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kidjustice2020 · 3 years

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Anza S1:E1 RC Bandit

This is a Fanfic that is what if the Fillmore world met Criminal Minds.

Anza is one of X Middle School’s top profiler how ever he has a dark secret. He is currently dating X Middle School’s top crime reporter and X Middle School’s top defence lawyer.

Made cover with the app Book Cover Maker

I don't own Fillmore or any of it charters. That is owned by Disney. I also got the bases of the plots from Criminal Minds. Which is owned by Jeff Davis.

In the study hall, a pretty girl sits at a computer in a chat room with another student. 'Why are you trading it?' she types. 'Because I want to try something new.' said the response.

It was a rainy afternoon on the remote control car track, there was no one around on the track except for two figures.

"Hi, I am Heather." She was meeting someone to do a test drive of a Dotson Z. However she only got a head nod from the other student. "So where is it?" she asked.

That is when it happened all of a sudden, there was tape on her mouth. Then she was pushed to the floor as the other student made off with her Carleton K race car.

"How about Andrew?" asked Madison to her two partners Joe and TQ. They were currently deep in the library, debating what to name their health project, an egg they had to look after for the next few months. "It's greek for valiant." She said as she pushed a lock of red curls from her face.

"Let's call him..." Joe paused. "Sergio."

"Ha!" Madison gave a half-hearted laugh, "You got to be kidding me?"

"Butch?" Joe asked his two partners.

"How about Donald?" asked Madison.

"Hans," Joe said back.

"No! Wait. Um..." said Madison thinking with her tongue sticking out of her mouth full of braces.

That when TQ joined in, "Okay. Horatio."

"No!" said Joe and Madison at the same time.

"It's Latin. Look what it means." said TQ holding up a baby name book, "It's perfect Horatio Anza-Sharder."

"No," said Joe and Madison at the same time again.

"Yes," TQ argued back half-heartedly with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"No. We are not and I repeat we are not naming it after my boss," said Joe very seriously.

That's when Madison's pager went off.

"Duty calls," said Madison giving TQ and Joe a kiss on the cheek each, then grabbed her skateboard and went zooming off without a helmet, her long red hair flowing be hind her.

Joe should have gone off after her, it was illegal to skateboard in the school and without a helmet to boot. But he knew it would be useless, plus he could not be seen hanging out with the school's top crime reporter or the school's top defence lawyer.

The three of them had been together since Kindergarten, each had their dream of fighting crime in their own unique way. But it made things complicated between the three of them, however, that did not change how much they meant to each other.

That's when Joe's walkie-talkie went off and the Junior Commissioner Horatio Vallejo came through and said "Anza he's back. Come to the RC car track."

"On it," said Joe.

That's when he could hear Vallejo yelling at Madison to get away from the crime scene.

Joe looked at TQ, "How does she always get the lowdown first?" Joe asked.

All he got in response was a shrug and a kiss from TQ as he left their little hidden corner of the library.

When Anza got to the crime scene, Madison was already gone probably writing up her article for the morning paper, about the 'RC Bandit', which was the name Madison gave to the unsub.

It was just like the last three crime scenes, he noticed. Wet, from the rain which the unsub use as cover to get the victim and their car alone on the track. The victim's mouth was taped shut with silver duck tape to prevent her from screaming when the unsub took off with her car.

"Which type of RC car did he tempt with now." asked Anza.

"A Dotsons Z." Fillmore said.

"Interesting, that the second time he used the Dotsons Z.," he said taking down a note. "Has anyone checked her school computer account?" Anza asked having the feeling it was just like all the other ones.

"It was erased," said Tehama the forensic expert. "However, they left this on her computer." She said handing him a piece of paper that read 'For heaven's sake, catch me before I take more. I cannot control myself. He had seen this before at another one of his crime scenes when Tony DeMarco was stealing lipstick, he left it scrolled on a mirror in the girls' bathroom.

"Interesting," Joe said taking down another note.

"What so interesting?" Fillmore asked, he always hated how Anza took down private notes and not telling anyone, what he was thinking. Fillmore didn't trust Joe felt he was hiding something from the force, which he was, but that had nothing to do with his notes. He just didn't want his Fillmore to jump to any conclusions. Fillmore had recently joined the team, he was a reformed criminal now Safety Patrol officer, his partner was Wayne Liggett, who help gave him a second chance. However, he was reckless and hot-headed, which is why Anza didn't trust him yet.

"Folsom wants a working profile by 4:00, Anza," said Vallejo.

"I will let you know what is so interesting, when I give the profile, at 4:00 headquarters," Anza said the last part to everyone.

"Scratch that Anza." said Tehama, "We got another crime scene at the east wing gym. They found an RC body. What was underneath is stripped, it was found between 3:30 and 3:56 when classes ended and the anonymous caller tipped us off."

Anza had a feeling he knew who the anonymous caller was, Madison, how she got there first he didn't quite know, but she was always careful to never leave prints at the scene.

When they got to the other crime scene the press was already there. There she was, Madison, firing questions to the safety patrol media liaison, so quickly that Madison was trying to trip her up to give away any new clues that she did not know yet.

She never questioned him, for both their integrity. She questioned Sally the media liaison or the witnesses always going throw the right channels, most of the time. Sure she broke some laws to get the story like her skateboard through the hall and never wearing a helmet, having a few sources that she buy off to contact her first before she would contact Safety Patrol. But that was what every reporter would do in real life to get the story, plus she helped out the safety patrol on many cases. She was a good detective almost as much as she was a good reporter.

It was clear to him the some took the body for a joy ride as it was all smashed up. The bodies of the RC car are expensive but un-tradable unlike the undercarriage, which was twice as expensive, but way harder to trace back to an individual RC car. Especially when it was taken apart and sold for parts.

Joe knew he was missing something but he was not quite sure what it was yet. As he ran his hand through his hair "There is nothing left to get from here." he told the other officers. "Meet me in headquarters at 4:30, I am ready as I will ever be with the profile."

At headquarters, Anza was giving the profile as the media waited outside for their update.

"Are unidentified subject is a male between 11 to 12 years old. He's someone you wouldn't notice at first. He's someone who'd blend into any crowd. The violent nature of the crime suggests he has a record... petty crimes. Maybe helping someone cheat. We've classified him as an organized criminal - careful. He follows the news, has good hygiene. He's smart. 'Cause he's smart, the only physical evidence you'll find is what he wants you to find. His bike is a RadRunner 1, electric, black. He also has a Dotson Z RC car. Psychiatric evaluations will show a history of paranoia stemming from a trauma - the death of a pet may be. And now he feels persecuted and watched. Steeling gives him a sense of power. Organized criminals have a fascination with law enforcement. They will inject themselves into the investigation. They will even come forward as witnesses to see just how much the Safety Patrol really knows. That makes them feel powerful, in control. Which is why I also think... In fact, I know... we have already interviewed him." finish Anza.

"Or maybe it's the other way around," said Fillmore. "Who has been first at every crime scene, badgering us constantly? Who do you think phoned the last scene in?"

"Madison Goldberg," said Liggett.

"Yes but she is, female, 13, and rides a red skateboard. Which does not fit the profile," said Anza defending more his profile than Madison. But he still knew Madison was innocent not just because he was one of her alibis but also he knew her and her integrity way too well, she would never fabricate a story for a sake of making the front page.

"Yeah well, why don't we see if she left any fingerprints on the phones near the east gym. If she was the one to make the call that should at least mean she should be a suspect," said Fillmore.

That is when the argument erupted between Fillmore and Anza. There was a good yelling match between the two, which ended in Vallejo telling both officers to follow their own leads.

As Sally, the safety patrol media liaison talked with the press.

Anza focused on his leads which meant going through over 50 witness statements by himself.

Fillmore, Liggett, Tehama and O'Farrell when back to the crime scene to search for prints.

Anza was still fuming over the argument he had with Fillmore. Only him and the Junior Commissioner were left in the office. "Do you need help?" asked Vallejo looking at Anza's massive stack of papers.

"Oh no, go off after Fillmore and his merry band of merry men. Not like my profile means anything around here." said a very sarcastic Anza.

"You know that if she didn't constantly mess with the crime scene or was always there first through her sources. The team would be less likely to suspect her so much." said a very genuine Vallejo.

"Yeah, well we both know how stubborn she can be." Anza responded, "And nothing me or TQ could say to her that would make her stop."

"Yes, but she needs to be more careful, one of these days, she is going to get in real trouble. And more than just riding her skateboard through the halls without a helmet. But if Folsom has her way, if we don't solve this case by tomorrow afternoon, she going to turn this place into a faculty yoga studio."Said Vallejo he was in the same grade as Joe, TQ and Madison he knew them since grade 2 and knew their secret since then. "What are you doing?" Vallejo asked as Anza was on the phone.

Once Anza finished, he turns back to Vallejo, "Just sent a message to TQ's pager, if she left any prints on the phone she is going to need both a good lawyer but also the people that are her alibi for the time of today's crime."

"Let me guess you're one of those people?" asked Vallejo.

"Yes, we are working on a health class project and if I have to, I will vouch for her," said Anza.

A half an hour later, Fillmore came back with Madison in tow.

"We got her prints on the east gym's phone near the locker room," said Fillmore. "She ain't talking. All she has done is demand for her lawyer."

"Did she at least give you anything like an alibi," asked Anza a bit worried but he was not sure over what. Was it because Madison could be locked up in detention for this or was it his own skin he was worrying about.

"No." said Fillmore then he walked up to Anza and demanded, "Why? You know something."

Anza said nothing just glared at Fillmore eye to eye. He didn't what to give up that he was Madison's alibi right way, but he also didn't what to get caught in a lie either. So he kept his mouth shut.

After Fillmore and Anza stare down, Fillmore when to question Madison. "So what were your fingerprints doing on the phone in the east wing?" Her response was nothing. "So do you want to tell me how X Middle School's top crime reporter, alibi is Anza, Safety Patrol's Profiler?"

