law called for Wilcox's removal from the police department after it inquired about his social media connections with other Proud Boys members. In September, East Hampton Police Chief Dennis Woessner told the organization that Wilcox's Proud Boys membership didn't violate department policies."

How is that possible? The Proud Boys are known for violence at their rallies. The Chief needs to resign in disgrace. Remains unfit to wear the uniform. Presents an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Kristen Clarke, the civil rights group's president and executive director, said Wilcox's retirement is "an important first step" but shouldn't be the final word on the matter. "It's important for us to know who else he may have influenced and how his superiors failed to catch his extremist ties," Clarke said."

Certainly, exposes the law enforcement community for whom and what it is.

The following is abject insanity. Certainly, exposes the Chief, himself, for whom and what he is:

"Woessner described Wilcox as a "dedicated law enforcement officer." "There is no evidence of any racial bias in any of his policing through his entire career," the chief said Friday."

Aren't hopelessly blind, are you, Chief? Conveniently ignore the violence the group engages in at rallies?

"In a letter to Clarke earlier this week, the chief said he reviewed the last 10 years of arrests made by Wilcox and found that three of the 60 arrests involved black people. Wilcox also made 21 traffic stops between Jan. 1, 2017, and Sept. 13, 2019, and only stopped one black person during that period, the chief told Clarke."

What about the violence at the rallies of the group, Chief? No problem with that, sir?

"East Hampton is about 20 miles (30 kilometers) southeast of Hartford. White people account for roughly 90% of its population of nearly 13,000 residents."

Could that be the reason for his low interaction rate with people of color, Chief?

"In a Sept. 13 letter to Clarke, Woessner said Wilcox had "stopped his association" with the Proud Boys in February, about five months before the Washington-based committee initially inquired about the officer's social media connections to other group members."

Fascinating, isn't it?

Here's the problem:

"The chief also confirmed that Wilcox made online payments to a group leader. The civil rights group described those publicly visible, online transactions as monthly dues that helped fund the Proud Boys' "violent or otherwise illegal" activities. But the chief said he reviewed the matter, received an "explanatory report" from Wilcox and closed the department's inquiry as being "unfounded," with no evidence to support a policy violation. Wilcox "adamantly denies being associated with white supremacists' groups," the chief wrote."

One jackbooted bastard in blue protecting another. Pitiful.

"Clarke said her organization's inquiry about Wilcox was part of its nationwide effort to expose law enforcement officers with possible ties to extremist groups. "Frankly, his superiors should have been doing this work. But if they won't, we'll do it," she said."

Someone has to. This cancer in law enforcement remains virulent, an exigent threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties. Egregiously, un-American. Against everything our formerly great country once stood for. Clearly, no longer.

"Wilcox isn't the first law enforcement officer linked to the Proud Boys, a group started in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes. Last year, a Louisiana sheriff's department fired a deputy who had publicly identified himself as a Proud Boys member and was an administrator of the Facebook page for the group's local chapter. The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office said its deputy violated an internal policy prohibiting employees from engaging in social media activity that "negatively affects the public perception" of the department, The New Orleans Advocate reported in August 2018."

Here's the pernicious bottom line:

"McInnes and the Proud Boys have described the group as a politically incorrect men's club for "Western chauvinists" and deny affiliations with far-right extremist groups that overtly espouse racist and anti-Semitic views. In February, McInnes sued the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling the Proud Boys as a hate group. In response to the lawsuit, the law center said Proud Boy members often spread "outright bigotry" over the internet and have posted social media pictures of themselves with prominent Holocaust deniers, white nationalists and "known neo-Nazis."

They are what they are. Nazis.

"In New York City in October 2018, police arrested several Proud Boys members who brawled with anti-fascist protesters following a speech by McInnes at a Manhattan Republican club. Proud Boys members also have frequently clashed with counterprotesters at rallies in California and Oregon."

Good officers need to weed out the bad from their ranks. The bad ones present an exigent threat not only to the public, but to good officers as well. To say nothing of the loss of trust in the community that law enforcement desperately needs to effectively fight crime.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

Nazi justice in a de facto fascist police-state. In a case covered here and elsewhere, CNN News reports:

"A former Georgia police officer was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday for the killing of a mentally ill, unarmed and naked black man in 2015. DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson gave Robert "Chip" Olsen a 20-year term, with 12 years to be served in custody. Under the sentence, Olsen is prohibited from working in law enforcement, possessing firearms or profiting from the case. Dear Jackson praised what she said was the strength, fortitude and compassion of the family of the victim, 26-year-old Afghanistan war veteran Anthony Hill. She said she had also watched the defendant closely during the trial. "Many might have thought you were stoic and void of emotion," the judge told Olsen. "From the time opening statements started, I saw the tears that you've had. I saw how you replayed March 9, 2015, in your head."

Bought the ruse and his bullshit:

"Prosecutors had asked the court for a 25-year sentence with five years probation. A jury last month acquitted Olsen of murder in the March 2015 death of Hill but found him guilty of aggravated assault, making a false statement and two counts of violation of oath. Jurors deliberated for more than a week. Olsen had faced up to 35 years in prison."

No justice.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

Corruption rampant. Profoundly insidious. Deeply entrenched. The Washington Post reports:

"In July 2012, “Kenneth” was arrested in Calcasieu Parish, La., for possession of drug paraphernalia. But rather than take the case to court, the district attorney’s office offered him a deal: He could pay $600, attend a 12-step addiction program, submit to and pass regular drug tests, attend a self-esteem workshop called CADET and perform 80 hours of community service. Complete all of that, and the state would drop the charge. He agreed."

Turned out to be not quite that simple or aboveboard.

"Kenneth — who because of the drug charge asked that his real name not be published — is one of thousands of people in the parish to participate in the program, known as pretrial diversion. He says his case manager was helpful. “When I had to meet with him, he’d get up early and meet with me at 7 a.m. so I wouldn’t be late for work. I appreciated that,” Kenneth says. But as he neared the end of the diversion program, he still hadn’t completed his community service. So he was made an offer: Instead of the 80 hours of service he’d been assigned, Kenneth could go to Walmart, purchase $8 worth of gift cards for each hour of service, and donate those cards to the DA’s office."

Jesus Christ. Incredible, isn't it? Duplicitous, as well. Think pockets weren't lined?

"By that time, Kenneth had a bit more money in the bank, though $640 was still more than a month and a half of his rent. But he also estimates that with his job and other obligations, it would have taken him a couple of years to complete all 80 hours of service. He bought the cards and brought them to the DA’s office. A receptionist made photocopies and put them in his case file. Three days later, he received the official letter — he had completed diversion, and the charge against him would be dropped."

It was. Not all to the story, however:

"According to documents obtained by The Post as well as interviews with several former employees of Calcasieu Parish DA John DeRosier, since at least 2011, DeRosier’s office has allowed and encouraged thousands of people accused of crimes to buy their way out of community service by purchasing gift cards and money orders. For the first several years, participants were told to donate the gift cards and money orders to the DA’s office. But in October 2015, DeRosier set up a nonprofit foundation, the District Attorney’s Community Assistance Foundation (DACAF), to collect and distribute the gift cards and money orders. The nonprofit is run out of the DA’s office, and staff members, including DeRosier’s secretary, often do foundation work while on public time. DeRosier himself confirmed these particular details in a phone call."

Imagine that. Unbridled Aryan arrogance.

Quite a crafty operation:

"Because the gift cards weren’t logged or tracked at all until the nonprofit was established in late 2015, it’s impossible to say exactly how much money the office generated through the program, but according to recent tax receipts from the nonprofit and former staff members who agreed to be interviewed, the figure is at least several hundred thousand dollars."

Quite a convoluted operation:

"Legal ethicists consulted for this article say even the stated purpose of the program is problematic, and possibly illegal. The most common way DeRosier’s office has used the gift cards is to purchase toys and clothing, which DeRosier and his staff then distribute throughout the parish, often at Christmas while riding in a firetruck. At times, local media have been invited to publicize the giveaways. DeRosier also visits churches or city halls to hand out gifts, or to distribute the gift cards themselves. He has donated to law enforcement groups, cultural organizations and dozens of other nonprofits."

Cash cow.

Gets worse. Get this:

"According to three former staffers, gift cards have also sometimes been sent to DeRosier’s friends and supporters of his campaign. Ex-employees also allege that some in the office used the cards on themselves, purchasing gifts for their own grandchildren and other relatives. One former staff member called it a “slush fund” — a pile of money DeRosier uses to build up his public image and unofficially campaign for reelection. The office’s record-keeping also appears to have been inadequate at times. Prior to the formation of the foundation, there appears to have been no effort to track the gift cards at all. But even after the foundation was started, tax specialists consulted for this article say the nonprofit’s tax returns are cryptic, vague and confusing, and lack supporting documentation."

A criminal operation off the backs of citizens, some of them innocent, caught in this prosecutor's web.

The hypocrisy of this piece of human excrement is extraordinary:

"A registered Democrat, DeRosier has positioned himself as one of the toughest prosecutors in one of the most carceral states in the country. He has opposed moves to end life without parole for juveniles, and has been openly critical of the historic criminal-justice reform the state’s governor signed into law in 2017. DeRosier attracted some national attention when he testified against a 2018 ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to require a unanimous jury verdict to secure a felony conviction. In testimony before the state legislature, DeRosier acknowledged that the non-unanimous law was rooted in racism and Jim Crow, but dismissed that history — some say rather cavalierly — by telling a legislative committee, “It is what it is.” The remark drew an immediate rebuke from several black Louisiana lawmakers. The amendment eventually passed by nearly 30 points."

Yet, this piece of shit is lining his pockets and those of his henchmen. Report goes on and on in great detail.

No justice. Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence. The only way to rein in these criminals, particularly the murderers in blue.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

Jackbooted bastards. Out of control. The Washington Post reports:

"Cradling his diaper-clad son in the crook of his left arm, Ivaughn Oakry backed away from the uniformed police officers pointing Tasers at him inside his Tempe, Ariz., apartment. As the officers slowly cornered the father of three, Oakry yelled at them not to touch him. Then, a voice issued the order: “Do it. Do it. Do it.” Three sharp pops rang out and an electric buzz filled the air. Oakry, still holding his 1-year-old, screamed and collapsed to the ground as three Tasers hit him at once."

Forget? It's how the jackbooted bastards get their cookies off. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The Tempe Police Department on Tuesday insisted their officers had acted appropriately in subduing Oakry, who was described as being “verbally aggressive and non-compliant,” during a June incident captured on body camera footage."

Jesus Christ. What could these jackbooted motherf--kers possibly been thinking? Multiple officers. A guy holding his infant. No way this could have been resolved by multiple officers without tasing him, -- an infant in his arms? Give me a break.

Take your head out of your ass, Chief. Aggressive stupidity is appalling, unbecoming, right wing nazi:

“These innocent children and their mother were placed in harm’s way by the suspect and any suggestion that anybody else but this suspect put people in harm’s way is irresponsible,” Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir said Tuesday at a news conference, according to the Arizona Republic."

You're unfit to wear the uniform, Chief. As insane as your fuhrer, the Trump nazi. It's precisely how national socialists, fascists gutlessly get their cookies off, Chief. Precisely, why our out of control government cannot be trusted. Isn't worth a shit.

"But Oakry’s attorney, his relatives and activists argue that the 31-year-old and his family were victims of excessive force, sparking renewed calls for change to police department policy and demands that the officers involved be held accountable."

... Hear the rumble?

“What happened to Mr. Oakry should have never happened,” Heather Hamel, an attorney with the People’s Law Firm in Phoenix, told The Washington Post late Tuesday. “Him and all of his children are dealing with a lot of emotional and psychological trauma in the aftermath of this. Reliving it today has brought all of that up.”

Certainly, not easy being a cop. At the same time, where is their judgment?

"On the morning of June 15, Tempe police officers arrived at the apartment complex south of Tempe where Oakry and his family lived in response to a domestic violence call. A woman identified as the mother of Oakry’s children had dialed the non-emergency line and later told police Oakry came home intoxicated and pushed her multiple times during an argument, according to an incident report. By the time police got to Oakry’s apartment, the woman had left the home, but she indicated her three children were still inside with their father, the report said."

Nothing came of it. Fascinating, isn't it? Charges were ultimately dropped:

"Oakry was arrested and charged with assault and child endangerment, police said. Hamel, his attorney, told The Post on Tuesday that both charges were dropped by the Tempe City Prosecutor’s office. In a Tuesday statement to The Post, Tempe police stressed that Oakry’s young son had not been hurt and defended using nonlethal force against the father. “Although Oakry was affected by the taser, the child was not injured and there was no evidence of the child being struck with the taser probes,” the statement said. It went on to note that the officers “developed a lawful right to enter the residence,” accusing Oakry of committing endangerment by picking up the toddler in the middle of the confrontation."

Crock of shit. Inexcusable.

"While an administrative review found the officers had not violated the use of force policy, they were still subjected to mandatory retraining, officials said."

Give me a break. Why subject them to mandatory retraining if there were no violations? You clueless bastards rubberstamped the actions of these officers.

“The Tempe Police department recognizes that training for every encounter is challenging; however, we will continue to evaluate and improve tactics, communication, and de-escalation techniques to achieve the highest standards,” the statement said."

Big of them, isn't it? Certainly, hadn't done it prior to this point. Placed an infant at risk to get their cookies off abusing power. Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all? Your jackbooted bastards get a thrill tasing him, watching him go down with an infant in his arms? Pieces of shit, Chief. Wake up.

"Hamel disputed the department’s explanation. Police did not have a search warrant or consent from Oakry to enter his home, she told The Post, adding that the father’s outrage was justified. “How would you respond if someone broke into your home and pointed a Taser at you?” she said. “He didn’t have any responsibility to comply with illegal police orders in his own home when they were there improperly. He had every right to assert his constitutional rights and demand that they leave.”

In a de facto fascist police-state quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich? Truly think so? Sue the living shit out of the jackbooted motherf--kers, the department, and city.

"Oakry’s decision to hold on to his baby amid the chaos was logical, Hamel said. “I wouldn’t hand over my child to people who were threatening me,” she said. “I wouldn’t feel like my child was safe with them and I wouldn’t feel safe doing so.” Additionally, Hamel questioned the assertion that the 1-year-old wasn’t injured when his father was hit by three Tasers. If any part of the child was touching Oakry between the Taser prongs shot at him, electricity would pass through his body and into his son, Hamel wrote in an email to The Post. On Tuesday, advocates with Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro called for “an immediate end to the use of force against children” and demanded the officers involved in Oakry’s arrest be fired. At a news conference hosted by the organization, Oakry’s mother, Lisa, blamed police for causing her family to suffer. “You damaged my son and my three grandchildren,” Lisa Oakry said. “I thank God he didn’t have a gun in his hand 'cause their lives would have probably been gone.”

Nazi America. Fascist police-state.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

Attempted murder by a jackbooted bastard in blue. NBC News reports:

"A school resource officer was arrested Tuesday on a child abuse charge related to a September incident in which he slammed a teenage girl to the ground by her throat in Pompano Beach, Florida. Deputy Willard Miller, 38, was charged with felony child abuse without great bodily harm and is the subject of an internal affairs investigation, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said Tuesday. "The way the deputy responds, for whatever occurred, whatever type of verbal dialogue was going on, it makes no sense and it wasn't necessary," Tony said."

The following is beyond appalling:

"Video released by the sheriff's department showed the jarring moment when Miller attacked the unidentified 15-year-old girl at the Cross Creek School on Sept. 25. Miller can be seen in the video in a room with the young girl and at least two other individuals. The girl walks around the room with her hands in her pockets for a few minutes while Miller is on his phone. At one point, the girl appears to tap the deputy's leg with her foot and Miller looks up for a moment. Miller then crosses the room about a minute later, puts his hands on the teen's throat and slams her to the ground while the girl's hands are still in her pockets. He then turns her over so that she's on her stomach, seems to say something to her, then picks her up and throws her into what appears to be an alcove in the room."

Could have killed her. A 15-year-old girl.

"There is no audio with the surveillance footage and the circumstances of why the officer was in the room with the girl are unclear. Miller had been assigned to the school in August 2016."

Where was the vetting? Hard to believe he had no history of this abuse.

"Broward County Public Schools said in a statement that it made the sheriff's office aware immediately upon learning about the incident. "We appreciate the quick actions of the Sheriff’s Office regarding this matter and continue to work with them regarding the situation," Kathy Koch, the district's chief communications officer, said. "We are also investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident to ensure all proper District policies and procedures were followed." The sheriff described Cross Creek School as a school that specializes in children with emotional needs, but did not elaborate on whether the 15-year-old girl had any special needs or disabilities."

So what? No excuse for this behavior by the jackbooted piece of human excrement:

"Tony said that the teen did nothing to provoke that level of force and that the incident was "embarrassing." "When we have one individual that acts outside the confines of the oath that they take, it goes on every news channel," Tony said. "It spreads across the country and it impacts not only the agency, but everybody that carries a badge on their chest in this county, in this state and across the country."

Imagine that. A sheriff who fully understands the profound damage done by rogue officers.

"Miller was suspended without pay Oct. 28 and is the subject of an ongoing investigation. He was granted a $5,000 bond, but it is unclear whether he is still in custody."

Should be. Presents an exigent threat to the community.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-8-19

Uncommon Valor. In his Newsletter, Texas U.S. Congressman Mike Conaway reports:

"ASU Grad Presented with Medal of Honor

"On Wednesday, President Trump awarded Angelo State University alumnus Army Master Sgt. Matthew Williams with the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony, which you can watch here.

"Master Sergeant Williams' decision to put the lives of his fellow service members above his own is an example of extreme selflessness and unthinkable courage. When faced with heavy fire, Williams completely disregarded his own safety to retain command of his troops and ensure the safety of his fellow soldiers. I am proud that Master Sergeant Williams called San Angelo home during his tenure in college. On behalf of the 11th District of Texas, I thank him for his heroic sacrifice and congratulate him on joining the elite ranks of Medal of Honor recipients.

"During a mission to capture a terrorist leader in the Afghan mountains on April 6, 2008, then-Sgt. Matthew O. Williams forded an ice-cold river and fought his way up a jagged, frozen mountain cliff under intense enemy fire to reach his wounded comrades. Over the course of a six-hour firefight, Williams repeatedly exposed himself to enemy rocket-propelled-grenades, snipers, and machine gun fire to evacuate casualties, provide first aid, and establish a critical fire position. His complete disregard for his own safety allowed the entire team to escape alive and prevented the lead element of the assault force from being overrun by the enemy.

"The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor and is presented to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives. Across all branches of the military, only 3,500 recipients have achieved this extraordinary honor."

Uncommon Valor.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty four weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred eighty four weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred eighty four weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

11-1-19

Very best in policing. ABC News reports:

"A Florida mother is speaking out after police body cam footage shows officers helping her young son who was choking on a cracker. In the video, captured by the Kissimmee Police Department, Amanda Zimmerman could be heard screaming as officers tried to resuscitate her son, M.J. "He's not responding," an officer can be heard saying in the video as he gives M.J. back blows. Zimmerman, who had been driving during the incident, flagged officers down when the 18-month-old choked on his snack and stopped breathing. "It was definitely an out-of-body experience," Zimmerman told "Good Morning America." "I felt like I was just like watching my life fall apart, in a sense." Eventually officers put M.J. on his back and started CPR until they saw a sign of life. "He is gasping," an officer says in the clip. Zimmerman said the timing of the police rescue was perfect. "It was a miracle that he is completely fine, back to being M.J.," she said. "It was a team effort," Zimmerman added of police. "They all touched him...put their efforts in and worked together to save my baby."

Best of the best in law enforcement. True professionals.

"Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a primary care pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University, told "GMA" that there are steps parents and caregivers should take in the event a child is choking. "Those initial minutes after a toddler, a child or even a teen loses consciousness are precious and we really have to take action," Bracho-Sanchez said.

"If a child is choking:

Make sure they're in a safe environment.

"Check breathing and pulse.

"Immediately call 911.

"Start CPR if you have the skills."

"The American Red Cross offers nationwide CPR certification courses that'll help you give assistance to a person facing a cardiac or breathing emergency. To enroll in CPR certification, visit redcross.org."

11-1-19

Imagine being in the following emergency situation. Not only dangerous for the victim, but arriving officers as well. ABC News reports:

"Philadelphia Eagles pro-bowl defensive lineman Fletcher Cox threatened to “blow” a suspected intruder’s “brains out” during an alleged home invasion, according a transcript of his 911 call. Loud banging noises can be heard -- described by Cox as a man “busting every window out” -- throughout the emergency call. “I got somebody trying to breaking into my house and I’m about to blow his brains out right now,” Cox said on the call. On the call, first obtained by ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia, Cox tells the 911 operator that police need to hurry and that he’s armed with a shotgun. “I am secure, but I have my shotgun. I swear to God, he's busting every window out of my house right now," he can be heard saying, seemingly calm."

A professional football defensive lineman. Armed with a shotgun.

“If he walks in my house… “ Cox continues. “If he walks in the house, you have to hurry up.”

Indeed.

"The suspect, Corbyn Nyemah, was arrested and charged with burglary, criminal mischief and other charges, according to public records."

Here's where things got dicey. Yet, Cox remained calm, cool, did the right thing:

"As authorities arrived at Cox’s house, 911 operators can be heard asking him to put down his shotgun because they were at his front door. He told the operator that his shotgun was unloaded and that he was putting it down before the call ends."

Get this:

"Nyemah posted bond."

Why was he let out on bond? History could wind up repeating itself.

Remarkably, no one got killed or injured. A credit to arriving officers. Equally remarkable? Get this:

"Cox declined to comment on the case further this week during locker room interviews at the Eagles’ facility. “I’m only here to talk about football, I’m not here to discuss my personal life,” Cox said Wednesday to a group of reporters.

“If you got anything interesting about the Buffalo Bills and the Eagles organization, I’m willing to talk about it,” Cox added."

Class act.

11-1-19

A prisoner died in the Llano County Jail. The DailyTrib reports:

"A 41-year-old Sunrise Beach Village man died while in the custody of the Llano County Jail on October 29. According to the Llano County Sheriff’s Office, jail staff discovered Benjamin Braden Hoffman unresponsive at about 12:25 p.m. Tuesday. The jail staff immediately began CPR and called for emergency medical services. LCSO staff and EMS personnel performed CPR on the man for about 40 minutes before he was pronounced dead. Hoffman had turned himself in October 28 on a probation violation warrant."

An autopsy was ordered and the Texas Rangers were called in.

11-1-19

Insult to injury. CBS News reports:

"The officer who was fired in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner is suing the New York Police Department and the police commissioner to be reinstated. Daniel Pantaleo's lawyer, Stuart London, told the New York Post the lawsuit was filed Wednesday and argued that his termination following an administrative trial was "arbitrary and capricious." Police Commissioner James O'Neill fired Pantaleo, who is white, in August for using a banned chokehold on Garner, saying he had broken department rules and could "no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer."

The jackbooted bastard literally got away with murder.

"Video of the confrontation between Garner, a black man, and the officers trying to arrest him for selling untaxed cigarettes drew outrage and was viewed millions of times online. Garner's dying words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement."

For damned good reason. Legalized murder.

"A police sergeant who responded to the scene gave up 20 days of vacation time to settle her disciplinary case."

Appalling. No justice. Legalized murder by the criminal jackbooted bastard in blue aided and abetted by the sergeant.

Insult to injury:

"London had earlier said he would use legal appeals to try to get the officer reinstated. He has insisted the officer used a reasonable amount of force and did not mean to hurt Garner."

No credibility. None. Murdered him. Got away with it. Protected and coddled. No justice.

Galling, appalling Aryan arrogance:

"The Sergeants Benevolent Association tweeted Tuesday that Pantaleo "never should of been fired! He was scapegoated by a cowardice police commissioner."

Clueless organization. So is the above quote itself, posted with no editing.

"The Rev. Al Sharpton blasted the lawsuit, saying Pantaleo "had a fair administrative trial" that recommended his dismissal. "Pantaleo's decision to seek his reinstatement is not only disrespectful to the Police Commissioner and NYPD, but also the Garner family," Sharpton said in a statement. "He has shown no contrition or acknowledgment of his violent actions that ultimately killed Eric Garner."

Expect better of a clueless jackbooted piece of shit?

"CBS New York notes that Sharpton added, "If Pantaleo's case goes to trial, the National Action Network, Black clergy members, and civil rights leaders will pack the courts while wearing neck braces to show solidarity in our fight for justice for the Garner family and victims of police brutality. And if Pantaleo wins this lawsuit, he will continue to pose a threat to all Black and Brown people in New York City."

Not just to people of color. Across the board. Entire public.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

Legalized murder. ABC News reports:

"Isiah Murrietta-Golding was 16 when he was shot in the back of the head by a police officer in April 2017. Murrietta-Golding was unarmed at the time of the shooting, said Stuart Chandler, the attorney for his father. Surveillance footage shows the teen climbing a fence and then taking about eight steps before being shot by one of two officers seen in the video."

Judge, jury, executioner.

"Body camera footage appears to show the other officer on the scene say "good shot" to the officer who fired the weapon. The footage was released this week as the teen's family pursues litigation. The Fresno police chief released a statement in the video release's wake noting that the incident and the officer involved were subject to three investigations, all of which concluded that the officer's use of lethal force was justified. Chief of police Andrew Hall urged the public "not to rush to judgement."

How about that? Isn't that precisely what police themselves did when they shot an unarmed kid in the back of the head running from them?

"The video released yesterday is an officer involved shooting that occurred over two years ago. The use of lethal force in this case occurred while officers were investigating a homicide. The 16-year-old in this case was involved in the homicide with his brother and the brother was later arrested and pled guilty," Hall said in a statement released Thursday."

Makes a difference? How? The kid is unarmed, running from them. Not at them. Shot in the back of the head.

Clearly, 'shoot first, ask questions later':

"The video represents a different vantage point and was not what the pursuing officers could see. The 16-year-old was also known to carry firearms and had jumped a fence into a child daycare center," Hall said in his statement."

The Chief is clearly a liar protecting one of his own:

"Chandler takes issue with the defense that the officer felt his life was in danger, which could legally serve as justification for the use of lethal force by a police officer. "The law says that there has to be an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury which clearly there wasn't. This young man was trying to run away. And you can be as critical as you want about how you shouldn't do that, but that doesn't give the police the right to use lethal force," Chandler told ABC affiliate KABC."

Goddamned right. No justice.

The Washington Post reports:

"Isiah Murrietta-Golding, fleeing the police, tumbles over a metal fence, head over heels. The officers are blocked. The teenager runs, trying to hold up his pants. He is unaware a Fresno police officer has contorted his body into a shooting stance from the other side, where the gate was wide enough for a service pistol to push through. Murrietta-Golding, 16, takes eight steps before the officer fires a bullet that shatters the teenager’s head, just above his brain stem. He died three days later in a hospital."

Murdered. According to the jackbooted bastards, legally:

"An investigation into the 2017 shooting in Fresno, Calif., found that the officer who fired the shot, named in court documents as Sgt. Ray Villalvazo, was justified, and that he feared for his life because the unarmed teen had reached for his waistband."

Not so:

"But video of the incident released this week by a family attorney raises new questions about Villalvazo’s decision to fire the fatal round and the Fresno Police Department’s defense of the shooting, months after the department said it would alter its policy for immediate threats. “A picture is worth a thousand words, and this video is worth a million words,” Stuart Chandler, an attorney for the teenager’s father, told The Washington Post on Thursday. “It’s clear this shooting was not justified. He was running away, holding up his pants, posing no threat to anybody.”

The gutless piece of shit murdered this kid. Think not? Read on.

"Police were looking for Murrietta-Golding’s older brother in connection with a shooting the day before. That shooting led to a fatal car crash. After staking out a home, police stopped a car in which Murrietta-Golding and two other teenagers had been riding, according to a civil suit against the city and police department filed by Chandler, who represents Anthony Golding, the boy’s father. The suit, consolidated with a suit by the boy’s mother, Christina Pauline Lopez, alleges unlawful deadly force, assault and battery, and negligence. Murrietta-Golding followed police commands, got out of the vehicle and backed up toward police before he took off running, body camera footage shows."

Running away is ALWAYS stupid. Doesn't justify, however, an officer executing a 'suspect.'

"Then-Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the officer feared that “he was about to be shot” after Murrietta-Golding “reached into his waistband several times,” the Fresno Bee reported, including when he glanced back at the officers."

Jesus Christ. No more than a crock of shit. None of it true. The Chief protected and coddled one of his own. A murderer.

Read on:

"But in the video, the teenager appears to pull up sagging pants after scaling the gate and nearly falling. Body camera footage of the traffic stop also appears to show his pants falling. The teenager then continues to run away from the officer as Villalvazo levels his pistol to fire."

If that is precisely how it went down, -- an execution.

The bullshit never ends. These bastards always make excuses for their own:

"In a statement, Chief Andy Hall declined to address specifics about the video. But he bolstered the officer’s defense by saying Murrietta-Golding was “known to carry firearms” and that the danger to civilians had intensified because he had jumped into a “child-day-care center.”

The gutless jackbooted bastard in blue mentality and a most convenient excuse, 'shoot first, ask questions later':

"However, the incident took place on April 15, a Saturday before Easter. The day-care center was unoccupied, Chandler said. And the investigation determined the trajectory of the bullet led to the day-care window, Chandler said, which could have posed a danger if children had been present."

How about that? Clearly, bullshit is bullshit. A lie is a lie.

"As Murrietta-Golding fled, the officers “had no legal justification to point guns at Isiah, and no legal justification to seize Isiah at gunpoint,” Haddad said in a court filing. “Isiah exercised his right to self-defense and to non-violently resist defendants’ attempts to unlawfully seize him.”

Clearly, matters not in a fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. The goons are now judge, jury, and executioner. Certainly, in this example.

"Villalvazo and the other officer who witnessed the shooting were not wearing body cameras, Chandler said."

Why not? To cover their sorry asses?

Most telling of all? Most disturbing? Most indicative of a cover-up by these goddamned jackbooted bastards?

"Chandler was denied access to the surveillance video by police and city officials, he said, and received it only as part of the trial’s discovery process. He said Murrietta-Golding’s father was disturbed by the video and other details of the incident after his son became one of 986 people shot and killed by police in 2017. Chandler compiled documents for the suit, including reports filed by the ambulance attendant. The attendant evaluated Murrietta-Golding’s gaping head wound as the teenager lay face down with his hands cuffed. He asked the officers to remove the cuffs for transport. They refused, Chandler said. “He was treated like less than human.”

