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6 Anti-Olympic Protesters Charged With Mob Action
Sept. 30, 3009
CHICAGO (CBS) - Six people were charged Wednesday with mob action
for allegedly damaging property at an anti-Olympic protest in the Loop
Tuesday evening.
A group of protesters tried to snatch an Olympic decoration that was
supposed to go on the Picasso statue in Daley Plaza.
Jeremy Hammond, 24, of Chicago; his twin brother Jason Hammond of Glendale
Heights; Jeremy Sorkin, 21, of Chicago; Johnathan Clark, 21, of Rocky
Mount, North Carolina; and Anna Stafford, 20, of Wheatfield, Ind. have
each been charged with one count of mob action — a Class 4 felony,
according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra
Simonton. The charges were approved at 1:05 p.m.
All six will appear for a bond hearing Thursday, Simonton said.
The six have also each been charged with criminal damage to property and
resisting and obstructing a peace officer, both classified as
misdemeanors, police said.
Police said Jason Hammond listed his occupation on a police report as a
self-employed rock star.
CBS 2's Anne State reports that the whole thing started as workers were
decorating Daley Plaza for the Olympics.
An oversized Olympic medal was being taken out of packaging as a group of
protesters nearby was beating drums chanting, "No Games."
Some of the protesters tried to grab the Olympic prop. They weren't able
to do so; they just pulled off the brown wrapping around it.
One protester hopped over the fence and burned the wrapping in the eternal
flame.
An officer was then seen grabbing one of the demonstrators as the rest of
them began running across Daley Plaza. That officer called for back-up and
got it in a hurry. Several police cars showed up.
"The great thing about this country is that we have a right to freedom of
speech. At the same time, there is a line that you cannot cross. And
unfortunately that line was crossed tonight," said Chicago Police Lt.
Charles Flynn.
Two witnesses claim police acted brutally.
Olympic opponent and witness Magda Ramirez said, "The police also did
damage to them. Grabbed the young people, threw them on the ground and had
them arrested."
Not all of the protesters at Daley Plaza Tuesday contributed to the
violence. Others may be taken into custody as the investigation continues.
Members of No Games Chicago, the group that organized the rally, headed to
Copenhagen Tuesday to tell the International Olympic Committee that
Chicago is in such financial straits it cannot afford the games and is
such a hotbed of political corruption it doesn't deserve them.
"We are bringing materials to back up our claim that Chicago is not fit to
host the games," said Tom Tresser, an organizer for the group.
CHICAGO (CBS) - Six people were charged Wednesday with mob action
for allegedly damaging property at an anti-Olympic protest in the Loop
Tuesday evening.
A group of protesters tried to snatch an Olympic decoration that was
supposed to go on the Picasso statue in Daley Plaza.
Jeremy Hammond, 24, of Chicago; his twin brother Jason Hammond of Glendale
Heights; Jeremy Sorkin, 21, of Chicago; Johnathan Clark, 21, of Rocky
Mount, North Carolina; and Anna Stafford, 20, of Wheatfield, Ind. have
each been charged with one count of mob action — a Class 4 felony,
according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra
Simonton. The charges were approved at 1:05 p.m.
All six will appear for a bond hearing Thursday, Simonton said.
The six have also each been charged with criminal damage to property and
resisting and obstructing a peace officer, both classified as
misdemeanors, police said.
Police said Jason Hammond listed his occupation on a police report as a
self-employed rock star.
CBS 2's Anne State reports that the whole thing started as workers were
decorating Daley Plaza for the Olympics.
An oversized Olympic medal was being taken out of packaging as a group of
protesters nearby was beating drums chanting, "No Games."
Some of the protesters tried to grab the Olympic prop. They weren't able
to do so; they just pulled off the brown wrapping around it.
One protester hopped over the fence and burned the wrapping in the eternal
flame.
An officer was then seen grabbing one of the demonstrators as the rest of
them began running across Daley Plaza. That officer called for back-up and
got it in a hurry. Several police cars showed up.
"The great thing about this country is that we have a right to freedom of
speech. At the same time, there is a line that you cannot cross. And
unfortunately that line was crossed tonight," said Chicago Police Lt.
Charles Flynn.
Two witnesses claim police acted brutally.
Olympic opponent and witness Magda Ramirez said, "The police also did
damage to them. Grabbed the young people, threw them on the ground and had
them arrested."
Not all of the protesters at Daley Plaza Tuesday contributed to the
violence. Others may be taken into custody as the investigation continues.
Members of No Games Chicago, the group that organized the rally, headed to
Copenhagen Tuesday to tell the International Olympic Committee that
Chicago is in such financial straits it cannot afford the games and is
such a hotbed of political corruption it doesn't deserve them.
"We are bringing materials to back up our claim that Chicago is not fit to
host the games," said Tom Tresser, an organizer for the group.
Categories: News from Elsewhere
"Down with Poverty, Down!" Conversations About Building a Movement
In August, Labor Justice Radio members and other members of Media Mobilizing Project traveled to West Virginia for a gathering of more than 160 leaders from across the country and around the world. During our time at the Leadership School, we studied together, taught one another, and worked towards Reigniting the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Poor People's Campaign today. At the end of the week-long school, Amendu Evans spoke to Reverend Mavuso Mbhekiseni, who is a member of the Rural Network in South Africa and a part of the Shackdwellers Movement (Abahlali baseMjondolo). Amendu also talked to Chris Caruso, who is part of the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary. This audio piece captures some of their reflections on the school.