Madison didn't even blink at that one, she had a good poker face Anza knew well, especially how many times he lost to it. That was when Madison finally opened her mouth. She very bluntly said to Fillmore, "I want my lawyer." as she spoke she tossed a business card at Fillmore.

"This isn't over," said Fillmore with a glare, when he came out of the interrogation room he went over to Liggett. "So, what is our next step?"

"We can't do anything until her lawyer arrives." said Liggett, "Who is it by the way?"

"TQ Shrader. Dog, she is going to be out of here within the hour." said a frustrated Fillmore.

When TQ showed up he let Fillmore and the force have it. He let them know that he was one of her alibis working with her on a health project, he even tossed around both his and Madison's fathers' names to put the fear of principal Folsom in them. Both his and Madison's fathers were important and had a lot of money behind them, they help fund the school news convention centre last month. However they never really flaunted it unlike some other students. Each with their family power could have any positions at the school like a head prosecutor or chief editor, but they didn't. TQ must have been in a bad mood to bring up the parents, maybe staying in over 2 hours late, at school to defend someone who most of the Safety Patrol had out for years and who didn't even fit the profile which was given to the press an hour ago. It took him less than 10 minutes to get her out, which was a new record but he did bring up the parents so did it count; Anza wasn't really sure.

Once TQ and Madison left, Anza brought up his lead Richard Slessman. Slessman served 6 weeks in detention for selling cheat sheets, he rides a RadRunner 1 black, and is in grade 7 but was only 11 years old.

"We will get a warrant for Slessman's locker and his arrest tomorrow morning when the court opens." said Vallejo, "Everyone go home, get some rest."

When the next morning came Anza was up bright and early to get the warrant to get Slessman's locker combo and bring him in.

Anza had Tehama and O'Farell look after Slessman's locker which was the easy part.

The hard part was getting Slessman. They didn't want to just burst into his English class because it would put the other students at risk. So Anza had a plan to send in Rachel Matlock a red head that just transferred from Brooklyn. Pretty much no one knew she was a Safety Patrol officer mainly because she worked undercover.

Anza watch from a safe distance as Rachel did her work.

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother your class, Mrs. Richman. But Mr. Thomson want's to see Richard in his class.

"Richard." Mrs. Richman called.

"He coming," said Anza "I want a clean arrest, okay people." he directed that last part over to Fillmore who was known to make a lot of destruction in his and Liggett's arrests.

"Safety patrol! Freeze!" said Anza.

That was when Rachel came from behind and got Slessman to his knees and said Richard Slessman, safety patrol. You are under school arrest for the theft..."

Fillmore and Liggett brought Slessman into headquarters. Anza headed over to Slessman's locker. He found Tehama and O'Farrell going through Slessman's things. Tehama was bagging a picture of a dog that looks like it was coming from a shrine. Anza saw these before from students that lost a pet before their time. Anza made a note that he could use this as leverage later.

"What we got, Tehama?" asked Anza.

"Not much." She said. "A bike lock key to a RadRunner1. No, Dotson Z though, or anything to do with RC. And a shrine to his dog Rover who apparently passed 8 months ago."

"Just when Slessman started to get into trouble. Interesting." Anza said taken down another note.

"Well." She said looking nervous. "There was this." She handed Anza a group of papers.

"I want to talk to him." is all Anza said angrily as he left for headquarters.

When Anza got there he got an unpleasant surprise. TQ was with Slessman. "What is he doing here?" he asked Vallejo pointing to TQ.

"He called for a lawyer." was all that Vallejo said shaking his head and taking a sip from his mug.

"Yeah, but I thought his lawyer was Mark Evans." Anza said, "How did he get Shrader's number? He is really picky about who he gives his cards out to."

"Don't know." said Vallejo "All I know is he's here."

Anza went to the interrogation room, "You have read my paper. Learn anything?" Anza asked the suspect.

"Harrison said a man living inside of his head was the one who committed the thefts." Slessman began "You said he was lying, that there'd never been an actual case of multiple personalities."

"You have an academic interest in dissociative identity disorder, or are you just planning your defence?" asked Anza back.

"Don't answer that" said TQ putting his hand up in front of Slessmen's face stopping him from talking.

"You a fan of Adrian Bale's work?" Anza said putting down a newspaper clipping of the X Middle School serial stink bomber.

TQ was silent, Anza was pretty sure he was in shock or fuming so much he didn't dare open his mouth.

"No," said Slessmen. "I am a fan of yours."

There was silence for a good minute before Slessmen spoke again. "You know... They never give you the real facts about CPR... That outside of a hospital, it's only effective 7% of the time. Your girlfriend, she was lucky."

Anza was fuming but he was not as bad as TQ, he looked ready to strangle Slessmen. What happened to Madison was no joke she almost died that day. Bale got put into juvie.

Anza grabbed TQ and pulled him out of there before he did anything that he would regret. They went into the other side of the interrogation room to talk.

"You need to breathe TQ," Joe said as he leads him into the other half of the interrogation room which there was a stunned Vallejo inside.

"Out!" Joe yelled starting to lose his cool. Thankfully he left without a word. Anza really could have punch someone right now, and getting suspended will not help the case.

Once the door was shut the yelling match began. "Take a breath, that all you got to say, Joe! Did you not hear what he said!" yelled a fuming TQ.

"We can't make this personal TQ.," said Joe.

"We can't make this personal, he is the one making it personal Joe! And if he thinks I am going to defend him anymore he's got another thing coming!" TQ yelled at Slessmen through the one-way glass.

Nether cared at that second that their secret may be out but they were both too angry to care. Anza eventually calmed down TQ by pushing him up against the wall and having a small make-out session with him. "You okay?" Joe asked when they both got back their breath.

"I'm fine." said a much less angry TQ. "Are you?"

"Think I can't do the job?" Joe asked TQ genuinely.

"I think you can't be 2 different people at once. You need to let out your anger too, Joe." said a worried TQ as he put his hand on Joe's cheek.

"Don't think that make-out session was only for your benefit, TQ," Joe responded, then he froze.

"What is it?" asked TQ.

"The conflicts in the profile. 2 different behaviours. 2 different people," said Joe to TQ.

"There's a second thief," TQ whispers back in shock.

Anza left the room and announced there was a second thief to the entire Safety Patrol.

"Folsom is not going to like this," said Vallejo shaking his head.

"It's not unusual," said Anza as he walked over to Tehama. "Remember Leonard Pékerman and Roy Randalls? Last Fall. They outfitted a janitor's closet and stoled girls' backpacks for their gym clothes."

"Yeah, creeps," said Tehama with a shiver.

"Tehama is that Slessmen's laptop," Anza asked.

"Yeah, but it's useless. O'Farrell put in a false password he got from Slessmen, and now it won't work. We got only 6 tries for a password before the program wipes the hard drive." She said to Anza. "We already tried his dog's name but no luck."

"Try, Kiana," said Anza without hesitation.

"How'd you..." she said in shock.

"It's the name of my dog. If this kid so obsessed with me then he would chose a password that would reflect that." is all Anza explained to her. Then he turned to TQ "You feel like being a prosecutor for this case."

"Only if Vallejo lets me," said TQ.

Everyone turns to Vallejo "Sure why not we got nothing to lose. Okay QT and Liggett try to get Slessman to disclose where the chop shop is. Fillmore and Tehama try to find out what's on that computer. Anza, you're with me. Remember people we got to close this case by the end of the day or else. Let's go."

"What about me?" asked O'Farrell just as Vallejo and Anza were about to leave.

"O'Farrell, stay out of everyone's way." said Vallejo, "We don't want an incident like with Tommy Swayer."

When they left the office Vallejo asked, "So what's our next step?"

"We are going to the X-Middle School's Examiner office," said Anza.

"Madison?" asked Vallejo with a raised eyebrow.

"Madison is not only the top crime reporter but also the head of the gossip club." He said, "If anyone knows, who is hanging out with who, it's her."

When they got to the Examiner's office, Madison was at her desk typing away.

"Officers," she said not looking away from her computer.

"Hello Madison," said Vallejo, "What do you know about Richard Slessman."

"Good boy gone bad, straight-A student, skipped a grade. However, everything when bad when he lost his dog in a car accident, the criminal was never caught. He spent time in detention for selling cheat sheets. He was heard hanging out with Charles Linder, who sat in front of him in detention.

"Thanks, Madison," said Vallejo as he and Anza were about to leave.

Madison stopped then with a, "But... he got transferred to a new school last month."

"Thanks, Madison," said Vallejo sadder than frustrated as he and Anza were about to leave again.

Madison stopped the with another, "But..."

"Just spit it out, Goldberg!" Vallejo yelled at her starting to get frustrated.

"Okay, okay, officers. Here," she said handing the folder with the name Tim Vogel on it.

"Who's Tim Vogel," asked Anza looking at the files.

"Easy, he was the Hall Monitor on Slessman's detention block. A scrawny kid like that would need protection in detention, and a hall monitor's hole job on detention block is to protect the detentionies from each other. Plus he has a Z on his key ring." she said with a smile.

"How, did you..." Vallejo said trying to figure out how she got the inside scoop.

"A good magician never reveals their secret. And neither does a good reporter." She said to Vallejo.

"If you ever give up being a reporter. Come to the Safety Patrol you would make a good detective." Vallejo said as he and Anza left for good this time.

"Liggett, TQ, we got you a name Tim Vogel." Said Vallejo over his walkie-talkie.

"Try using Rover Slessman's dog as leverage QT, it might bring out his conscience. Oh yeah, and turn the temperature down it puts them on edge," said Anza as he snatched the walkie-talkie from Vallejo.

"Give me that," said Vallejo snatching back the walkie from Anza. "Tehama, what's Vogel's next class?"

"His next class in math, Mr. Peterson. Room..." she paused as she looked it up on the computer "216 west wings."

"That is on the other side of the school," said Vallejo in frustration.

"What are you doing, stop." they heard Tehama on the other end yelling at someone.