Jesus Christ. Can you f--king believe it? This kid has a gaping hole in the back of his head and they won't remove the cuffs?

No justice. The American Way. Nazi America. When is this shit finally going to end? All of it. Wake up, Sheriff. Again, whereis dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty four weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

Give a jackbooted bastard in blue an inch, the prick will take a mile. NBC News reports:

"In April 2018, California authorities revealed that they’d used a novel investigative technique to arrest a man they called the Golden State Killer, a serial murderer who’d escaped capture for decades. For the first time, police had submitted DNA from a crime scene into a consumer DNA database, where information about distant relatives helped them identify a suspect. The announcement kindled a revolution in forensics that has since helped solve more than 50 rapes and homicides in 29 states."

At what price? Was permission sought and granted by those innocent 'distant relatives' for police to access their DNA? Hell, no.

"But earlier this year, that online database changed its privacy policy to restrict law enforcement searches, and since then, these cold cases have become much harder to crack. The change is allowing some criminals who could be identified and caught to remain undetected and unpunished, authorities say."

Police have quite a few other tools in their massive tool chest to solve crimes. -- Without invading the privacy of the innocent who were not even asked for permission by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

“There are cases that won’t get solved or will take longer to solve,” Lori Napolitano, the chief of forensic services at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said."

Tough shit. Work harder. ... Instead of invading the privacy of innocent people, without permission, uninvolved in any criminal activity. You jackbooted bastards can't seem to understand the ends don't justify the means. Time to wake up.

"The switch was imposed by GEDmatch, a free website where people share their DNA profiles in hopes of finding relatives. The company had faced criticism for allowing police to search profiles without users’ permission, and decided that it would rather make sure members understood explicitly how investigators were using the site. So, it altered its terms of service to automatically exclude all members from law enforcement searches and left it to them to opt in."

Guess what? Surprised? Why? Get this:

"Overnight, the number of profiles available to law enforcement dropped from more than 1 million to zero. While the pool has grown slowly since then, as more people click a police-shield icon on GEDmatch allowing authorities to see their profile, cases remain more difficult to solve, investigators say."

Tough shit. Clearly, the public doesn't trust you bastards. For damned good reason. Wake up.

"Some people are reluctant, worried that their DNA profiles will be hacked or used against their wishes, whether in the pursuit of a criminal or in the sale of data to health care companies. There are also concerns that DNA sharing will lead to the end of anonymity."

That's the ultimate intention of government and its jackbooted bastards in blue.

"But law enforcement authorities and genetic sleuths who work with them argue that there is greater public good in helping to keep killers and rapists off the streets."

That's a false, disingenuous choice. Forget? For decades law enforcement and its government masters have used personal information against innocent people they don't like for whatever the reason.

“In the interest of public safety, don’t you want to make it easy for people to be caught?” said Colleen Fitzpatrick, a genetic genealogist who co-founded the DNA Doe Project, which identifies unknown bodies, and runs IdentiFinders, which helps find suspects in old crimes."

Again, a false choice. That's not what this information is solely used for. That's a problem. A big problem. Especially, when an innocent citizen winds up targeted by these bastards.

“Police really want to do their job. They’re not after you. They just want to make you safe.”

Crock of shit. Simply, not true. Not reality. Forget? Phony charges line government coffers as well as the pockets of government officials. The system is hopelessly corrupt, abusive. Often, these bastards clearly have an agenda other than bona fide law enforcement.

That is, they target innocent people they don't like for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with enforcing the law. The citizenry is not interested in law enforcement 'making them safe.' As innocent citizens, simply, want to be left the hell alone.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

Despicable. ABC News reports:

"A South Carolina sheriff said he did not plan to have sex with his young female assistant at an out-of-town budget conference, but one thing led to another after they went out for drinks and ended up in her hotel room."

How about that? LOL. ... Just a poor ole victim of circumstance. LOL. Give me a break.

"Prosecutors disagree. They say suspended Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis used his power to set up the encounter, first by hiring the woman at an inflated salary and then by setting up the trip and making excuses to get her alone."

Crafty, isn't he? Forget? A stiff dick has no conscience.

Lewis is on trial this week in a Greenville County courtroom, charged with two counts of misconduct in office. No sexual assault charges have been filed. The assistant, Savanah Nabors, was paid nearly $100,000 from a state insurance fund in May to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against Lewis, Greenville County and the sheriff's office."

Nowhere near enough.

"Lewis testified in his own defense Thursday, insisting several times that while his behavior was stupid, a violation of sheriff's office policy and perhaps even the kind of conduct for which he would fire an employee, it was not a crime."

'Don't do as I do, do as I say.' LOL.

"He said sex with the assistant was consensual; Nabors said it was not and wrote in a public blog about waking up to find him on top of her."

Couldn't be, could it?

Coup de grace? Get this:

"Prosecutors said Lewis, 43, hired the then-22-year-old Nabors to be his personal assistant after his 2016 election, paying her $62,000 a year in an agency where the starting salary for a deputy is around $30,000, to persuade her to have sex with him. Lewis offered Nabors perks such as her own taxpayer funded vehicle and parking space, and let her into crime scenes, despite having no police training, prosecutors said. South Carolina has a broad misconduct law that allows prosecutors to pursue charges against any public officials who don't do their job properly. The prosecutors in Lewis' case said the sheriff misused county money to hire an unqualified person for an unnecessary position and that he used his power as sheriff to make Nabors fear for her job if she didn't do what he wanted."

Same kind of shit go on here in Llano County, Bill?

"Nabors had previously gone public with what she called an unwanted sexual encounter with Lewis in 2017 in a Charlotte, North Carolina, hotel. She wrote in a blog that she woke up after drinks and the sheriff was on top of her and having sex."

Couldn't be, could it?

Think this bastard's not a slime ball? Get this:

"Lewis' cross-examination Thursday was often testy, with the suspended sheriff vaguely answering yes-or-no questions and saying he was unable to recall events such as whether he went to Nabors' room the night after they had sex to apologize. She said he did — and then made another unwanted sexual advance. "You're avoiding all the questions because you know if you answer the questions correctly you look guilty, because you are guilty, right?" prosecutor Willy Thompson asked. Lewis turned and looked directly at the jury. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I'm not answering the questions the way that he wants to hear them answered, and that's the problem," he said."

Jesus Christ.

"Lewis testified that the sex with Nabors was spontaneous and started with her suddenly kissing him after he poured drinks in her hotel room. Thompson alleged that Lewis planned the encounter carefully beforehand by pushing to have a budget retreat with county officials at an out-of-town hotel instead of in Greenville County; by bringing Nabors to the meetings even though she took no notes and hadn't been involved in drafting his new spending plans; and by making sure that a bottle of whiskey was in Nabors' bag so he could go to her room late at night. "You set up everything perfectly so you would have the opportunity," Thompson asked Lewis. "Things fell into line," Lewis responded. "That was absolutely not a setup for anything."

Believe it? LOL.

"Both sides rested their cases before lunch Thursday. Closing arguments were scheduled for later in the afternoon."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

ICE can't get its act together. The Washington Post reports:

"Roxsana Hernandez’s family wants to know what happened in her final days in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, before she died in the hospital. But the surveillance footage that could help answer that question, captured by a privately run detention center, has been deleted, ICE officials indicated in emails released in response to a lawsuit. Lawyers say it‘s a disturbing development as they look for justice for Hernandez, a transgender asylum seeker from Honduras who died weeks after surrendering at a port of entry to the United States. The woman’s death in May 2018 has fueled scrutiny of ICE’s treatment of LGBTQ detainees as critics say the agency fails to provide adequate medical care for conditions such as HIV. A private autopsy also found evidence that Hernandez was physically abused, an allegation at odds with government findings."

Imagine that.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

Cold-blooded murder. NBC News reports:

"A San Bernardino, California, police officer is off the force more than a year after he fatally shot a man who was walking toward officers with his hands in the air after he obeyed commands to put down a gun he was holding."

What took so long?

"The San Bernardino Police Department released police body camera footage, audio of 911 calls and information regarding the Sept. 28, 2018, shooting that led to the death of Richard John Sanchez. In the video, released Friday, acting chief of police Eric McBride said that Brandon Gaddie, the officer who fired the fatal shots, no longer works for the department following an internal investigation."

Get this:

"McBride said the review determined Gaddie's "decision making did not meet the standards held by our department or the community we serve" and "disciplinary action has been initiated," but he did not say whether the officer had been fired or had resigned."

Jesus Christ. Why the lack of transparency? The public has a right to this information. Moreover, why wasn't he arrested for murder?

"The San Bernardino District Attorney's Office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is now investigating the shooting to determine whether or not Gaddie's actions were lawful, McBride said."

Jesus Christ. Why are you protecting this piece of shit? Dragging your feet? Why wasn't he immediately arrested and charged well over a year ago?

"Gaddie and another officer responded to a home in the Highlands neighborhood of San Bernardino after 10 p.m. Sept. 28 when a woman called 911 saying Sanchez was intoxicated and threatening family members, McBride said. She called back minutes later to report Sanchez was armed and she had escaped the home with children, but Sanchez was still threatening others in the home. "Family members and witnesses describe Sanchez as intoxicated and making irrational statements such as he had everybody under his control because he was God," McBride said."

So you bastards chose to be judge, jury, and executioner?

"The dispatcher quickly determined that there was a warrant out for Sanchez's arrest, and informed the responding officers. Sanchez had made terrorist threats during a domestic dispute while he was armed with a handgun months earlier, McBride said."

Certainly, no model citizen. Doesn't justify, however, his execution by arriving officers:

"Body camera video shows that when the officers arrived, the front door was open, and Sanchez was standing in the entryway holding a gun. Police order Sanchez to put the handgun down, which he does not immediately do. But after turning around to face the officers, he places it on the arm of a couch. Then, Sanchez "suddenly, and without being told to do so" starts to walk toward the officers, McBride said, and the video shows. He takes eight steps as the officers order him to put his hands up. He does, but he also keeps walking toward them. Gaddie then shoots at Sanchez five times. Sanchez is seen falling to the ground on the front lawn."

Murder. Unarmed with hands up in the air.

"The officers called for medics, but Sanchez died. A Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun was recovered at the scene, according to police. The officer who was with Gaddie at the time of the shooting is still on the job, McBride said."

Protected and coddled.

"Each encounter is unique and requires officers to make split-second decisions without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight," he added. "However, despite the challenges faced by officers, we want to reassure the community that we will not compromise our standards and will continually strive to provide the best possible service to all the residents of San Bernardino."

Jesus Christ. Too little, too late. Crock of shit. This guy was murdered. Unarmed and hands up in the air. Why no justice? Why no arrest?

The following is insanity:

"Attorney Brian Dunn, who is representing the Sanchez family, said in a statement that while his clients are still "overcome with grief over the sudden and unexpected loss of their beloved husband, brother, father, and son," they are "honored and encouraged by the swift acceptance of responsibility by the leadership of the San Bernardino Police Department." "The San Bernardino Police Department has demonstrated a model of transparency in which the Sanchez family hopes is emulated by police departments facing similar incidents nationwide," Dunn said."

Sounds like you're working for the department, Counselor. Certainly, not the family. The above makes no sense. None at all. Has to be more to the story. Will certainly follow it.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

11-1-19

Aggressive stupidity at its very worst. ABC News reports:

"A police trainee who was shot during a training accident in Maryland could receive an $8 million settlement from the city of Baltimore. News outlets report the city's Board of Estimates is expected to vote Wednesday on the settlement for Raymond Gray. He was training to become a University of Maryland police officer in 2013 when an instructor mistakenly used a live weapon to demonstrate the danger of standing in a line of fire. The instructor, William Scott Kern, was convicted of reckless endangerment and served 60 days in jail. He was fired from the police department."

Nowhere near enough. Should have spent the rest of his life in prison.

Consider the cost to his victim:

"Gray lost an eye and has a bullet lodged in his brain. His attorney, A. Dwight Pettit, says Gray will need 24/7 care for the rest of his life."

Considering the cost of healthcare and the seriousness of his injuries, will the settlement even be enough? To say nothing of his attorney's fees.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty three weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred eighty three weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred eighty three weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

10-25-19

We've got to do better. Far better. NBC News reports:

"It's been three years since the sound of a gunshot shattered April Scherzer's life. "Every day I wake up, I start from that," Scherzer, 38, said. "My day begins with that gunshot. I relive all of that, all over again, up until now, up until this present moment." It was past midnight when she heard it. She was nestled in bed with her four-and-a-half-month-old twins, at the home she shared with her husband, Max Scherzer. It was the last place she'd expect to find tragedy. She ran downstairs and discovered Max in their living room, moments after he ended his life with his service weapon."

A growing problem within law enforcement. Surviving loved ones, colleagues, friends suffer the aftermath.

"Max was just 36 years old and had spent 12 years working as a police officer for the Westampton Township Police Department in New Jersey, a rural community about 40 minutes outside Philadelphia. For several of those years, he struggled to cope with depression, substance abuse and the effects of trauma so often experienced by police officers and other first responders."

Why is help not available? Why is this not a priority?

The following is inexplicable:

"In the wake of her husband's death, Scherzer received little, if any, emotional or financial support that other widows of deceased police officers normally receive. There was no flag given to her at his funeral. He was not honored with any kind of memorial. Max died on the morning of Aug. 21, 2016. She and her children lost their health insurance by October."

Outrageous, isn't it? Gets worse:

"It was another kind of loss," Scherzer said. "The first thing you get when you marry a police officer is the blue family. You become part of that group. And I felt like after Max killed himself that me and the kids kind of got kicked out of that police family."

How is that right? How is it justified?

"Every year, more police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. No federal agency keeps statistics, but according to the non-profit Blue HELP, at least 175 police officers have died by suicide this year."

Has certainly been repeatedly reported in this publication and elsewhere. Officer mental health issues need to be addressed on an ongoing basis. Not only for the sake of law enforcement, but the public as well.

"While both police departments and government agencies across the country are increasingly acknowledging the growing mental health crisis among police officers and first responders, and implementing programming and legislation as a result, less attention is paid to the families, and spouses, who are left behind."

Unconscionable. Intolerable.

"Too many people take that stigma to heart and that stigma then passes on to the family, when it's not the family's fault," said Karen Solomon, president of Blue HELP. "They shouldn't be penalized. They shouldn't suffer."

That's right. No question. This has to change.

"Max loved being around people. Most of all, April Scherzer said, he loved helping people. "When he could help someone, he always did," Scherzer said. "He was just so sweet and kind. He loved me so much. And I loved him. He was my best friend." He started his career eager to put the uniform on every day. Throughout his 12 years of service, he worked patrol, as an undercover narcotics officer and a school resource officer. But the job began to tear at Max, and as the years passed, he began to depend increasingly on alcohol to cope with his feelings. Scherzer said that every few months, when Max would experience something traumatic or triggering at work, he would spiral into a depression and drink. He'd call in sick. He'd isolate himself."

Surprised? Why?

Here's the problem:

"But the last thing Max wanted, Scherzer said, was to ask for help from his department. Once, she said, when he admitted to his department that he had a drinking problem, he was sent home for 30 days without any resources or direction toward treatment options."

Massive failure of the law enforcement system. This suicide could have been prevented:

"He didn't feel that he could go to them to ask for help," Scherzer said. "He was worried that everyone would find out. He was worried what everyone would think of him. And he was worried that he would lose his job if he said that he was, you know, having issues with post-traumatic stress or his drinking."

Re-read the above quote. We can't live without law enforcement. Absolutely needed, required in civilized society. Yet, the necessary resources are not readily, easily available to these men and women. This has to change.

Get this. Imagine having to deal with the following:

"One particular incident stayed with Max. While working overnight in the middle of winter, he got a call that a man crashed his pickup into a tree. He was the first officer on the scene. When he arrived, the truck was engulfed in flames. Max struggled to pull the man out of the truck, but he couldn't. All he could do was stand back and watch helplessly as the man burned alive. The flashbacks and nightmares started soon after that, and his drinking accelerated. Scherzer tried her best to help him but often, she said, she felt lost. "I didn't know anything about any employee resources," she said. "It's not like when you marry a police officer they give you a manual that says, 'These are the signs to look out for. And this is what you should do when.'"

Why aren't these resources easily, readily available? Worse, the department was aware he had a drinking problem. Did nothing.

"I just tried to make the other parts of his life the best I possibly could," she added. "I know he loved his job. But I know sometimes he didn't want to go in. And he didn't want to see those things." Shortly before Max died, he attended a seminar and heard a therapist speak about post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions that affect first responders. Her talk resonated with Max. Afterward, Scherzer said, he reached out to the sergeant who organized the seminar and asked for the therapist's number."

That should have begun the rode to recovery. Did not:

"Scherzer said that when the department learned he had requested to speak to the therapist, they confiscated his gun, sent him home for 30 days, and told him that a department-affiliated therapist would have to clear him to return for duty. "During that 30 days Max just drank," Scherzer said. "He was the entire time worried, you know, 'Am I going to have a job? What are we going to do?'" Her husband was "devastated," Scherzer added. "He just sat at home waiting for them to tell him what the next step was," she said. "When he did return, he said all of the other officers knew that he had asked for this woman's phone number. Everybody knew his business. And he felt like everybody was looking at him like he was, you know, this mentally unstable person when he wasn't."

Jesus Christ. Every mistake the department could have made, -- it did. Unbridled stupidity.

"Families of police officers who die in the line of duty typically receive an outpouring of emotional support from their police departments and community. Those departments, and states, also provide financial assistance to spouses and families, including death benefits, health insurance and scholarships. That's rarely the case for families whose loved ones die by suicide."

Why? This needs to change. Not only for the sake of law enforcement, but the public as well.

Massive failure of law enforcement:

"After Max died, Scherzer and her twins, Max and Molly, were left alone to mourn. A home that often hosted fellow police officers and their families stood largely silent. Her phone stopped ringing. As the days passed, her hope that Max's colleagues would circle around her dimmed. "It's almost like being a cancer that everyone thinks is contagious," Scherzer said. It was at her husband's funeral, when she didn't receive a folded American flag, that she first felt the inkling that she was different from other police widows."

Unacceptable. Outrageous.

"I just remember sitting there at the funeral home as everyone left and just sitting there feeling very, very alone and empty and not sure what was going to happen, what I was going to do," she said. The isolation Scherzer experienced compounded her grief. But there were practical matters to attend to, as well, including the question of how she was going to care for herself and her infant children. She had no idea how she was going to make ends meet. Some kind of financial assistance would have helped. But in the state of New Jersey, as in other states, Scherzer was not entitled to death benefits because her husband died of suicide, which is not considered a line of duty death."

Incomprehensible.

"Months before Max's death, a state trooper with two years on the job was killed in an accident. But because he wasn't married to his fiancée, their children were not entitled to full death benefits. The case pushed legislators to act. In August 2016, the same month Max died, Gov. Chris Christie signed a law that extended death benefits to minor children of all police, firefighters and other first responders killed in the line of duty, regardless of their parents' marriage status. Neither Scherzer, nor her twins, qualify for those benefits."

Why not?

Gets worse. Far worse:

"In October, Scherzer learned her health insurance had been terminated after she rushed her daughter Molly to the emergency room with a fever. "It felt like I had been kicked in the stomach again," Scherzer said. "I didn't know what I was going to do." Scherzer scoured the internet for resources, turning to several national organizations that help families of officers who have died in the line of duty. She explained she needed help. "I was told basically that there was nothing that they could do because my husband's death did not qualify," she said. "Nobody helped me navigate through all the different aspects I had to go through," she added. "It's hard to keep getting turned down and turned away. It's almost dehumanizing."

Ironically, hypocritically:

"We are very selective about who we consider to be heroes in death," Solomon, president of Blue HELP, said. "We tout this blue family concept all the time. What kind of family turns their back on you in the moment you need it the most, because you don't believe in the way somebody died?" More often than not, for families left behind by suicide, Solomon said, there are no memorials. No honors. And no help. "They get nothing," Solomon said. "Zero. See you later. Bye."

Incomprehensible.

Get this:

"Scherzer often has to drive past a memorial that honors fallen police officers from the area. But her husband's name isn't on it."

No question, her husband's death was directly due to his service as an officer.

"As a single mom, she struggles to find time to take care of herself in between raising the twins. She worries that they'll never know about what a kind person he was. About all the good he did. There are few people around, besides herself, to tell those stories. "There's all these great things he did when he was a police officer," she said. "But nobody ever wants to talk about that." The focus, she added, is on "the way he died. Not the way he lived."

10-25-19

K-9 rises to the occasion. CBS News reports:

"Dekalb County Police Sergeant Frank Cusimano and his K-9 partner, D'Jango, responded to a call on Tuesday that would change everything. "This guy did his job valiantly and because of him he saved lives," Cusimano said. Cusimano and D'Jango were pursuing a man with numerous felony warrants when police said the man fled and fired his gun, striking D'Jango. He was rushed to Blue Pearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital for emergency surgery. Dr. Kevin Winker operated on D'Jango, whose leg had been fractured by the bullet. "It's no different than it is in trauma surgery on the human side. Give them a chance to survive," Winker said."

The K-9 was seriously injured.

"D'Jango underwent two surgeries, but veterinarians determined his leg couldn't be saved. Cusimano said he wondered if D'Jango would make it. "His eyes told me, 'I got this,'" he said. Police departments from the area kept vigil for D'Jango at the hospital, sitting outside his kennel and in the hallway 24 hours a day, just like they do for injured human officers. Because of his injuries, D'Jango will likely be retired from service. On Saturday, he went home with Cusimano, just like he did every night before. Only when he tried to jump in the back of the police vehicle, he needed a little help from his partner."

10-25-19

No justice. In follow up to a case covered earlier in this publication and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"A former Florida police officer who fatally shot a 73-year-old retired librarian during a demonstration for the public in 2016 will not serve jail time."

Nazi justice. No equal treatment.

"Then-officer Lee Coel was performing in a "shoot/don't shoot" exercise with the Punta Gorda Police Department in the summer of 2016 when he shot Mary Knowlton, who had volunteered to participate. She was struck by the fatal bullet in front of about three dozen people, including Knowlton's husband of 55 years, who were at the citizen police academy watching the drill about police use of firearms. Then-police chief Tom Lewis said at the time that the revolver Coel fired had been used in previous exercises. The gun was loaded with bullets instead of blanks."

How does this happen? How?

"Coel, who was charged the following year with felony manslaughter with a firearm, accepted a plea deal this week, sparing him from serving jail time, according to NBC affiliate WBBH. The deal stipulates that he spend 10 years on probation. He had faced up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine."

No justice. No equal treatment. This bastard has literally gotten away with murder.

"Coel, who joined the Punta Gorda Police Department in 2014, was fired shortly after he was charged. He was investigated by internal affairs and retrained after an October 2015 arrest during which a man was mauled by his police dog for at least two minutes. The incident was caught on dashcam video and went viral."

Jesus Christ. Gets worse. Get this:

"He had also been asked to resign in 2013 from a previous job with the Miramar Police Department in Florida for "failure to satisfactorily complete agency field training program." He wrote in his Punta Gorda application that he had been “found to have committed two simple policy violations" after he was hit with two “excessive use of force complaints” that were later deemed unfounded."

No justice. ... Hear the rumble?

"The family of Knowlton, a retired librarian and mother of two grown sons, received a more than $2 million settlement, approved by the Punta Gorda City Council."

Not good enough. Nowhere near. Needed to do prison time.

"Lewis, who had said he held himself "100 percent accountable” for the shooting, was charged with culpable negligence and found not guilty in 2017."

Jesus Christ. Double standard. Criminal officers, --protected and coddled. ... Hear the rumble?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

More of the same old bullshit. CBS News reports:

"A Kissimmee, Florida, police officer who pushed a suspect off of a roof in March has now received his punishment from the department: An eight-hour suspension from the force, which he fulfilled by forfeiting a vacation day."

LOL. Jesus Christ. Give me a break. Incredible. When will these clueless bastards finally wake up? Smarten up? These guys are idiots.

"Officer Plenio Massiah and Sgt. Anthony Amada were among the several officers who responded to a call about a stolen car, CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG reports. A woman called the cops alleging her ex-boyfriend, Yadiel Torres, took her car during an argument, according to a police report on the incident. Massiah's body camera footage captured his fellow officer below, telling him to push the suspect off the roof."

... Not that their victim was a choir boy:

"The woman said Torres was known to be armed, and when officers arrived at the scene, Torres fled his home. He climbed out of a window and onto the roof, where Massiah followed him. Massiah told Torres to put his hands up and as he was about to cuff him, Torres ran. Body camera footage shows Torres sitting on the the roof, dangling his legs over the side. Officers looked up at him from the ground below. In the body camera footage, Massiah is heard telling Torres he has no choice but to jump. Torres said he was not going anywhere. Then, an officer below tells Massiah to "just push him off." "Push him off," Sgt. Amada is heard saying. Massiah took the suggestion, putting his hand on Torres' shoulder and shoving him off the 9-foot high roof onto the ground. Amada and another officer were waiting on the ground below, and records show Amada used a taser on Torres."

These guys are idiots. Have no business in law enforcement. Where's the professionalism? Just because they're attempting to arrest an idiot does not grant carte blanche to be idiots themselves.

"I'm down. I'm not resisting," Torres is heard saying as the taser was deployed. The suspect was not injured in the incident, which was made public with the recent release of the body camera footage. After a nearly eight-month investigation, Massiah was found to have violated the use of force policy. He was issued an eight-hour suspension. He fulfilled this by forfeiting a vacation day, WKMG reports. Amada was also found to have violated policies regarding force and carelessness and it was recommended he be terminated. He resigned in June, according to the station."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

Gulags. ABC News reports:

"For asylum-seeker Miguel Angel Giron Martinez, getting to the U.S. border was the easy part. It was the eight months afterward that he says was a nightmare. In an interview with ABC News, Giron Martinez -- a 23-year-old student activist from Honduras who had his life threatened by the government -- claimed that he was kept in cramped conditions where men lined up for hours to use one of only three showers and was bounced around to different facilities in what he described as "endless detention."

Trump's Fourth Reich. Nazi America.

"At one point, he says he suffered a botched dental surgery in U.S. custody that was so painful he had no choice but to later extract part of the tooth himself, using only toilet paper to stop the bleeding. Giron Martinez is one of several named plaintiffs seeking injunctive relief and class certification in a lawsuit against Kevin McAleenan, the former acting director of the Department of Homeland Security who stepped down last week, the acting director of ICE, Matthew Albence, and two other ICE officials."

The bastards responsible need to be prosecuted.

"The plaintiffs claim in the suit, which is ongoing in Washington, D.C. federal court, that the New Orleans field office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has failed to follow agency directives for parole -- temporary release for those who have a "credible fear of persecution or torture" -- and instead have subjected them to indefinite detention "in remote immigration jails across the Deep South" despite satisfying the grounds for release, according to the complaint."

We've lost our country. We have ourselves to blame. We tolerate it. Remain gutlessly silent.

"Giron Martinez claimed he was repeatedly denied parole despite being an ideal candidate; he had no criminal history, had a U.S. citizen willing to sponsor him, and was not considered to be a flight risk, according to his lawyers. He has since been granted asylum in the United States."

What took so long? At what price?

"But some immigration lawyers say the harrowing details of Giron Martinez’s story raise serious questions about the U.S. treatment of asylum seekers. They say it highlights how unfair it is to deny parole to detainees who have no criminal history, who do not pose a flight risk, and should, under ICE's own parole directive, be granted parole."

Founders? Spinning in their graves. Wouldn't recognize the country they spawned. Readers are reminded our UNDOCUMENTED forbears arrived in this continent centuries ago, STOLE it from its native inhabitants, THEN broke every goddamned treaty signed.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

No justice. ABC News reports:

"After a police officer fatally shoots someone, it can take days or even weeks before the public or his supervisors hear the officer's version of what happened."

Goddamned outrageous. Time distorts memory. Worse, gives a criminal jackbooted bastard in blue time to concoct a bullshit story.

"In many states, that so-called cooling off period is carved out in state law or in a police department's contract. That opportunity to take some time before undergoing questioning by investigators angers community activists and others seeking reforms of police departments around the country who believe it gives officers time to reshape their story to justify a shooting and avoid getting fired or charged. Law enforcement officials and experts say officers need to be able to collect their thoughts, so they don't provide details that are tainted by the trauma of the shooting."

That's bullshit. What they're doing is protecting and coddling criminal officers. Giving them a chance to create a false narrative to cover their criminal asses. The same 'courtesy' is certainly not extended to someone who kills a murderous cop in self-defense.

"We laud police in this society as our protectors and purveyors of justice, and we hold them with such high regard, but when it comes to getting a statement when they have killed one of us, they are held to a lower standard than if we killed one of them," said Pamela Young, lead organizer for the Tarrant County Coalition for Community Oversight in Michigan. "It's nonsensical."

Worse? An example of nazi justice. A double standard craftily engineered to protect and coddle a murderous officer.

"More than a dozen states have what are called Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights carved into law."

That is, the 'right' to murder, violently assault, and abuse on the job. With virtual impunity. Nazi justice.

"Other states, especially those with unions, have similar protections as part of negotiated contracts. The amount of time afforded officers before they are questioned varies — as short as 24 hours to up to two weeks. The grace period dates back in most places to the 1970s and has periodically been questioned in police-use-of-force cases, with watchdogs and community activists considering it another example of the thin blue line rallying around one of its own."

Precisely, why there is no faith or trust in law enforcement. Ironically, this places officers in danger. Increases the risk. Needlessly, stupidly so.

Worse? Get this:

"It's difficult to say if the lag time has allowed officers to avoid arrest or conviction, especially because the courts grant police more leeway in using deadly force than the general public."

That's a problem. A big problem. Contributes to the distrust. Exposes good officers to additional danger on the job. Aggressive stupidity at its very worst. Endangers not only good officers, but the public as well. At best, achingly counterproductive. At worst, deadly.

"Bob Bennett, an attorney in Minnesota who represented the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who was fatally shot by Noor, decried what he called special treatment being given officers. Not only are they given extra time before undergoing questioning, but often they are allowed to consult with a union representative or an attorney beforehand. "A lot can be learned in five or six days and a lot can be polished and sanded," Bennett said."

Obstructs justice. Intentionally. To protect the jackbooted bastards.

"Of course the critics and the people who don't trust the police say, 'Yeah, they need time to get their story together,'" said Tom Manger, a retired police chief in Virginia and Maryland. "Having some time to calm down and get your thoughts together ... oftentimes, you get clearer answers and better information." Bennett doesn't buy it, saying if it's good enough for an officer, it should be fair to treat civilians the same way."

