Member Contribution: I Can’t Breathe
Just over a year ago, in Minneapolis, a police officer, and the culture of limitless police power, took the life of a man. On a whim. Without regard to his civil rights, or the effect such a choice would have on the people with whom his life intersected. It was a crime perpetrated by a man, a cop, who felt he was above the law. A cop, who most felt at the time, was a good officer, with community service and the safety of others as his priorities. We were wrong. George Floyd’s last words resonate with us all.
I can’t breathe.
Brian Peterson, 39, used Grindr to meet men. He met a man in July of 2019 who he correctly gaged, through texts and a voice mail message, to be an adult, black man around his same age. That man was a police officer, pretending unconvincingly, to be a young teen. Brian was arrested for meeting the adult male. For a man who has not come out to his family, to also be falsely charged with seeking children to sexually abuse… It was too much. Brian had to make a tough choice.
He couldn’t breathe.
A man in Tennessee was arrested for downloading CP to his computer. He denies having done so and sought to cooperate with the police to clear his name. His aging father reached out to me for support. This is a federal case, so the excessive bond required the security of both his and his parent’s properties. He was barely able to get house arrest release while awaiting trial. He is unable to leave the house, even to walk to his mailbox. He is unable to work, and financially unable not to. He is currently being pressured to take a plea bargain, or the prosecutor has threatened to revoke his bail release sending him to jail to await his trial.
He can’t breathe.
There is a man in Oregon, who has served his sentence for a victimless, police crafted and induced ‘crime’. His appeal overturned the conviction. He awaits retrial because, again, he refuses to plead guilty to a crime he did not intend or commit. He has been told he must remain on the sex offender registry until the second trial is over. He has been told he must return to a probationary state while awaiting trial. His life has been on hold for many years now, there is no end in sight.
We can’t breathe.
There was a man in Washington, arrested for a victimless, police crafted and induced crime, who jumped bail. In the state of Washington, police proactive stings have caused 8 suicides since inception in 2015. To date, of the 294 men arrested, the statistics for WA state are that 75% take a plea. 22% who brave a court trial, face a 95% conviction rate and an average sentence of 74 months (about 6 years) per conviction. This man decided he could not face such a future. Carlos Rodriguez, the lead detective, and creator of these stings, noted in a memo he wrote on November 9th, 2015 that “even though our suspect is deceased in that case, we are still following up on other matters”. Rodriguez then proceeds to ask Operation Underground Railroad, the recipient of this email, for an additional $30,000 to fund his next proactive sting.
The man referred to in Rodriguez email, who jumped bail, was eventually located in California. The police surrounded him as he took his own life. His sister was present and watched helplessly.
She can’t breathe.
Written by Lady Justice Myth
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Been through the Florida court system of injustice. Can someone post a good civil rights attorney with the knowledge of ICAC sex stings.
https://www.nealdavislaw.com/blog/sex-crimes/icac-payoffs-sex-stings
https://www.rt.com/usa/219151-florida-sex-sting-scam/
Although I applaud the news for doing this investigation, these are the same news networks that broadcast the stories. They also blast the the faces of all the people caught up in these stings even before they are proven guilty or had a court date.
The news is double dipping. Drag someone through the mud with a story of how you are a horrible sex offender (Even before being found guilty) then turn around and do a story on how you are going after the cops for doing the stings.
I am confused. You cannot have it both ways. How about refuse to post the faces and names of these people who have not even been to court yet. Hypocritical as when my boss fired me when I got arrested, and I hadn’t even gone to court yet.
We dont have one yet but we are working on it!!
Today was the first day I went thru a metal detector and the first day that offenders were allowed back into probation office. I have to agree with cherokee it will be great to breathe again. I know at times our mouth can get us in trouble but still this internet issue is a bit much for all.
As me and my friend which is of a different race, he came with me for to the office for moral support. Of course I’m glad I met my new PO finely since my old one was retired and in a different unit. Now instead of home visits I will have to report monthly which is kind of a drag for everyone but their was a gal their and she had violated probation. She ddin’t know if she would have to spend a few days in jail or what. A dude was there for thief and carrying a conceled weapon and also had medical issues. At times one has to feel sorry for some but Cherokee can tell you like it is. Its not a picnic.
Even in the interview one fills like they are pumping you all the time so I’m glad my friend went with me as they are always writing things down. I’m sure it is worse in Florida than VA. Than again they are only doing their job but still corrections is corrections and justice is justice . I don’t even believe many of these law enforcemen can see the trees before the forest with this registry experiment thats underhanded in a vain pretense way. One could call it oppressed justice.
Saddles
Hang in there. I would like to tell you it gets better when you get off probation, and it “Sort” of does. BUT, being on the registry is almost a mirror image of probation.
We live in fear every day thinking that knock will come at the door that we forgot to dot the i on the paperwork and now must be sent to the electric chair for such horrors we have committed.
The Bible says not to walk in fear. So I don’t. Having said that, regardless of if I killed 50,000 people, when my damn sentence is up, how can you add crap to our sentence after we have completed it? I do not care if it is civil or not. I and many others did NOT agree to that when we were sentence and had NO say in the matter.
The government has it both ways. There way and any way that is NOT our way.
Anyone else hear the latest “sexual assault” news? Now they’re going after Bob Dylan. May as well go after the surviving Beatles, KISS, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and every other male rock icon of the 60’s and 70’s. But I’m gonna make a very UNpopular assumption here and say that any under age girls who may have gotten back stage for most of these artists are reminiscing a very FOND memory of their “experiences”. Yeah. I said it, because it’s true. Just to be clear, I’m not referring to 12 yr olds. But mid teens back in the “flower child” era.