"What's going on." asked a concerned Vallejo. Anza was already getting his old rollerblades out of his bag, which he got as a hand me down from his brother.

"It's Fillmore, he just booked it." said Tehama "He said something about being able to get there first."

"Fillmore!" Vallejo yelled over the walkie. " We need him to lead us to the location of the RC chop shop."

"Sorry, but already on him," said Fillmore over the walkie.

"Fillmore if you ruin this bust Folsom is going to have all our badges," Vallejo said angrily to Fillmore over the walkie.

Anza had his skates on and was ready to go. "TQ," he said over his own walkie, "you got anything?"

"Sorry, but the kid is not talking," TQ responded over the walkie.

"Tehama, which way is Fillmore going" asked a furious Anza.

"Northwest," she said.

"To the lake. Bingo!" said Anza when speeding off in on his rollerblades.

"TQ," Anza said over the walkie "He heading to the lake. Use that as leverage say we have Vogel in custody and he saying it was Slessman's idea to put the chop shop near the lake. Oh, and where ever it is, get us a warrant for both the location but also Vogel, ASAP."

He was almost at the lake when Tehama came over the walkie "It's in the shipyard boathouse."

That when he saw Vogel and Fillmore right on his tale, they were almost at the boathouse. "I got the warrant," said TQ through the walkie. Anza pick up speed and rammed right into Vogel. Knocking all of them into the lake.

"I can't swim!" Vogel yelled as he splashed in the water.

"Stand up, Vogel." said Anza

That was when Vogel noticed he was only in a foot of water.

"Oh," he said. standing up.

"Vogel we have a warrant for your arrest and to search that boathouse." said a wet Anza.

"What the hell!" yelled a wet Fillmore at Anza.

"What do you mean, what the hell! You were the one about to ruin the bust Fillmore!" yelled an angry Anza back. "Freeze Vogel, you are coming with me." Anza grabbed Vogel's arm before he could run off again. "Fillmore stay put and watch the boathouse that is an order."

When Anza got back to headquarters he was still fuming. That was when he caught sight of Madison questioning Sally about the most recent arrest and the boathouse. How she knew about the boathouse he didn't quite know. Which made him smile.

"You're wet," she said with a smile stating the obvious.

"Thanks." He said giving a smile right back.

When he got into the office, he handed Vogel over to Tehama to book. He also sent Liggett to go check in on Fillmore and the boathouse.

Vallejo was waiting for him at his desk. "Do you think your secret is out?" he asked Anza in a whisper.

"Don't know." was all Joe said to him as he packed his bags to go meet TQ and Madison to talk about more egg names.

#fillmore #criminal minds #fanfic

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rodriguezs · 4 years

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my family experience with football players ✨ (actually the: "how i had/have 284783 football players in my surroundings and here i am")

-my dad met pelé once at the airport and he stole my dad's chips lol 😭

- my dad was one of the first teachers to learn about computers on my city and some football players wanted to learn too. his students both rzgz and spurs players: nayim and gustavo poyet ✨ (fun fact nayim and my dad are still friends bc his son is my dad's student at the moment lol)

- my brother's best friend (my forever crush🥺) and ander herrera are good friends bc they used to play in the same team. ander succeed, my bro bf obviously didn't. i don't remember much but i had dinner with him once and i remember him being a little too cocky 💀

- my coworker's son and carvajal are bros🤝 for🤝 life 🤝- he was also my father's student- (imagine my face when she told me: my son has gone to kiev to see the final champions bc his friend carvajal plays at rm. do you know him? bITCh WH-) and he literally has traveled around the world bc carvajal pays him for everything. THE GOALS 😭

-vallejo is my age and literally growing here in my city, you get to know everyone. He went the last two years of high school with my friends and they said he was super hard worker, really humble and just a really nice person -his friends not much tho-

(look at him studying to be a lawyer 🥺)

- this is much of a reach but my boss (co-worker, dad's and uncle's friend and my coach LOL) knows cristiano's family (and he is a huge barse fan😭)

-and then my friends used to have gabi from atletico d madrid as neighbour, puado too, PIQUÉ when he was not famous ksjdkd and some other rzgz players that are not as famous but still ✨✨

and this bitch could have been a potential wag and here i am 🙃😭🙃😭 (jkjk)

#oh and i met theo hernandez once in mallorca but i thought asking for a photo was too much #it was such a funny situation CAUSE I don't know what to do in this occasions like i gwt really nervous #anyway im bored in the car so that's it #im sure im forgetting a lot but 🙃#ander herrera #vallejo #etc etc #personal

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top-legal-advice-biz-blog · 5 years

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Qualities Of a Good Lawyer

A lawyer will come in handy when you have a case in the court. Some of the cases that might call for hiring a lawyer are; injury cases, criminal cases and maritime cases among others. A lawyer is a significant person when it comes to legal case handling. It is a bit challenging to choose a good lawyer since they are many in the market. However, you can consider several factors that will help you select the best lawyer. Professionalism is a crucial factor you should look in a lawyer during your selection. Any good lawyer should have trained in an institution that is recognized and emerge victorious. An unprofessional lawyer cannot guarantee a win in your case. You can never go wrong by requesting for professional documents from the lawyer you wish to hire. If a lawyer hesitates to produce their professional documents, they should be questionable. A knowledgeable Fairfield lawyer is the best to hire. The period a lawyer has been in service determines their experience level. You cannot know whether a lawyer is knowledgeable if you don’t scrutinize the time factor of their services. An inexperienced lawyer might not be satisfying. You should choose a lawyer who is authorized to operate. Upon licensing, a state ensures that the lawyer in question meets all the necessary qualifications. You can, therefore, be confident in a lawyer who is accredited. A certified lawyer will as well offer favorable conditions such as charges since they have state guidelines on the same. A credible lawyer will not hesitate to publicize their authorization documents. It is of importance to ask for reviews on a lawyer before settling for them. One of the ways of getting reviews is through the website. After reading the comments from the site, you can then gauge the suitability of the lawyer in question. It is only through offering the best high-quality services that a lawyer will gain recommendations from clients. You should thus select a lawyer who receives praises from many clients. It will be an advantage to go to a lawyer’s office before you select them. You should scrutinize the responses of a particular lawyer to gauge their suitability. A lawyer who is hard to get when the need arises will not be ideal. You will have a hard time dealing with a lawyer who is not reachable. You should as well be vigilant with lawyers who have a tendency of allocating their responsibilities to persons who are not of your choice. You should look for the right information concerning the availability of a lawyer before hiring them. Find out an additional details from these lawyers in Vallejo CA. Check out also this related article - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-should-you-hire-an-attorney_b_5825f2c5e4b02b1f5257a079

#lawyers #attorney

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shangskie · 2 years

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"LITTLE NANAY CRITIQUE BLOG"

I always believe in the saying that as long as the family is together, everything will be alright. No matter how many struggles there may be, our family will always be there no matter what. Little Nanay, a heart warming, family-oriented teleserye of GMA Network showcases how being happy and contented with your very own family makes you the richest person in the world.

Little Nanay premiered last November 2015 which composes of Batongbuhay, San Pedro and Vallejo clans. Directed by Ricky Davao, “Little Nanay” has a stellar cast including Nora Aunor, Eddie Garcia, Christopher de Leon, Bembol Roco, Sunshine Dizon, Gladys Reyes.

Not long ago when Kris Bernal won Starstruck Season 4 and since then everything's a history. Her toughest role to date, “Little Nanay” sees Kris as Tinay, a 25-year-old with the mental disability of a nine-year-old. Impregnated by a childhood playmate, her family struggles to support her and shield her from the harsh world outside of their household. She is blessed with a beautiful daughter Chie Chie (Chlaui Malayao) who’s mature for her age, but the family of the kid’s dad disrupts their existence in their attempts to gain custody of Chie Chie. I actually admire Kris in her role because not everyone can portray a role like this perfectly and hands down, she did it really well I'm beginning to be worried what if she grows accustomed into being Tinay even after taping.

Chlaui Malayao's acting as Chie Chie is also superb. After doing Yagit, this girl can really go places because at an early age, she takes acting really seriously. In an interview during her birthday she said that she is very thankful that GMA Network has given her this wonderful project and she is grateful to be working side by side with top veteran actors and actress in the showbiz industry. For sure both Chalui and Kris has been learning a lot working with Bembol Rocco, Eddie Garcia and Superstar Ms. Nora Aunor.

After watching the first week of Little Nanay not only me but also my family got hooked with the story. I find it really nice that Tinay's brothers namely Juancho Trivino and Mark Herras are always there to support her no matter what, they're like her shield and her knight that will forever protect her from any harm because they know she is fragile but of course Gladys and Keempee's character gives the series a twist and an angle that not everyday is a happy day for everyone.

It's really refreshing to watch Bembol Rocco, Eddie Garcia and Superstar Nora Aunor in once teleserye. They're the icons of the showbiz industry and for one thing, we should see more of them. One of my favorite scenes in Little Nanay is when Christopher De Leon guested as a Lawyer and seeing Nora and Boyet again just like the old times when they are being paired as a love team looks really cute.

Little Nanay makes the viewers appreciate more their family because it is our only treasure just like happiness that we can never buy. No matter who we are in the family, we have our own roles to play, we should always give importance on how our parents sacrifice a lot of things just to give us an amazing life and I appreciate that more.

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thecrimeattorney · 2 years

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5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney | Yuri Hill

A felony is a criminal case and offense which can lead to a punishment of twelve months or one year, or even longer, behind the bars. A felony offense is charged to an individual if he or she has committed a crime that is combined by violence or any act that has harmed and has led to another individual’s danger and peril, including the most treacherous crimes and several acts of violence that the human mind can ever imagine like murder and abuse.

If you ever find yourself caught in this state of affairs, seeking legal help, advice, or assistance is the best way. But this needs utmost trust and assurance from the person you are seeking help and assistance with.