That's right. Equal treatment. Not special treatment as accorded the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue for decades. ... Right, Sheriff?

"Why are police, who are professionally trained to observe, to record material, to accurately and completely record all the material and facts of an incident, why are they excused from rendering their report and statement in the same timeframe as untrained, unprofessional witnesses are?"

Good question. Why special treatment? ... Other than to protect the jackbooted criminals in blue?

"Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents about 330,000 officers nationally, called the gap in time something available to the general public as well as officers."

That's bullshit. Outrageously, untrue. Don't immediately talk to a jackbooted bastard, get hauled to jail. How things work in a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"There are an awful lot of misconceptions. First of all, anyone who's being interviewed by the police with the potential for being charged has a right to decline to say anything. The difference is that police officers at every level decline to testify at the peril of losing their jobs whether they're guilty or innocent," he said."

That's also bullshit. Have plenty of time to access legal counsel well before getting fired. -- If they're ever fired at all. Most are not. Hopefully, will change as more and more of this shit sees the light of day. Wake up, sir. Need to tell the truth, Mr. Pasco, instead of lying like hell, distorting reality to protect and coddle the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue you gutlessly represent.

"Police officers don't give up their civil and constitutional rights at the police station door."

No one says they do, fool. Wake up. You bastards are murdering innocent, unarmed civilians with near impunity. Usually, never get charged with anything. That's a problem. A big problem. ... Hear the rumble?

"It isn't like 'Law & Order' where they get into a shootout and then go out for a beer. It isn't like that at all. These officers suffer sometimes for the rest of their lives just by virtue of being involved."

Wake up. No one is saying it is. No question, there are officers who have done their jobs properly. Have rightfully killed someone in their capacity as an officer. Suffer from post traumatic stress. We're not talking about these officers, Mr. Pasco. We're talking about those who have murdered innocent civilians with virtual impunity.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

No equal treatment. NBC News reports:

"After admitting to the mayor that he had "a couple of drinks" before he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car early Thursday morning, Chicago's police superintendent has asked for an internal investigation into the situation, according to police and a published report."

He was not administered a field sobriety test, nor a breathalyzer. Why not? Had he not been top brass, think he would have been allowed to skate?

"Mayor Lori Lightfoot told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday that Superintendent Eddie Johnson told her "a couple of drinks with dinner" before the incident and that he had recently changed medication he was taking."

Has a blood pressure problem. Why was he drinking in the first place?

"She told the newspaper that she was waiting for the results of the investigation before deciding whether to take any action. "While we have no indication of impropriety at this time, this question can only be answered by the internal affairs investigation," the Chicago Police Department said in a statement Friday."

Bullshit. How can they credibly investigate themselves?

"Police told NBC Chicago that it could not comment on the reported admission of drinking or comment on the matter because of the pending internal investigation, which Johnson called for."

Convenient, isn't it? Fox guarding the chicken coop. No credibility. Precisely, why law enforcement cannot be trusted. Zero credibility. Lie to protect their own.

"Johnson told reporters Thursday that he began feeling lightheaded while driving himself home from dinner with friends and he pulled over and parked around 12:30 a.m. A passing motorist noticed him and called 911. Chicago police said in a statement Thursday that when officers arrived on scene, they checked Johnson’s well-being and "did not observe any signs of impairment," NBC Chicago reported. Johnson was a few blocks from his home."

Passed out close to home? Give me a break.

"Johnson was diagnosed decades ago with a kidney condition and had a transplant, and earlier this year he was hospitalized for a blood clot, the Associated Press reported. Johnson said Thursday that he had visited his cardiologist earlier in the week to follow up about a blood clot he had earlier this summer and that his doctor replaced his blood pressure medication. "When he adjusted my medication, I took the old medication out for high blood pressure but I failed to put the new medication in," Johnson said. He did not mention consuming any alcoholic drinks at that time."

Makes no sense. Someone with all his medical issues, including a blood pressure problem, was likely advised not to drink.

"Johnson said that he was examined by responding officers, but that a breathalyzer test was not administered at the scene, according to NBC Chicago."

Why would it have been? Law enforcement takes care of its own. Forget? This was the top law enforcement officer in Chicago. No equal justice. Justice? What's that?

"Johnson ordered an internal investigation into the incident and cited the need for transparency, according to NBC Chicago. "All officers ought to be held to the highest standard," he said through a spokesperson Thursday."

Crock of shit. No credibility. Gets worse:

"When I take medication, sometimes it has side effects. I know from my parents. So, I take him at his word," Lightfoot told the Chicago-Sun Times. But she added that "the investigation will sort out the details."

Jesus Christ. Give me a break. Why the hell was he drinking while on medication? Did you ask him?

"The investigation into Johnson will be handled by the public integrity unit within the department's internal affairs division, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Friday, according to the Associated Press. That unit is comprised of officers who are detailed to the FBI and work out of the FBI's Chicago office."

No credibility. None. Fox guarding the chicken coop.

"If they have any sense that there was any impropriety, they would refer the case to outside investigative agencies," Guglielmi added."

Rings hollow. A ruse. Charade. No credibility. Rubber stamp. No justice. Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence. The only way to rein in these criminals, particularly the murderers in blue.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-25-19

The following is an example of precisely how dysfunctional the educational system has determinedly, concertedly become. Incomprehensibly ass backwards. NBC News reports:

"A black security officer at a Wisconsin high school was fired for telling a student who is also black to stop calling him the N-word."

Re-read the above quote. Incredible, isn't it?

"The firing of Marlon Anderson from West High School in Madison prompted some students to walk out in protest Friday morning and for school officials to say they will reexamine policies on the use of racial slurs in schools."

What could they possibly been thinking having fired this officer in the first place?

"Anderson told NBC News on Friday that after a black student repeatedly called him a n-----, he asked the student last week to stop. Marlon Anderson was fired from West High School in Madison, Wis., for telling an unruly student who called him the N-word several times not to call him the racial slur. This week, Anderson said he learned that school officials terminated his employment, citing a zero tolerance policy on the use of derogatory language by staff members."

Jesus Christ. Give me a break. Gets fired for simply telling the kid not to call him the n-word? Incomprehensible. Aggressive stupidity at its very worst.

"My understanding of the policy was white staff shouldn’t use the N-word under any circumstances," Anderson said. "But I had no idea me being called the word and me telling the student not to call me the word would get me fired."

A black officer. A black kid.

"Anderson said he worked in the Madison Metropolitan School District for 11 years and at West High School for 3½ years."

Certainly, had quite a bit of experience. To say nothing of abundant self-control during the incident.

"Anderson shared the news of his firing in a Facebook post Wednesday. "Short story.... I get called a b---- ass n---- by a student, I responded do 'not call me a n----!' And I got fired," he wrote, adding that the district's response had surprised him."

Understatement.

"Madison Teachers Incorporated, the union that represents teachers and support staff, said it filed a grievance Thursday seeking Anderson's reinstatement with full back pay. Students at the high school held a walkout Friday morning in support of Anderson and marched to the district's administrative building. Videos posted to social media showed that teachers at the school also joined the walkout. Anderson's son, Noah, 17, who is the president of the black student union, helped lead the protest."

These achingly clueless assholes still don't 'get it':

"The school board president said officials would review the district's policies. "We've taken a tough stance on racial slurs, and we believe that language has no place in schools," the board president, Gloria Reyes, said in a statement. The board will review its "underlying policies, and examine them with a racial equity lens understanding that universal policies can often deepen inequities," the statement said. "We will ask the community for help in that process."

Give me a break. Ludicrous. Bullshit parsing of language:

"District Superintendent Jane Belmore told NBC News in a statement Friday that since the incident occurred, "different viewpoints from many facets of our community are surfacing." “Let me be clear, there is no doubt that language matters and racial slurs are harmful," Belmore said. "However, at this point, we have an opportunity to look more deeply into the response to the use of racial slurs in our schools." The superintendent added that the district will act as quickly as possible on the appeal process for Anderson."

Have these clueless bastards lost the ability to think?

"Anderson's Facebook post drew hundreds of comments of support, including from some who said they are former students and that Anderson had helped them feel safe. Anderson said the response on social media and from the community have been overwhelming. "It got me a little emotional, because to be honest, you don’t get that type of response from people until you’re in a casket," he said Friday. "But I had the opportunity to hear the effect that I’ve had on people’s lives."

You don't fire an officer or anyone else for that matter for telling a kid not to call him the n-word. What was this officer supposed to do? Ignore the expletive?

The Washington Post reports:

"Anderson, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, said many students have used the n-word against him in his 11 years with the district, and he has always explained its history and meaning. He’s determined to get his job back. “At the end of the day, I feel I was being called a derogatory term and I don’t want to be called that because my mother, my father, my grandparents — they were called this word and could not say, ‘Don’t call me that,’” Anderson told the Journal Sentinel. “I’m the first generation in my family who can literally look you in the eye and say don’t call me that word. I don’t think it’s fair to try to take that from me.”

No question.

"Even Cher weighed in, offering on Twitter to cover Anderson’s legal fees should he decide to sue the district.

"How Can Ppl Be This Disrespectful??A Beloved,Man of Color Just Passed,& Our Nations Mourning Him.Cong.Elijah Cummings FOUGHT FOR JUSTICE.He Was loved & Feared. If You Want To sue MMSD Ed.Board I Will Incur Your expenses. EC
— Cher (@cher) October 18, 2019

"The incident that led to Anderson’s firing happened on Oct. 9. Anderson told the Journal Sentinel he was escorting an unruly student out of West High School when the student began lobbing the n-word at him. “Every type of n-word you can think of, that’s what he was calling me,” he said. “I said, do not call me that name. I’m not your n-word. Do not call me that.”

Had every right to stand up to this kid.

"Outrage over Anderson’s firing built quickly. A petition calling for his reinstatement went up Thursday on Change.org, drawing thousands of signatures. Supporters wrote that Anderson “made connections with students that will never be forgotten” and that his termination is “absurd.” Madison Teachers Incorporated, the local teachers union, said it had filed a grievance on his behalf, seeking his reinstatement with back pay. In the meantime, Anderson’s co-workers at West High School set up a fundraiser for his family on GoFundMe. “In a school of over 2,300 students and 200 staff, Marlon has the desire and uncanny ability to remember every single person’s name,” they wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “He can read what each person needs with a simple look, and generously fills that need with love: a kind word, a silly song, a loving-but-firm warning.” Michelle Bayouth, the teacher who started the GoFundMe, called Anderson’s firing an “injustice.” While the zero-tolerance policy was well-intended, she said, its use in the security guard’s case was hurting students. At school, she had seen one student crying over the sudden departure. “He’s an angel for so many of our students,” Bayouth said. “He’s not just a security guard. He’s the one that’s getting our kids into their classrooms. We can’t teach them if they don’t get into school.”

Exacerbating the injustice:

"Anderson, who is insulin dependent and worried about the loss of his health insurance, watched the protest unfold on social media. On his Facebook page, he wrote that he had cried so much “my head lost weight.” “I am overwhelmed by the love,” he continued. “When I get back I will personally walk everybody to class ON TIME!”

CBS News reports:

"Marlon Anderson, a 48-year-old black security guard at a Wisconsin high school, was fired for repeating the N-word. He said he used it in order to tell a student not to say it. The student, who is also black, called Anderson the slur along with a number of other expletives. "I made a conscious decision to address the word because it is an epidemic," Anderson told CBS News affiliate WISC. "Our kids use it every day." He also questioned how he could be fired for standing up for himself. "I just don't understand getting fired for trying to defend yourself," said Anderson, who worked for the district for 11 years. "As a black man, I have a right not to be called that word." Anderson said he had been called the slur by students before, and typically uses those conversations as teachable moments to explain the history, context and meaning of the slur, WISC reported. He and the Anderson and the Madison teachers' union filed a grievance seeking his job back."

ABC News reports:

"The school fired Anderson on Wednesday, but the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County hired him and he's starting Monday. "I didn't have an opportunity to be mad, scared, worried or anything. I just got hit with a busload of love," Anderson said."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-18-19

Law enforcement at its very best. WTVF-Nashville, Tennessee reports:

"Williamson County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Soto was named September Deputy of the Month after he saved a life at the Natchez Trace Bridge. He was on routine patrol before dawn when he saw someone standing on the outside of the bridge railing about to jump. Deputy Soto reacted quickly and pulled the teenager to safety. Deputy Daniel Soto always wanted to be a cop; he's been on the Williamson County force for only 14 months and he will tell you he's exactly where he needs to be."

Certainly, is. A conscientious, caring officer.

"It was July 25 around 4:45 in the morning when Soto did his patrol around the Natchez Trace Bridge. He thought he saw a blanket, but it was a teenage boy leaning over the bridge. Soto says he didn't even have time to call for backup, he just leaped into action, grabbing the boy to safety. "I just tried to tell him because he is so young that you’re going to have dark days, dark weeks, dark months but it will pass. Life is beautiful, if they can see past that and get the help they needed, and I think he got the help he needed," said Soto."

How about that? In the right place. At the right time. Saved a kid's life.

"More than 30 people have jumped to their deaths from the Natchez Trace Bridge since the year 2000. There are efforts to get barriers installed on the bridge to prevent anymore suicides."

One suicide is one too many.

"Soto said he's just glad he could help stop another death. "The Lord definitely put me there, 4:45 in the morning on patrol and just happened to be there at that moment; it’s satisfying," said Soto but he doesn't see himself as a hero. "Absolutely not, like I said anybody in that position would have done the same thing," said Soto. He said he now patrols the bridge more frequently than times before, he says the young man's family thanked him for saving the boy and he is getting the help that he needs."

Well deserved:

"Toyota of Cool Springs presented a plaque to Deputy Soto and donated a check for $150.00 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Soto's favorite charity."

Most important of all:

"If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free number, 1-800-273-TALK(8255). It connects the caller to a certified crisis center near where the call is placed."

10-18-19

Duty, honor, country. CBS News reports:

"A highway patrol officer from Nevada has gone viral for his keen eye and good deed. While patrolling a Las Vegas highway, the trooper noticed something lying on the shoulder. "He circled back around and found an American Flag on this side of the road," Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) wrote on Facebook. "The Trooper, who is also military veteran collected the flag and immediately brought the Stars and Stripes to a local American Legion Lodge." NHP also shared video captured by the officer's dashcam, which shows him stopping his car and retrieving the flag. By midday Friday, it had been viewed more than 60,000 times."

For good reason.

"The local American Legion holds proper flag retirement ceremonies every six months, according to NHP. Respecting the American flag also involves knowing how to properly dispose of one when it is damaged. "The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning," according to the United States Flag Code (4 USC Sec 8 Para (k) Amended 7 July 1976). To mark Flag Day last year, CBS Philadelphia shared a guide on how to properly dispose of American flags."

Consider the millions who died in battle fighting for that very same Flag.

"This trooper is not the first person to gain widespread recognition for his proper handling of the flag. In 2018, a photo of three boys folding an American flag in Hayden, Idaho, went viral. Many praised the boys for their efforts to protect the flag. The same year, a FedEx driver was praised for folding a flag that fell on a customer's lawn. The good deed was captured on the homeowner's security camera and went viral, CBS Baltimore reported."

10-18-19

The following is well beyond pitiful. Off the chart. NBC News reports:

"San Diego Padres pitcher Jacob Nix was arrested Sunday for criminal trespassing after trying to get into an Arizona house through a doggy door, prompting a resident of the home to kick him and use a stun gun on him, according to police. Nix, 23, is accused of entering a fenced backyard in Peoria, about 13 miles north of Phoenix, and then trying to climb through a doggy door in the back of the house, according to court documents filed by the Peoria Police Department in Maricopa County."

Sad, isn't it? Would be laughable, if not so incredibly dangerous and stupid:

"Nix was kicked in the face by someone inside the home before fellow baseball player Tom Cosgrove, who plays for a minor league team, tried to pull him out, the documents said. As the pair began running away, the person inside the home "leaned out of the doggie door and deployed his taser," hitting Nix in his torso. Police were called to the scene and found Nix and Cosgrove, 23, a couple blocks away from the house, they said. The two were arrested."

Lucky they hadn't gotten themselves killed.

"Nix told police that he thought he was at his own home, even though he doesn't have a doggy door and usually enters through the front door. He could not explain and would not elaborate further why he tried to enter someone else's house. Court documents said he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

Sad, isn't it?

"Nix was charged with criminal trespassing and released on $100 bail, according to court records. He is next due in court on Monday. Cosgrove was also charged with criminal trespassing, released on bond and appeared in court on Tuesday, according to NBC affiliate KPNX. Cosgrove pitched for the Lake Elsinore Storm, a minor league affiliate of the Padres, in 2019. Nix made his major league debut with the Padres in 2018, starting nine games for the parent club. He spent his entire 2019 in the minor leagues, playing for Padres affiliates the El Paso Chihuahuas and the Lake Elsinore Storm. Nix is assigned to the Peoria Javelinas for the Arizona Fall League. In a statement released by the Padres on Thursday, the team said it was aware of the incident and takes the matter seriously. The team would not comment further pending legal proceedings."

Risk a promising career? For what?

10-18-19

Inexplicable murder of an innocent woman in her own home by law enforcement. NPR reports:

"A white police officer fired through the window of a black woman's home early Saturday and killed her after responding to a call that a neighbor placed about an open front door, authorities in Fort Worth, Texas, say."

'Shoot first, ask questions later.' ... Blatant racism? -- Both? Or, is it aggressive stupidity?

"Around 2:25 a.m., officers responded to an "open structure call" made by a neighbor to the police department's nonemergency number. Inside the home, Atatiana Jefferson, 28, and her 8-year-old nephew were playing video games. Body camera footage released by the police shows the officer outside the home, looking into Jefferson's bedroom window and shouting, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" before firing a single bullet that killed Jefferson."

Nearly instantaneous. Did not identify himself.

"Kyev Tatum, a pastor and community activist who was on the scene shortly after the shooting, told NPR that the neighbor who called the police was worried about the welfare of Jefferson. He said Jefferson may have had her front door open for a reason. "This was probably one of the first days that we had cool weather in Fort Worth. This was a cool evening. I'm sure she allowed the door to be open to air out the house, to get some fresh air in the house," Tatum said. The concerned neighbor, James Smith, told local television station WFAA that he never intended for an aggressive law enforcement response."

Always expect the worst. Especially, in the current climate. Law enforcement remains out of control:

"No domestic violence, no arguing," he said. "Nothing that they should have been concerned with, as far as them coming with guns drawn to my neighbor's house," Smith said. "There wasn't any reason for a gunshot that I know of," he said. "She wasn't a threat."

"James Smith said he saw the lights on and front doors open at his neighbor’s home overnight. He said he called a non emergency number for a wellness check. Smith said minutes later he heard a gunshot. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/7XYsVBCFz2
— Cleo Greene (@cgreeneWFAA) October 12, 2019"

Stunning, isn't it? Law enforcement is sworn to protect and serve, not wantonly murder on the job. How many civilians in Fort Worth and elsewhere will now think twice about calling police for a welfare check? Could wind up getting an innocent neighbor killed by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Yet, at the same time, calling in a welfare check can and does save lives.

"Civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt said Jefferson was a pre-medicine graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and was working at the time in pharmaceutical equipment sales. "Her mom had recently gotten very sick, so she was home taking care of the house and loving her life," Merritt said."

Terrible loss of life for no reason at all.

"According to a police news release, when the officer was searching the perimeter of Jefferson's house, the officer noticed a person inside and standing near the window, which police say was perceived as a threat. That is when the officer drew his weapon, ordered Jefferson's hands up and shot. Authorities say that when they entered Jefferson's home, a gun was recovered from the bedroom — the area where police shot and where Jefferson was pronounced dead. Officials did not say whether Jefferson was holding a weapon at the time the officer fired at her."

No matter the ultimate circumstances, she was in her own home. Minding her own business. Trying to protect herself and her 8-year-old nephew.

Here's the problem:

"Tatum said Jefferson's having a weapon should not have justified the use of deadly force. "If you hear some noise in your backyard early in the morning when you're with your 8-year-old nephew, well of course anyone in their right mind is going to try to protect themselves and others, especially a child," Tatum said. "But the officer reacted so quickly and never identified himself as a police officer."

That's a problem. A big problem.

"This is Atatiana Jefferson. She was 28 yrs old, a graduate of Xavier Univ. and lived w/ her nephew.

"A Fort Worth, TX cop shot and killed her thru her window as she stood peacefully and unarmed in her own home.

"Black people are subject to deadly force even when they stay home. pic.twitter.com/09dA2nl3v5
— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) October 13, 2019"

As repeatedly stated in this publication and elsewhere, it is not just people of color being murdered by law enforcement. This is a problem across the board. Police are out of control. ... Right, Sheriff?

"The Fort Worth Police Department said the officer who shot Jefferson, who has not been identified, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the department's investigation into the incident."

Jesus Christ. Why are you protecting this officer? The public is entitled to know his identity.

"In a statement, the department said it is "committed to completing an extremely thorough investigation of this critical police incident to its resolution."

Coming from the same department, means absolute shit squat. No credibility. None. You bastards wouldn't even quickly identify the jackbooted bastard in blue responsible for killing this woman in her own home.

"After Tatum arrived on the scene Saturday morning, he was consoling Smith. Tatum said the neighbor is emotionally torn up for doing what he thought was the right thing. "He said, 'I feel guilty, because if I had not called the police to do a welfare check, my neighbor would still be alive,' " Tatum said. "So he's feeling guilty for the actions of the police department."

The neighbor did the right thing. The jackbooted bastard did not.

"The fatal shooting comes during a tense time for police-community relations in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. This month, former police officer Amber Guyger was sentenced by a jury to 10 years in state prison for shooting to death a neighbor, Botham Jean, in his own apartment. Guyger, who is white, claimed she thought she was entering her own apartment in the same building and mistook Jean, who is black, as an intruder in her home. "How are these officers killing people in their own homes, minding their own business?" Tatum said to NPR. "We have absolutely no faith in our police department."

A growing problem throughout the country. ... Right, Sheriff?

CBS News reports:

"The family of a 28-year-old black woman who was shot and killed by a white police officer in her Texas home as she played video games with her nephew expressed outrage Monday that the officer has not been arrested or fired. The Fort Worth Police Department said officers responded about 2:25 a.m. Saturday after a neighbor called a non-emergency line to report the home's front door had been left open. The responding officer fired a shot through a window, killing Atatiana Jefferson. "Why this man is not in handcuffs is a source of continued agitation for this family and for this community," family attorney Lee Merritt said at a news conference in Dallas on Monday."

No equal justice. Had it been the other way around, the perpetrator would have been quickly arrested, jailed, and charged.

"The police officer, whose name has not been officially released, should be fired, Merritt said. "That's the least we should expect," he said. "We are not looking for a slap on the wrist," said community activist Cory Hughes, "... we are demanding that he be charged like the criminal he is." Fort Worth police said in a statement that officers saw someone near a window inside the home and that one of them drew his duty weapon and fired after "perceiving a threat." The video released by police shows two officers searching the home from the outside with flashlights before one shouts, "Put your hands up, show me your hands." One shot is then fired through a window. In the video, the officer does not identify himself as police."

That's a problem. A big problem. Called murder.

"Jefferson's sister Ashley Carr said Jefferson was killed by a "reckless act" and there was no justification for the officer's actions. "She was enjoying a life in her home, where no one would have expected her life to be in harm's way, especially not at the hands of a civil servant who has taken an oath to serve and protect," Carr said. Jefferson had moved into her mother's home because the mother had been in failing health and was recently hospitalized, the family said. She often helped care for her young nephews, including 8-year-old Zion. Merritt said Jefferson stayed up late playing video games with the boy and had "lost track of time" when they heard noise outside her bedroom window."

'Prowlers' who turned out to be jackbooted bastards in blue.

"Merritt said the officers passed two open doors and never announced themselves, instead "prowling and whispering" outside. According to Merritt, the child said his aunt wouldn't let him go to the window to investigate, instead going herself. That's when he saw her fall to the ground. "I ask myself what would have happened had that little boy went to the window instead of his auntie," Merritt said. A single bullet hole was visible in the window of the single-story, freshly painted purple home and floral tributes and stuffed animals piled up in the street outside Jefferson's home."

Get this:

"Fort Worth police said it released the bodycam footage soon after the shooting for transparency, but that any "camera footage inside the residence" could not be distributed due to state law. The bodycam video included blurred still frames showing a gun inside a bedroom. It's unclear if the firearm was found near Jefferson, and police have not said that the officer who shot her thought she was holding a gun. The police statement released Saturday said only that officers who entered the residence after the shooting found a firearm, and Lieutenant Brandon O'Neil would not answer reporters' questions Sunday on why police released images of the gun."

Did they plant it? Why not release all information? Why the lack of transparency? Something to hide?

"O'Neil said the officer would meet with investigators from the Fort Worth Police Department on Monday about the shooting. Police previously said the officer, a white man, joined the department in April 2018. Merritt blasted the police department for releasing a photo of the firearm found in the home, which he said was legally owned by Jefferson, who had a concealed carry permit."

If true, changes the entire ball game. Raises more questions regarding what went down and why.

"He said the firearm is unrelated to Jefferson's death and accused the department of attempting to blame the victim by circulating the image."

Standard police procedure, isn't it? LOL.

CNN News reports:

"The officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson in her home Saturday morning has resigned, Fort Worth interim police chief Ed Kraus said Monday. The officer may face criminal charges, Kraus said. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said the killing of Jefferson was unjustified. "I'm so sorry. On behalf of the entire city of Fort Worth, I'm sorry," Price told reporters Monday. "To Atatiana's family, it's unacceptable. There is nothing that can justify what happened on Saturday morning. Nothing."

Then, why does this crap happen over and over and over again?

"Two seconds after he shouted commands outside a house, a Fort Worth police officer opened fire into what looks like a dark room. Moments later, Atatiana Koquice Jefferson died in the bedroom of her own home with her 8-year-old nephew nearby. Now Texans are outraged over the death of another black person killed at home by a white police officer."

How the hell is this kid supposed to live the rest of his life with the trauma of having had to watch his aunt gunned down by a criminal jackbooted bastard in blue? How?

"Officers responded to Jefferson's house after a neighbor noticed doors open. Officers searched the perimeter of Jefferson's house and saw "a person standing inside the residence near a window," Fort Worth police said. "Perceiving a threat, the officer drew his duty weapon and fired one shot striking the person inside," police said. Officers then went inside and gave emergency medical care. Jefferson died at 2:30 a.m. Saturday in the bedroom of her home, the Tarrant County medical examiner said. The officer didn't announce 'Police!' prior to shooting."

What threat? Perceived or real?

"Police have released one minute and 17 seconds of the officer's body camera footage leading up to the shooting. The video shows the officer approaching an entrance to the home, where the screen door is closed but the solid door behind it is wide open. The room inside is lit. The officer then walks around the house and approaches a window, shining a flashlight into what appears to be a dark room. "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" the officer screams. He does not identify himself as police."

Why not?

"Within two seconds of starting his verbal commands, the officer fires a shot through the window while he's in the middle of saying "show me" for the second time. That's when the edited video footage provided by police stops. "The Fort Worth Police Department is releasing available body camera footage to provide transparent and relevant information to the public as we are allowed within the confines of the Public Information Act and forthcoming investigation," police said."

Believe them? Think they have any credibility? Remain incapable of tampering with evidence to protect one of their own?

"Police have not named the officer, who joined the department in April 2018. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. "The officer did not announce that he was a police officer prior to shooting," Lt. Brandon O'Neil told reporters Sunday. "What the officer observed, and why he did not announce 'police,' will be addressed as the investigation continues." O'Neil confirmed that Jefferson's 8-year-old nephew was inside the room at the time of the shooting. "The members of the Fort Worth Police Department share your very real and valid concerns, as do the members of this city and people across the country," O'Neil said. CNN requested the unedited body camera footage but has not received it."

Unedited footage needs to be released. Law enforcement has no credibility. Cannot be trusted. Have lied persistently to cover their sorry asses. Have a history of doing so.

Here's the problem:

"Immediately after the edited clip of the bodycam footage, a black screen appears with words "still frame 1 where weapon was located inside bedroom." Fort Worth police then show a photo of a room completely blurred out, except for a gun. Police did not say whether Jefferson was holding a gun at the time she was shot. Fort Worth police released this image in a heavily edited video package."

How can they be trusted? No transparency. Too many lies. No credibility.

"Critics like Merritt, who is representing Jefferson's family, said he's concerned about police "villainizing" Jefferson or "turning her into a suspect, a silhouette, or threat." He said an independent law enforcement agency should take over the investigation. "We don't think that Fort Worth Police should be investigating it on their own," Merritt said."

The Washington Post reports:

"The white Fort Worth police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old black woman, in her home has resigned and faces possible criminal charges, police said Monday. The officer, identified as Aaron Dean, would have been fired for violations of the department’s policies on use of force, de-escalation and unprofessional conduct had he not resigned on his own, Fort Worth Police Chief Ed Kraus said in a news conference. The officer “still faces criminal charges” stemming from the investigation into the late-night shooting, Kraus said. The department has also asked the FBI to review Dean’s actions for possible civil rights violations, according to the chief. “None of this information can ease the pain of Atatiana’s family, but I hope it shows the community that we take these incidents seriously,” Kraus said."

CBS News reports:

"Speaking at a news conference Monday, Fort Worth police chief Edwin Kraus said he intended to fire the officer Monday for violations of the department's use of force and de-escalation policies. Instead, he said the officer, who he identified as Aaron Dean, gave his resignation. Kraus said dual investigations were underway to determine policy violations and possible criminal charges. He also said the case has been presented to the FBI to determine whether a federal investigation over possible civil rights violations is warranted."

Empty rhetoric. Rings hollow:

"Kraus apologized for the woman's death and said he has not been able to make sense of why Jefferson had to lose her life. "On behalf of the men and women of the Fort Worth Police Department, I'm so sorry for what occurred," Kraus said."

Jesus Christ. Wake up. This shit happens over and over and over again. Throughout our formerly great country. Yet, nothing changes.

"Dean was hired by the department in 2017 and had been an officer since 2018, Kraus said. He had been involved in a traffic accident, but had no other previous disciplinary incidents on his record. Responding to a reporter's question about how the incident affects trust between the police department and the community, Kraus said "I get it," and said reform efforts are underway. "Nobody looked at that video and said there's any doubt this officer acted inappropriately," Kraus said. "I get it. We're trying to train our officers better, we're trying to shore up our policies, trying to ensure they act and react the way the citizens intend them to — that they act and react with a servant's heart, instead of a warrior's heart."