But check this out, only took her 56 yrs to come forward…
https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj8a8w/bob-dylan-sex-abuse-12-year-old-girl-lawsuit
I saw that earlier today but didn’t want to post it because was not sure they would allow it.
What sucks is, it happened in 1965, 56 years ago. REALLY? All this time you could have come forwards. Now you are 70 years old and are going after someone who is now 80 years old?
Notice no arrest was called for, it is a lawsuit, they want money. Not saying it didn’t happen or minimizing the trauma, but COME ON! I had all kinds of crap happen to me as a kid. I have no desire to go find them and bring back those memories.
Call me cynical, but I suspect she has been bragging to her friends for 56 years that she had sex with Bob Dylan. Maybe she has now reached retirement age and would like some financial security, or maybe even pay for the grandkids college, or maybe ….
Veritas.
Ed C
That or she went through some sort of counseling. If you do counseling and tell them your were either molested or had sex with someone when you were underage, the counselor in most cases are required now to report it.
Most of the time it is some random person from their past that they cannot name. In this case they can name the person. I do not know Bob’s sex life, but knowing he reputation band members have, the probably could not pick out a sex partner they were with the next week, let alone decades later. Not only from the volume of sex they had, but also the volume of drugs being used.
Yes I am stereotyping a bit but mostly right on the money. Those were the days of drugs, sex and rock and roll. In most cases a settlement will be made in court. The smoking gun would be if there was actually a child from Him and a DNA match was made.
CherokeeJack
I wonder if she kept the clothes she was wearing when she met Bob Dylan. Maybe she made a quilt as a tribute. How accusations from 56 years ago can hold up in court is beyond me? Fastest way to ruin lives are accusations of a sex crime.
Brandon
Statue of limitations have passed. It will be a civil suit and most likely settled out of court. Even if there were no statues of limitations, that would be a hard one to prosecute from 56 years ago.
The “Me too” movement seems to be empowering people to come forward. (My opinion of course).
Heck I had stuff happen to me as a kid. I am not stirring up those bees nests.
Here is a snippet from one article about the Dylan accusation:
“The lawsuit comes on the final day of the New York State’s Child Victim Act look-back window, which closed Saturday, 14 August. The measure had offered reprieve for adults time-barred from filing civil suits for abuse suffered as children.”
The timing looks very suspicious. I’ve always felt that laws which alter a state’s statute of limitations should be challenged constitutionally where they are applied retroactively. The Legislature here in Michigan removed the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against children just a few years ago, with no phase in period. That means that, for example, I could accuse a neighbor lady of having a sexual relationship with me back in 1969 when I was 14, and she would have no defense. It never happened, but if a prosecutor chose to believe me, she could go to prison, even though it never even happened, and she likely wouldn’t even remember me. It’s the same with Dylan. Does he even remember that girl? At 80 years of age, would he be able to remember many individual events that happened 56 years ago? I was 10 years old back then. I don’t even remember my teacher’s name.
How many babies were conceived I wonder at Woodstock? And how many were from band members? My parents didn’t go to Woodstock but one of my teachers back in the 70s told me her kid was a woodstock baby.
I remember stuff I saw as a kid in the early 70s going on out in the public that was very disturbing. I really do not want to remember some of them.
I’m a 80’s baby, so I missed the hippie, bell bottoms, and disco days. At least I had a decent childhood before parents became helicopters.
In my little comment I mentioned Christian ethics. Isn’t bearing false wittness ethic enough. Makes no difference if the person wanted to hook up, try one’s spirt or not or see if one would take a sexual bait. Seems the common thread of all this is we are all carnal. I am sure that Floyd person didn’t want to die and I’m sure that peterson person didn’t want to commit suicide.
Cherokee what gets many upset with this I can’t breathe theory is is the behavior inducement by these so called officers of the peace. Sure defending and serving are good but once one goes against authority of the Supreme than government is striving to justify themselves.
One can understand war at times in many respects but we as a nation have many other issues that need addressing. Sure we can talk about killings or even address them in the OT but a common temptation such as this sex issue is a bit shady and diabolical and evil in itself in this vain pride type of understanding.
All politics aside, I thought this was a very well written piece. It is educational for those who don’t live the registry. I believe it is a good comparison. I know that I cannot breath! Thank You Lady Justice Myth.
I can’t brethe sounds a bit unethical but these ordeals are happening. Now the Floyd situation is a bit different as are many. Even this man on GRINDER or whatever other place one is on seems to tell much more.Even about due process, civil rights or whatever rights one may have. Seems no one looks at the Christian ethics of any of this registry.
So should we all say we all a have spirit or who is trying who’s spirit?. Now this Floyd thing was a bit devlish. These internet issues are trying one’s spirit. Sure if sex trafficing is that bad than why not entice with some ploy to defuse another and catch them off guard. Trying the spirit of another in a game of teenage pretend is a bit non Christian.
Even my own ordeal I was asking the person why they were on an adult website and warned them that they should not be on here. I even got the person to admit why they wanted me to come down to meet which was to talk dirty to them and I’m sure its on the text chat. Sure they gave the same spill of bringing condoms, or other sexual material which is all a coy. They even asked me for a frosty so I brought them a milkshake. When I asked about the frosty or milkshake they said it was all part of the game after I had already was forced into a plea type deal which is another coy.
If one listens well they know who’s trying who. I even got the person to call me on the telephone and the voice recognization gave it away. I can understand why Cherokee wouldn’t want any part of this type of con game. I wouldn’t even compound someone with a sexual ruse of an internet pretend encounter. Many police may say they are christian but what type of christian sets up another?