Luckily, a criminal defense attorney in Vallejo will most likely help and assist you with your criminal cases like a felony. Asking for the help of a criminal defense lawyer will help you in understanding the charges and defenses that correspond to the felony offense that you need to handle and resolve. In this way, you and your criminal defense lawyer will be able to decode ways on how your criminal charges can be reduced, as well as how your incorruptibility can be proven to be able to reduce criminal charges and, or, receive legally acceptable charges corresponding your felony offenses.

Hesitation is the last thing

You do not need to worry or be scared in walking in and out of the court because there are persons who will help, represent, and assist you in finding ways on how to settle your cases legally. Do not fret and do not hesitate. A criminal defense lawyer will legally help you with your legal needs. They are the best individuals who will surely handle your criminal cases smoothly and professionally.

If you find yourself under charges of felony, hesitation is the last thing to do, and hiring a criminal defense lawyer should be your top-most priority. If you are still doubting a criminal defense attorney’s skills and capabilities and why hire a criminal defense attorney for a felony is a must, then here are some notable facts you must take into considerations.

· Being convicted of a felony can tarnish your reputation until your last breath. An individual with a criminal record because of conviction after facing a felony offense already possesses a tarnished reputation. In some places, their right to vote during elections can be also taken away from them. Hence, hiring a criminal defense lawyer is the best possible way to be able to prevent being in this situation.

· These criminal defense attorneys are your shield. Criminal defense attorneys are individuals who have an emphasis on protecting and taking care of every individual’s civil and constitutional rights.

· These criminal defense attorneys are smart defenders. These people also help their defendants in building defenses which can be of help in reducing legal consequences that correspond to your criminal cases.

· These criminal defense attorneys know the field best. A criminal defense lawyer is a person who is familiar and best in handling situations like these because it is what they do for a living. On a daily basis, they mingle with the law officers like the prosecutors, judges, and police officers to ensure your legal rights and legal defenses are in the right situation to do so and pursue.

Several ways are possible to resolve a criminal offense like a felony. With the help of a criminal defense lawyer, proceeding with your defenses as well as the prosecution negotiation and pleas will not be that hard to settle because the right person is available to help and assist you. Make sure that you have built a strong foundation of trust between your criminal defense lawyer to be able to settle and handle your criminal cases together, and walk in and out of the court as a free man.

The power of right

You have a right as an individual to defend yourself in times when you are charged and are facing a criminal or various charges of the law. The best person who can help you deal with these charges of a crime is a person who knows well what they are doing when it comes to the system of criminal justice, the processes in navigating your legal defenses and ensuring that you and your rights as an individual are securely protected along with the legal processes.

You do not need to worry about facing the police or other officers all by yourself when you hire these kinds of people who can help you. These people are called criminal defense attorneys. A criminal defense lawyer is a person who is familiar and best in handling situations like these because it is what they do for a living. On a daily basis, they mingle with the law officers like the prosecutors, judges, and police officers to ensure your legal rights and legal defenses are in the right situation to do so and pursue.

It is in your own free will and choice if you wanted to hire a criminal defense attorney. But this is a good decision if you are going to do so. With the help of a criminal defense attorney, you are given a representation of legal service and you can handle defenses and consequences of legality well for you are in good hands if you will hire a criminal defense attorney.

The possibilities of your sentence or possible punishment may also be lessened or reduced, whether it will be years or months behind the bars or an ample amount of money as a fine because a criminal defense attorney is by your side to negotiate conviction matters and defend yourself regarding your criminal offenses.

Trust is the first thing, but wise decision making comes after

When in doubt, trust. You must be knowledgeable enough of the characteristics that a good and reliable criminal defense attorney possesses. A criminal defense attorney can be your shield as well as your last straw of hope when you are caught with charges of felony.

Hence, you need to know your criminal defense attorney well enough for you to be able to build a trusted relationship between them along with the criminal cases you are going to handle and resolve together.

If you are new in the field of criminal justice and the law system, knowing how a criminal defense attorney can assist and help you with your legal and criminal cases is the best step to start with.

The cream of the crop

These criminal defense attorneys face and resolve quite a number of various criminal charges and offenses – felony being one of them. Therefore, if you are going to ask for a legal helping hand, might as well look for the best criminal defense attorney you can ever have by your side to be able to make things in your favor.

For you to be able to skim for the cream of the crop, take note of the following facts and skills that a criminal defense attorney must have.

· A criminal defense attorney must have years of experience in the field and the system of criminal justice. Hire a criminal defense attorney who focuses on the field of law and criminal justice because surely, the possibilities of encountering such criminal cases and offenses like felony are common and the familiarity is already present.

· A criminal defense attorney must be fearless. A criminal defense attorney that you should hire must not be hesitant in doing work on the field – in the crime scene – and not just in the four corners of the court. In some cases, you might be needing shreds of evidence from the scene of the crime. Your criminal defense attorney must help in obtaining one to be able to create smart defenses in your favor.

· A criminal defense attorney must be flexible. The criminal rules, laws, and regulations differ from place to place. The criminal defense attorney that you should hire must be aware of this and must take into consideration the possible consequences thrown at you to be able to build strong defenses that favor your party. The criminal defense attorney that you should hire must be aware of both local and international, or state and county, rules of the court.

Seeking legal help, advice, or assistance needs utmost trust and assurance from the person you are seeking help and assistance with. Asking for the help of a criminal defense attorney will help you in understanding the charges and defenses that correspond to the criminal case you need to handle and resolve. In this way, you and your criminal defense attorney will be able to decode ways on how your criminal cases can be reduced, as well as how your virtuousness can be proven to be able to reduce criminal charges and, or, receive legally acceptable charges corresponding your criminal cases.

#criminal defense attorney #criminal defense lawyer #criminal rules #laws #laws and regulations #criminal charges #criminal defense #legal defenses

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morganbelarus · 5 years

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Vallejo officer who shot Willie McCoy killed unarmed man fleeing on bike video shows

Ryan McMahon stayed on the force after shooting Ronell Foster, a 33-year-old father who police say was riding his bike without a light

Vallejo police have released body-camera footage of an officer chasing an unarmed man in 2018 and fatally shooting him in the back as he was trying to flee.

The police officer, Ryan McMahon, stayed on the force after killing Ronell Foster and went on to shoot Willie McCoy, the 20-year-old who was sleeping in his car at a Taco Bell when a group of officers killed him earlier this year.

The disturbing footage of McMahon shooting Foster, a 33-year-old father who police said was riding his bike without a light, has sparked renewed outrage about the northern California police department and its troubled history of deadly force.

Paula McGowan, Fosters mother, told the Guardian it was disturbing that McMahon killed her son and remained on the job: Why is he still on the street? Why is he still on patrol? It makes me angry as hell. It disgusts me, because it lets me know that they dont care. They have no rules or protocol.

On 13 February 2018, McMahon saw Ronell Foster riding a bicycle at night with no headlamp while weaving in and out of traffic, Vallejo police said in a statement accompanying the video, released on Monday. The officer then tried to conduct a traffic stop for vehicle code violations, at which point Foster continued riding his bike away from the officer.

Body-camera footage of Ryan McMahon chasing Ronell Foster in 2018 and fatally shooting him in the back as he was trying to flee. Photograph: Vallejo police

I have a guy on a bicycle running from me, McMahon told a dispatcher. About 50 seconds later, he had killed Foster, announcing shots fired.

The body-camera footage is dark and shaky and it is difficult to see what happened. It captured visuals about 30 seconds before the shooting, but not audio. The footage showed Foster struggling on the ground and appearing to try to escape, though it is unclear exactly when the officer fired.

McMahon shot Foster in the back and back of the head, Fosters attorneys have said in court filings. The footage showed the officer standing above Foster, who is on the ground. McMahon appeared to fire at him from a short distance. When the audio turned on after the shooting, an apparent witness said, Wow that was bad, and McMahon said, Im OK.

Vallejo police have continued to allege Foster at one point grabbed the officers flashlight and presented it in a threatening manner. The grainy footage, however, does not corroborate this assertion and only seems to show the flashlight dropping to the ground.

The video proves that the official police story is nothing but a fraud, Adante Pointer, the lawyer for Fosters family, told the Guardian. Ronell Foster was unarmed, did not present an immediate threat to anyone and was killed for essentially riding his bike.

Police have said it was a violent physical struggle between the two and that McMahon first tried to use his Taser. But Pointer shared photos with the Guardian that he said showed that McMahon had hit Foster in the head with his flashlight and shot him in the back of the head. He said Foster was also shot multiple times in the back and side.

Vallejo police had repeatedly refused to release the footage, but eventually disclosed it this week following public records requests. Previously, the department had privately shown the video to Fosters loved ones, who have long insisted that he was killed for no reason even as police publicly pushed the narrative that the officer fired in self-defense.

The story they put out about my son was not true The public can now really see what happened, said McGowan, 53. What I see in that video is him beating my son and murdering him I want the public to know what these police officers are capable of.

Ronell Foster, 33, was killed by Vallejo police in 2018. Photograph: Courtesy of John Burris Law Offices

She said it was clear there were so many ways the officer could have avoided deadly force: You took his life for a bike.

Pointer said it was particularly hurtful that the department took so long to release the footage:Its heartbreaking, because they have seen their loved one die in a way that is just horrific, but its also enraging because the police department has presented the case to the public as if what the officer did was justified.

All these families have to suffer

McMahon returned to the force and then on 9 February of this year was one of six officers who fired into the car of McCoy, a 20-year-old aspiring rapper who was sleeping in his car. The department has claimed that McCoy reached for a firearm in his lap before the six officers opened fire, but body-camera footage released in March showed they never tried to wake him up and that they fired just after he appeared to scratch his shoulder while still asleep.

McCoys death has intensified scrutiny of police in Vallejo, which is 30 miles north-east of San Francisco and has had a flurry of excessive force claims and killings, including numerous cases involving the same officers.

David Harrison, McCoys cousin, said on Tuesday that the Foster footage was further evidence that McMahon was a loose cannon and that Vallejo police were acting like a gang attacking black residents for no reason.