Give me a break. Where's the vetting? Both before and during employment? Where's the training? Change in tactics to avoid murdering innocent people guilty of no criminal activity?

The Washington Post reports:

"The white Fort Worth police officer who fatally shot a 28-year-old black woman in her home over the weekend has been charged with murder, authorities said Monday. The officer, Aaron Dean, who resigned earlier in the day, was booked into the Tarrant County Jail, according to police. Bond has been set at $200,000, jail records show. Authorities moved quickly to arrest Dean after he shot Atatiana Jefferson through a closed window in her Fort Worth home while responding to a welfare call in the early hours of Saturday morning."

The following remains inexplicable:

"In fatal officer-involved shootings, police seldom face criminal charges, and they are rarely charged with murder. The prosecution of the officer is likely to serve as a stress test of relations between law enforcement and the black community in the region, which is still reeling from the fallout of an earlier case involving a white officer who shot a black neighbor in his apartment. Local leaders have called for a probe of the department, and Jefferson’s family and their attorney want an independent review of Jefferson’s killing, saying they worry race may have played a role."

Imagine what the victim's eight-year-old nephew has to live with the rest of his life, -- having watched his aunt gunned down.

CBS News reports:

"The family is relieved Dean was arrested, but they said more needs to be done to change the police department, CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca reports. We spoke to a retired Fort Worth officer who echoed that sentiment. "As a black female, former police officer, I'm afraid when I get stopped," Larhonda Young said Monday. She said she doesn't trust the department's officers, and she feels Jefferson's death represents a clear breach of protocol. "Officers are shooting before assessing the situation," Young said. "If that officer had simply knocked on the door, that young lady would be alive today."

That's right. 'Shoot first, ask questions later.' -- A problem throughout all law enforcement in our formerly great country.

"Body camera footage shows the moment he shot and killed Jefferson in her home Saturday. The video shows Dean never identified himself as a police officer. He was responding to a 2 a.m. wellness call from Jefferson's neighbor, who could be heard saying on the call, "The front doors have been open since 10 o'clock." But Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said it may not have been clear there was no emergency."

Give me a break. Always an excuse. A rationale. Bullshit parsing of language to defend the indefensible. Precisely, why law enforcement cannot be trusted. ... Hear the rumble?

"If they thought they had something more criminal, then a more tactical response would be warranted," Kraus said."

Jesus Christ. Wake up, Chief. Time to smell the coffee.

"Jefferson's siblings, Ashley and Adarius Carr, said it's a sign the department has to change what their attorney called "a brutal culture of policing." "No guns should've been out. There was no threats," Ashley said. For Adarius, when he heard the gunshot came through a window, he thought, "That's drive-by material." Kraus agrees: There's no excuse for Dean's actions."

If so, then why talk out both sides your ass, Chief?

"What can you tell members of the community who have told us incidents like this are why they do not trust Fort Worth police?" Villafranca asked him. "I tell them, I get it," Kraus said. "We're trying to ensure that they act and react… with the servant's heart, instead of a warrior's heart."

Empty rhetoric. Until policy changes, hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looms as our formerly great country continues to deteriorate.

"While Dean has been charged with murder, the investigation won't end there. City officials in Fort Worth have presented a preliminary case to the FBI to review his actions for possible civil rights violations."

CBS News reports:

"Body camera video shows Dean fired less than a second after yelling for Jefferson to show her hands and that he never identified himself as a police officer. A newly-released arrest warrant says the child told investigators Jefferson heard a noise outside and grabbed her gun from her purse as she went to investigate. The boy said Jefferson had the gun pointed at the window when she was shot. Tuesday, Interim Fort Worth police chief Ed Kraus said there is "no excuse" for the shooting and vowed Dean would be held accountable."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-18-19

While most officers are highly intelligent, a few are so damned stupid they have no business in law enforcement. The following is an example. NBC News reports:

"An off-duty New York City Police Department officer was arrested and suspended after pointing his gun at a karaoke bar waitress in Queens last week."

Should have been fired. Remains an exigent threat to himself, other officers, and the public.

"Officer Hyun Kim, 25, was at the karaoke bar in Flushing with a sergeant when a waitress noticed his gun and asked him if he was in a gang, law enforcement sources told NBC New York. In the midst of answering that he was a police officer, Kim pulled out his gun and pointed it at the waitress. The magazine of the gun fell out and the bullets hit the floor, the sources said. Shortly after, Kim and the sergeant left the bar."

Jesus Christ. Give me a break. A goddamned idiot. Where's the vetting? Both before and during employment?

"Kim, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, and the sergeant, who has not been identified, have both been suspended. Kim was charged with two counts of menacing."

Both need to be fired. The sergeant did not do his duty. Failed to arrest the officer.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-18-19

Legalized murder. Nazi justice. In follow up to a case covered earlier in this publication and elsewhere, CNN News reports:

"A former Georgia police officer was found not guilty of murder Monday more than four years after he killed a naked, unarmed black man who was mentally ill. A jury in DeKalb County found Robert "Chip" Olsen guilty of aggravated assault, making a false statement, and two counts of violation of oath, but acquitted him on two felony murder charges."

No justice. Kill a cop in Texas and other states even in self-defense, guess what? Get executed. Officers who murder on the job receive special treatment. Worse? Almost never ever prosecuted for anything. Protected and coddled. Nazi justice. In a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Olsen faces up to 35 years in prison and is due to be sentenced November 1. Judge Latisha Dear Jackson said he can remain out on an $80,000 bond until then, though he will have an ankle monitor and be subject to a curfew."

Why isn't his sorry ass in jail? This piece of jackbooted shit remains an exigent threat to the public he egregiously failed to protect and serve. His victim is dead for nothing.

"Olsen was charged with killing Anthony Hill, a 26-year-old Afghanistan war veteran, in March 2015. Prior to the shooting, someone in his neighborhood called police to report a man "acting deranged, knocking on doors, and crawling around on the ground naked," then-DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander said after the shooting. Olsen was dispatched and "when (Hill) saw the officer, he charged, running at the officer. The officer called him to stop while stepping backwards, drew his weapon and fired two shots," Alexander said."

Gutless piece of crap. Could have used a Taser, a baton, etc.. Didn't need to murder. Quite obvious this guy was mentally ill. Had no weapon.

"Hill had a history of mental illness and struggled to get the support he needed from the Department of Veterans Affairs, his girlfriend, Bridget Anderson, previously said. She said he stopped taking his medication shortly before his death. During closing arguments, the prosecution claimed Olsen did not follow protocol for using force. Assistant District Attorney Lance Cross said he could have used a baton on Hill."

Nazi justice. Faith and trust in law enforcement? What's that?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-18-19

Think you've heard it all? You haven't. NBC News reports:

"A San Antonio woman, who accused police of subjecting her to a vaginal search outside on a street curb, has reached a tentative $205,000 settlement with the city. The payout to Natalie Simms must be formally approved by the San Antonio City Council and the deal is on the board's Thursday agenda. "It is in the best interest of the City to settle this matter to avoid the uncertainties and risks associated with litigation in a case of disputed damages," according to the council agenda item. "Staff recommended approval of this item."

Get this:

"Simms claimed in a federal lawsuit filed last year that she was sitting on a curb on Aug. 8, 2016, talking on a phone and waiting for her boyfriend when police approached and accused her of having illegal drugs. A female police detective allegedly pulled Simms' pants open and searched Simms' vaginal area, pulling out her tampon in the process. An embarrassed Simms asked if the search could be done in a police station and out of public view, according to a tape recording of the encounter cited in the lawsuit. "I ain't going nowhere, I'm going to search you right here," the detective said, according to the suit. No drugs were found, the suit said."

Considering what she endured? Nowhere near enough.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-11-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-11-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty one weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred eighty one weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred eighty one weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

10-11-19

Policing can be extremely dangerous and costly to officers doing their jobs properly and in the best interests of the community they serve. The following is one hell of an example. NBC News reports:

"Police officers don't like the word "routine." Any call, any night that seems routine can suddenly turn bad. It was one of those nights that changed Frank Abbott's life forever. On Jan. 2, 2018, Abbott and his partner, both New York state troopers, attempted to stop a man with an active arrest warrant as he drove through a residential neighborhood in Binghamton, N.Y. The man didn't stop. Instead, he led the officers on a high-speed chase through snowy streets, nearly striking a child in a stroller before he crashed into a utility pole. When Abbott and his partner got out of their vehicles, the man took off again, swerving up onto a sidewalk and coming to a sudden stop in a parking lot. The fugitive's car was stuck on a concrete parking block. Abbott approached the vehicle. Abbott's memory of what happened next is hard to put back together — each piece a fragment of the picture. The car as it roared toward him. The crunch of wheel over bone as the car crushed his ankle. The sight of the car accelerating toward his partner."

Heroically, did what he had to do:

"Abbott pulled himself off the ground, raised his gun and fired one round, striking the man in the face. "I thought I was going to die," Abbott said. "I was in a state of panic. But still, my body reacted and I did what I had to do, even though in my head I felt like, 'I'm not going to make it out of this.'" To Abbott, it felt like time stood still. His partner was unhurt. The driver, though gravely injured, sped off again — only to be arrested after trying to hijack a vehicle. Abbott recalls little about what happened next. But one memory remains. As the emergency response vehicles lit up the snow-covered yards, a woman helped Abbott sit down on a porch and laid a blanket over his shoulders."

Just the beginning of what turned out to be hell on earth:

"Oh my god," he thought. "I just shot someone." Abbott had dreamed of being a state trooper since he was 12 years old. He was only 28, had just eight years on the job, and planned on serving at least another 20. He had no idea how the trauma he experienced that night, and what he says was his agency's failure to help him recover, would cut that dream short. "I felt angry that I spent eight years of my life taking care of others," Abbott said. "And it took so long to find someone who would help me."

Outrageous, isn't it? Support needs to be readily available.

"That someone was another police officer, on patrol nearly 200 miles away, who had devoted his life to helping cops like Abbott. "There isn't a cop in this country that I wouldn't work with, go through a door with and be right by their side," said Jim Banish, 43. "We're in this fight together." Every year, the number of police officers who die by suicide outpaces deaths in the line of duty. No federal agency tracks the data, but one non-profit estimates that at least 167 police officers died by suicide last year. Studies show that first responders suffer from high rates of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

Certainly, a problem. -- An unresolved issue that affects not only law enforcement personnel but the public they serve.

"Police officers are exposed daily to the kind of trauma that can trigger PTSD, from fatal accidents to homicide scenes, but they're often reluctant to admit they need mental health care because of the stigma. They're afraid of being discriminated against, of losing their guns and badges, and their identities. Despite all of that, Abbott, who was diagnosed with PTSD after the shooting, decided to ask the New York State Police for help."

Guess what? Inexplicably:

"He didn't get it, he said. He is now suing the agency and his captain under the Americans with Disabilities Act, alleging the agency failed to accommodate his PTSD, and subjected him to relentless harassment to return to work, making his symptoms worse. The New York State Police said they could not comment on Abbott's case, but a spokesperson said that "the health and safety of our members is always a top priority." The captain did not return requests for comment. "I wanted to go back to work," Abbott said. "I wanted to heal. I wanted to get better." "This has been the worst place in my life," he added. "I've found myself wishing that I had died that night."

Imagine enduring the following:

"That night, after being released from the hospital, Abbott laid awake in bed. He felt disassociated from his body. Almost catatonic. "I just didn't feel anything," he said. "My whole head was spinning. I shot someone. My job's over. My career's done." Within 72 hours, the Broome County District Attorney cleared Abbott of wrongdoing. Ultimately, the man that Abbott shot would plead guilty to aggravated assault on a police officer. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. But that didn't ease his anxiety. "Just because my shooting was ruled justified, doesn't mean I'm okay with what happened," he said. "I don't think humans are meant to hurt each other." "Every interview I've ever had they ask, 'If you become a police officer, will you be willing to use deadly physical force to save your life, or save the life of someone else, and every time I said, 'Yes,'" he added. "I knew I could do it. But I didn't know how it would affect me afterward."

No one does. ... Until it happens to them. Precisely, why help needs to be readily available.

"Abbott went on medical leave. He began having night terrors. Loud noises, the smell of burning rubber and other triggers set off flashbacks and panic attacks. Some days he felt like he could barely move. Other days he was hypervigilant, constantly scanning the horizon for any sign of a threat. The orthopedic injuries he sustained — he would have to have at least two surgeries on his knee — made Abbott feel like he'd never recover. He began to isolate himself from his wife, Michelle. He didn't want her to know the details of what happened, or how he felt. "I thought I was protecting her, but I was really hurting her and myself," he said. "It put a wall between us and made me feel more alone." Abbott had no idea what it was like to cope with a mental health condition. He had never been depressed or anxious. Compounding the pain he felt was a gnawing feeling of shame. "I had most of my life invested in law enforcement," he said. "It just was out of my control. I felt helpless."

Sadly, tragically, incomprehensibly, didn't get the help he needed:

"But in the days following the shooting, Abbott said his supervisors asked little, if at all, about his mental health. "They asked about my physical injuries," he said. "They didn't refer me to any mental health resources. It was, 'Hey, how you doing.' Like a box to check. Not, 'Is everything okay? Are you sleeping at night?'" "I didn't need to be committed," he added. "I needed hope. I needed resources. I needed someone who could start a path toward something."

Get this:

"Like other law enforcement agencies, the New York State Police has an Employee Assistance Program, that a police officer can draw upon to find a psychologist, a rehabilitation program, or other resources. According to a spokesperson for the New York State Police, the EAP "is available 24 hours a day and responds to all critical incidents, including the one that injured Trooper Abbott. Our EAP services are available to any employee at any time, as requested by either the employee, a family member or a co-worker." Abbott said he asked the EAP for help finding a psychologist, but didn't get a call back for two weeks. Eventually, he was referred to a psychologist who practiced two hours away. He realized he would have to find help himself. It took weeks, and dozens of rejections by providers who didn't take state worker's compensation, but he finally found one an hour and a half drive from his home. That psychologist diagnosed him with PTSD."

Total failure of the system. Gets worse. Much worse. Outrageously, so:

"That's when the harassment began, Abbott said. In meetings and in calls with his captain, Abbott said he was shouted at, made fun of and pressured to come back to work, despite his diagnosis and the severity of his symptoms. He said his captain pressed him to push his doctors to sign paperwork clearing him to come back to work. "I'd say, 'I'm listening to my doctors and when I can come back, I'll come back,'" he said. In April 2018, as Abbott walked out of one of his first therapy appointments, his phone rang. It was his captain. "He said to me, 'This is bullshit,'" Abbott said. "You need to come back.'"

Jesus Christ. Incredible. Had he done so, could have been a danger to himself and the public.

"By this time, he said, rumors were starting to swirl around the barracks that he was making up symptoms in order to get a medical retirement. The pressure he felt to get back into uniform and the shame he felt for not being able to, weighed on his chest like a pile of rocks. "I was angry," he said. "I was hurt." Despite reporting the incident to the EAP, he said, the calls and aggressive behavior continued. At therapy, he said, "We'd spend the whole time talking about what the captain did, what the sergeant did, what's being said about you at work. Not about the actual incident." His breaking point came in May 2018, when he called to reschedule a meeting with his captain."

The following is beyond incomprehensible. Well beyond:

"According to Abbott, his captain said, "Not to be a dick, but it's not like you were blown up by an IED" — an improvised explosive device like the kind U.S. troops in Iraq have faced. Abbott muted his cell phone and screamed. "For him to say that, it devastated me," he said."

The captain is clueless. Unfit to be in a position of authority.

"That night, he searched online for the least painful way to die by suicide. "I felt like, you know what, my work doesn't support me, my EAP doesn't support me, I felt like I had nothing," Abbott said. "I had been a police officer since I was 20 years old. This has been my whole life. I've lost everything. I've lost friends. I've lost coworkers. I was at the end." Then he met Jim Banish. Jim Banish and his brother Joseph shared everything. Identical smiles that could light up a room. Dreams, hatched during childhood, of becoming police officers. In 2008, Banish received a call that would re-chart the course of his life. Lieutenant Joseph Banish had been found dead at home, in his gray New York State Police uniform. He committed suicide with his service weapon.

"As Jim Banish learned more about mental health and the effects of trauma, he began to share his knowledge with other officers who needed help. Word spread. He began receiving calls and texts, at all hours of the day and night, from police officers across New York.

"The model of peer-support that Banish was developing had been implemented in some agencies for years. Police officers, by nature skeptical of both the institutions they work for and of anyone who isn't a cop, are often more likely to open up to their peers — men and women who understand the job, the culture and the stigma that first responders face. "I'm not a psychologist," Banish said. "Take my uniform off and put me in a room full of police officers and I wouldn't get one person to call me. But if I throw a gun and badge on my side, and walk in with my story, every one of those guys and girls will call. It's a matter of trust." A trained peer counselor can serve not just as someone to talk to, but as an advocate who can help a police officer navigate the bureaucracies — whether internal or external — that can obscure the path to recovery.

"The following year, Banish started a non-profit called NYLEAP — the New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program. Like its sister organizations in South Carolina and Virginia, among other states, NYLEAP provides immediate assistance to police officers who need it, and also trains first responders to work as peer advocates. Banish and his colleagues, through NYLEAP, also consult with law enforcement agencies across the country, and hold Post-Critical Incident Seminars, where first responders and military can learn about the effects of trauma, connect with other peers, and meet with trained clinicians. It was that network that ultimately set Abbott on a path to recovery. Just like Banish did that night when he picked up the phone in his bedroom, Abbott made one last attempt to get help. He called his former partner in Virginia, where he had worked for two years as a Norfolk city cop before he joined the New York State Police. Told him how tired he was of trying to get better. His partner told him about VALEAP, which was established in 2008 in the wake of the Virginia Tech mass shooting, and the murder of two detectives by an armed man in Fairfax County. He invited Abbott to attend a seminar. "It was amazing," Abbott said. "Everyone shares their story. They don't tell you it's to fix you, it's to give you resources. To give you coping mechanisms to set you on the right path."

Finally, some light at the end of the tunnel:

"I said, 'I need help,'" Abbott said. "I'm not getting it." Jim Banish "fired back right away," he added. The men began to meet. Banish kept up constant contact with Abbott. They texted at all hours. Banish regularly drove nearly three hours each way to meet with Abbott and Michelle at home. "We all think we're going through it by ourselves," Banish said. "Because no one else talks about it. He thought he was alone. I said, 'Frank, this is common. We're going to get you through this. And I guarantee you, you're going to be better than when you started.'" Banish's independence, Abbott said, is part of what made him trustworthy. His assistance is confidential. Independent. No internal politics. "He serves no other purpose than to make sure that me, my wife and my family are taken care of," Abbott said. "There's no hidden agenda."

"Today, as Abbott goes to the therapeutic appointments that fill his weeks, Banish is always in close touch, ready to drive him to a meeting or lend an ear. Recently, as a summer afternoon would[wound] to a close, the two men sat together in Abbott's kitchen, reflecting on how far he's come. "He did all the work himself," Banish said. "He's a tough son of a bitch." "I would trust Jim with my life," Abbott said."

Help is available. Law enforcement must ensure it is always readily available to officers who desperately need it.

"Abbott is unsure whether he'll return to law enforcement, the occupation he has built his life around. He still feels discouraged, anxious and angry, and his symptoms have not gone away. But with treatment, Abbott said, the vice grip PTSD once had on him has lessened. It pains him to know that his son will likely never see him in uniform. But he's determined to recover. To be the best husband and father he can be. Banish reminds Abbott that, no matter what, policing isn't worth his life. That the darkness he's caught in now is temporary. "I know because I've been there," Banish said. "Things are going to change. And if you can get through that temporary moment, that time when it's the worst, it's going to get better. It's not going to be like this forever." For perhaps the first time in a long time, Abbott believes that. "I can't go back to the person I was," he said. "But there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Indeed, there is.

10-11-19

Creativity at its very best. Of all places? A county jail. CBS News reports:

"With Italian flair, Milan-born chef Bruno Abate runs a bustling Chicago pizza kitchen with tomatoes imported from Italy, a brick oven and busy blades that chained to the table. "Let the knife do the job ... The knife is like a violin," Abate said as CBS News was shown the Cook County Jail, where artisan pizza is made by inmates."

Learning a trade in jail. -- Who'd 'a 'thunk' it. :)

"For inmates under close watch, a select group train under this master chef and mentor, Bruno Abate. "You know, God give me this responsibility, OK. He called me eight years ago, I answered the phone," Abate told CBS News. "I have a purpose, not a purpose to buy three Rolex, big house, two Ferrari. My goal is to change something in the prison system." And change he did. He created "Recipe For Change," where he pairs knife skills with life skills."

Interesting, isn't it?

"We have people here, the majority of their life experience was on the street, so they never challenge themselves to make pizza or to do anything," Abate said. "And now through the pizza they understand 'I can do it. I can do it.'" Just ask Horace Wilder, who was 26 when we met him inside Abate's kitchen. He was sentenced on a gun charge. "I've never had a job in life, so this is like getting me prepared so when I go out there I can get a job," he said, while making pizza by the prison's brick oven. "It's crazy. It's just like hustling, though you're just selling pizza and not drugs." "I think Chef Bruno is a genius," said inmate Brian Keyes. "The lessons and the love they show us. It's a mutual thing. I love them back."

A novel approach to rehabilitation.

"I'm here to bring love," Abate said. "To make them understand, you know, we make mistake in life, but what I say all the time, when we touch the bottom, what we do?" "You can only go up," Keyes answered him. "Exactly," Abate nods."

Certainly, has the support of the sheriff:

"To spread the love, Abate added music, art — where inmates imitate icons — and is fundraising for a women's program. Sheriff Tom Dart oversees it all. "This is the criminal justice system, how can we conceivably screw it up more than it is?" Dart asked."

No kidding. LOL. Certainly, a sheriff willing to take a creative approach to a systemic problem.

"Dart said of the hundreds who've participated in Bruno Abate's programs, none have returned to his jail, bucking a 70% national recidivism rate."

How about that?

"The majority are people who have made mistakes who came from an area with very little opportunities. Given opportunities, they'll change their lives," he said."

Certainly, true. An insightful approach.

"Take Sergio Rodriguez, who after a five-year drug sentence, worked at Abate's restaurant. He said Bruno helped him learn how to wait for a pay check. "I used to make hundreds in a day or in a week, thousands easily," Rodriguez said. "And here you have to wait for that pay check, it's hard." Rodriguez's pizzas are some of the best in Chicago, according to Abate. "My philosophy is to make them understand that you are human ... like me," Abate said. "I get emotional when I think of the love I receive here. I always cry. I cry when I'm happy." A slice of love, where you'd least expect it."

10-11-19

In follow up to last week's edition, CBS News reports:

"The president of the Dallas Police Association defended his actions in the immediate aftermath of a white police officer fatally shooting her black neighbor in his own home. Surveillance video entered into evidence during former officer Amber Guyger's criminal trial shows Sergeant Mike Mata leaning into a patrol car where Guyger was sitting after she killed Botham Jean. Mata told another officer to turn off the car's dashboard camera. Prosecutors suggested Mata acted improperly. During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus said Mata didn't have the authority to turn the camera off. In an interview with CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca, Mata defended his actions. "The only reason I asked for that camera to be off is because the attorney was calling the officer, and that is attorney-client privilege, and that's a right every citizen has, regardless if you're a police officer or not," Mata told Villafranca. Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall has said she would launch an internal investigation into Mata's actions."

This is a problem. How do we know that that's all that transpired when the camera was shut off? That is, Guyger's interaction with her attorney?

"Mata said he welcomed the investigation because he said he didn't do anything wrong. Civil rights groups have called for Mata's firing, CBS station KTVT reports. Guyger was convicted of murdering Jean and sentenced to 10 years in prison this week. Her attorneys are expected to file an appeal."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-11-19

Consider the following related to the Guyger case. CBS News reports:

"A key witness in the murder trial of a former Dallas police officer is now dead. Joshua Brown, Botham Jean's neighbor, was shot to death on Friday. His testimony helped prosecutors piece together the events of Jean's murder, and ultimately led to Amber Guyger's conviction. Dallas police say they are investigating Friday night's shooting and, so far, do not have any suspects or a motive. The attorney for Botham Jean's family is also the attorney for Brown and says he should have been protected after he testified at Guyger's murder trial. The Jean family has filed a civil case against the city of Dallas for the murder of their son Botham. Merritt says Brown would have been one of their first witnesses."

Interesting, isn't it?

"On the witness stand, Brown recalled feeling startled when he heard the gunshots that would ultimately take Botham Jean's life. Now the Jean family and their attorney Lee Merritt are demanding answers. "To have a key witness, suddenly be killed is suspicious. Was this related to the trial? There is no clear indication," Merritt told CBS News' Omar Villafranca."

Certainly, raises questions. Anyone who testifies against an officer in today's political climate needs to be protected. ... Then again, we now live in a de facto fascist police-state since 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich. Challenge abusive authority? Take an enormous risk. Goes with the territory. Fortunately, there are a few people left courageously willing to stand up. Do the right thing. No matter the personal cost.

"Brown took the stand in Guyger's trial and gave emotional testimony about the night Jean was killed last September. Brown said he was in a hallway when he heard the two gunshots. The shooting that killed Brown happened at a different apartment complex than the one where Guyger and Jean lived. Witnesses described hearing several gunshots Friday night, and seeing a silver four-door sedan speeding away from the parking lot. Merritt says Brown was scared someone was after him, after he was involved in a separate shooting incident in Dallas. "He had been shot less than a year ago and someone standing near him was killed," Merritt said. "He was reluctant to testify in this case because he had been shot at and he thought some people might want to do harm to him." Asked if the police could have offered Brown protection, Merritt said, "if he had concerns for his safety, then the city, the county had an obligation to ensure that those concerns were met."

No question. Then again, cities, counties, and law enforcement protect their own. Justice? What's that? Anyone critical of government places himself or herself in jeopardy. Forget? Freedom is not free.

"Brown was working in roofing and property management."

Courageously, stood tall. Despite the risk. Hat's off.

NPR reports:

"Three men from Louisiana are suspected of killing Joshua Brown in a drug deal that turned deadly, Dallas police said on Tuesday. Police have arrested one of the men and are searching for the other two. Brown was found shot to death 10 days after he delivered emotional testimony in the trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, setting off speculation about whether his slaying was related to his appearance as a key witness in the high-profile murder trial. Dallas Assistant Chief of Police Avery Moore said investigators believe that what really happened is that three men from Alexandria, La., met Brown in the parking lot of his Dallas apartment with the intention of buying drugs. But the interaction quickly took a deadly turn after a disagreement morphed into a physical altercation, according to police. Moore said Brown fired at one of the three men — and then one of the trio returned fire and shot Brown twice in the lower body, killing him.

"The rumors shared by community leaders that Mr. Brown’s death was related to the Amber Guyger trial and that DPD was responsible are false. We encourage those leaders to be mindful because their words may jeapordize the integrity of the city of Dallas and DPD. @ChiefHallDPD
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) October 8, 2019"

Interestingly:

"In the days since Brown's mysterious death sparked widespread rumor, a lawyer representing Brown and other community leaders have said they are not willing to definitively rule out the involvement of Dallas police, a theory that Moore finds not only sinister but completely bogus, he told reporters. "I assure you that is simply not true. I encourage those leaders to be mindful of their actions moving forward because their words have jeopardized the integrity of the city of Dallas as well as the Dallas police department," Moore said in a news conference on Tuesday. Police said they executed a search warrant in Brown's Dallas apartment and recovered 12 pounds of marijuana, 149 grams of THC cartridges and more than $4,000 in cash. As Dallas police announced their latest findings, the Brown family's attorney, Lee Merritt, renewed his calls for an outside law enforcement agency to take over the probe into his client's death. "The reliability of any arrest/prosecution will be undermined by their involvement," Lee tweeted on Tuesday, referring to the city's police force."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-11-19

Think the Border Patrol blameless? Upholds the U.S. Constitution? Wake up. The Washington Post reports:

"It took a moment for Ben Watson to realize the officer was not joking. Watson had just told the Customs and Border Protection staffer reviewing his passport that he works in journalism. Then the seemingly routine Thursday encounter at the Washington Dulles International Airport got tense. “So you write propaganda, right?” Watson, the news editor at the national security site Defense One, recalled the CBP officer asking. “No,” Watson says he replied. He affirmed again that he was a journalist. The officer repeated his propaganda question, said Watson, who was returning from a reporting trip in Denmark. “With his tone, and he’s looking me in the eye — I very much realized this is not a joke,” Watson told The Washington Post on Friday. Watson said he got his passport back only after agreeing with the “propaganda” charge."

Should have told the nazi bastard to go f--k himself.

"The incident comes amid rising hostility faced by journalists as the Trump administration continues to attack the media as “fake news.” Watson said he had heard a couple stories of similar encounters in the past, but said he did not realize until sharing his experience at the Dulles Airport on social media just how many people in his field were reporting the same brand of harassment. U.S. airport border agents were at the center of several incidents that have raised reporters’ concerns this year. “I’ve honestly never had a human attempt to provoke me like this before in my life,” Watson said he told his colleagues. “This behavior is totally normal now, I guess?”

Forget? We live in a de facto fascist police-state. Since 9/11. Forget? USA 'Patriot' Act, 'Real' ID Act, Homeland 'Security' Act, etc.. -- Quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it is investigating the “alleged inappropriate conduct.”

That right? LOL.

“We hold our employees accountable to our core values of vigilance, integrity and service to country, and do not tolerate inappropriate comments or behavior by our employees,” the agency said."

Think so? Not the first time.

"Standards of conduct for the Department of Homeland Security, CBP’s parent agency, direct staff to “act impartially.”

A joke.

Ferociously pointedly, why do these fascist bastards routinely search cellphones with no warrant? Abuse of power. Outrageously unconstitutional.

"An article from Defense One describes Watson’s full recollection of Thursday’s conversation. After the second alleged query by the CBP officer, Watson explained that he covers national security “with many of the same skills” he used as a public affairs officer in the Army — and added: “Some would argue that’s propaganda.” When the officer repeated his question a third time, Watson said, he paused. His wife had already circled the airport for 20 minutes. He figured he could get stuck for hours if he tried to call in the officer’s supervisor. So he gave in."

