Money

I like money but I enjoy my work not because of the potential cash prizes but because I'm a defender by nature. People do dumb stuff but I don't often think they should suffer a lifetime of penalty for it by someone with a cruel cold heart. It's bad to have a person do you wrong but its a different type of feeling when an entity is behind the wrong. It can make a person feel more defenseless. I think its like having a baby sitter beat you while your parents are gone. You were led to believe you could trust, you let your guard down and were abused.

A few days ago the b.art po.lice shot and killed a 23 year old man. The 23 year old was on his back with 3 officers on top of him. http://www.ktvu.com/video/18406962/index.html This clip is super sad, don't watch if you aren't a soldier. I've been in front of a victim as he was chased by a man with a big black and aimed oozy, I've seen folks shot but that wasn't like seeing someone being held down and shot by(hey I'm from east oak.land and these incidents happened on my way to church where I ran into laid on the ground and called the police and then played the drums and sang in the choir) cops.

These kids were fighting at B.Art, which they should not have done but it was a fist fight. The fight was over and all were down.

The action of this single officer just breaks my heart and such behavior is why I do the work that I do. If you watch the video you can tell the officer had no cause to fear for his safety. The abuses people suffer at the hands of groups we should be able to trust is frightening.

Last summer I handled a criminal case and as we got into it we discovered the police were engaging in illegal activity.

This above scene is what I envisioned when I considered my clients having their homes raided by countless police because of some crooked cops. Imagine hearing the boom of your door being battered open and men yelling and running inside, guns drawn. All you see are guns. You will be nervous and your nervous reaction could get you killed. My client told me how 3 different officers were yelling 3 different sets of instructions at the SAME time.

LAY DOWN, HANDS UP, DON'T MOVE, AGAINST THE WALL, SPREAD YOUR LEGS, BE STILL, HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD ............

The police report says my client tried to run into the kitchen but he was most likely flailing about in confusion.

One of my cases has been getting some press and in Oct some person called me to complain about b.art police. I didn't have the resources to handle the matter but I wonder what would have happened if the those b.art officers had known the department was under scrutiny.

Heck what would that officer have done had he known he was being filmed. Darn, idiot!

I know an officer who was a part of a raid. He said the city police found drug paraphenilia but because they wanted to charge the guy with intent to sell, they threw it away. His dilemna is if he tells he can't ever need back up because they won't come. He said he won't lie under oath so if it goes to trial he is in trouble.

I'm more afraid of the police than I am of the criminals. I have given this advice before but if the police get you, get your lawyer involved before talking. Ask for a public defender. I have no advice for when they gang on you. Try to be still and don't try to explain anything. They are scared, some have other stuff going on and a lot of them want to utilize their license to kill.

An-ty-way I'm sad and might go laydown.