Hes just allowed to do whatever it is he wants to do, and theres no culpability, said Harrison, who has two other cousins who have recently spoken out about Vallejo police using excessive force against them. These are racist tactics and all these families have to suffer.

Marc McCoy, Willies older brother, said McMahons involvement in both shootings suggested that the officer not only avoided consequences, he also learned nothing about de-escalation and how to avoid using deadly force.

If your boss is saying its OK, youre going to keep doing it, McCoy said, adding that he was not confident the footage would make much of a difference: It feels like no matter what the video shows, you still dont get an honest answer.

McGowan said Fosters children, now ages six and 14, adored their father and now have to deal with the pain of their fathers killing being broadcast on the news.

Everyone loved my son in Vallejo he didnt have one enemy He had a very good heart, the mother said, noting that he used to feed homeless neighbors. Im devastated. They ruined my whole life. That was my only son.

McMahon could not be reached for comment and Vallejo police did not respond to inquiries.

Original Article : HERE ; This post was curated & posted using : RealSpecific

Vallejo officer who shot Willie McCoy killed unarmed man fleeing on bike video shows was originally posted by MetNews

#MetNews

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tendance-news · 4 years

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An officer mistakenly believed Sean Monterrosa had a gun, but it was a hammer in his pocketPolice in northern California fatally shot an unarmed 22-year-old who was on his knees with his hands up outside a Walgreens store while responding to a call of alleged looting, officials said.An officer in the city of Vallejo was inside his car when he shot Sean Monterrosa on Monday night amid local and national protests against police brutality. Police said an officer mistakenly believed Monterrosa had a gun, but later determined he had a hammer in his pocket.The killing of Monterrosa, who was a San Francisco resident, has sparked intense outrage in the Bay Area, particularly in the city of Vallejo, a city with a long history of police violence and high-profile killings and excessive force complaints. “When confronted by the police, he dropped to his knees and surrendered, and they fired at him,” said Melissa Nold, a Vallejo civil rights attorney representing Monterrosa’s family. “He wasn’t doing anything to warrant it. They shot him from inside their car. What opportunity did they give him to survive that situation? … It’s egregiously bad.” The exact circumstances that led to the killing are unclear, and police have not yet released footage. In a news conference on Wednesday, two days after the killing, police chief Shawny Williams said officers were responding to a call of possible looting at the pharmacy shortly after midnight when an officer in a cruiser drove up and saw a dozen people in the parking lot getting into a car. A second officer in an unmarked car drove up and found Monterrosa, who was still on the scene, who then kneeled down and started to raise his hands. At this point, the police chief said, this officer “perceived a threat” and fired five shots through his window at Monterosso. The chief declined to identify the officer who killed Monterrosa, saying only that the officer was an 18-year veteran of the force. The chief also dodged questions about whether he considered the shooting to be excessive force and ignored questions from angry community members who showed up to a press conference. When asked about the merits of shooting through a window, the chief said some officers are trained to shoot through their windshields and said this was allowed under policy. Monterrosa died at the hospital, the chief said. The last person killed by Vallejo police was Willie McCoy, a 20-year-old who had been sleeping in his car in February 2019 when six officers fired 55 bullets in 3.5 seconds. One of the six officers who killed McCoy, a rising rapper in the Bay Area, had previously killed an unarmed man who was fleeing on his bike. Another Vallejo officer killed three men in a five-month period and was subsequently promoted. Vallejo, a city 30 miles north-east of San Francisco with 121,000 residents, has over the years had a significantly higher rate of killings by police than the national average and other Bay Area cities. Despite promises of reform in the wake of widespread scrutiny, the killing of Monterrosa and police leaders’ actions in the aftermath suggest that nothing has changed, said Nold, who has long advocated for policy shifts. A day after the shooting, police and other Vallejo leaders held a news conference about the ongoing protests and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but refused to provide any details about Monterrosa’s killing, saying only that there had been an “officer-involved shooting” and declining to specify whether it was fatal.“It’s just unfathomable,” said Nold, adding that the news was devastating to many families of people killed by Vallejo police, who were trying to be optimistic about change in the city, since police had not killed anyone for more than a year. Even though the chief likely knew the circumstances of the killing by the time he held his first news conference, he refused to discuss it, while citizens were continuing to march for Floyd, Nold noted. “We’re protesting for a guy who lived thousands of miles away. And the day we’re marching, our own police are gunning down an unarmed man on his knees.” While Nold has not yet seen body-camera footage, which police are eventually required to release, and has not yet viewed Monterrosa’s body, she noted that “even their own version of the story is horrific”. The department, she said, has a track record of initially misrepresenting the circumstances of killings, which the public later learns when video is released. Even if police believed Monterrosa was involved in looting, the officers had no evidence of that when they arrived and immediately shot him, she added. Nold said she was anxious to learn the identity of the officer, given that the force is relatively small and she knows of more than a dozen officers in recent years who have killed more than one citizen. Monterrosa grew up in San Francisco, where he attended an arts high school and had previously worked at the local Boys and Girls Club, a not-for-profit.“He was a true native son of San Francisco and Bernal Heights,” said Jake Grumbach, a family friend, who posted a video of Monterrosa speaking at a youth program in the city, where loved ones and local residents gathered on Thursday for a vigil. “He was loved and respected by so many … There is just so much community support and solidarity.”Vallejo police representatives did not respond to questions. Adante Pointer, another civil rights lawyer who has long represented Vallejo families, said it was especially alarming that officers would kill a resident at this moment: “The eyes of the world are on policing and yet your officers still feel comfortable enough to shoot someone under what are the most questionable circumstances? If they could do this during the light of the George Floyd protests and world scrutiny, you can only imagine what they do in the dark of the night when no one is looking.”

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Y1EE9x

#IFTTT #Blogger

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lorajackson · 4 years

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California: Vallejo police kill unarmed 22-year-old, who was on his knees with his hands up

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The post California: Vallejo police kill unarmed 22-year-old, who was on his knees with his hands up appeared first on Land of Fathers.

California: Vallejo police kill unarmed 22-year-old, who was on his knees with his hands up published first on http://landofourfathers.com/

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the-final-straw-blog · 4 years

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Two Voices From MPLS: Medic and Abolitionist

On this episode, we’re featuring two voices from Minneapolis, the epicenter of mass demonstrations and uprising following the police murder of #GeorgeFloyd.

First up, you’ll hear from Jacquie, a professional medic living in Minneapolis. Jacquie talks about the impacts of corona virus on Black and Brown communities around the city, some of what she saw in the early days of the protests and the feelings expressed to her about the killing of George Floyd and the problem of police in our racist society. You can find a project of theirs on instagram by seeking @femmeempowermentproject.

Then, Tonja Honsey, executive director of the Minnsesota Freedom Fund, talks about bail and prison abolition, infrastructure to get folks out of jail and supporting the people in the streets. They’re online at MinneapolisFreedomFund.Org

Both interviewees shout out Black Visions Collective and Reclaim The Block, two police abolition projects in Minneapolis, and the Northstar Health Collective. Check our show notes for links to those projects, as well as bail funds for cities where solidarity protests have been met with police repression.

Announcements

Jalil Muntaqim

There is an effort right now to get compassionate release for Jalil Muntaqim, former Black Panther and member of the Black Liberation Army. Jalil has been held by New York state since 1971 and he recently has tested positive for the Corona Virus. His attempts at parole over the years have been stymied by police and racists pressuring and stacking the parole board for Jalil’s involvement in the death of two cops 5 decades ago. This has happened 12 times since 2002 when he became eligible. More info about his case at his support site, freejalil.com and check out this SFBayView article for how you can help push for his release.

Breaking the 4th Wall

Hey, y’all. First off, I just want to say how impressed I am at the power that people are drawing up from within in order to battle the police all over the country. Seeing videos and hearing stories from Minneapolis, Atlanta, Oakland, New York City, Omaha, Denver, St. Louis, Tucson, Los Angeles and elsewhere, plus the solidarity rallies and support coming out here and abroad is so heartwarming. This week, you’ll know, police in Minneapolis murdered George Floyd, an African American man and people were there to video tape it. Since then, people took the streets, were met with tear gas and rubber bullets, some held vigils while others held the streets and set fire to a corner of that world that holds them hostage, including a police precinct. The cops present at Floyd’s murder were fired, and finally the officer who murdered has been arrested. Mr. Last week, police murdered a Black Trans Man named Tony McDade in Tallahassee. Over the prior month and a half, that same force murdered two other African American men, Wilbon Woodard and Zackri Jones. On March 13th, Louisville police murdered Breonna Taylor, a medical First Responder, during a home raid. At a protest on May 28th for Breonna’s legacy, 7 people were shot by unknown parties. Video of the murder by a white, retired cop and his son in Glynn County, Georgia, of yet another African American man, Ahmaud Arbery, was released a few weeks back sparking protests and the eventual arrest of the killers. The police sat on that video since Mr. Arbery’s killing in February, allowing the killers to walk free.

Please stay safe out there, y’all. Already, some folks have died at these protests, riots and uprisings against the status quo. Wear masks to protect from covid but also to obscure your identity. Drink lots of water, get good sleep if you can, take care of each other and support each other in these hard times. You can keep up on ongoing struggle via ItsGoingDown.org’s site and social media presence, and you can watch amazing videos from Minneapolis via Unicorn Riot.

Housing Liberation in Minneapolis

"At 8:00pm on Friday, blocks from the epicenter of the uprising, we watched from a tent as armored vehicles and hundreds of national guard advanced on Hiawatha. The curfew was in effect and the state offered no options for a couple camped outside. The hotels promised to the large encampment across the highway left them and many other behind. The shelters were full. This couple finally found refuge in a largely vacant hotel a mile away. The next morning, they awoke to the burned remains of Chicago and Lake and learned that the hotel owners planned to evacuate. With nowhere else to go but with a community showing up to support, the couple declined to evacuate.