Gutless. Reinforces the jackbooted behavior of these goddamned stormtroopers. -- Nazi stormtroopers who gutlessly fail to uphold their falsely sworn oaths of office. To uphold the United States Constitution. Traitors. Cowardly failure to stand up to all abuse of power reinforces nazi government. Wake up.

“For the purposes of expediting this conversation, yes,” he recalled telling the CBP officer. The officer made Watson agree one more time before letting him through, Watson said."

Achingly, gutless. Stupidly reinforced the jackbooted, traitorous behavior of this outrageously nazi CBP officer. ... A goddamned piece of human excrement.

"He says he’s filed a civil rights complaint with DHS."

That'll do shit squat. Find an attorney. Sue the living shit out of the bastard, the Border Patrol, and DHS. Our outrageously traitorous nazi fuhrer, the Trump nazi, has certainly emboldened these traitorous out of control jackbooted bastards.

“We are disappointed and concerned that any U.S. official would question a journalist, or any citizen, in this way,” Kevin Baron, Defense One’s executive editor, wrote to The Post. Others in journalism circles and beyond were quick to point out chilling implications in the story. Walter Shaub, an attorney who served as director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics until 2017, tweeted that the incident should go to the DHS inspector general for review. “A customs agent withholding the passport of a journalist until he agrees to say he writes ‘propaganda’ is actionable misconduct, even in Trump’s America,” he said.

"This is something the @DHSOIG should hear about. To file a complaint, @natsecwatson can go here: https://t.co/WaIbRGmsPZ. A customs agent withholding the passport of a journalist until he agrees to say he writes "propaganda" is actionable misconduct, even in Trump's America. https://t.co/IQu29gkIl9
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 4, 2019"

A growing problem:

"This has happened to me coming back into the country too, last year - a pretty aggressive questioning about who I worked for and “fake news.”

Also when you’re not a US citizen (I’m a permanent resident) this takes on a much more threatening tone if they could deny you entry. https://t.co/14C5XUwUht
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) October 4, 2019"

This problem is indeed increasing across the board:

"A growing list of journalists say they have been startled by government officials’ harassment in a country that prizes freedom of the press. The encounters are raising fears that hostile rhetoric led by President Trump and his allies are damaging reporters’ ability to do their job unhindered. This spring, the World Press Freedom Index called journalists’ treatment in the United States “problematic” for the first time in its 17 years of assessments — and singled out “President Trump’s anti-press rhetoric and continuing threats to journalists” as driving the deteriorating conditions. The U.S. ranking on the index has fallen for the past three years.

"Several other journalists have described difficulties getting through airports in 2019. In February, CBP apologized to a BuzzFeed journalist questioned at a New York airport about his news organization’s coverage of Trump and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation. A few months later, a freelancer said he was detained by CBP officials for hours at an airport in Texas. Then, in August, British journalist James Dyer described an “unsettling experience” as he flew into California to cover a Disney event. The film and TV writer said a CBP officer at Los Angeles International Airport called him a member of the “fake news media” and asked if he had worked for CNN or MSNBC, two frequent targets of Trump’s criticism. “He aggressively told me that journalists are liars and are attacking their democracy,” Dyer wrote in a viral tweet thread. He said he was allowed to move on after explaining that he was just trying to write about Star Wars."

... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-4-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-4-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred eighty weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred eighty weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred eighty weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

10-4-19

The following is appalling. Representative of the worst in society. The gutless cold-blooded murder of an innocent police officer. Seatbelts on. ABC News reports:

"A man with an active parole violation has been arrested and charged with capital murder for the fatal shooting of a pioneering Houston sheriff’s deputy during a routine traffic stop Friday, authorities say. Officer Sandeep Dhaliwal of the Harris County Sheriff's Office had initiated a traffic stop and was apparently walking back to his patrol car when the suspect "caught him by surprise," ran up, and shot him in the back of the head "in a very cold blooded manner," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a press conference. Robert Solis, 47, has been charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Harris County (TX) Sheriff's Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, Sept. 27, 2019. Dhaliwal was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died a few hours later. Dhaliwal was the first member of the Sikh community to join Harris County's sheriff's office, and was a "pioneer" in the department, Gonzalez told reporters. He said the fallen deputy had recently returned from a volunteer mission to Puerto Rico, according to KTRK."

Fortunately, they were able to quickly arrest the killer:

"The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced late Friday that they had arrested Robert Solis, 47, and charged him with capital murder in Dhaliwal's death. Harris County Sheriff's Office Maj. Mike Lee said that deputies immediately checked dash cam video inside Dhaliwal's squad car to get an image of the suspect, who officers then located inside a business about a quarter of a mile from where Dhaliwal was shot, according to Houston ABC station KTRK

"At this time, our @HCSOTexas family would like to give thanks from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of support, prayers, and love we have received. We mourn the loss of a wonderful father, husband, son, brother, friend, and last but not least, a Texas Peace Officer. pic.twitter.com/1j5rRhhMxb
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) September 27, 2019"

Here's how the arrest went down:

"A deputy observed that he looked a little nervous and put him in custody, and that did turn out to be our shooter," Lee said, adding that the weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered in the parking lot of the business. Solis had an active parole violation warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon dating back to January 2017, authorities said. "He has a lengthy criminal history, on parole, probably knew he was going to go back to jail and did not want to go back to jail," Lee said of Solis. "It was senseless." "There are no words to convey our sadness," Gonzalez said."

ABC News reports:

"Scores of community members, police officers and officials mourned the Texas deputy who was shot and killed Friday during a routine traffic stop, remembering him as a committed public servant and a pioneer. Officer Sandeep Dhaliwal was the first member of the Sikh community to join Harris County's Sheriff's Office. In 2015, he became the county's first sworn law enforcement officer to wear a turban. “He touched countless of lives along the way. A legacy that will never be forgotten,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on Twitter. “We will aspire to be as good as he was.” Dhaliwal was walking back to his patrol car in Houston when a suspect allegedly "caught him by surprise" and shot him in the back of the head "in a very cold-blooded manner,” Gonzalez said at a press conference. Robert Solis, 47, was arrested and charged with capital murder following the incident. An outpouring of support flooded the internet after news broke of Dhaliwal’s death."

Appalling murder of a great officer.

"In a now-viral tweet, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office tweeted an old video of Dhaliwal that a resident sent them. Dhaliwal, who was in uniform, could be seen playing with the resident’s son and jokingly letting the child handcuff him.

"A Harris County resident sent us a video of fallen Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal.

“He laughed and joked with all of us, and left a bright impression on my son who is deaf,” she said.

"Deputy Dhaliwal is an incredible loss not only to our HCSO family but to the entire community. pic.twitter.com/EbsdFeeWXO
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) September 28, 2019"

Indeed.

"The county’s district attorney, Kim Ogg, said the community “lost a trail blazer and public servant.”

"Beto O’Rourke, former Texas congressman who is currently running for president, paid his respects to Dhaliwal on Twitter. “Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, who devoted his life to public service, was killed today in the line of duty,” O’Rourke wrote. “My heart is with his family, with my friend Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, with his fellow officers in Harris County and across the country who are keeping our communities safe tonight.” A community-led vigil took place Friday night in honor of Dhaliwal. He is survived by his wife and three children."

Sad, sad loss of a great officer. A pioneer.

CNN reports:

"A man accused of shooting and killing a pioneering Texas sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop was wanted at the time, and that may help explain why the shooting happened, authorities say. Robert Solis, 47, was arrested Friday, shortly after police say he killed Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, an observant Sikh who years ago gained national attention when he got permission to wear a turban as part of his Harris County Sheriff's Office uniform. Dhaliwal had just stopped Solis for a traffic violation and walking back to his patrol car Friday afternoon when he was shot twice, including at least once in the back of the head, authorities said. At the time of the traffic stop, Solis was wanted on a parole violation warrant, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter. Authorities haven't said what Solis allegedly did to have violated his parole. Solis has been out of prison on parole since 2014, 12 years after he was convicted in Harris County of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, court records show. "He (Solis) ... probably knew he was going to go back to jail and did not want to go back to jail," sheriff's Maj. Mike Lee said Friday, according to CNN affiliate KTRK, when asked about a possible motive.

"It wasn't immediately clear what, if anything, Dhaliwal knew about the warrant. Solis is charged with capital murder. A judge ordered Solis held without bond at a probable cause hearing Saturday morning. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday. A woman who was in the vehicle with Solis was also taken into custody. It wasn't immediately clear if she was facing charges. Dhaliwal was known in the community, and his death has spurred impromptu memorials as well as online tributes from people recalling their encounters with him. "This guy had a heart of gold," Adrian Garcia, Harris County police commissioner, said. "He treated his brothers and sisters in law enforcement as if they were just brothers and sisters. He thought of them before he thought of himself. He thought of the broader community before he thought of himself."

One of the qualities all great officers have.

"A funeral for Dhaliwal is scheduled for Wednesday. A Sikh religious ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. local time and a law enforcement ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m., according to a tweet from the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The public is welcome to attend both ceremonies, it said. Dhaliwal's dashcam helped identify Solis as his alleged killer, investigators say. The deadly encounter started as a regular traffic stop just before 12:30 p.m. CT in the Copper Brook area of northwestern Harris County, said Lee, the Harris County sheriff's major. The dashcam video shows Dhaliwal speaking with the driver with "no combat, no arguing," Lee told reporters. The driver's door was open at one point as the deputy and driver were talking. Dhaliwal shut the driver's door as the driver remained in the vehicle. As he turned to walk back to his patrol car, the driver's side door opened and a man exited the vehicle "almost immediately running with a gun already out," Lee said. The dashcam captured the fatal moment Dhaliwal was shot from behind in the back of the head, Lee said. "In a cold-blooded manner, ambush style, (he) shot Deputy Dhaliwal from behind," Gonzalez said. "It's the worst day, the worst nightmare for any police executive." The shooter returned to his vehicle and drove away. A resident who was doing yard work nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to help the deputy."

Police were able to quickly identify the killer:

"Authorities identified Solis by looking at Dhaliwal's dashcam video. They took a photo of the suspect from the dashcam and immediately got it out, Gonzalez said. Solis was arrested at an ice cream shop less than a mile from the shooting scene, authorities said. Solis had been there for nearly half an hour before he was taken into custody, The pistol deputies believe was used to kill Dhaliwal has been recovered, the sheriff said. Solis shot Dhaliwal "in the back of the head as he was walking away," in a "cold and cowardly manner," a prosecutor wrote in a court filing arguing for no bond. Solis has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, court records show. In 2002, he had been sentenced to 20 years in prison after his kidnapping and assault convictions. He was released in 2014, and was to remain on parole until 2022, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety."

Saddest of all? The devastating pain inflicted. Endlessly suffered by his family and those who knew him.

"Dhaliwal is survived by his wife and three children."

Quite a legacy:

"He leaves a legacy as a trailblazer for the department he served for a decade. He was the first member of the Sikh community to become a Harris County sheriff's deputy, officials said. In 2015, roughly six years after Dhaliwal joined, the sheriff's office made an official policy that allowed him to wear his beard and turban on duty, according to CNN affiliate KTRK. "As a Sikh American, I felt the need to represent the Sikh community in law enforcement," Dhaliwal said at the time. "It will give me the chance to open up the conversation."

Certainly, did. Making the loss all the greater. Achingly, poignant.

Equally impressive? Get this:

"Prior to becoming a deputy, Dhaliwal was an entrepreneur with a trucking business. He found out that the Harris County Sheriff's Office needed someone like him to build bridges with the Sikh community and sold his business. He took lower pay as a detention officer and worked his way up to be a deputy, Garcia said. Dhaliwal represented the community's diversity and inclusiveness, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted. "He wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride and he was respected by all," Gonzalez said. Sikhism is the world's fifth most popular religion. It is a monotheistic faith that believes in equality and service to others. There are 25 million Sikhs around the world and about 500,000 in the United States, according to The Sikh Coalition."

Hopefully, others will rise to the occasion. Diversity in law enforcement, as well as in all walks of life, is crucial to survival of a democratic republic.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-4-19

Follow up on the Guyger case. ABC News reports:

"The lead investigator in the wrong-apartment killing of an innocent man by a former Dallas police officer on trial for murder claimed on Wednesday that the officer did not commit a crime based on the totality of the evidence. The stunning pronouncement by Texas Ranger David Armstrong, the lead homicide investigator on the high-profile case, came while he was under cross-examination by an attorney for fired police officer Amber Guyger but not while the jury was present in the courtroom. "After finishing your investigation and looking at the totality of the circumstances, and considering everything, do you believe today that you have probable cause to believe that Amber Guyger committed a crime?" defense attorney Robert Rogers asked Armstrong, who replied, "Based on the totality of the circumstances, based on the complete investigation, no sir."

Legalized murder. Clearly, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue can do no wrong. How about that?

"Guyger, 31, is charged with murder stemming from the Sept. 6, 2018, fatal shooting of 26-year-old Botham "Bo" Jean at the South Side Flats apartment complex in Dallas. Guyger, who was fired from the Dallas police department 18 days after Jean was killed in his own apartment, claimed she mistook the victim's apartment for her own, which was one floor below and had an identical layout. Not only did she mistakenly park on the wrong floor of the complex, she walked down a long hallway, passing 16 different apartments but failed to realize she was not headed to her front door, a prosecutor said during his opening argument on Monday. Prosecutors said Guyger, who had just gotten off duty after working more than 13 hours, acted recklessly on the night of the shooting and was distracted, suggesting from her text messages that she was planning to have a rendezvous with her police partner and lover. Prosecutors said she failed to recognize numerous hints that she was headed to the wrong apartment, including failing to realize she was standing on a red mat before entering Jean's apartment door, which she found unlocked and ajar."

... But the jackbooted bastards in blue can do no wrong:

"Armstrong said the evidence did not support the prosecution's claims that Guyger was reckless."

Jesus Christ. What a crock of shit. Had it been a civilian, they would have quickly locked up his or her sorry ass. Different story when a cop wantonly kills with no just cause. A double standard.

"When asked to express his opinions on the evidence collected, prosecutors raised an objection and Dallas County District Court Judge Tammy Kemp sent the jury out of the courtroom. Without the jury in the courtroom, Kemp allowed Rogers to proffer Armstrong's opinions on the investigation but refused to allow him to state those opinions in front of the jury, at least for the time being. Rogers reserved the right to recall Armstrong as an expert witness for the defense, which would set up the awkward situation of the prosecution trying to discredit the testimony of the lead investigator in their case."

Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence. The only way to rein in these criminals, particularly the murderers in blue.

"Armstrong testified that in his opinion, Guyger believed that she had encountered a burglar in what she wrongly thought was her own apartment."

So what? Had it been a civilian his or her sorry ass would have been immediately arrested, charged, and prosecuted. At the very least, for manslaughter, -- if not murder. A double standard.

"Do you have an opinion as to whether it was reasonable, based on the facts and circumstances, for an ordinary and prudent person in Amber Guyger's position, for her to perceive Botham Jean was a deadly threat?" Rogers asked Armstrong. He responded, "I believe that she did perceive him as a deadly threat."

In the wrong apartment. On the wrong floor. Clearly, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue protect their own. No matter what they do. No justice. Not only that, he failed to answer the question as to whether or not it was 'reasonable.'

Gets worse:

"Continuing his cross-examination, Rogers asked, "And today you're telling us that based on everything and based on your training and experience, you don't believe there's even probable cause that Amber Guyger committed any crime, correct?" Armstrong replied, "That's correct."

Unf--king believable. A joke. Outrageously, the joke is on the dead victim of the former officer's murderous crime.

Gets even worse:

"Rogers continued, "And do you have an opinion as to whether Amber Guyger was reckless or criminally negligent when she parked on the fourth floor, when she walked to apartment 1478, when she entered apartment 1478 and when she encountered (Jean), perceived him as a deadly threat and shot him?" Armstrong replied, "No, I don't believe that it was reckless or criminally negligent based on the totality of the investigation and the circumstances and facts."

Day is night, night is day, and shit smells perversely sweet in the ass backwards world of law enforcement.

"Armstrong was also asked what goes through an officer's mind when confronted by someone they believe to be a potentially deadly suspect. "Based on my training and my experience, physically your heart rate goes very very high," Armstrong said. "Your vision becomes narrowed, which is commonly referred to as tunnel vision. You begin to think very very quickly and because your vision is narrowing you begin to concentrate on what you believe your threat is. You narrowly concentrate on that threat and that's due to blood rushing to the major organs of the body because your body is saying, 'I need to do this right now, which is either fight or flight."

Clearly, that explains the 'shoot first, ask questions later' mentality of the gutless, criminal jackbooted bastards in blue.

"Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus objected to allowing the jury to hear Armstrong's opinions on the evidence or attempt to describe what was going through Guyger's mind at the time of the shooting."

As well he (Hermus) should have. Was totally irrelevant. Especially, since the officer was on the wrong floor, in the wrong apartment.

"First and foremost, I think it's inappropriate even for a qualified expert to be testifying as to what they believe the state of mind of the defendant was at the time of the commission of the offense. Even a qualified expert is not allowed to do that in the state of Texas," Hermus told Judge Kemp. "Secondarily, what Ranger Armstrong believes is Ranger Armstrong's opinion," Hermus told Kemp. "The fact that he believes something based on evidence, doesn't mean that the jury is going to believe the same thing. All it would do is serve to confuse them and possibly even override their individual assessment as the exclusive judges of the facts and the evidence because of his station as a Texas Ranger."

No kidding.

CBS News reports:

"A judge has blocked testimony in the trial of a former Dallas cop who claims she mistakenly shot her neighbor last September thinking that the apartment she entered was her own. That blocked testimony was from the lead investigator who explained just to the judge why he thought Amber Guyger's actions were reasonable. Lead investigator David Armstrong said the layout of Guyger's apartment complex could be confusing. "There were no clear obvious visual signs showing what level you were on," he said. Guyger was off-duty when she shot and killed Botham Jean last September. Armstrong testified that Guyger lived directly below Jean and going to the wrong apartment was not uncommon, according to other residents."

The defendant was a cop. Cops pay great attention to detail. ... Or, make it up when convenient.

"The only part of Armstrong's testimony the judge blocked was his view that Guyger acted reasonably and did not commit a crime. That's because that's an opinion. "How many of all floors have walked to the wrong apartment on the wrong floor and put their key in the wrong door?" the defense asked Armstrong, who replied, "That would be 15%"

Where did Armstrong get that information? Who conducted the study? Investigators? LOL.

"The jurors will hear from more experts, including a lighting expert to talk about what Guyger might have seen entering Jean's dark apartment and a medical examiner who testified that because of the way the bullet entered his body, Jean would have to have been leaning forward when he was shot. The prosecutors suggested Jean might have been getting off of the couch. The defense says he could have been coming towards Guyger. The jury also saw more of the graphic bodycam footage from the night of the shooting. Jean's parents were so disturbed by the video they walked out of the courtroom and prompting an apology from the judge."

NBC News reports:

"Ex-Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger wept on the witness stand Friday morning, her voice soft and trembling as she repeated "I'm sorry" to the courtroom and expressed regret over taking her neighbor's life after mistaking his apartment for hers. "I feel like a piece of crap," she said, sobbing. "I hate that I have to live with this and ask God for forgiveness, and I hate myself every single day." "I wish he was the one with the gun and had killed me," she said of her neighbor, Botham Jean. "I never wanted to take an innocent person's life. I'm so sorry. This is not about hate — it's about being scared."

Jesus Christ. This officer was a cop. Supposedly, highly trained, properly vetted. Once the water works start, hard to believe a jury will ever convict her. Likely, they'll buy her sob story. Most cops who murder are never convicted anyway. Not even charged.

"Guyger's testimony began the fifth day in her murder trial, as her defense team attempted to make the former officer and her actions relatable to jurors — in sharp contrast to prosecutors, who questioned why she felt obligated to use deadly force. She laid out a narrative of what she says happened on Sept. 6, 2018, when she left her job at the Dallas Police Department and returned to her apartment complex, where she went to Jean's unit on the wrong floor and believed he was a burglar inside her apartment."

Apparently, she was distracted, -- had sex with her patrol partner on her mind according to texts she shared with him just before she killed Botham Jean.

"Guyger said she was tired after a 13-1/2-hour shift and "just ready to go home" before she arrived at Jean's unit, drawing her service weapon and fatally shooting him in the chest. She was in uniform but off duty at the time. She became emotional on the stand when defense attorney Toby Shook began questioning her about how she tried to use her electronic key fob to open the door to Jean's apartment, and had her recreate that moment following a brief break so that Guyger could compose herself."

Think the jury will convict? Any chance?

"Guyger said she had her work bag and police vest slung on her left arm, and used her right hand to put the key in the lock. The door was already open. "I was scared," she said. "Your heart rate just skyrockets." Guyger said she saw a "silhouette figure" in the distance near the window, drew her weapon and began shouting, "Let me see your hands! Let me see your hands!" Jean, she added, appeared to be coming toward her and yelled, "Hey! Hey! Hey!" in an "aggressive voice."

He was in his own apartment. She was an intruder. What the hell did she expect him to do?

"That's when she shot him, she said."

Gutless piece of crap.

"She only realized she was in the wrong apartment after seeing an ottoman in the middle of the floor and noticed the television was on, she testified."

No excuse. She was a cop. Supposedly trained. Apparently, distracted. Not thinking straight.

"At the heart of the murder trial is whether Guyger's mistake was reasonable before she opened fire inside Jean's apartment. The defense has argued there was no criminal intent when she shot Jean, who at the time had been eating ice cream and watching television in his living room when Guyger walked in."

"On cross-examination, the prosecution attempted to undercut several of the defense's points and show that Guyger could have prevented the chaotic chain of events and failed to effectively help Jean as he lay dying. Lead prosecutor Jason Hermus said Guyger had two options: Go inside her apartment even though she believed there was a threat or she could have backed out, taken cover and called for back up."

That's right. Exactly what officers are trained to do. Get backup. There was no emergency. She should have called for backup. An innocent man in his own apartment would have still been alive and well. Instead of needlessly in his grave.

"I was doing the option that went through my head. I was at home," Guyger said."

Jesus Christ. No excuse. Any reasonable officer would have played it by the book, that is, called for backup. She didn't. Opened fire. Killing an innocent unarmed man in his own apartment.

"Guyger said she tried to give life-saving aid to Jean, but she was on the phone with 911 and only had one hand free and was preoccupied with figuring out which apartment she was actually in. "You can put the phone on speakerphone, ma'am," Hermus said. Guyger said she was too frantic to think about that and the events were unfolding so quickly. Hermus also pointed out that her work bag had a first-aid kit inside it. "It didn't cross my mind," Guyger said."

Jesus Christ. This officer was no rookie. From the emergency call made after she killed Jean, she was clearly more concerned with herself than her victim.

"In response to the revelation earlier this week that Guyger had been having a sexual relationship with her work partner, Guyger testified that she had ended it, although the two had been texting and shared a phone call just before she got home. "I felt like it was morally wrong," Guyger said about her relationship with Officer Martin Rivera, adding, "I knew it wasn't going to go anywhere." She also said she was "embarrassed" by the relationship and didn't want her colleagues to know about it because Rivera is married, later deciding to delete the texts after the shooting. The pair were partners in the same crime response team."

Consider the following:

"Guyger's plans on the night that Jean, a 26-year-old accountant, died have become central to the trial. Prosecutors have used text messages she shared with Rivera to make the case that Guyger was not as fatigued and made plans to meet with Rivera on the night she said she mistakenly entered Jean's apartment when she got home just before 10 p.m. On Friday, Hermus asked Guyger why two days after the shooting, she still sent "flirtatious" text messages to Rivera and talked about getting drunk. Guyger acknowledged that, but said her remorse for killing Jean "lasted every day."

The following is stunning:

"Criminal defendants don't often testify in their own defense, which legal observers say can be a risky tactic if their words undermine the benefit of doubt they are afforded. Hermus asked Guyger if when she shot Jean, did she intend to kill him. She responded: "I did."

Officers are trained to shoot to kill. Not wound or disable. That's not the problem. The problem is they embrace a gutless 'shoot first, ask questions later mentality.' Precisely, why so many innocent, unarmed civilians are shot and killed by these criminal jackbooted bastards.

"Prosecutors have raised questions as to how Guyger could have missed sensory cues before entering Jean's apartment, including a red doormat that the outside of Guyger's unit didn't have."

May have been too distracted by thoughts of her police partner on her clearly preoccupied mind.

"In a 911 recording played earlier this week, Guyger said, "I thought it was my apartment," about 19 times. Guyger lived on the third floor of the South Side Flats complex, one floor below Jean. She has said she put her key into Jean's apartment door, but that it pushed open. A Texas Ranger investigator testified this week that the door had a flaw and didn't always fully shut. The jury on Friday heard from Guyger about her upbringing: She was the youngest of three children and was raised primarily by her mother in the Dallas suburb of Arlington. She knew at 6 that she wanted to become a police officer because "I wanted to help people."

Instead, she needlessly killed one in his own apartment.

Irony of ironies?

"Guyger faces a maximum of life in prison if found guilty of murder."

Yet, kill a cop in Texas even in self defense, guess what? Get executed. Nazi justice.

ABC News reports:

"But during cross examination, prosecutors accused Guyger of not giving Jean undivided attention for CPR. Guyger admitted to trying to perform a "little CPR," but she said she kept getting up to figure out where she was and tell 911. Guyger also admitted to stopping CPR to text her married police partner and lover to come help. Guyger also testified that she didn't take her first aid kit out of her backpack to use and said she did not have any blood on her uniform or shoes."

Fascinating, isn't it? Had she made any bona fide effort to save his life would certainly have had his blood on her.

"During cross examination, Guyger said she could have called for help on her radio or backed out of the apartment instead of reaching for her gun. Speaking softly, she admitted her intention was to kill Jean when she pulled the trigger. Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus told the jury in his opening statement that Guyger fired so quickly she gave Jean "no opportunity for de-escalation, no opportunity for him to surrender."

Have to say the following pleasantly surprised me. Didn't think it was going to happen. ABC News reports:

"A Texas jury rejected former Dallas police officer Amber Guyer's self-defense claims and convicted her on Tuesday of murder in the fatal 2018 shooting of an innocent man eating ice cream in his own home after mistaking his apartment for her own. The 12-member jury reached its verdict deliberating for less than two days. Guyger stood and stared at the panel as the jury foreperson read the guilty verdict. The family members of Botham Jean, the neighbor Guyger shot to death on Sept. 6, 2018, burst into tears as the jury granted them a measure of justice."

That's right. -- "a measure of justice."

Not equal justice:

"The 31-year-old Guyger, who was fired from the Dallas Police Department days after the shooting, faces a prison sentence of five to 99 years."

Forget? Kill a cop in Texas, even in self-defense, guess what? Get executed. No equal justice. Although personally opposed to the death penalty, if we're indeed going to have one, it should apply equally to all. No cop who murders on or off the job should be exempt or receive special treatment or consideration. That is, if it's indeed capital murder to kill a cop, it should be capital murder for a cop to kill an innocent, unarmed civilian. No double standard. No excuses. No special consideration. Equal treatment. Same punishment.

"The jury came to its decision after asking for clarification on the definition of manslaughter and a clearer explanation of the Castle Doctrine, a legal protection for a homeowner who uses deadly force inside their home against an intruder. Guyger's defense team attempted to use the Castle Doctrine, which is similar to Florida's "stand your ground" law, as a defense, arguing that while she was in the wrong apartment, in her mind she believed she was in her own unit, which was a floor below Jean's. The prosecution countered that the Castle Doctrine did not apply in the case. Before the jurors began deliberations, Dallas County District Court Judge Tammy Kemp gave them a series of instructions, including offering the panel the option of weighing whether Guyger committed murder or manslaughter when she mistakenly entered Jean's apartment and fatally shot him believing he was an intruder."

The following is impressive. Prosecutor clearly doing his job:

In his closing argument on Monday, Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Jason Fine stood before jurors and asked them to reject Guyer's "crazy" contention that she shot the 26-year-old Jean in self-defense because she believed she was in her own apartment and that the victim, who was sitting on his couch eating ice cream, was going to kill her. Fine began by reading from a piece of paper an excerpt from Guyger's testimony last week, in which she said, "I never want anybody to have to go through or even imagine going through what I felt that night." "Are you kidding me? That is garbage," Fine said, crumpling up the paper and throwing it in the trash. "Most of what she said was garbage. Ninety-nine percent of this trial has been about the defendant." Fine asked the jury to put themselves in the shoes of both Jean and Guyger when they entered the deliberation room. "He's eating ice cream on his couch. So, if you're sitting and eating ice cream you get shot in the heart? Is that what we're saying?" Fine said. "This has to do with that defendant making unreasonable decisions that put her in that seat and Bo in the ground," Fine said, pointing to Guyger at the defense table."

Clearly, the prosecution did its job. Wasn't in the pocket of law enforcement. Be interesting to see if the conviction is appealed. Likely will be. No matter what, the conviction sends a clear message to outrageously corrupt, abusive, murderous law enforcement all across our formerly great country.

The Washington Post reports:

"The former Dallas police officer who killed her neighbor after she walked into his apartment — allegedly thinking it was her own — has been found guilty of murder. Tuesday’s conviction of Amber Guyger elicited cheers from the hallway outside the courtroom and sobs from the family of Botham Jean, the unarmed black man she killed. Attorneys for the man’s family cast it as a historic moment that would resonate across the country. “This is a huge victory not only for the family of Botham Jean but, as his mother told me a moment ago, this is a victory for black people in America,” attorney Lee Merritt told reporters. “It’s a signal that the tide is going to change here; police officers are going to be held accountable for their actions.” Jury deliberations resume Tuesday afternoon to determine Guyger’s sentencing."

NPR reports:

"The case transfixed observers around the country for the delicate questions it presented. Was the shooting a noncriminal accident equal to a "tragic mistake," as Guyger's lawyers argued? Or were Guyger's mistakes so reckless that they constituted manslaughter, or so intentionally negligent that it amounted to murder? In deciding that she was guilty, the jury, about half of whom were African American, sided with the prosecution's argument for murder. Under Texas law, convicting a defendant of murder requires proving someone intentionally killed another person, as opposed to manslaughter, in which prosecutors have to show someone was killed because of recklessness.

No equal justice. CBS News reports:

"Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison for murdering Jean, though she could have received up to 99 years. She will be eligible for parole after five years. People angry over what they describe as a lenient sentence took to the streets to protest overnight. Allison Jean said that a murder conviction "is justice" but that "there is a lot that has to be done by the Dallas Police Department, by the Texas Rangers, by the city of Dallas." Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said she is launching an internal investigation into issues revealed during the trial – including allegations of tampering with evidence and protecting Guyger. "I acknowledge that there are things that we need to change. There are areas of concern that we need to address," Hall said."