Together we invited displaced and unsheltered neighbors to join us. Overnight people came in with harrowing stories of terror from police and other white supremacists. National guard shot rubber bullets at us while we stood guard against that violence. At the time of this writing nearly 200 people have created sanctuary in the memory of former shelter worker George Floyd. We avenge Floyd's death in the flames of the third precinct and honor his life in the reclamation of hoarded property.

We have protected this building by occupying it. There is no going back to how things were - this isn't a Sheraton anymore, it is a sanctuary."

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playlist pending

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Bail & Anti-Repression Funds Across The U.S.

(taken from Evan Greer's tweeted link, accessed at 4pm eastern, May 31. Likely updated, and includes lawyer info)

National Bail Networks

http://nationalbailout.org/

https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory

https://bailproject.org/

By City / State:

Atlanta - https://actionnetwork.org/groups/atlanta-solidarity-fund

http://atlsolidarity.org/

Austin - https://reparation.atlas.thrinacia.com/campaign/24/400-1-bail-fund

Baltimore https://www.baltimoreactionlegal.org/community-bail-fund

Bay Area (San Fran, Oakland, San Jose, Vallejo, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz) https://rally.org/ARCbailfund

Brooklyn - https://brooklynbailfund.org/donation-form

Boston - https://www.massbailfund.org/

Buffalo NY https://fundrazr.com/11fcAd

Charleston South Carolina https://www.gofundme.com/f/charleston-sc-protestor-bail-fund

Charlotte - Cash App: $WereStillHere Venmo: ResistanceisBeautiful Call: (980) 224-2097 bail support

PAYPAL = [email protected] CashApp = NcFreedomfund

Chattanooga http://www.calebcha.org/donate.html

Chicago - https://chicagobond.org/donate/

Cincinnati Ohio https://www.givelify.com/givenow/1.0/NTU5MjE=/selection

Cleveland - BLM Cleveland https://www.paypal.me/blmcle

Colorado - https://fundly.com/coloradofreedom

Columbia, South Carolina: Cashapp/Venmo: sodacitybail | 803-602-4589

Columbus - https://www.paypal.me/columbusfreedomfund

Connecticut http://www.ctbailfund.org/donate

Dallas- https://faithintx.org/bailfund/ https://svpdallas.z2systems.com/np/clients/svpdallas/donation.jsp

Denver - https://fundly.com/coloradofreedom

Detroit - https://www.detroitjustice.org/the-bail-project

Fargo & Morehead North Dakota https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8oLGbaaeqf

Florida: https://www.floridajc.org/bail

https://www.lgbtqfund.org/donate-1 ← focus on LGBTQ individuals

https://hrcalachua.com/bail-fund-program/

Grand Rapids / Western Michigan https://secure.actblue.com/donate/kentcountyibond

Harrisburg, PA https://dauphincountybailfund.org/donate

Houston - https://www.paypal.me/blmhou https://www.restoringjustice.org/bail

Indianapolis - https://bailproject.org/

Kansas City - https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/it-aint-over-legal-fund

Las Vegas - https://secure.actblue.com/donate/vegasfreedomfund

Los Angeles (inc. Oxnard, San Clemente, Santa Ana, Long Beach): https://www.gofundme.com/f/peoples-city-council-ticket-fund ← bail, supplies, transport overall fund

Louisville - https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/louisville-community-bail-fund/

Madison, WI https://freethe350bailfund.wordpress.com/ Venmo: @Liam-Manjon | Cashapp: $FreeThe350BailFund | Paypal: [email protected]

Mass - https://www.massbailfund.org/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fangbailfund

Memphis - https://justcity.org/what-we-do/mcbfund/

https://midsouthpeace.org/get-involved/donate-to-support-the-black-lives-matter-community-bail-fund/

Miami - https://www.paypal.me/freethemall

Michigan https://michigansolidaritybailfund.com

Milwaukee - https://fundrazr.com/mkefreedomfund

Minneapolis https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/ ← asking for help in other areas. Click thru for links/direction

Minnesota - https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/

Nashville - call 615-495-5450

https://nashvillebailfund.org/

Nebraska - https://www.paypal.me/neleftcoalition

New Orleans - https://donorbox.org/safety-freedom-fund

New York- https://www.libertyfund.nyc/

https://emergencyreleasefund.com/ ← focused on trans humans

North Carolina PAYPAL = [email protected] CashApp = $NcFreedomfund

Oakland https://rally.org/ARCbailfund

http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/donate

Ohio - Canton/Akron https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8pz5hovrmY

Orlando Florida https://communitybailfund.org/

Philly - https://www.phillybailout.com/donate.html

Phoenix https://secure.everyaction.com/lFZFGA1BpUa9kyYYgSxSKw2

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tsccbf

Pittsburgh - https://www.gofundme.com/f/aftercare-for https://www.bukitbailfund.org/donate

Portland - https://www.gofundme.com/f/pdx-protest-bail-fund

Raleigh/ Chapel Hill - https://www.takeactionch.com/donations

PAYPAL = [email protected] CashApp = $NcFreedomfund

Richmond - https://rvabailfund.org/donate

Rhode Island https://www.gofundme.com/f/fangbailfund

Roanoke -https://chuffed.org/project/rjs-bail-fund

Rockford IL (and Winnebago County) https://www.wincoilbondproject.org/donate

Salt Lake City, Utah https://www.gofundme.com/f/c2mvvn-support-protesters-arrested-by-slcpd

San Diego (inc La Mesa) https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-raise-funds-to-support-our-community

San Jose https://siliconvalleydsa.org/donations/

https://rally.org/ARCbailfund

Seattle - https://donorbox.org/ncbf

Silicon Valley/San Jose: https://siliconvalleydsa.org/donations/

Toronto - https://www.gofundme.com/f/toronto-protestor-bail-fund

Tucson https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tsccbf

Tulsa https://www.paypal.me/BLMOKC

Washington State https://www.nwcombailfund.org/

Wilmington, DE https://www.gofundme.com/f/fnbbailfundwilm

Check out this episode!

#anarchist #podcast #interview #feminist #antifa #anticapitalist

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blogzshah · 4 years

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Officers in the US are frequently rehired after termination for misconduct – and it increases the likelihood of abuse and killings by police, experts sayThe four Minneapolis officers involved in the killing of George Floyd were swiftly fired after footage of his death went viral.But that doesn’t mean they’re permanently losing their badges. Officers in the US are frequently rehired after their termination for misconduct, a problem that experts say increases the likelihood of abuse and killings by police.Despite the decision on Tuesday to fire the policeman who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, along with three other officers at the scene, it’s uncertain if the officers will face long-term repercussions. On the contrary, some civil rights advocates warn the men could ultimately avoid legal and financial consequences, continue working in other police departments or even win back their positions.That’s how policing works across America, researchers and activists said, and it’s a process that can drag victims’ families through years of court proceedings and media attention, with minimal relief at the end. > The officers are afforded every opportunity to clear their name and regain everything they lost> > Adanté Pointer“The officers are afforded every opportunity to clear their name and regain everything they lost – their reputation, their status and their jobs,” said Adanté Pointer, a California lawyer who represents police brutality victims. “The family has to endure disappointment after disappointment.”Floyd’s death on Monday, now under FBI investigation, was the latest example of a black American dying at the hands of a white police officer.Footage captured Derek Chauvin, an officer, kneeling on top of Floyd, 46, as he lay on the ground shouting “I cannot breathe” and “Don’t kill me!” until he became motionless. Bystanders pleaded for Chauvin to stop. Police were responding to a call of a possible forged check, and authorities on Wednesday identified the other terminated officers as Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng.The footage sparked widespread condemnation and massive protests marked by rubber bullets and teargas. Minneapolis’ mayor, Jacob Frey, has said the “officer failed in the most basic human sense”. Floyd’s family has called for murder charges, though in the US prosecution and conviction of officers is rare, since the law gives officers wide latitude to kill, and prosecutors often have close ties with police.Prompt termination is also uncommon – and often doesn’t last. Officers can appeal firings, typically supported by powerful police unions. The outcome is frequently decided by arbiters in secretive hearings. A recent analysis by a local Minnesota paper, the Pioneer Press, found arbiters reversed 46% of police terminations in the last five years. Police chiefs across the US have publicly complained that the process forces them to put officers back on the street after firing them for egregious conduct such as unjustified killings, sexual abuse and lying.When officers are rehired, “it says they have a license to kill”, said Cat Brooks, an activist in Oakland, where transit police killed Oscar Grant in 2009. “If they killed this time, they’ve often killed before or have a history of problematic use of force.” In one Bay Area city with high rates of police violence, there are numerous officers who have been involved in more than one fatal shooting of a civilian. If the fired officers in Minneapolis don’t win their jobs back, “I think they’ll quietly be invited to work in other law enforcement departments”, Brooks predicted. Some police departments also knowingly hire officers who were fired in other jurisdictions, said Roger Goldman, an emeritus law professor at Saint Louis University and expert on police licensing. That’s often because the departments are located in smaller cities with tight budgets and can pay a lower salary to an officer who was terminated. “They are so strapped for cash, so they hire you,” Goldman said. The Cleveland officer who was fired after fatally shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 was hired by a small Ohio village police department four years later. His new employer defended the decision, noting the officer was never charged.The Louisiana officer who killed Alton Sterling in 2016 as he was selling CDs outside a convenience store was eventually fired in 2018. But last year, the city reached a settlement with the officer that retracted the firing and allowed him to resign. “It’s really devastating. You took someone’s life,” Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Sterling’s son, said in an interview this week. The long process of trying to get justice “impacted us really badly – emotionally, physically, mentally, it was draining”, she said, adding that it was painful to think of the obstacles Floyd’s family will face moving forward, even with the terminations. If fired officers were barred from serving as police, “it would help save a lot of lives”, McMillon said.Sometimes police chiefs unknowingly hire officers with misconduct histories because of laws that allow officers to keep disciplinary records secret. Other times, they aren’t running thorough background checks, or they determine an officer’s record would not be a liability, said Ben Grunwald, a Duke University law professor.In a study Grunwald co-authored last month for the Yale Law Journal, he and another researcher found that an average of roughly 1,100 officers working in Florida each year have previously been fired. They tended to move to agencies with fewer resources and slightly larger communities of color. The fired officers were also twice as likely to be fired a second time compared to officers who have never been fired. The consequences of this rehiring are severe, said L Chris Stewart, a civil rights attorney based in Atlanta. “If you don’t fear losing your job and you know you have all these different immunities that will protect you, you know you will get away with [misconduct].” He said it was hard not to think of this dynamic when watching the video of the Minneapolis killing where the officer ignored Floyd’s cries for help. An attorney for Chauvin did not respond to a request for comment, and the other officers could not be reached. Some advocates have pushed for a publicly accessible national database that documents officers’ disciplinary histories, which could help prevent re-hirings that endanger the public. “You can look up what a doctor has done, what a realtor has done, what you and I have done as members of the public, but you have no way to look into the background of a person with a badge and a gun,” said Pointer.Marc McCoy, whose brother Willie McCoy was killed by police in Vallejo, California last year, said it was hard when the family learned that the officers involved had previously killed other civilians and been the subject of excessive force complaints. “These laws that you think will lead to the officers’ arrest are actually there to protect them,” he said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Xb8KYW via IFTTT

http://wwwspreadknowledge.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-officers-fired-for-george-floyd.html

#IFTTT #Blogger

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thedancemostofall · 5 years

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ilya kaminsky

"Ah, don't become mere lines of beautiful poetry!" I choose English because no one in my family or friends knew it—no one I spoke to could read what I wrote. I myself did not know the language. It was a parallel reality, an insanely beautiful freedom. It still is.

How so? There is a beauty in falling in love with a language—the strangeness of its sounds, the awe of watching the sea-surf of a new syntax beating again and again the cement of your unknowing. Learning to speak again can be erotic—the unfamiliar turn of the tongue, the angle of the mouth, the movement of lips.

On the other hand, you are so powerless, so humbled, so lost, bewildered, surrounded by nothing but your own confusion. That, too. You don’t know the word, what to do?

And then: the miracle of metaphor. You know other words, they come to redefine what you wanted to say in the first place, you see the world slightly differently from where you began, your mouth makes sounds you didn’t know were possible.

What changes? Even the shape of my face changed when I began to live inside the English language.

But I wouldn’t make a big deal out of writing in a language that is not one’s own. It’s the experience of so many people in the world; those who have left their homes because of wars, famines, environmental disasters and so on. My being bilingual is no big deal, fellow humans migrate all the time, and have done that for thousands of years.

Migratory and bilingual experience is rather commonplace among writers, too. Here is a sample list - Gertrude Stein’s first language wasn’t English. Mandelstam’s first language wasn’t Russian. French wasn’t Edmont Jabes’ first language. Venus Khoury-Ghata claims to write in Arabic through French. Li-Young Lee was born in Indonesia to Chinese parents who fled from Indonesia to Hong Kong to Japan before they settled in USA. Milosz was a man from Lithuania writing in Polish (something that haunted him, as he admitted countless times; he felt he couldn’t do things that Polish poets from Warsaw could do; but perhaps what he couldn’t do gave him something larger?). Hell, Russian wasn’t Pushkin’s first language—and this is the founder of the Russian literary tradition we are talking about here.

What’s important are those little thefts between languages, those strange angles of looking at another literature, “slant” moments in speech, oddities, the music of oddities.

Could you say more about this strangeness? The question of strange language, especially as it relates to the lyric poet is something we can talk about for a while. Isn’t lyric itself a strangeness inside the language? Isn’t silence? After all, what is music—any music—without silences in it? Mere noise? If so, what does that tell us about strangeness, about duality. You see, I believe that no great lyric poet ever speaks in the so-called “proper” language of his or her time. Emily Dickinson didn’t write in “proper” English grammar but in a slanted music of fragmentary perception. Half a world and half a century away, Cesar Vallejo placed three dots in the middle of the line, as if language itself were not enough, as if the poet’s voice needed to leap from one image to another, to make—to use Eliot’s phrase—a raid on the inarticulate. Paul Celan wrote to his wife from Germany, where he briefly visited from his voluntary exile in France: “The language with which I make my poems has nothing to do with one spoken here, or anywhere.”

What is it like to write poems in a language that is not your native one? Well, I still write in Russian from time to time. And I read in Russian a great deal. But do I consider myself an American poet? Yes, I do. But, then, I must answer a question: what does it mean to be an American poet? What is my American experience? It is laughing with my friends, to making love to my girlfriend, fighting with my family, loving my family, loving the ocean (I love water), loving to travel on train, loving this human speech. But we all have these things don't we? Yes, we do. And therefore, I fiercely resist being pigeonholed as a "Russian poet" or "immigrant poet" or even "American poet." I am a human being. It is a marvelous thing to be.

You have worked for some time as a lawyer for the poor. How did that influence your writing? Yes, I went to law school, and have at one time worked for Legal Aid and the National Immigration Law Center. While these days I teach at San Diego State, I still continue to work pro bono from time to time as a Court-appointed advocate for kids who are orphans on the California/Mexico border. I enjoy doing that that kind of thing.

Does this work influence me as a poet? Surely: losing a case on which someone’s health benefits depend certainly taught me about the urgency of language. But then, all of our daily activities and interactions with others influence our vocabulary; if we are to believe Yeats, a poet should always be revising for a more passionate syntax.

But don’t poets see/hear/touch language everywhere? Going to the beach with my nephews fills the afternoon with language. Kissing my wife is a moment in which nouns understand their passion for verbs and adjectives shyly watch. Nouns start flying around the room when I engage with my brother in a shouting match, and the cats hide. And is there a better lesson in pacing and line-break for a poet than botching the delivery of a joke?

I love human beings. Time squeezes us from both ends like accordions, and I love this music we make. One might choose to see it from a distance. I prefer to see it from the inside, in the midst these person-to-person interactions. If I fail to be a human being first, I fail my poetry.

If you could work in another art form what would it be? Ice skating! Cooking! Dancing at gas stations!

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duaneodavila · 5 years

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But For Video: Front Porch Edition

David McLaughlin doesn’t have one of those mean, nasty-looking faces that would make you fear him, hate him. He’s kind of a baby-faced cop with the Vallejo police department. Hardly the sort one would naturally associate with engaging in excessive force. But then, there’s video.

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The guy taking the video was standing on his own front porch. Regardless of the fact that he wasn’t doing anything to interfere with McLaughlin’s arrests the guy on the motorcycle, who was immediately ignored in favor of the guy on his own front porch and, on another day, might well have taken off, the offense was capturing McLaughlin on video.

In the video, McLaughlin yells at Burrell to “get back,” and Burrell replies, “Nope.”

“You’re interfering with me, my man,” McLaughlin says, then tells Burrell he will put him in the back of his squad car. Burrell replies: “That’s fine.”

“Stop resisting,” McLaughlin can then be heard saying.

“I’m not resisting. Put me on the ground,” Burrell replies.

Adrian Burrell is a veteran, black and a filmmaker. Apparently, McLaughlin ended without arresting Burrell because of his being a veteran. But did he initiate his assault on Burrell because of his race?

In his Facebook post, Burrell said the officer should be disciplined and added, “Police need better training on implicit bias.”

“I’m not a lawyer. I’m not a detective. I’m just somebody who went with something and am trying to figure it out, and understand that historically these things happen to people who look like me and in communities like this,” Burrell said in an interview outside his home Thursday afternoon.

“Some people call it implicit bias, some people call it racial bias. … These are things that can be on the table, in terms of starting a dialogue. Let’s start a dialogue, start a conversation and see what comes from it.”

The Vallejo Police Department, upon becoming aware of the video following its going viral on social media, began an internal affairs investigation. What the outcome will be is largely irrelevant, as everyone but Burrell will have moved on to the next hundred thousand similar incidents before any determination is made.

It may well be that this reflects a racial animus, both because cops are deployed in minority neighborhood disproportionately, under the argument that it’s where the crime happens. So a black guy on his front porch, a place where he is fully entitled to be no matter what any baby-faced cop thinks about it, is treated differently than a white guy in a white neighborhood, for whom McLaughlin would never have been so cavalier in his excesses.

Or was this an instance of a cop not wanting to have anyone video his arrest. The problem is that cops hate being taped, and they hate it whether the guy doing the taping is white, black or green. Indeed, most of the “auditors” who go out and video police for the purpose of testing their adherence to the auditors’ constutitional right to videotape police are white. Still, they get hassled and arrested with unfortunate regularity.

But what happened after Burrell posted his video online presents a separate issue.

After posting the video Thursday to raise awareness about what happened, he said the response has been a mixed bag.

“It’s kinda scary. You got a lot of random people messaging you, making threats, calling you stupid, some people saying you did the right thing, some people saying you didn’t,” Burrell said.

“But at the end of the day, I couldn’t let that slide. I just felt like I had to do something.”

As videos go, Burrell’s “nope” was not only constitutionally protected, but remarkably benign. He didn’t threaten McLaughlin. He didn’t even argue with him. Not that it prevented the cop from the usual “stop resisting” trope as he used force to teach Burrell a lesson.

In an interview Thursday, Burrell said that’s when the officer kicked his legs and knocked him over. His post says McLaughlin “smashed my face against the wall and then swung my body, knocking my head into a wooden pillar causing a concussion. He put handcuffs on my wrists so tight they broke the skin.”

In the video, McLaughlin then tells Burrell, “That wasn’t very smart, man, now you’re going to jail.”

As every cop knows, it’s the ride, not the rap, that teaches the noncompliant the lesson. McLaughlin gave Burrell his tune-up to remind him to be respectful when a cop says jump, but then stopped short of the ride.