A start, but nowhere near good enough.

In Texas, kill a cop even in self-defense, guess what? Get convicted of capital murder and executed. No equal justice. Guyger murders an innocent, unarmed man in his own apartment. Gets 10 years out of a possible 99. Could be paroled in five. Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all? Why the double standard?

"In an interview with CBS News' Omar Villafranca, the victim's mother, Allison Jean, said she was surprised by the moment her 18-year-old son Brandt offered forgiveness to his brother's killer. "What he did today, was remarkable, and he did it all on his own," she said. "What Brandt did was to cleanse his heart towards Amber … I do not want it to be misconstrued as a complete forgiveness of everybody." She said there is plenty of blame to go around for the murder of her son Botham, not just with Guyger. In her eyes, multiple Texas agencies share the responsibility. Jean family attorney Daryl Washington says Brandt showed Guyger the compassion Botham would have given. "If Amber Guyger had of just spoke to Botham when she walked in the apartment, Botham would have been the type of guy to say, let me get you a bowl, join me, have some ice cream," Washington said."

'Shoot first, ask questions later.' The gutless police mentality.

"When CBS News spoke to Allison Jean before the trial, she said she's not ready for forgiveness. Now, she said, she's "getting closer to it." There was another usual moment in court. Judge Tammy Kemp hugged the Jean family then also walked over and hugged Guyger and gave her a bible to take with her to prison. The Jean family attorney says they would like to see legislation passed in Botham's name to give police officers additional training. They say if Guyger reacted differently, he might be alive today. But this isn't the end for Amber Guyger either. Her attorneys are considering filing an appeal."

Bottom line? No justice. Certainly, no equal justice.

NPR reports:

"She could have faced life in prison, but prosecutors asked for a prison sentence of 28 years, a higher penalty than what the jury imposed. After the punishment was announced, the courtroom scene took a surprising turn. Brandt Jean, Botham Jean's brother, stepped to the witness stand to deliver a victim-impact statement and offered forgiveness, citing his Christian faith. "I love you as a person, and I don't wish anything bad on you," Brandt Jean said before making an unusual request. "I don't know if this is possible, but can I give her a hug please?"

A class act. No question.

"The judge shocked the courtroom by agreeing, and the two embraced in a dramatic and emotional spectacle, as sobs rang out. Even the judge herself went to the defense table and spoke with Guyger for a few minutes, giving her a Bible and a hug."

Another class act. No question.

"Outraged by the sentence, some supporters of Botham Jean outside the courthouse chanted, "No justice, no peace." Others criticized what they saw as a "slap in the face" to Jean's family."

The bottom line here is indeed quite simple. A murderous officer received special treatment. Had it been the other way around, the murderer would have been executed. No equal justice. Should there be a successful appeal, not only would there be no justice, certainly no equal justice, it would amount to a colossal miscarriage of justice. Total failure of the system. As we've seen over and over and over again. ... Hear the rumble?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-4-19

Low class trash. Couldn't be, could it? ABC News reports:

"A North Carolina detective was fired after he was accused of sending inappropriate messages to an alleged victim of sexual assault whose case he had investigated, officials said Wednesday. Paul G. Matrafailo III, 33, is accused of reaching out to a sexual assault victim on Instagram in March after he worked on her case six months before, according to the Fayetteville Police Department in his dismissal letter. Matrafailo "began a conversation with her which she felt was inappropriate," the letter, which was obtained by ABC News, reads. He then allegedly made a second attempt to contact her later that month. "Although detectives sometimes follow-up with victims, you had not spoken with this victim since shortly after her trial and she had never provided you with her social media contact information," according to the dismissal letter, which was signed by the police chief. Matrafailo was fired from the Fayetteville Police Department in May after an investigation was opened into his conduct.

The following sound like proper police procedure?

"Erin Scanlon told ABC News she first met Matrafailo in September 2016 when he was assigned as the investigator in her rape case. Scanlon's trial began in June 2018 -- her alleged assailant was not convicted -- and Matrafailo sent her Instagram messages in March 2019 via Instagram, though she never gave him her username, she said. It started with “how are you :) long time no talk," according to Scanlon. Scanlon responded by asking if she knew him. "Erin, its Matrafailo. FPD," he said, according to Scanlon. She said she eventually stopped responding to his messages but he continued to send them. At one point, he allegedly messaged her about an Amazon wish list she had linked in her Instagram that included a range of items, like books, shoes and lingerie. "Some interesting things on there ha," Matrafailo said with a winky face, according to Scanlon."

This guy is a piece of trash.

"It was pretty easy to interpret that as being inappropriate," Scanlon said. She reported him to police after that. Scanlon said she’s grateful the department took the action they did. "I feel like being a girl especially, I really need to watch out and not just brush off creepy comments or inappropriate comments … even from authorities," she said. "I’m glad he was fired because he shouldn’t be working there."

Should have been fired long before:

"He is not being charged with a crime, according to the Fayetteville Observer. Calls to Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West were not immediately returned. Matrafailo had been employed with the city of Fayetteville since July 2009. Two other instances involving alcohol substance abuse put Matrafailo on administrative leave in May 2018. Matrafailo was placed back on duty in January after having completed the mandated requirements."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-4-19

No justice. NBC News reports:

"Federal authorities will not pursue civil rights charges against two Sacramento police officers involved in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in 2018, officials said Thursday. The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California and the FBI said in a statement Thursday that a federal review "found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal civil rights charges" against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark, 22. "Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed," the Justice Department said in a statement, calling the review careful and thorough."

Think so?

"The March 18, 2018, shooting sparked protests. In early March, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announced that the two officers involved would not be charged. The shooting took place in Clark’s grandmother’s backyard following reports someone was breaking car windows. The two officers said they believed Clark had a gun and was in a shooting stance before they fired, but only a cellphone was found."

'Shoot first, ask questions later.' Mantra of achingly gutless law enforcement.

"Members of Clark’s family said Thursday they would continue their fight for justice. They met with the FBI, Sacramento police and the Justice Department about the decision. "We still want people to be held accountable,” Clark’s brother, Stevante Clark, said at a news conference. "We will continue to fight for justice," he said. "Justice delayed is justice denied, and today, justice was denied for Stephon Clark — for the third time."

Law enforcement does as it pleases. Usually, with impunity. Not held accountable. ... Right, Sheriff? Got to take care of the 'boys,' right, Bill?

"Schubert said in March when announcing no charges would be filed that body camera and other evidence showed that one of the officers shouted at Clark to show his hands, that they took cover during the incident and that they saw a flash of light that one officer believed was the muzzle flash of a gun and the other thought was light reflecting off a gun."

If they took cover, why shoot until absolutely clear about what was confronting them? 'Shoot first, ask questions later.' Gutless, aggressive pieces of human excrement. Protected and coddled no matter what they do.

"Statements made by the officers asking whether the other was hit seconds after the shooting "support the belief that they honestly, without hesitation believed he had a gun," Schubert said at the time."

Absolute nonsense. Lying sons of bitches. If the victim was unarmed, why ask this question of a fellow officer? What would make the bastard think his partner had been shot? No shots had been fired by the unarmed victim. Absolute bullshit.

"She also said that body camera video showed a flash of light and that helicopter video showed that Clark was advancing on the officers before he was shot."

Crock of shit. The victim they killed was unarmed. Legalized murder accorded the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Any bullshit excuse at all. Shameless cowardice.

"Stevante Clark said Thursday that “[the] Sacramento Police Department should know the difference between a gun and a cellphone, and my brother should be alive and with us today.”

No shit. Clearly, the jackbooted bastards in blue are protected and coddled by prosecutors and the courts. Nazi justice.

"California last month updated its laws governing the police use of deadly force. The state's old standard made it rare for police officers to be charged following a shooting and was based on the doctrine of "reasonable fear," meaning if prosecutors or jurors believed officers had a reason to fear for their safety, they could use lethal force, the Associated Press reported. The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, will allow police to use deadly force only when "necessary" to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious injury to officers or bystanders."

Who's going to make that judgment? The jackbooted bastards in blue? Backed by corrupt and abusive prosecutors? Give me a break. Semantic bullshit. ... Hear the rumble?

"Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn said in a statement Thursday that an internal review found no violations of departmental training, but "we are committed to implementing strategies that may prevent similar tragedies in the future."

Goddamned bullshit. The Chief couldn't care less. No more than a disingenuous liar.

Coup de grace?

"The two officers who were involved will return to full, active duty, Hahn said."

Legalized murder. Carte blanche for the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. Can become judge, jury, and executioner of an unarmed suspect who hasn't seen his day in court. Nazi justice.

Disingenuous bullshit. No more than a shameless liar:

"He said his heart goes out to Clark's family and that the tragedy "will always have a profound effect on our Department and Community as a whole." "We are forever dedicated to finding reasonable alternatives that may prevent similar tragedies," Hahn said in the statement."

Give me a break. How do you sleep nights, Chief? How do your jackbooted bastards you protect and coddle? A raucous boot clicking, goose stepping, treasonous, treacherous, traitorous Seig Heil!, Chief? What a piece of shit. Nazi America.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

10-4-19

An ongoing, egregious problem with law enforcement. ABC News reports:

"The recent arrests of two 6-year-old students in Orlando, which prompted outrage and the firing of the officer who restrained one child's hands with flex cuffs, mirrors a persistent problem confronting law enforcement and schools with thousands of children arrested annually and treated like "mini-adults," experts said. Stunning annual crime statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) show that between 2013 and 2017 (the most recent year for which complete data is available), at least 26,966 children under the age of 10 were arrested in the United States. And the numbers skyrocket for children between the ages of 10 to 12 with 228,017 arrested during the same five-year time span, according to the data."

Raw nazism. In a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

Standing in, -- for an officer killed in the line of duty. Seatbelts on. CBS News reports:

"Seventh grader Joaquin Espericueta was devastated after his father, a Mission, Texas police officer, was killed in the line of duty in June. Cpl. Jose "Speedy" Espericueta would be greatly missed in his son's life – especially at his football games, a sport they both loved. So, Espericueta's colleagues at the Mission Police Department made a vow to take care of his family, and showed up for his son's first game. On Saturday, not only did officers from Mission attend the younger Espericueta's first game, officers from several law enforcement agencies showed up. They watched the middle schooler take the field for the first time – something that would've made his late dad proud. "We made a promise to the family – we were always going to be there for special events and today this is his first football game," Mission PD Officer Javier Lara told KGBT. "He's in heaven, watching from heaven today." "This would have been Speedy's place, to be here with his son," Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez said. "It's an important day for him, his mom and his sister, and it's an important day for us as part of his extended family." WQAD reported that Joaquin and several officers met at midfield before the game, and a police helicopter flew overhead to honor his father. "He was really excited. He was real thankful about us being here for him," Lara said. "He has a huge heart. He's going to be a good young man."

9-27-19

Enlightened law enforcement. ABC News reports:

"A group of teens playing nighttime basketball in New Jersey got more than they bargained for when a squad car pulled up Monday night. It started with a complaint made to the police department in Pompton Lakes, a borough of 11,000 about an hour north of New York City. A caller near Pompton's Lakeside School phoned police to report that a group of juveniles were drinking and being loud, according to authorities. But when officers arrived at the scene, all they found was a group of teens playing a friendly pick-up game. So the officers -- Sergeant Ruffo and Patrol Officers Bartlett and Logreco -- split up and joined the game. "Just another reason to love and respect this department," said a commenter on the department's Facebook page, where the officers posted video of the game."

Best of the best.

9-27-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

Not just in Dallas as in the Guyger case, but all over the nation. No end to it. Surprised? Why? In today's increasingly national socialist climate anything goes, right, Bill? Live in a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi'sFourth Reich. Certainly, a problem here in Nazi Llano County, isn't it, Sheriff? Your goons, however, aren't held accountable when they egregiously f--k up. Ever.

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

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9-27-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred seventy nine weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred seventy nine weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred seventy nine weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

9-27-19

Law enforcement remains out of control. NBC News reports:

"The city of Vallejo, California, where residents are calling for an outside review after a spate of fatal police shootings and excessive force complaints in recent years, is facing three new lawsuits claiming officers have violated people's civil rights — including one man who said he was physically attacked while filming a police stop from his front porch. Two of the lawsuits originated from incidents that were caught on cellphone video and later shared on social media. The suits allege a "pattern and practice of using excessive force and misconduct against citizens" by the Vallejo Police Department."

An exigent problem throughout our formerly great country.

"The complaints were filed this week in federal court in Northern California by the law offices of John Burris, whose firm is representing other families suing Vallejo police and the Bay Area city. They include the family of a black rapper named Willie McCoy, who was fatally shot inside of his car in February by six Vallejo officers, prompting an ongoing investigation by the Solano County District Attorney's Office. The suits also come as city leaders have been under pressure to become more engaged with the public over policing issues and announced last week the selection of a new police chief after the previous one retired this summer.

"The three lawsuits allege:

"In January, Adrian Burrell, a black Marine veteran, was filming a traffic stop from his front porch that involved his cousin about 30 feet away. According to the suit and what is seen in Burrell's cellphone video, Officer David McLaughlin ordered him to go back inside and stop interfering. Burrell, who said he was exercising his First Amendment right to record, refused. Burrell was then slammed into a wall and swung into a pole, where he knocked his head and sustained a concussion, according to the suit. He was then handcuffed. Only after McLaughlin learned that he was a veteran with no police record, Burrell added, was he released from the back of a police car."

Why wasn't the jackbooted bastard criminally charged with attempted murder?

"In April, Deyana Jenkins, a 20-year-old niece of McCoy's, said she was racially profiled, dragged from her car, Tased and unlawfully arrested after Vallejo police pulled over the car she was driving. Part of the incident was filmed on cellphone, although the moment Jenkins said she was tased is not visible. Jenkins was booked into the Solano County Jail on suspicion of resisting arrest and delaying an officer in the performance of his duties. The district attorney did not pursue charges, according to the suit."

Why didn't the district attorney charge the officer? Why the double standard?

"In October 2018, Delon Thurston, who is black, alleges that Vallejo officers pulled her over during a traffic stop outside of her home, and she was "violently" dragged out of her car and then physically searched in a degrading manner. According to the suit, she was arrested for resisting, but the district attorney did not pursue charges."

Why wasn't the jackbooted bastard charged? Why the double standard?

"The suits are seeking damages to be determined at trial. Attorney Melissa Nold, who is representing the plaintiffs, said the suits are "just a few examples of the daily disrespect the black, brown and vulnerable communities in Vallejo have been dealing with for decades."

Remains a problem throughout the country. For all civilians, not just people of color. Happens across the board. As reported in this publication week after week, month after month, year after year.

"An NBC News examination in April found that civil rights lawsuits and claims in connection with the Vallejo Police Department have cost the city more than $7 million in settlements since 2011."

Clearly, nowhere near enough. Until taxpayers scream bloody murder, nothing will change. ... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looming.

"Meanwhile, some residents have called for assistance from outside agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, to examine what they say is a wider pattern of excessive force and overly aggressive policing. This past spring, city officials invited the Department of Justice's community relations mediators to meet with residents, although those mediators have no power to investigate or enforce recommendations for the police department. It is unclear when that meeting would take place."

Total waste of time. Time for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate such cases. Total independence.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

More of the same. CBS News reports:

"Prosecutors delivered opening statements Friday in the trial of a former New Jersey police chief facing federal hate crime and civil rights charges for allegedly slamming a handcuffed black man's head into a doorjamb during a September 2016 arrest. Federal prosecutors say former Bordentown Township Police Chief Frank Nucera Jr., 62, was motivated by hatred of African Americans, and had been recorded by officers in his department concerned over his racist comments. Legal experts and civil rights advocates say it's "exceedingly rare" for a law enforcement officer to be charged with a federal hate crime, and they are watching the case closely."

Called attempted murder. Could have killed the man. Slammed his head into a doorjamb. Handcuffed. Gutless jackbooted piece of shit. Unfit to be dog catcher.

"Laws in many states allow for an officer to use force if they reasonably believe it's necessary to protect themselves or someone else from death or serious harm. So when it comes to police accused of violence, "you rarely, if ever, have any kind of prosecution, let alone a hate crime prosecution," said Heidi Beirich, who leads the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, which tracks hate groups."

That's the problem. No willingness to hold a criminal jackbooted bastard accountable for attempted murder, and/or any other criminal abuse of authority. No justice.

"For officers who are charged over excessive force, courts and juries are often reluctant to second guess an officer's actions on the job, according to Stinson."

Again, that's precisely the problem. -- Even when confronted with video evidence clearly showing the jackbooted bastard was not justified in using excessive force. Nazi justice. A double standard.

"Nucera faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted and stands to lose his $8,832 a month police pension, which has been frozen pending the trial's outcome, Burney reports."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

What do you think of the following? NBC News reports:

"A New Jersey man who died in custody this week pleaded for water and coughed up blood as staff at a county jail laughed and joked, said another inmate. Mario Terruso, 41, of the Mays Landing section of Hamilton, died at a hospital in Pomona, New Jersey, about 1 a.m. Monday after being transported there from the Atlantic County jail, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office, which is investigating his death, said in a statement. The attorney general's office identified the man as Mario Terruso, while a funeral home's online obituary gave his name as Mario Terruso Jr. Terruso was arrested on Sunday afternoon on a warrant and held in the county jail in Mays Landing, about 17 miles north of Atlantic City, the attorney general's office said. The jail told NBC News that the warrant was for failing to appear in court on a family matter."

Think that should result in a death sentence?

"Alan Wright says he was also an inmate at the jail at the time and that he has been friends with Terruso for 16 years. He recounted what he witnessed in a phone call to his wife, who wrote about it in a Facebook post on his page on Tuesday, before Wright was released from jail that evening. "I told her to write exactly what I said over the jail phone," Wright, 33, told NBC News on Friday. Wright said that he needed to use the bathroom when he saw his friend in distress in a holding cell in the admissions area sometime around 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wright said Terruso was pleading for water, stating he had swallowed something and that he then began dry-heaving uncontrollably. "Nursing staff told me I couldn't give him water and said he was faking," Wright said. Wright said that staff stood outside of Terruso's cell laughing and that they asked if Terruso acted like that on the street. Wright said he told them no. "He began throwing up blood and his clothes were dripping sweat," Wright said, as recounted in the Facebook post. "Nursing stated he was being combative and was fine," Wright said. Officers tried to calm Terruso down but he refused to comply and instead begged to be taken to the hospital, Wright told NBC News."

Get this:

"At that point, he was just not complying to staff and the sergeant ordered them to hog-tie him," Wright said. Wright said more than five officers tied Terruso's hands and feet together. "He just wanted help," Wright said. "Medical said he was faking." The state attorney general's office said in a statement it is investigating Terruso's death, "including all actions taken by corrections officers and other staff at the jail leading up to and including his transportation to the hospital for treatment." Terruso arrived at the hospital about 7:50 p.m. on Sunday and was pronounced dead at approximately 1 a.m. Monday, the statement said."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

No end to it. ABC News reports:

"A police officer responding to a call of a naked man behaving erratically at an Atlanta-area apartment complex arrived on the scene, exited his vehicle and shot the man almost immediately. Now a jury must decide if he's guilty of murder. Olsen, 57, and his attorneys have said he was being attacked, feared for his safety and acted in self-defense. But prosecutors have said he used excessive force against Hill, a naked and unarmed U.S. Air Force veteran with mental health problems."

Jesus Christ. 'Shoot first, ask questions later.' Where is the training? Where is the vetting both before and during employment?

"A grand jury indicted Olsen nearly a year later on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, violation of oath of office and making a false statement. Olsen resigned following the indictment."

What took so long? Why the foot-dragging? Had it been an ordinary civilian the bastard would have been immediately arrested, jailed, and charged. Why special treatment for the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue?

"Jury selection in his trial is set to start Monday. A felony murder charge doesn't mean prosecutors believe Olsen acted with malice but rather that he killed someone while committing another felony, in this case aggravated assault or violation of his oath."

Needlessly convoluted, isn't it?

"Olsen is white and Hill was black. Against a national backdrop of officers not facing charges after shooting black men, the indictment itself is noteworthy."

Sad, isn't it? Racist, as well. So what else is new, right? Moreover, statistically, more innocent unarmed whites are killed than blacks.

"Gerald Griggs, a leader in the Atlanta NAACP chapter, said supporters of Hill's family plan to pack the courtroom. He said he's optimistic about a conviction but acknowledged that Olsen has some of the best defense attorneys in the state."

Outcome depends largely on the judge, -- jury selection, as well, to a great extent. To say nothing of the prosecution which may in fact be in bed with the defendant since prosecutors have to work with law enforcement on a daily basis. Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court that would adjudicate only these cases. Total independence. The only way to rein in these criminals, particularly the murderers in blue.

"We're expecting the eyes of the community to be watching this very carefully, and we're hopeful that whoever the 12 that are seated as a jury will listen to the evidence and return a verdict that speaks the truth, and that's guilty on all counts," Griggs said, predicting protests if Olsen is exonerated."

Sad, isn't it, when it comes to the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue justice is nearly never ever certain? Special treatment almost always accorded.

"Hill had been medically discharged from the Air Force and was being treated for bipolar disorder but had stopped taking his medication because he didn't like the side effects, his girlfriend, Bridget Anderson, said right after he died. Being shot by a police officer was especially tragic, she said. When no indictment was issued for officers in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black Staten Island man who died after a confrontation with white officers, she was angry, she said. But she recalled Hill saying most police are good people."

Depends on the locality. ... Right, Sheriff?

Particularly, interesting? Get this:

"Olsen, who'd been a police officer for seven years, had no significant disciplinary problems prior to the shooting, according to personnel records. In annual evaluations, he consistently received an overall rating of "exceeds standards" and was commended for his productivity, willingness to take on extra responsibilities and being a team player."

Certainly, doesn't jive with the magnitude of the crime. Could it be the evaluations were bogus? Officer himself suffered a mental breakdown at the time of the shooting? No more than speculation.

"During a May 2018 pretrial hearing on a request by Olsen's attorneys to dismiss the charges because Olsen had acted appropriately, the apartment complex maintenance supervisor said he saw Hill outside the leasing office in shorts and a T-shirt saying strange things, like, "The devil is coming," and asking for help. He got Hill to go to his apartment, but Hill reemerged without clothes. Leasing office staff called 911. Olsen was responding to that call, told by dispatch there was a naked man who was "possibly demented." Hill was squatting in a roadway when Olsen arrived but jumped up and ran toward the patrol car, Olsen testified. Olsen drew his gun as he exited his car and yelled, "Stop! Stop!" Hill didn't stop, and Olsen shot him "maybe a second" after giving the order, he testified."

Since the man was naked, obviously unarmed, Olsen could have used pepper spray, a baton. May have panicked.

"The second officer to arrive testified that Olsen said Hill ran at him and "started pounding on him." Olsen testified that he didn't remember that conversation."

How can that be? One of them lying? Demented?

"A successful self-defense claim requires evidence that it was reasonable for Olsen to believe Hill was about to kill or gravely injure him or another person. But there was no evidence that Olsen believed Hill was going to kill him, a judge ruled, declining to dismiss the charges. The judge also cited concerns about the former officer's credibility and conflicting testimony."

Fascinating, isn't it?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

Incomprehensible. CBS News reports:

"Authorities say a Florida police officer has been suspended and is being investigated after arresting a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old for separate incidents at their schools."

Think school discipline problems the rightful province of law enforcement? Is everything a crime now?

"CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG-TV reports that Officer Dennis Turner was suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the Orlando Police Department. The arrests were on unrelated misdemeanor charges, authorities said. The department's policy requires an officer to get the approval of a watch commander before arresting anyone under age 12. WKMG says that didn't happen during last Thursday's arrests."

Why not?

"The 8-year-old was processed at the Juvenile Assessment Center before being released to a family member. The child's gender wasn't released, nor was the reason for the arrest."

Why not?

"The 6-year-old girl was returned to her school from the juvenile center and wasn't processed, after a transport officer found out approval wasn't obtained. Her grandmother, Meralyn Kirkland, told WKMG she is outraged. "No 6-year-old child should be able to tell somebody that they had handcuffs on them," Kirkland said. She said her granddaughter is a first grader at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy. Kirkland received a call Thursday saying her granddaughter was arrested by the school's resource officer. "I said, 'What do you mean, she was arrested?' They said there was an incident and she kicked somebody and she's being charged and she's on her way," Kirkland recalled."

This is a six-year-old kid with a discipline problem.

"Kirkland said her granddaughter was acting out in class, a side effect of a lack of sleep due to a medical condition. "He says, 'What medical condition?' 'She has a sleep disorder, sleep apnea,' and he says, 'Well, I have sleep apnea, and I don't behave like that,"' Kirkland said."

Jesus Christ. LOL. Wake up, fool. Forget? This is a kid.

"Kirkland insists things should have never gone that far with her granddaughter."

Back in the day, principals dealt with behavioral problems. Clearly, no longer.

In update to the above, CBS News reports:

"Authorities say a Florida police officer has been fired and is being investigated after arresting two six-year-olds for separate incidents at their schools. CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG-TV reports that Officer Dennis Turner was previously suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the Orlando Police Department. The arrests were on unrelated misdemeanor charges, authorities said. All charges against the children have since been dropped. Police clarified Monday that both of the children were 6 after initially describing one of them as 8 years old. The department's policy requires an officer to get the approval of a watch commander before arresting anyone under age 12. WKMG-TV said that didn't happen during last Thursday's arrests. One of the children was processed at the Juvenile Assessment Center before being released to a family member. The child's gender wasn't released, nor was the reason for the arrest. The other 6-year-old was returned to her school from the juvenile center and wasn't processed, after a transport officer found out approval wasn't obtained.

"In a press conference Monday, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said he was "sick to my stomach" after learning about what happened to the children and said the department has taken steps to ensure this doesn't happen again.

"Statement from OPD Chief Orlando Rolón. pic.twitter.com/qd7msBx0Fw
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) September 23, 2019"

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

In follow up to the Guyger case, now at trial, CBS News reports:

"The police force partner of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger acknowledged that they had a sexual relationship and exchanged sexually explicit text messages and photos with her the day she shot Botham Jean. However, Martin Rivera denied making plans to rendezvous with Guyger later that night, as prosecutors suggest. Prosecutors contend Guyger was distracted by a telephone conversation with Rivera when she mistook Jean's apartment for hers and entered, believed him to be an intruder and shot him. Prosecutors questioned Rivera extensively about a 16-minute phone conversation he had with Guyger as she headed to her apartment that night in September 2018. Asked what it was about, he said he believes it was mostly about police work but his memory of the call was hazy. Again, however, he denied that it involved plans to see Guyger later that evening."

How could it be "hazy?" How do you forget a conversation like that? A conversation that occurred immediately before she had shot and killed a man in his own apartment?

Consider the following:

"Prosecutors said that after Guyger shot Jean, she deleted the logs of her text exchanges with Rivera from her cellphone. Rivera said he didn't know why she had done this but acknowledged having done the same as well."

Fascinating, isn't it? What does that tell you? Anything at all? Forget? Both were officers at the time of the killing. Were well aware the impact the text exchanges would have at trial.

"CBS DFW reports that those racy messages have been recovered and Rivera then testified about the messages. Prosecutor Jason Hermus: "Would you send provocative photographs of yourself to Amber Guyger?" Corporal Rivera: "Uh, yes." One text from Guyger read, "Wanna touch?" around 9:30 the night of the deadly shooting. At 10:02 p.m., Rivera received a text from Guyger, "I need you. Hurry." At 10:03 p.m., Guyger texted Rivera, "I *ucked up."

No kidding.

"Prosecutor said Guyger typed those last messages while she was on the phone with 911 saying she's shot Jean."

Jesus Christ. Stunning, isn't it? What could she possibly been thinking? She had just shot and killed an innocent man in his own apartment.

"Jean family attorney Daryl Washington called the messages revealing. "At the time that Botham was struggling to take his very last breath, we saw a police officer who was more concerned about herself and was sending off text messages," Washington said."

Amazing, isn't it? No heart. No soul.

"Guyger was off duty but still in uniform when she shot Jean. She told investigators that after a 15-hour shift she parked on the fourth floor of the complex's garage - rather than the third floor, where she lived - and found the apartment's door ajar. Three days later, Guyger was arrested for manslaughter. She was subsequently fired from the Dallas Police Department and charged by a grand jury."

Had it been a civilian, his or her sorry ass would have been immediately arrested. Why is it officers are nearly always afforded special treatment?

"The jury will have to decide whether Guyger committed murder, a lesser offense such as manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, or no crime at all."

Bet she'll walk?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-27-19

More of the same. ABC News reports:

"A western Michigan city has agreed to pay $125,000 to a man who was seen on bodycam video repeatedly being punched by a police officer during an arrest. The Grand Rapids Press reports Grand Rapids announced the settlement Tuesday with 24-year-old Bronquel Brown. The officer was fired after the Grand Rapids Police Department's Internal Affairs Unit determined the officer violated department policy during the March 17 traffic stop. Police noted the officer cursed and struck the motorist dozens of times in the leg. The Kent County prosecutor's office earlier declined to bring criminal charges against the officer. Brown faces an Oct. 28 trial on a charge of resisting police."

Why wasn't the jackbooted bastard in blue prosecuted? Why not?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-20-19

Above and beyond. Exponentially, so. Law enforcement at its very best. Seatbelts on. CBS News reports:

"A lot of police officers go above and beyond — playing basketball with kids, mowing grass for seniors — we see examples on the news all the time. But few officers have gone further out of their way than Sergeant Jeff Turney of the Glendale, Arizona police department."

Understatement.

"It started with a call to dispatch: "I have a 94-year-old father. He's loaded up a trailer and thinks he can drive his vehicle and the trailer to Florida. And I'd like to have somebody talk to him, if they could." Police responded to the home of Howard Benson. "I walked in the door and saw him sitting there and I said, 'We're not going to talk any sense into this guy,'" Sergeant Turney said. It turns out there was no stopping him. "I had my mind made up," Howard said. "I was going to do it." Never mind that Howard has no business behind the wheel of anything other than his power chair. He was going to tow a trailer, 2,200 miles to his new assisted living facility in Fort Myers. Of course, his kids, who all live out of town, were insisting he fly and just ship his stuff. "I'm stubborn," Howard said. One way or another, Howard was going to Florida."

Here's where things got interesting:

"When Sergeant Turney realized there was no talking sense into this guy, he decided to do something equally irrational. He started by coming over after work to pack up that trailer. When Howard asked if this meant Sergeant Turney was also going to find someone to drive him to Florida, he said no. "I said, 'No, Howard, I don't think I can get anybody to go with you, but how about I drive?'" Sergeant Turney said. The next day they were off. Sergeant Turney requested vacation time to do this."

Uncommon Valor. Well beyond the call of duty. Policing at its very best.

"Along the way, they talked, about everything from Howard's service in the Navy during World War II, to his anxiety about moving into assisted living. When they arrived four days later, Sergeant Turney said he would stay until Howard felt comfortable in his new surroundings. He's fine, all thanks to the police officer who went way out of his way. "As a person, though, you've gotta step up," he said."

Indeed.

"I've never seen a person so dedicated to helping people in my life. I can't thank that gentleman enough," Howard said."

Very best in law enforcement. A credit to the profession.

9-20-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-20-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred seventy eight weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred seventy eight weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred seventy eight weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

9-20-19

No transparency. ABC News reports:

"A police officer in Minnesota fatally shot a man after the man rear-ended the officer's marked SUV, then got out of his car and started fighting with the officer, authorities said. Authorities have not said whether the man had a weapon when the St. Paul police officer shot him during the fight Sunday evening."

Why not? That's something police would have quickly determined at the scene of the confrontation. Why sit on this information?

"Police Sgt. Mike Ernster said the officer's body camera was activated, but the video has not been released."

Why not? In the interest of transparency, the video should have been quickly released. Especially, at a time when the credibility of law enforcement is severely, constantly, with damned good reason, called into question.

"Ernster said the officer was stopped at a stop sign in the city's Midway neighborhood when he was "suddenly struck from behind by another motor vehicle. The officer exited his vehicle and was immediately confronted by the driver of the striking vehicle and a fight ensued." The shooting comes as police deal with a stretch of violence in the city that led police Chief Todd Axtell to beef up street patrols."

All the more reason for police to be far more transparent.

"In a Facebook post, Axtell said the officer was "faced with one of the most gut-wrenching situations imaginable" and it "is a tragedy for everyone involved." He extended condolences to the family of the man who died and said his department will do what it can to support the officer."

Symbolism over substance. Empty rhetoric. The video should have been quickly released. Police should have quickly stated whether or not a weapon had been recovered.

"According to local media reports, at the time of the incident, someone could be heard on police emergency radio shouting, "Drop the knife, drop the knife!" Ernster confirmed that the St. Paul officer made those radio transmissions, but said that state investigators were processing the scene and he did not know whether a knife had been recovered."

Not credible. To cover its ass, law enforcement would have quickly released such information.

"The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that a City Council member and the head of the St. Paul NAACP joined community members in calling for the release of the officer's body camera footage. "Our body cameras are supposed to capture moments gone wrong, moments of tragedy, everything in between and I just think we really, really need to be able to see that right now," City Council member Mitra Jalali Nelson said. "I think one of the most important things we need is transparency."

Without question. Not quickly releasing the video reinforces lack of trust in law enforcement.

"The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has had several shootings by police officers in recent years that have sparked angry protests, including the 2016 killing of a black driver, Philando Castile, by an officer in the Twin Cities suburb of Falcon Heights. Castile's girlfriend streamed the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Facebook. On Sept. 7, police fatally shot 30-year-old Brian Quinones in the suburb of Richfield after they say he failed to stop for a red light in Edina and wouldn't pull over. The city of Edina says Quinones "confronted officers with a knife" before he was shot. Quinones livestreamed a video of himself as he was driving, being pursued by police. The shooting can be heard, but not seen, on his video. Afterward, his brother told Minnesota Public Radio News that Quinones had been having suicidal thoughts."

All the more reason for transparency. Especially, at a time of such lack of trust and increasing volatility in our formerly great country. Officers need to be held accountable. All too often, they're not. Must be quickly given credit as well when properly conducting themselves. Fired and prosecuted when they don't. ... Right, Sheriff?

ABC News reports:

"The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says a man fatally shot by St. Paul police last weekend had confronted an officer with a knife before he was killed. The BCA, which is investigating the shooting, says Officer Steve Mattson was on patrol in the Midway neighborhood shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday when his squad car was rear-ended at an intersection by 31-year-old Ronald Davis. Authorities say Davis was holding a knife when he exited his vehicle and ignored Mattson's commands to drop it. During the confrontation, Mattson shot Davis. The BCA says a knife was recovered next to Davis' body. The officer's body camera was activated during the shooting. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has asked Police Chief Todd Axtell to release the footage "as soon as reasonably possible."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-20-19

In follow up to several earlier editions of this publication, The Washington Post in an editorial written by Rev. Fred Davie reports:

("The Rev. Fred Davie is chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board and executive vice president of Union Theological Seminary.")

"After five long years, the Eric Garner case came to a resolution last month: New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo was fired from his job. Pantaleo had been recorded on video using a chokehold while arresting Garner, who gasped, shortly before he died, “I can’t breathe.” The incident stirred wide outrage over police violence against African Americans. An important aspect of the case was the essential role played by New York’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, which I chair. I hope that our experience on the board in the Garner case will prompt cities across the country to consider the value of civilian oversight of police. It was New York’s Civilian Complaint Review Board — the nation’s largest independent all-civilian police oversight agency — that received the complaint that ultimately led to Pantaleo’s termination. Responding to a bona fide complaint and a subsequent investigation, the board’s attorneys prosecuted Pantaleo at an administrative trial last spring. His firing was an affirmation of the trial’s verdict. He will never again patrol New York’s streets, nor will he receive a taxpayer-funded pension."

What's to stop him from landing a law enforcement job elsewhere in the country?

"That outcome was possible because New York has an administrative trial process built into its system of police discipline, meaning that criminal and civil trials are not the only options available for addressing misbehavior. In addition to considering avenues available via the judiciary, the board asks one more question: Has an officer adhered to regulations of the NYPD Patrol Guide when enforcing the law? The entire world saw the video of Pantaleo wrap his arm around Garner’s neck in a prohibited maneuver called a chokehold. (Pantaleo denied that it was a chokehold, but others in the police department testified that it was.) The chokehold set off what the medical examiner described at trial as a “lethal cascade” of events, complicated by Garner’s asthma and hypertension. He died on July 17, 2014. Despite the medical examiner’s ruling that Garner’s death was a homicide, a grand jury later that year declined to indict Pantaleo. Then the Justice Department waited until July 16 this year — the eve of the fifth anniversary of Garner’s death — before announcing that it would not charge Pantaleo. But one option still remained."

Better than nothing, but still an egregious miscarriage of justice this murderous son of a bitch was not criminally prosecuted for murder.

"The administrative disciplinary trial had begun in May. Over the course of nearly a month, the Civilian Complaint Review Board’s prosecutors presented video footage, autopsy photos and expert witness testimony making it clear that Pantaleo engaged in misconduct. Unlike the grand jury and Justice Department processes, the administrative trial was public. Information previously unknown to all but a few was suddenly accessible to the whole world."

This information should have been immediately released when the grand jury refused to indict the son of a bitch. There is a desperate need for transparency in grand jury proceedings. Justice trumps privacy.

"During the trial, the public learned that a police lieutenant, Christopher Bannon, sent a text moments after Garner’s death saying it was “not a big deal.” The public also learned that Pantaleo’s partner, Justin D’Amico, testified that they had parked their patrol car 300 feet away from where Garner stood on a Staten Island sidewalk, yet they had witnessed his selling loose cigarettes."

How can the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue be trusted when they lie like hell?

"Without an independent agency tasked with presenting evidence at trial, that information — essential facts about how NYPD officers interacted with Garner — would have been omitted from the public record."

Laws and police procedure need to change to prevent this from happening. Civilian review boards are not the answer to this ubiquitous problem, however. Far from it.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-20-19

Law enforcement at its not so very best. CNN News reports:

"A grand jury has indicted the sitting Granville County, North Carolina, sheriff on two felony obstruction of justice charges, alleging the lawman ignored and encouraged a plot to kill one of his deputies, according to court documents. Sheriff Brindell Wilkins not only knew of the threat to kill the now-former deputy, Joshua Freeman, but he coached a would-be assailant on how to get away with the crime, the indictment handed down Monday alleges. "The defendant failed to properly execute his duties because of his personal animosity towards Joshua Freeman, who defendant was told had expressed an intention to publicly disclose to authorities a purported audio recording of the defendant using racially offensive language," says the indictment, which followed a 10-month investigation. After learning of the recording, the indictment says, Wilkins in August 2014 told a would-be assailant, who is not named, to "take care of it." The indictment quotes the sheriff as saying, "If you need to take care of something, just take care of something," and "The only way you gonna stop him is kill him."

How about that? Gets worse:

"Wilkins also offered some instruction on how to get away with the killing, saying, "You ain't got the weapon, you ain't got nothing to go on," the indictment alleges. "The only way we find out these murder things is people talk. You can't tell nobody nothing -- not a thing," the indictment quotes Wilkins as saying. Wilkins also discussed the time and location "of where the murder might successfully occur," according to the indictment, and at one point in the interactions, the sheriff was shown the firearm that would be used in the crime."

Stunning, isn't it? How about the following? Get this:

"A welcome message on the sheriff's website says, "Each citizen is the reason for our existence. We will serve the citizens of Granville County with honor, treat them with dignity, and welcome their assistance in assuring the safety and security of our community. ... We will provide equal enforcement and protection of the law without prejudice or favor." Wilkins appeared before a magistrate Monday afternoon and was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond, court documents indicate. A judge ordered him to give up his passport, the document says."

Above only scratches the surface. This is an exceptionally convoluted case. Needless to say, will be carefully followed.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-20-19

Have conflicted thoughts about the following. What do you think? ABC News reports:

"Philadelphia's acting police commissioner apologized this week after images surfaced of a racially insensitive T-shirt she wore in the 1990s, prompting calls for her resignation. Christine Coulter ignited uproar when a 25-year-old photo showed her donning a white T-shirt with the words, "L.A.P.D. We Treat You Like a King," written in black. The shirt appeared to make reference to the brutal Los Angeles police beating of Rodney King in 1991. The encounter between King, who is black, and four white officers was caught on video, but the officers were acquitted at trial, sparking violence, unrest and nationwide protests about racism and police brutality. Coulter said she didn’t realize at the time that the shirt was an apparent reference to the highly publicized King beating, but said she was "profoundly sorry" for wearing it, nonetheless. She previously said the photo had been taken during a gathering with other officers at the Jersey Shore when she [was] policing the city's 25th district, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I sincerely hope that a careless decision that I made over 25 years ago doesn't overshadow the work that I've done," Coulter said Tuesday. "I am profoundly sorry for the pain that the shirt and the picture has caused, not to me, but to the city and the communities that we serve."

Hard to believe she didn't know exactly what the message on the T-shirt stood for. At the same time, a quarter century has passed since she wore the shirt. Think things may have changed? Especially, considering the following:

"She delivered the apology during a city council hearing meant to address a report that uncovered more than 300 racist, sexist or biased social media posts by the city’s police officers. The findings -- published in a report by the Plain View Project, a civil rights watchdog -- resulted in 72 Philadelphia Police Department officers being placed on administrative leave in June. Several other officers resigned shortly after. Coulter opened her testimony at the pubic hearing by asking for a "few minutes to address concerns" surrounding the controversy. She signaled that the shirt was a gift. "Although, at the time I didn't recognize the inference, as a police officer I should have and I should have more diligently examined the language on the shirt more carefully before accepting and ultimately wearing that shirt," she said. "When I look at it now, through a 2019 lens, it is clear that it was a bad decision on my part and I would not wear that shirt today." She said the incident involving King, who died in 2012, "highlighted dark times in policing" and inspired her to work with more fairness and compassion."

What do you think? Credible? Or, a crock of shit? Should she get the boot? Or, do you believe things may indeed have changed vis a vis her thinking after the passage of a quarter century? Or, doesn't it matter considering the callousness of the message on the shirt and the profound racism still alive and well all across our formerly great country?

Consider the following:

"Philadelphia Councilwoman Cindy Bass called on Coulter to immediately resign in the wake of the controversy. During the hearing, Bass read excerpts of a letter she said she sent to the city's mayor demanding action. "It is my opinion it is inconceivable that she was unaware the T-shirt referenced a widely publicized brutal beating of a citizen by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department," Bass said, garnering loud applause from some members of the gallery. "As a law enforcement professional who was not new to the force and clearly recalls the impact that the incident had on policing at the time, I believe that Ms. Coulter was knowledgeable of the inference of the statement."

What do you think? If she's currently lying about not knowing the significance of the message on the shirt at the time she wore it, she's unfit. If she's telling the truth 25 years after the fact, has indeed smartened up, doing what she can currently to combat racism, what then?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred seventy seven weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred seventy seven weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred seventy seven weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

9-13-19

Work slowdown by the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue. CBS News reports:

"Arrests totals in New York City have plunged in the two weeks since the police department fired an officer for the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner. The trend points to a possible slowdown amid a heated response to the firing from the officers' union. Felony arrests are down about 11% and misdemeanor arrests are down about 17% since Officer Daniel Pantaleo's Aug. 19 firing, compared with the average daily totals for the rest of the year, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said Wednesday. At the same time, the NYPD has seen a 32% drop in moving violations, he said."

Fascinating, isn't it?

"O'Neill stopped short of saying the declines were the result of an intentional slowdown. He said he and other department leaders are studying data such as sick time usage, response times, radio backlogs and enforcement activity to pinpoint where and why fewer arrests are occurring."

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, guess what? It's a duck.

"We have expectations that our officers perform," O'Neill said."

That so? Then get up off your sorry ass and ensure they do. Fire the sorry ass of any officer who participates in the slowdown.

"The head of the officers' union hinted at a possible slowdown following Pantaleo's firing for using what a department administrative judge deemed a banned chokehold. Garner's dying words after the confrontation with the white officer, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement."

The murderous criminal jackbooted bastard in blue should have been criminally prosecuted. Got a free pass.

"Pat Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, said in the wake of the firing that officers would continue to uphold their oath to serve and protect the public, but not "by needlessly jeopardizing our careers or personal safety."

You jackbooted bastards never do. Quite the opposite. You get your cookies off abusing power, killing innocent unarmed civilians with impunity.

"Lynch said it was time for each officer "to make their own choice" and that the union urged them to "proceed with the utmost caution in this new reality, in which they may be deemed 'reckless' just for doing their job."

Goddamned, unadulterated bullshit. No foreign power, no terrorist organization, not even the criminal element presents a greater threat to life, liberty, all civil and constitutional rights and liberties than all levels and branches of government including law enforcement.

"Responding to criticism from the police union, O'Neill told CBS News last month: "I've had five years to think about this." "I was chief of patrol when this happened," he said. "I became the chief of the department in November of 2014. I was there every day for the protests. I was at Woodhull Hospital when Joe Liu and Rafael Ramos were murdered," he said, referring to the 2014 ambush of two officers in their squad car. "I have been thinking about this for five years, and I know every possible outcome — and I also know how people would feel, whatever decision I made." A few weeks earlier, when an administrative judge recommended that Pantaleo be fired, Lynch urged officers to "take it a step slower" when responding to 911 calls and to wait for a supervisor instead of using physical force on an uncooperative suspect. Last week, Lynch's union approved no confidence resolutions calling for O'Neill's immediate resignation and Mayor Bill de Blasio's removal from office. De Blasio, who earlier said the city wouldn't accept a slowdown, said Wednesday: "Our officers are keeping people safe and they're acting like professionals. And if there are some sporadic issues, they'll be dealt with."

Who the hell is running the City, Mr. Mayor? You or the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue?

"The city has been seeing a systematic drop in summons and arrest totals since 2014 amid an overall reduction in crime, but enforcement activity after Pantaleo's firing has declined at a rate greater than the annual decline police see in each category of enforcement, the NYPD said. Before Pantaleo's firing, the city was averaging about 237 felony arrests and 373 misdemeanor arrests per day this year. Since then, it's averaging 210 felony arrests and 311 misdemeanor arrests per day."

Clearly, if the outrageously abusive criminal jackbooted bastards cannot do as they please, they engage in a slowdown. Behave like 2-year-olds.

"The friction surrounding Pantaleo's firing comes amid a rash of incidents involving members of the public attacking police officers. On Friday in Queens and Monday in Brooklyn, officers shot and killed men who had fired guns at their vehicles."

Low-grade insurrection. Sadly, a prelude of far worse to come. Time to wake up before too late.

People are, indeed, inappropriately, criminally reacting to the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue:

"On Tuesday in the Bronx, people displaced from a burning apartment building starting fighting with officers in the street, including a woman who was arrested for allegedly tearing off an officer's body camera. That was after videos posted on social media in July showed people in various parts of the city pouring buckets of water on patrol officers. "This is not a new thing," O'Neill said. "This happens, and when it happens there have to be consequences for it. As police officers, we have to take action."

Wake up, Mr. O'Neill. It's the outrageously abusive behavior of the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue that is eliciting this unwanted criminal behavior from the public in response. Conveniently, forget? We came dangerously close to the unthinkable 51 years ago, that is, a revolution.

These are exceptionally dangerous circumstances currently since our country is far more divided than it was a half century ago. Law enforcement was out of control then. Far more so, today. Apparently, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue learned nothing from their earlier mistakes, egregious abuse of authority.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

Think some officers may have indeed lost their minds? The following is stunning. NBC News reports:

"Two New Jersey officers are accused of wearing disguises and damaging a man's vehicles after he filed a complaint against them, prosecutors said."

What could they possibly been thinking? Where did they lose themselves?

"Asbury Park police Officers Stephen Martinsen, 29, and Thomas Dowling, 26, allegedly vandalized two cars in separate incidents in Ocean Grove and Asbury Park early Tuesday, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. Both cars belonged to the same man, who days before had filed an administrative complaint against Martinsen and Dowling."

Apparently, these 'officers' never grew up.

“The vast majority of law enforcement officers perform their duties with integrity and honor. However, when a police officer takes advantage of the very citizens they are sworn to protect, it erodes public confidence and violates the public’s trust," prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said in a statement."

You think? How does something like this happen? Where is the vetting? Both before and during employment?

"The officers were arrested Tuesday and face charges of conspiracy, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, criminal mischief and unlawful possession of a weapon. The owner of the vehicles, Ernest Mignoli, told NJ.com that Martinsen and Dowling slashed the tires on his Jeep Liberty and Toyota Prius. “I just wouldn’t think it would be in the scope of police officers to do something like that,” he said, declining to say why he had filed complaints against the officers. “I’m a concerned citizen, outspoken critic of Asbury Park Police Department. But this goes behind the pale," he said."

Why decline to disclose why you initially filed complaints against them? What did they do? The public has a right to this information. Were you advised by prosecutors not to disclose it?

"When contacted Thursday, Gramiccioni declined to comment on the disguises or how the officers were caught. Martinsen joined the department in 2013 as a special law enforcement officer and was suspended without pay following the charges, according to prosecutors. Dowling has been with the department since 2015. His employment with the city of Asbury Park was terminated after he was charged."

Why weren't they both fired?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

In follow up to a case covered repeatedly in this publication and elsewhere, NPR reports:

"Jury selection is set to begin Friday for the white former Dallas police officer who shot and killed her unarmed black neighbor in his apartment last year. Amber Guyger said she entered the apartment by mistake and thought 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean was a burglar."

'Shoot first, ask questions later.'

"Guyger, a four-year police veteran who was fired last year, was originally charged with manslaughter after the Sept. 6, 2018 slaying of Jean, a Dallas accountant and native of St. Lucia. In November, a grand jury handed up an indictment for murder. "According to Guyger, she was coming off a double shift and parked on the fourth floor of her apartment complex, instead of the third floor where her apartment was located. She walked to where her apartment would be if she were on the right floor. There was a bright red doormat Jean placed outside his door to help friends know which apartment was his. Guyger said she went to insert her electronic key fob, and the door pushed open. She walked in, it was dark, she saw a man inside, and she said she pulled her service revolver and shot Jean in the chest. Guyger then turned on the light, realized she was in the wrong apartment, and called 911. "I thought I was in my apartment. I shot a guy, thinking it was my apartment," she said on the 911 call. Guyger repeated more than 20 times, "I thought it was my apartment."

Not credible. This is an officer. A trained officer.

"Guyger has admitted to the shooting, and the key elements of the case aren't in dispute. The question the jury must decide is, was this an accident, or murder? Her defense team may argue that the killing was a mistake by an officer who thought she was in a dangerous situation and thought she was acting in self-defense. The prosecution, however, may rebut that arguing she was not on duty or responding to a dispatch call, and when she shot Jean, she was a civilian who had broken into his house, and as such, she has no legal standing. The issue of race also hangs over the case. "The family has no doubt in their mind that she shot Botham because she saw a black man and she thought, 'criminal,'" says Ben Crump, one of the attorneys for the Jean family. The fact that Guyger wasn't arrested that night angered the Black community in Dallas and Jean's home country of St. Lucia, and they raised questions about whether Guyger was given preferential treatment."

Clearly, she was. Her sorry gluteus maximi should have been immediately arrested.

"My family and I have only been asking for a fair hearing for my son," Jean's mother Allison said at a press conference days after her son was killed. "My son's life matters. At 26 years old he had done so much. So if you extrapolate what he could have done had he reached my age, then you would have seen how much I have lost." His family also accused the police department of treating Jean as though he were a criminal rather than a victim, after reports surfaced that marijuana had been found in his home. "To have my son smeared in such a way, I think shows that there are persons who are really nasty, who are really dirty and are going to cover up for the devil, Amber Guyger," Allison Jean said."

Did the jackbooted bastards plant the pot?

"Guyger's defense team would like to move the trial out of Dallas County to one of the city's whiter and more conservative suburbs, but Judge Tammy Kemp has said she will try to seat a Dallas jury first, then rule on the motion for change of venue."

Why the double standard? That is, kill a cop in Texas even in self-defense, guess what? Get executed. Why doesn't the same standard apply to an officer who murders an innocent unarmed civilian? Worse? In his own apartment.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

Never ends. The following is more of the same. ABC News reports:

"A Mexican man shot while fleeing from immigration agents in Tennessee was recovering Friday, an attorney for his family said. Andrew Free said in an interview the man was shot in the stomach and elbow Thursday morning by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. He did not immediately go to the hospital because he was frightened. Free and another attorney later negotiated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the man surrendered Thursday afternoon. The FBI was involved because the agency was asked to investigate whether the man assaulted a federal officer. ICE has said the immigration agent opened fire after the man drove at him while fleeing a traffic stop. Both agencies have declined to name the man and the officer."

Why? The public is entitled to this information. There is no legitimate reason to sit on this. None.

"As of Friday, the man had not been arrested or charged by the FBI. Free said he believes that is because the evidence does not support the ICE agent's version of events."

Surprise, surprise.

"Asked whether he had any concerns about the shooting, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said it was too early to comment, but he took time to criticize so-called sanctuary cities. "What I'm in favor of and what I am supportive of is adhering to and following the law," the Republican governor told reporters in Nashville on Friday. "And sanctuary cities, in fact, are by their very nature and definition lawless."

That's a crock of shit, Governor. Egregious distortion of reality by the nazi element in our formerly great country. There is no reason why cities, counties, and states are required to do or enable the work of the federal government:

"Sanctuary city is a term without legal definition that generally means a locality that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement activities."

They have every constitutional right not to cooperate, not enable, not goose step in unison with out of control federal jackbooted thugs. Nazi thugs.

"Nashville Mayor David Briley, a Democrat, earlier this week signed an executive order discouraging local cooperation with immigration officials. Briley's order expresses concern that fear of deportation could keep residents from seeking health care for their children or reporting crimes to the police."

Already happened all across our formerly great country. Aggressive stupidity at its very worst, courtesy of our fuhrer, the Trump nazi, and his henchmen. ... A raucous, boot clicking, goose stepping, traitorous, treacherous, treasonous Seig Heil!, Mr. 'President?'

"The order also criticizes Tennessee's anti-sanctuary cities law that threatens to withhold some funding from local governments that don't cooperate with ICE. Briley's order calls the law "immoral" and "dangerous."

What it truly is remains Right Wing Nazi, un-American, outrageously unconstitutional. Then again, we've lived in a de facto fascist police-state since 9/11, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

Nazi justice in a fascist police-state. ABC News reports:

"As Sundhe Moses sat in a Brooklyn courtroom more than 20 years ago, he insisted that he had been forced into confessing to a crime he didn't commit. Nevertheless, he was convicted and hit with a sentence of 15 years to life for a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn that left a little girl dead. Moses went from a 19-year-old community college student and father of an 8-month-old boy to an inmate at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. He had been trying to clear his name ever since. Despite being exonerated for the killing last year, he was still facing an additional sentence for an 18-year-old charge of attempted promoting prison contraband, a case prosecutors refused to drop until Friday, despite his argument that he wouldn't have pleaded guilty in the drug case had he not been in prison. "This is so vital for a black man in America to not have a criminal record," Moses told ABC News. Moses, 43, was convicted for participating in an August 1995 drive-by shooting in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where dozens of children were outside playing. Four-year-old Shamone Johnson was killed, and four other young people, including an 8-year-old boy, were injured. During his 1997 trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Moses testified that now-retired Detective Louis Scarcella beat him into confessing to the crime."

So what else is new? Remains a problem throughout our formerly great country.

"Four years into his jail stint, Moses was busted for allegedly having a marijuana cigarette that contained traces of heroin. In 2002, he was indicted by Clinton County prosecutors for promoting prison contraband, a felony. "I was going back and forth to court fighting a case, again. Riding back and forth from prison to court, shackled, I can't describe it," said Moses, adding, "I just copped out ... it's not like I knew when I was going home." After entering a guilty plea in the drug case, the judge sentenced Moses to a consecutive sentence because he was a two-time felon, increasing his stint to 16 1/2 years. He had been facing up to seven years if convicted at trial. He had to plead guilty to a felony because he was predicate felon. In 2013, Detective Scarcella's questionable police tactics made headlines when the late Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes exonerated the first person whose criminal case was connected to the detective. Scarcella, through his attorneys, has repeatedly denied involvement with any of the cases. To date, 12 men and one woman had their convictions Scarcella allegedly was involved in overturned."

Fascinating, isn't it? Yet, this shit continues throughout the country. Usually, with impunity.

"That same year, Moses faced the parole board a second time. This time, Moses and his attorneys, Ron Kuby and Leah Busby, were armed with evidence of Scarcella's pattern of wrongdoing, as well as two witnesses who recanted their testimony. Days before Moses' birthday in December 2013, he was released on parole without having to admit his guilt. Kuby and Busby first filed a motion with the Brooklyn District Attorney's revamped Conviction Review Unit as they were investigating more than 70 Scarcella-related convictions. In 2015, Moses' legal team decided to file a motion with a judge requesting an evidentiary hearing in the hope of getting the conviction tossed in favor of a new trial. After years of delays, Moses' hearing commenced. Scarcella downplayed his role in the investigation, claiming repeatedly, "I don't know" or "I don't recall." In January 2018, Justice Dineen Riviezzo overturned Moses' conviction and ordered a new trial in a written decision that she read in court. The following month, prosecutors decided not to retry the case. But Clinton County prosecutors were still pursuing the prison contraband case."

Imagine that. These corrupt, abusive bastards never give up.

"The system encountered someone who has been exonerated for a charge, but while in prison for a case they were wrongfully in prison for, they picked up another conviction," said Moses. "There wasn't any case law similar to give a judge direction on how the case should be litigated." Earlier this year, Moses' lawyers Kuby and Rhiya Trivedi filed a motion to withdraw the guilty plea in the drug case because he was no longer a two-time felon."

Hopelessly convoluted, isn't it? Intentionally, so. No justice.

"This situation presents the extremely rare case in which the Court cannot say the defendant would have entered a guilty plea to the crime of attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree had it not been for the conviction on the murder charge," wrote Clinton County Court Judge Keith M. Bruno in his written decision granting the motion to toss his guilty plea. Bruno did note that Moses did not dispute that he used marijuana in prison. Still, prosecutors refused to drop the charges, Kuby told ABC News on Friday. In June, Moses was offered the chance to plead guilty to a misdemeanor instead of a felony, but he would still have a criminal record. "I wasn't comfortable with that. What if I had a dream to get into politics tomorrow? A misdemeanor or not, I don't need that on my record," said Moses. On Friday, Clinton County prosecutors dismissed the drug case "in the interest of justice," according to Kuby. The Clinton County DA's office declined comment."

What could they say? How do you justify all these years of egregious injustice in a system that remains hopelessly corrupt, abusive, dysfunctional?

"As a black person they think it's OK to have that on your record. They don't see it as you shouldn't have it at all," Moses said. "They looked at it as 'Just take it, you're out, you're free,' but I looked at it from a whole other perspective."

Find an attorney. Sue the living shit out of the motherf--kers.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-13-19

Nazi justice. In a system that remains hopelessly corrupt, abusive, dysfunctional. NPR reports:

"Federal agents were patrolling the Rio Grande in an airboat between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in September 2012. They say a group of men in a park on the Mexican side of the river began throwing rocks at them. "I just remember the boat. They started to shoot and they hit him in the heart, and he fell to the ground," says Priscila Arévalo, the daughter of one of the Mexican men. "We ran away. When we came back, my papa he was already dead." Guillermo Arévalo lay on the gravel bank beside the sluggish river, bleeding profusely as the Border Patrol airboat roared away. The Arévalo family had been out for a picnic that day, and they insist no one was throwing rocks. The shooting death led to changes in the Border Patrol's use-of-force policy and to an investigation of the incident. But seven years later, that probe is still incomplete. And the delay is emblematic of a larger problem when the federal government investigates a death on the border. There have been 35 fatal shootings by on-duty CBP officers since 2010, according to the Southern Border Communities Coalition, an immigrant rights group. Most of them involve immigrants killed near the U.S.-Mexico border after they allegedly attacked or threatened agents. And yet CBP has announced the results of just eight internal investigations into these use-of-force incidents. The agency, which had pledged transparency and to publicly release the results of its investigations, found no agent misconduct in each case. The latest completed case is three and a half years old."

No justice. None. -- In a de facto fascist police-state, quickly transitioning to the Trump nazi's Fourth Reich.

"The only thing we want is justice," says Priscila Arévalo, weeping. She's 16 now and only recently returned to the spot where her father died. "They killed him and we haven't gotten a call. We don't even know the face of the killer. They just fled and that was that."

Nazi justice.