But later, McLaughlin released Burrell after learning he was a military veteran, Burrell said.

“Does that mean that if I had not been a vet, he would have put me in jail for not breaking the law?” Burrell wrote in his post.

Burrell’s question is rhetorical. And what of the guy on the motorcyle with his hands in the air lest McLaughlin, with weapon drawn, feel threatened? Did he rob a bank? Did he murder a child? Did he dump a half ton of garbage in the woods?

Burrell’s cousin, Michael Walton, said he was briefly detained and put in a police car, and ultimately given a speeding ticket.

The only person threatening the safety and welfare of society here was Vallejo Police Officer David McLaughlin. The “why” may be unclear, but there is no question but that he forcibly attacked a man for doing what he’s constitutionally entitled to do while standing on his own front porch.

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But For Video: Front Porch Edition republished via Simple Justice

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reomanet · 6 years

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The man who beat Monsanto: 'They have to pay for not being honest' | Business

The man who beat Monsanto: ‘They have to pay for not being honest’ | Business

Dewayne Johnson tries not to think about dying. Doctors have said the 46-year-old cancer patient could have months to live, but he doesn’t like to dwell on death. These days, he has an easy distraction – navigating the international attention on his life. The father of three and former school groundskeeper has been learning to live with the gift and burden of being in the spotlight in the month since a California jury ruled that Monsanto caused his terminal cancer . The historic verdict against the agrochemical corporation, which included an award of $289m, has ignited widespread health concerns about the world’s most popular weedkiller and prompted regulatory debates across the globe . Johnson, who never imagined he would be known as “dying man” in dozens of news headlines, is still processing the historic win. “Going against a company like this, becoming a public figure, it’s intense,” he told the Guardian in a rare interview since the 10 August verdict. “I felt an enormous amount of responsibility.” Johnson, who goes by the name Lee, was the first person to take Monsanto to trial on allegations that the global seed and chemical company spent decades hiding the cancer risks of its herbicide. He is also the first to win. The groundbreaking verdict further stated that Monsanto “acted with malice” and knew or should have known that its chemicals were “dangerous”. One man’s suffering has exposed Monsanto’s secrets to the world | Carey Gillam Read more The legacy of the extraordinary ruling could be felt for generations, and Johnson said he is working to make the victory as impactful as possible while he still has time. Monsanto, meanwhile, filed papers last week seeking to throw out the verdict – and prevent Johnson’s family from receiving the money. ‘Safe enough to drink’ The chemical that changed Johnson’s life is glyphosate, which Monsanto began marketing as Roundup in 1974. The corporation presented the herbicide as a technological breakthrough that could kill nearly every weed without posing dangers to humans or the environment. Roundup products are now registered in 130 countries and approved for use on more than 100 crops, and glyphosate can be found in food , water sources and agricultural workers’ urine . Research over the years, however, has repeatedly raised concerns about potential harms linked to the herbicide, and in 2015, the World Health Organization’s international agency for research on cancer classified glyphosate as “ probably carcinogenic to humans ”. Johnson said he knew nothing of the risks in 2012 when he began working as a groundskeeper for a public school district in Benicia, a suburb 30 miles east of San Francisco. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dewayne Johnson developed lesions on his body and cancer after exposure to Monsanto products. Photograph: Courtesy of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman Johnson liked his job, located near his hometown of Vallejo, where he was born and raised and still lives with his wife, Araceli, and their two young sons. In one social media video he posted from work one day, he was energetic about his duties, telling his followers, “To have a job, I feel real good, man.” He added that one of his animal traps had caught a mouse, saying, “Mickey got snatched!” His main role at the district was working as an integrated pest manager, responsible for spraying Roundup and Ranger Pro (another Monsanto glyphosate herbicide) at a handful of schools and sports fields in the area. Some days, he would spray 150 gallons worth over several hours. Johnson said he wasn’t concerned about health hazards, given that Monsanto’s labels had no warning. In a training session, he was told it was “safe enough to drink”. He also followed the label instructions diligently, he testified, reading them every time he sprayed. He compared the process to the way he followed recipes when he worked at a restaurant. He wore protective gear while spraying to be extra cautious. But there were occasional leaks, and one time his skin accidentally became drenched. In 2014, after about two years of regular use, he started to experience rashes and other forms of skin irritation, and he knew something was wrong. “I used to have flawless skin,” he recalled. “It was very noticeable to me and to other people. This wasn’t normal.” Soon, he had marks on his face and frightening lesions throughout his body, and doctors struggled at first to understand what was happening to him. Monsanto’s ‘cancer-causing’ weedkiller destroyed my life, dying man tells court Read more Eventually, he learned the truth: it was cancer, and it was killing him. When they received the news, Araceli broke down weeping while he remained stoic, he recalled. “I’m not the type of person that’s scared to die,” he said. He wanted to figure out why he was sick – and what he could do to fight it. ‘I felt totally betrayed’ Johnson and Araceli met in a pre-algebra class in community college about 14 years ago. She was immediately drawn to him, but too scared to talk to him. Her sister, who was in the same class, eventually approached Johnson for her. At the highly watched trial in San Francisco this summer, the husband and wife both testified lovingly of their marriage. But they also described how cancer changed everything. Johnson said he used to do most of the household chores, including cooking and cleaning, but couldn’t keep up once he got sick. Johnson was so ill at one point he could barely get out of bed for a month. He said he had missed a lot due to cancer, including the funeral of his uncle and various activities with his sons, who are now aged 10 and 13. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dewayne Johnson’s wife, Araceli, and their two sons. Photograph: Courtesy of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman Johnson has non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a blood cancer that affects the immune system and caused his skin lesions. At times, the cancer has been so painful and debilitating, he couldn’t walk or be outside in the sun. On some occasions, it hurt to have fabrics touching his skin, he testified. There have been periods where intimacy with his wife was simply not possible. In court, he expressed gratitude that she had stayed by his side through all of his suffering. Araceli had to start working two jobs at a local school district and nursing home, sometimes leading to 14-hour days, she testified. Sometimes, Johnson would cry at night when he thought she was asleep, she added. Their 10-year-old son, Kahli, wants to be a chemist, according to Johnson, and he once made a “potion” to try and cure his father. It was a random assortment of kitchen ingredients in a small blue bottle. “It was salty, sweet, lemony,” Johnson said. “It was not good.” At one point when his skin was getting worse, Johnson called a Monsanto hotline to discuss his illness. He spoke to a woman who sounded like she was reading from a script and told him someone would follow up with him. He never heard back and for a while continued spraying herbicide at work. But he started to do some of his own research: “I wanted to know the facts.” Eventually, he learned that there were studies linking glyphosate to cancer – a fact a supervisor at work later mentioned to him. “I felt totally betrayed,” he said. “I lost everything. I was at rock bottom.” Johnson eventually arrived at a place where he felt a lawsuit was his only hope – and the only way to uncover the truth. ‘I’m hoping that it snowballs’ Regardless of the outcome, Johnson v Monsanto was always going to be a newsworthy trial, because the judge allowed the cancer patient’s legal team to bring scientific arguments to the courtroom. The proceedings further shone a light on internal Monsanto emails over the years that Johnson’s attorneys said showed how the company had repeatedly rejected critical research and expert warnings. Some evidence suggested that Monsanto had also strategized plans to “ghostwrite” favorable research. Toxic neighbour: Monsanto and the poisoned town Read more Monsanto, which was bought by the pharmaceutical giant Bayer earlier this year, has continued to argue that Roundup does not cause cancer and that critics are “cherrypicking” studies while ignoring research that showed its products were safe. The jury disagreed. They ruled that Johnson also deserved $250m in punitive damages and $39.2m for losses. When the verdict was announced, Johnson said his body briefly went into a kind of shock. “I felt like all the fluids went out of my body and rushed back in,” he recalled. The jury’s unanimous decision said Monsanto’s products presented a “substantial danger” to people and the company failed to warn consumers of the risks. “They have been hiding for years and getting away with it,” Johnson said. “They have to pay the price for not being honest and putting people’s health at risk for the sake of making a profit.” Before the verdict, Johnson said he had no expectations about the outcome. “I never really discussed winning or money or amounts with the legal guys,” he said, adding that he did fear the implications of a Monsanto win: “If we lose, the facts won’t keep coming out. That would be the worst part.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dewayne Johnson and his two sons. Johnson has terminal cancer, which a court found was caused by Monsanto products. Photograph: Courtesy of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman Pedram Esfandiary, one of Johnson’s lawyers, said he was consistently impressed with Johnson’s ability to remain optimistic and focused on exposing the facts and protecting others from Roundup hazards. “This guy is dealing with the reality of his mortality,” he said. “His life is on the line because of what happened … He was concerned about getting the truth out.” Johnson said he wanted to use the platform he has been given to continue raising awareness about glyphosate. He is now advocating to get the product off every school campus and playground in California. The Benicia school district, his former employer, already said it would stop using glyphosate. He considers that a start. The case could encourage consumers to change their habits and explore alternative ways to manage weeds, he said : “I’m hoping that it snowballs and people really get the picture and they start to make decisions about what they eat, what they spray in their farms.” Johnson is currently undergoing regular chemotherapy and said he is feeling better than he has in a long time. Doctors have said he could have at most two years left to live. He is also focused on his music and has plans to release an EP of rap songs, including one titled Not My Time about his cancer struggle and pushing forward despite the “early death sentence”. Monsanto’s global weedkiller harms honeybees, research finds Read more For Johnson, the case was never about “crumbling a company or taking down an empire”. “I hope [Monsanto] gets the message that people in America and across the world are not ignorant,” he said. “They have already done their own research.” He would now like to see Monsanto add cancer warning labels so that people can make informed decisions. He also hopes the legal process does not drag on for years, but expects Monsanto to continue aggressively fighting until the end. “That’s what big companies like that do.” He had one other request for Monsanto, something he knows he will never receive. Johnson would like an apology. Topics Monsanto Cancer Health California Pesticides Herbicides features