"CBP's opaqueness in following up on agent-involved shootings is troubling, says Vicki Gaubeca, president of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, the group that tracks CBP shootings. Gaubeca believes the agency is dragging its feet. She says the urgency for reform under Obama has transitioned into the Trump era of cheerleading for border security. "And now that he's president of the United States," she says, "then they feel emboldened to basically just do whatever they want to do." There's a pattern to these highly controversial border shootings. First comes the CBP statement, often followed by community outrage. Then the investigation gets under way. And finally, a deafening silence, as the years roll by and people move on and forget."

... Hear the rumble? An unwanted, dreaded second American revolution catastrophically looms as our formerly great country continues to nazify.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

The following is beyond poignant. Seatbelts on. Phil Helsel of NBC News reports:

"My life as I knew it is destroyed," wrote a brokenhearted Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect whose wife, son and mother-in-law were murdered this week in Virginia. Blake Bivens detailed his grief Thursday in an Instagram post shared by the Double A team he plays for, the Montgomery Biscuits. It appears to be the first time the 24-year-old baseball player has spoken out about the tragedy in Pittsylvania County. "Two days ago my heart was turned to ash," he wrote.

"Bivens' brother-in-law, Matthew Bernard, 19, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of killing his mother, Joan Bernard, 62; his sister Emily Bernard Bivens, 25; and her child, Cullen Bivens, 14 months old. The sheriff said Wednesday a motive was unknown. "The pain my family and I feel is unbearable and cannot be put into words. I shake and tremble at the thought of our future without them," Blake Bivens said in the statement. He called his wife, Emily, "my sweetheart" and wrote "you are the best wife and mother this world has ever seen." "You made me into the man I am today and you loved me with all of my flaws. You brought our precious baby boy into this world and made our family complete. Your love and kindness changed countless lives, including mine," Bivens wrote. Bivens said his son "changed my life forever" and "you are my reason why." "My sweet little boy, dada loves you so much! I can't breathe without you here. I finally understood what love was when you were born and I would have done anything for you," Bivens said. The pitcher also said Joan Bernard was "the best mother-in-law anyone could ask for.” “You loved your family more than anyone I've ever seen," he wrote.

"The Montgomery Biscuits and Tampa Bay Rays have expressed their condolences and vowed to support Bivens in any way they can. The Biscuits said Thursday that a game scheduled for Saturday would be played as part of a double-header on Friday to give team personnel a chance to attend the funeral. The Bivens and Bernard families said in a statement released by the minor league team earlier Thursday that they appreciate the tremendous support they have received from family, neighbors, the community and beyond. In Thursday's statement, Bivens thanked his family and friends who have reached out in "this time of sorrow" and thanked both teams for their support. "I am comforted by all the messages and well wishes," Bivens wrote. "I'm not sure what is next for me, but I do know God has a plan even though I can’t see it."

9-6-19

Law enforcement at its very best. How would you like being in the following predicament? CBS Sacramento reports:

"Sheriff’s deputies in North Lake Tahoe had to get creative as they devised a plan to free a bear cub trapped in a dumpster."

The cub wasn't the problem. Mama Bear was:

"They filmed the entire rescue and had to work cautiously as the mother bear was watching closely with siblings nearby. The sound of a crying bear had neighbors distressed. “It’s kind of disconcerting it almost sounds like a child crying,” Sgt. Don Nevins with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said. “And that’s how the call first came in, we got a 911 call and somebody was reporting a disturbance behind a motel in Kings Beach.”

Quite a disturbance, no? LOL.

"Sgt. Nevins responded with deputies Bryant and Staley, discovering the bear cub trapped in the dumpster behind the Crown Motel. But the deputies quickly discovered they had a bigger problem. “Mom was circling the dumpster and you don’t really want to get between the mother bear and her cub,” Nevins said. As the cub whined in distress, deputies used the lights and sirens on the SUV to scare the mother bear and a sibling to a distance. They then used an oar to prop the dumpster open and dropped a step ladder inside. As they backed away, the bear cub made good on his escape."

Creative solution to a big problem, no? LOL.

“Figured if we put the step ladder in the dumpster the cub would make his own way out which he did he really wanted out of there,” Nevins said. The video has been a hit on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page, and they’ve been inundated with positive attention. Sgt. Nevins says its a good thing. “We need to have a bear as a mascot at the Sheriff’s Office because people really love bears,” Nevins said."

Great job by law enforcement.

"Management at the Crown Motel said wildlife comes with the territory in Tahoe. “I’ve dealt with raccoons before and getting them out of the dumpster, but when I heard about the bear thing I was like ‘Thank God I’m not a sheriff in Lake Tahoe,’” motel manager Katerina Jarrett Jaensch said. It was Katerina’s son Jeremiah who forgot to lock the dumpster Tuesday night. “I’ll never forget to do it again,” Jeremiah said."

Bet he won't.

"The bears didn’t go far and spent the entire night up a nearby tree, finally leaving by walking down to the beach and swimming down the lake in front of startled locals.

... Where does a bear go? -- Anywhere he or she wants.

9-6-19

5-25-18

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Some salient quotes occurring later on in this edition vis a vis unfinished business County officials continue to ignore:

... Small sampling of what's to come in this edition. Read on.

The following email was sent to the District Attorney:

Wiley B. "Sonny" McAfee
District Attorney
33rd and 424th Judicial Districts
Llano, TX 78643

March 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*********************************

Rebecca Lange, Llano County Attorney
Llano County Attorney's Office
Llano, Texas 78643

February 9, 2018

Re: Berardi Property Rights Denial-Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Counselor:

Equally pointedly, why hasn't Llano County Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764 been held criminally accountable for egregious abuse of power involving denial of property rights to this Kingsland property owner? To say nothing of consequent resultant physical damage done to a motor home on that property.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

*******************

Bill Blackburn, Sheriff
Llano County Sheriff's Office
2001 N. State Hwy. 16 Suite A
Llano, Texas 78643

August 23, 2017

Re: Damage To Pace Arrow-Deputy Leroy Rodriguez, Badge #764

Sheriff:

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
www.libertyinperil.com
P.O. Box 151
Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609

c. Liberty In Peril

8-30-19

Llano County DA "Sonny Boy" is in the news. Received an award. The DailyTrib reports:

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Wake up, Sheriff. Again, where is dashcam video of the killing of Jeffrey Gray Wise, 52, of Austin by DPS and the Llano County Sheriff's Office? One hundred seventy six weeks, now. A goddamned disgrace. Why are you still sitting on this information? What are you hiding, Sheriff? What is the identity of the officers who killed Wise? Too gutless to release this information to the public that pays your salary and that of your goons? Reportedly, there were three officers involved in the shooting.

Who are they, Sheriff? Their past history? An ongoing investigation remains a lame bullshit excuse. How can you and your goons be trusted when you refuse to disclose information? One hundred seventy six weeks. Especially, your egregious failure to disclose the identity of the officers who pulled the trigger. To cover your sorry ass, Sheriff? Those of your thugs? The people have a right to know what happened, how it went down. You don't understand that, Sheriff? Sadly, clearly, you answer to no one. Including taxpayers. Especially, taxpayers.

Until you and your goons come clean, doubt will remain this was indeed a good shoot. The longer you drag your feet, the greater the doubt. Think not? Wake up. Your credibility has tanked. Isn't getting any better as this bullshit continues unabated. One hundred seventy six weeks. Still no identification of the officers involved ... Can't get your stories straight? In line? Discrepancy between LCSO and DPS? Wake up, Sheriff. The public no longer buys the bullshit. No longer trusts you. On this and many, many other issues. You have no credibility. Absolutely, none.

9-6-19

An innocent woman does 35 years. For nothing. NBC News reports:

"A Nevada woman who spent 35 years in prison for a murder she didn't commit before she was exonerated by DNA evidence on a crime-scene cigarette butt will get $3 million in a partial settlement of a federal civil rights lawsuit, her lawyer said Wednesday."

Nowhere near enough. Certainly, not enough to discourage this very same shit from happening to another innocent defendant.

"Cathy Woods, 68, will continue to seek additional damages from the city of Reno and former detectives she accuses of coercing a fabricated confession from her while she was a patient at a Louisiana mental hospital in 1979, according to her lawyer, Elizabeth Wang. Woods was released from prison in 2015 when new evidence linked the 1976 killing of a Reno college student to an Oregon inmate, Rodney Halbower, who has since has been convicted of two San Francisco Bay Area slayings that happened during the same period."

Clearly, the criminal jackbooted bastards in blue took the easy way out. Falsely convicted and imprisoned an innocent woman who clearly had mental issues. Gutless pieces of human excrement.

"Woods, who now lives with relatives near the city of Anacortes, Washington, was the longest-ever wrongfully incarcerated woman in U.S. history, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. "Although no amount of money will compensate Ms. Woods for what she endured, this will go at least some way toward providing care for her," Wang said. Woods was extremely psychotic and never should have been interrogated by detectives investigating the 1976 killing of 19-year-old Michelle Mitchell, Wang said. The Washoe County Commission voted 4-0 on Tuesday to pay $3 million to settle a portion of the federal lawsuit that had named former county District Attorney Cal Dunlap as a defendant. Wang said she will ask a federal judge to drop him as a defendant after the partial settlement is finalized."

Why? Why shouldn't the bastard personally compensate his victim?

"A separate lawsuit filed against the state earlier this month also will continue, Wang said, under a new Nevada law that went into effect this year allowing those wrongfully convicted to seek up to $3.5 million in civil damages. The federal lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages. Woods' initial conviction in 1980 was overturned by Nevada's Supreme Court. She was convicted again in 1984, and the high court upheld that conviction in 1988."

Kangaroo justice. Nazi America.

"A judge vacated it for good in 2014 after DNA technology not previously available linked evidence to Halbower. Detectives in Reno and Northern California subsequently identified him as the "Gypsy Hills Killer," named for an area in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Pacifica where one body was found. Authorities believe Halbower raped and killed six women and girls — including Mitchell in Reno in 1976. But he only was charged with two killings and last year was sentenced to life in prison for the killings of 17-year-old Paula Baxter and 18-year-old Veronica Cascio. The county said in a statement it remains confident there was no wrongdoing by any county employees but that the settlement brings an end to costly litigation. "The conviction and subsequent incarceration of Woods for murder is a tragic situation that Washoe County hopes is never repeated," the county said. "While money can rarely compensate an individual for loss of freedom, Washoe County sincerely hopes that this monetary settlement will be utilized for the best possible care of Woods."

Too little. Too late. The County got off way too easy. How can these bastards shamelessly claim no county employees engaged in any wrongdoing vis a vis this case?

"Woods' federal lawsuit filed in 2016 says she was a poorly educated woman with severe mental illness who was "intentionally framed" by authorities. She was bartending in Reno when Mitchell was killed. She later moved to Louisiana, and her mother committed her to the psychiatric hospital where Woods told a counselor about "a girl named Michelle being murdered in Reno." Washoe County public defender Maizie Pusich told The Associated Press in 2014 Woods didn't remember confessing while at the hospital. "I'm told it was a product of wanting to get a private room," Pusich said. "She was being told she wasn't sufficiently dangerous to qualify, and within a short period she was claiming she had killed a woman in Reno."

Goddamned government didn't give a rat's ass about properly investigating, arresting, charging, and trying the right defendant. Massive failure. No justice.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Insult to injury? Get this. In follow up to an earlier case covered here and elsewhere, NBC News reports:

"The union that represents New York City Police Department officers has voted “no confidence” in their commissioner, James O’Neill, and the city’s mayor, Bill de Blasio. In resolutions finalized Wednesday and obtained by NBC News, the Police Benevolent Association called for the immediate resignation of O’Neill. The union rebuked the commissioner for his decision earlier this month to fire Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who was seen on video using a chokehold during Eric Garner’s deadly arrest five years ago. The encounter sparked mass protests and become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. In firing Pantaleo, O’Neill “deprived a dedicated and accomplished police officer of his livelihood,” the PBA said in the resolution. The group also claimed that O’Neill has failed to adequately address the working conditions of police officers, including quality-of-life issues and mental health support."

Had there been any justice, this murderous piece of shit would have been tried for murder. Convicted and sentenced to the very same punishment a civilian gets when convicted of killing a cop, -- even in self defense. No double standard. Until officers who murder innocent, unarmed civilians get executed by the state, nothing will change.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Justice? What's that? CNN News reports:

"Two former New York detectives will serve no prison time after pleading guilty to bribe taking and official misconduct for having sex in a police van with a young woman they arrested and released, prosecutors said Thursday. Prosecutors had requested that Eddie Martins, 39, and Richard Hall, 34, receive sentences ranging from one to three years in prison, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. But State Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun indicated each defendant will be sentenced in October to five years probation, according to Gonzalez. The plea agreement was offered by the court -- without prosecutors' consent -- because the defendants pleaded guilty to the entire indictment, the district attorney said. In court, the judge said he agreed to probation because prosecutors had demonstrated that violent felony counts against the defendants -- including rape charges that were eventually dismissed -- couldn't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. "The credibility of the victim, or the complainant, in this case was seriously, seriously questionable, at best," said Chun, according to a court transcript obtained by CNN. While scientific evidence in the case was "very compelling," Chun said there was a possibility of a jury convicting only on the misdemeanor charges. The offer of probation without jail time was not "unjust or unfair" since the former officers had resigned from their jobs and had accepted felony convictions with their pleas, the judge said, according to the transcript."

Convoluted bullshit. Precisely, why there is desperate need for a new federal agency whose sole function would be to investigate, arrest, charge, and prosecute corrupt, abusive, criminal officers, prosecutors, and judges in a special court whose sole function would be to adjudicate such cases. Total independence. Here we have two officers who plead guilty to felonies and no prison time?

Gets worse. Get this:

"Chun expanded on his reasoning for the plea deal, arguing that by law, their accuser could be charged for offering a bribe to the two former police officers. "The other party offering a bribe could also be charged... which is the same level of felony as bribe-receiving," Chun said, according to the court transcript. "Given that there are criminal activities on both sides, however, there is one critical difference here: both the defendants before me are police officers and police officers are sworn to uphold a higher standard of ethical code, behavior or higher standard, period, than other people engaged in criminal activity."

-- All the more reason these two bastards should have received prison time. Effectively, essentially, this is no more than the perpetrator blaming the victim for the crime. What the hell could the 'judge' possibly been thinking? Protected the jackbooted bastards in blue. Clearly, made sure they didn't get precisely the punishment they deserved.

"The former officers pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of bribery in the third-degree and nine counts of official misconduct, the district attorney said. Martins and Hall were originally arraigned in November 2017 on 50 counts, including first-degree rape, first-degree criminal sexual act and second-degree kidnapping, prosecutors said. "These defendants engaged in a shocking abuse of power, which they finally acknowledged," Gonzalez said. "While I would have preferred to see them serve prison time, they are no longer members of our police department and with today's plea are convicted felons. The district attorney said the case resulted in New York passing a law prohibiting police officers from having sex with people in custody, closing a loophole that allowed police to claim the sex was consensual."

Jesus Christ. Give me a break. How was it ever legal in the first place for officers to have consensual sex with their prisoners? Goddamned bullshit. Proof positive how truly f--ked up this system of 'justice' currently is.

"We could not apply the new law retroactively, and serious credibility issues in this case precluded us from proceeding on additional charges, yet we remained committed to holding these defendants accountable," Gonzalez said. The woman's attorney, Michael N. David, said the sentence was unacceptable and sent a bad message to victims about police violence. "We're outraged. It's complete injustice what happened today. You can't consent when you're 5'3, 100 pounds and they're both over 6 feet and very muscular. They had her in handcuffs. These cops got a free pass," he said."

No kidding. Outrageous miscarriage, perversion of justice by the 'judge.'

"The attorney said he will represent the woman in a federal lawsuit against the city and will ask the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York to prosecute Martins and Hall."

Report goes on and on. Clearly, no justice. Nazi America.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Nazi justice in Mississippi. ABC News reports:

"A white Mississippi woman who brandished a handgun at an African American couple while telling them to leave a campground has been convicted of a misdemeanor and fined $250. Local news outlets report 70-year-old Ruby Nell Howell of Starkville was found guilty Tuesday in Oktibbeha (awk-TIB'-ih-hah) County Justice Court of threatening exhibition of a weapon. She was also ordered to pay $182.50 in court fees. Howell will not be jailed."

Why not? Had it been the other way around, think a black couple wouldn't have likely been shot and killed by law enforcement? A double standard.

"The charge follows May's widely shared video of a woman in a Kampgrounds of America shirt holding a revolver as she tells the couple to leave because they had no reservation. KOA has said the woman was fired. Jessica and Franklin Richardson, the couple, said they didn't realize they needed a reservation and would have left if asked."

Unbridled racism.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Think all veterans are getting the very best in care? The Washington Post reports:

"By the time he and his wife Sara faced Veterans Affairs medical staff across a conference table in September, Kelly Copelin had lost 75 pounds and could swallow only small pieces of solid food. Radiation therapy had blistered his throat. This was the moment they would finally learn why their lives were so changed. Why when he went to the Fayetteville VA three years earlier with a severe earache, the biopsy came back negative — and he was given antibiotics instead of treatment for what was diagnosed 13 months later as late-stage neck and throat cancer. The pathologist who had misdiagnosed Copelin’s diseased tissue in 2015 was intoxicated, the hospital’s chief physician told the couple. He had failed to see the squamous cell carcinoma on the slide before him, the doctor said. “We are so sorry,” Copelin, 63, remembers him saying. Sobbing, the retired Air Force master sergeant said he asked whether he would be suffering this much if the cancer had been caught before he was at stage 4, with tumors spread to both sides of his face. The treatment would have been the same, doctors told him, stopping short of answering his question directly. The assurances and apologies have come as cold comfort to the families of 21,000 veterans diagnosed by chief pathologist Robert Morris Levy over 12 years, many of whom will live for years with the consequences of his mistakes. Compounding their pain is a sense of betrayal that VA officials did not intervene sooner, firing Levy only after he was arrested in the spring of 2018 for driving under the influence."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

There is at least one U.S. Attorney courageously standing up to white nationalists. ABC News reports:

"The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio on Thursday announced new federal charges against a self-avowed white nationalist accused of threatening to commit an attack on a local Jewish community center. James Reardon, who attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was arrested last week after authorities said he posted the threat on Instagram. U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said Reardon has now been charged with one count of making threats as authorities continue their investigation into Reardon and whether he may have any accomplices. But as the Trump administration continues to face criticism over its response to the rising threat of violent white nationalism, Herdman used the occasion to turn his attention to address white supremacists directly."

Did he ever. Courageously, let it rip:

"I am talking directly to you," Herdman said at a news conference announcing the charges. "The Constitution protects your right to speak, your right to think, and your right to believe. If you want to waste the blessings of liberty by going down a path of hatred and failed ideologies, that is your choice." Herdman continued, evoking the sacrifices made by U.S. service members in World War II against Nazism, as well as those who marched for civil rights throughout U.S. history. "Thousands and thousands of young Americans already voted with their lives to ensure that this same message of intolerance, death, and destruction would not prevail - you can count their ballots by visiting any American cemetery in North Africa, Italy, France, or Belgium and tallying the white headstones," Herdman said. "You can also recite the many names of civil rights advocates who bled and died in opposing supporters of those same ideologies of hatred. Their voices may be distant, but they can still be heard."

Unquestionably. Never to be silenced.

"The Constitution may give you a voice, but it doesn’t guarantee you a receptive audience," Herdman added.

"In powerful remarks, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman calls out white supremacists while announcing charges against a man accused of threatening an attack on Jewish community center.

"Those actions don't make you soldiers, they make you cowards." https://t.co/cGHs9h4cjX pic.twitter.com/lKlQGtu9AD
— ABC News (@ABC) August 29, 2019"

No heart. No soul. No principles. No substance. No humanity. Profound evil. A black hole that draws in the very worst of society.

"Herdman also made reference to other threats made against the Jewish community as well as the mass shooting in El Paso earlier this month, where 21 people were killed by an alleged shooter who had expressed his hope to target Mexicans. "Threatening to kill Jewish people, gunning down innocent Latinos on a weekend shopping trip, planning and plotting to perpetrate murders in the name of a nonsense racial theory, sitting to pray with God-fearing people who you execute moments later - those actions don’t make you soldiers, they make you criminals," Herdman said. " Law enforcement doesn’t go to war with cowards who break the law, we arrest them and send them to prison."

Trump is their mentor, inspiration, ringleader. Given voice to these vicious, fascist bastards who are an evil reincarnation of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and their henchmen. History repeating itself.

"After highlighting what he said are the strengths of diverse communities, Herdman again turned his attention back to addressing white supremacists directly with a stark warning for those who may turn to violence. "When you wake up tomorrow morning, no matter what time, I want you to remember something," Herdman said. "You can’t set your alarm clock early enough to beat us out of bed. The men and women of law enforcement don’t wake up. We never went to sleep." "We are always awake," he added. "And arm in arm with the public, when your hatred leads you to break the law, we will do everything we can to be there to stop you."

To date, not all law enforcement is onboard. Sadly, many in the law enforcement community have embraced this national socialist, fascist, nazi scourge. To say nothing of our hopelessly insane, narcissistic fuhrer currently occupying the Oval Office.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

In follow up to an earlier edition, an incredibly courageous prosecutor stands tall. CBS News reports:

"Chester Hollman spent 27 years and 11 months in prison; Terrance Lewis spent 21 years, five months, five days; and Johnny Berry spent approximately 24 years in prison. They have always maintained their innocence. Together they spent nearly 74 years in prison for crimes they said they did not commit. In some cases, prosecutors or police knew the entire time that they were innocent and did nothing. And, now, the court system agrees, overturning their convictions for second-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy. Correspondent Jericka Duncan talked to the three men, all of whom, now in their 40s, have been exonerated."

Righting an egregious wrong.

"Philadelphia's district attorney, Larry Krasner, wants to correct those wrongs. "The oath is to seek justice," Krasner said. "When somebody sits in a jail cell for a crime they did not commit, that is an injustice." The former public defender assumed the top prosecutor job in 2018. One of his first missions was to beef up the Conviction Integrity Unit to investigate legitimate claims of wrongful convictions. "There was a culture at various times of win at all cost," said Krasner. "And if that meant that you were gonna take the document that suggested there was a different suspect, a document that the Constitution requires you, as a prosecutor, to turn over to the defense, and you were gonna shred it, you did. And then there was a separate issue with certain detectives, and everybody who was in the system knew about it." In his first week in office, he fired 31 employees. "I did not enjoy it, but it was necessary to do," he said. "Especially as I see these exonerations happen, and guess whose names just keep coming up for having been involved in convictions of innocent people?" "The people you let go?" asked Duncan. "Yep. That story will be developing. Stay tuned." In just 19 months, nine people have been exonerated."

The principle of justice deeply embedded in the United States Constitution demands only the guilty be held accountable. The innocent, exonerated.

"Duncan asked, "What do you say about those ex-prosecutors who still believe that the people who've been exonerated are guilty?" "I don't think this is the realm of belief; I think we should be working with facts. The system will always make mistakes, but the kind of prosecutor who is willing to do these things that are illegal and unconstitutional in order to have a win is the kind of prosecutor who's going to say to you, 'I still believe they're guilty,' because they're covering their own tracks."

No question.

"The straight shooter also said he's determined not to waste court time, jail space or tax dollars on prosecuting low-level offenses, like marijuana possession or petty theft. But when it comes to those issues, Krasner's critics said he's releasing criminals that are likely to commit another crime. Duncan asked, "For judges who think or have said you've gone rogue and that you're a group of renegades, how do you respond to that?" "Well, first of all, I have huge respect for the judiciary," Krasner said. "There's a small portion among them who I think take this personally when we say what we say – and we're very direct about it — that these policies and the people who were in the D.A.'s office caused mass incarceration." As for the Conviction Integrity Unit, it's reviewed about 200 cases since Krasner took office. "Conviction integrity is a particularly sticky situation because you are looking back on things that happened in the past," Krasner said. "And sometimes you're asking the same judge, who has already said no to overturning this conviction, to turn it over now based upon additional information."

"Krasner told CBS News the Conviction Integrity Unit actually rejects most of the cases it investigates. So far, it's overturned convictions in about 4% of the cases it's looked into."

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Think Alabama may have a problem? NBC News reports:

"An Alabama man who has spent almost 36 years in prison after stealing $50 was released Friday under new sentencing guidelines that reset the state's three-strikes law. Alvin Kennard, 58, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. But his sentence was changed to time served by Judge David Carpenter in Jefferson County on Wednesday. The state's Department of Corrections had to process Kennard out of the system, which is why he wasn't immediately released after the ruling. He was released from the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, just outside of Bessemer, Alabama on Friday, the Alabama Department of Corrections said in a statement."

Punishment seldom seems to fit the crime. Shouldn't it? Big difference from a criminal stealing fifty bucks from a small business, -- and a big bank such as Wells Fargo looting consumers millions. Yet, who the hell at Wells Fargo has done any prison time?

"Kennard was convicted of robbing a bakery Jan. 24, 1983, in a felony that netted him $50.75, the Birmingham News reported, citing court records. That bakery crime came after Kennard had previously broken into a vacant service station, leading him to plead guilty to three felony counts of burglary and larceny in 1979. Due to that previous conviction, he was sentenced to life behind bars under the three-strikes provision of Alabama's Habitual Felony Offender Act."

Yet, Wells Fargo repeatedly looted customers, got called on it, but not one banker got locked up. Not one. Anything wrong with this picture? Anything at all?

"But in 2013, the Alabama Sentencing Commission adopted new guidelines which, if they had been in place when Kennard robbed the bakery, would have made his previous crime not serious enough to trigger a life sentence without parole, defense lawyers said. Had these new standards been in place then, Kennard couldn't have been imprisoned for any more than 20 years, his attorney Carla Crowder said. He could have been eligible for parole after 10 years. Kennard told the judge Wednesday that he is still remorseful for his crimes. I’m sorry for what I did," Kennard, dressed in orange-and-white jail garb, said. "I was wrong."

Since when did you hear anything like this from a Wells Fargo banker? When? ... Right, Amanda?

"The district attorney's office did not oppose the change in his sentence. Prosecutor Lane Tolbert said, however, that his office did not err in applying the law. “But let me be clear, this is not about $50," Tolbert said."

No. Clearly, it's not. It's about sticking it hard up the ass of a criminal who happens to be a peasant, conversely, the system of 'justice' letting the criminals at a major bank off the hook, criminally. Called bullshit. Nazi justice. Precisely, why there is no faith or trust in law enforcement and the morally bankrupt system of 'justice' in our formerly great country.

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

The following is yet another example of the above. NPR reports:

"Google and its YouTube subsidiary will pay $170 million to settle allegations that YouTube collected personal information from children without their parents' consent, the Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday."

Why is no one going to prison?

"The companies allegedly collected information of children viewing videos on YouTube by tracking users of channels that are directed at kids. YouTube allegedly failed to notify parents or get their consent, violating laws that protect children's privacy, according to a complaint filed against the companies by the FTC and the New York attorney general. "YouTube touted its popularity with children to prospective corporate clients," FTC Chairman Joe Simons said in a statement. "Yet when it came to complying with (the children privacy law), the company refused to acknowledge that portions of its platform were clearly directed to kids. There's no excuse for YouTube's violations of the law." According to the complaint, YouTube marketed itself as a top destination for kids in presentations to the makers of popular children's products and brands. For example, Google and YouTube told Mattel, maker of Barbie and Monster High toys, that "YouTube is today's leader in reaching children age 6-11 against top TV channels" and told Hasbro, which makes My Little Pony and Play-Doh, that YouTube is the "#1 website regularly visited by kids." The FTC voted 3-2 to authorize the complaint and the final order in the case. In his dissent, FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra said Google "baited children using nursery rhymes, cartoons, and other kid-directed content on curated YouTube channels to feed its massively profitable behavioral advertising business." He noted that the "terms of the settlement were not even significant enough to make Google issue a warning to its investors." Chopra said he fears "the Commission brings down the hammer on small firms, while allowing large firms to get off easier." The complaint said the companies' practices violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, known as COPPA, under a 1998 law. Under the settlement, Google and YouTube will pay $136 million to the FTC and $34 million to the state of New York."

Why was no one criminally prosecuted and imprisoned? Why no equal justice?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

9-6-19

Finally, some semblance of justice? In an editorial, The Washington Post reports:

"THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, with strong backing from the insurance industry and the Boy Scouts of America, has been successful for years in blocking state legislation that would allow adults to bring lawsuits for sexual abuse they suffered as children. That wall of obstruction is now gradually being breached, and none too soon. A law enacted this year in New York has unleashed a flood of lawsuits, many against the church and its institutions, as well as individual abusers, by survivors hoping for a measure of justice — and recognition — for traumas they suffered years or decades ago. On the day the Child Victims Act went into force, in mid-August, hundreds of suits were filed; hundreds or perhaps thousands more are expected in coming months."

About time. This egregious injustice has gone on decades.

"The state’s former statute of limitations imposed draconian limits on civil lawsuits, which childhood victims were required to file before the age of 23. Now, for a one-year window, survivors of any age will be allowed to file civil lawsuits; after that, they will have until age 55."

Should be no statute of limitations for these types of suits. Damage done victims, -- lifelong.

"New York is not the first state to open such a window: California, Minnesota, Delaware and Hawaii led the way. But Albany is at the vanguard of what may become a wave of action in state capitals signaling an aggressive new approach — and a rejection of arguments that have long blocked survivors from seeking their day in court. New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and others have enacted similar measures to grant now-adult victims more time to sue priests, coaches and others who abused them long ago. Pennsylvania, where the state attorney general’s office last year documented hundreds of cases of abuse stretching back more than half a century, continues to debate tough new legislation, though so far it has been blocked by Republican leaders in Harrisburg."

Why do Republican national socialists, fascists shamelessly protect priests who sexually abuse?

"The Vatican has struggled to implement sweeping reforms that convincingly convey the message that it will no longer tolerate the systematic coverups and lack of accountability for clergy sex abuse. The American church could do so by dropping its aggressive opposition to state laws such as the one enacted in New York. Granted, that opens the door to payouts to victims that will take a toll on the church’s coffers. But it’s a reasonable price to pay to resurrect the idea that the church hierarchy is genuinely committed to transparency and justice."

It's not. Precisely, the problem. The bottom line always reigns supreme. Principle? What's that?

Cowardly fail to financially and/or materially support those fighting for all civil and constitutional rights and liberties at great personal cost and risk? Get what you truly deserve.

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril

Tim Chorney, Publisher
Liberty In Peril
Formerly,
The Llano Ledger
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