Categories: News from Elsewhere
What the Po?
This week:
1. G20 Riot Porn
2. L.A.R.D.
3. Go back to sleep America
4. 5 Cocksrings of Chicago
5. Those daring Danish
6. Chase dem crazy ballheads
7. UC Santa Cruz occupation
8. Atari Teenage Riot
9. What the Po’? with special guest Kristian Williams
Categories: News from Elsewhere
Argentina: Dubious Past? No Problem for Private Security Firms
Civil society groups in Argentina are concerned that private
security firms, which have mushroomed to 850 in Greater Buenos Aires,
employ many...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
FBI arrests environmental activist in 2006 attempted arson
From the latimes.com -
FBI arrests environmental activist in attempted arson
October 1, 2009 | 3:18 pm
The FBI has arrested an environmental activist in connection with the
attempted arson of unfinished town homes in Pasadena in 2006,
authorities said today.
Stephen James Murphy, 43, was arrested without incident Wednesday at
his home in Arlington, Texas, after being named in a criminal
complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court, said FBI spokeswoman
Laura Eimiller.
According to the complaint, the Pasadena Fire Department responded to
a construction site on Sept. 19, 2006, and found what it described as
a "crude incendiary device" made from cigarettes that had failed to
ignite.
Authorities said DNA found on the cigarettes matched Murphy's DNA,
which was in a state Department of Justice database stemming from a
previous arrest in California.
The following day workers at the site could not start a tractor, where
a note had been written in permanent marker that read "ANOTHER TRACTOR
DECOMMISSIONED BY THE E.L.F," federal officials said. Investigators
found that someone had tampered with the tractor's ignition system.
Federal and local investigators theorized that E.L.F. was shorthand
for the Earth Liberation Front, a radical environmental group that has
used vandalism and violence, included arson, to further its cause. FBI
officials say the attacks, which have occurred nationwide, have led to
millions of dollars in property damage.
A federal judge in Texas today denied bail for Murphy and ordered him
transferred to Los Angeles to face charges in connection with the
case.
FBI arrests environmental activist in attempted arson
October 1, 2009 | 3:18 pm
The FBI has arrested an environmental activist in connection with the
attempted arson of unfinished town homes in Pasadena in 2006,
authorities said today.
Stephen James Murphy, 43, was arrested without incident Wednesday at
his home in Arlington, Texas, after being named in a criminal
complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court, said FBI spokeswoman
Laura Eimiller.
According to the complaint, the Pasadena Fire Department responded to
a construction site on Sept. 19, 2006, and found what it described as
a "crude incendiary device" made from cigarettes that had failed to
ignite.
Authorities said DNA found on the cigarettes matched Murphy's DNA,
which was in a state Department of Justice database stemming from a
previous arrest in California.
The following day workers at the site could not start a tractor, where
a note had been written in permanent marker that read "ANOTHER TRACTOR
DECOMMISSIONED BY THE E.L.F," federal officials said. Investigators
found that someone had tampered with the tractor's ignition system.
Federal and local investigators theorized that E.L.F. was shorthand
for the Earth Liberation Front, a radical environmental group that has
used vandalism and violence, included arson, to further its cause. FBI
officials say the attacks, which have occurred nationwide, have led to
millions of dollars in property damage.
A federal judge in Texas today denied bail for Murphy and ordered him
transferred to Los Angeles to face charges in connection with the
case.
Categories: News from Elsewhere
news on Jeff Luers's release from prison
From: info@freejeffluers.org
Date: Thu, October 1, 2009
Dear Supporters and Friends,
It is with an indescribable joy that we are sharing this news with you
today. A Lane County Circuit Court Judge has just signed a supplemental judgment
granting Jeff an additional 30% reduction in his total incarceration time!!!
This is huge news and could mean that Jeff is released much, much earlier
than the expected date of December 16, 2009, and of course 12 years earlier
than his original sentence prior to appeal.
We will keep everyone updated as soon as we get more information.
In the meantime, the weeks from now to December we had planned to fundraise
for education and living expenses for Jeff are now out the window, so please dig
deep and send in your donations now. Donation options are available here,
http://freejeffluers.org/donate.html
or you can buy something on Jeff’s wishlist here:
http://freejeffluers.org/assets/pdfs/WISH_LIST.pdf
Thank you all for your support over the past 9 years. We, along with Jeff of
course, are very grateful. Stay tuned…
-Friends of Jeff Free Luers
info@freejeffluers.org
http://www.freejeffluers.org
Date: Thu, October 1, 2009
Dear Supporters and Friends,
It is with an indescribable joy that we are sharing this news with you
today. A Lane County Circuit Court Judge has just signed a supplemental judgment
granting Jeff an additional 30% reduction in his total incarceration time!!!
This is huge news and could mean that Jeff is released much, much earlier
than the expected date of December 16, 2009, and of course 12 years earlier
than his original sentence prior to appeal.
We will keep everyone updated as soon as we get more information.
In the meantime, the weeks from now to December we had planned to fundraise
for education and living expenses for Jeff are now out the window, so please dig
deep and send in your donations now. Donation options are available here,
http://freejeffluers.org/donate.html
or you can buy something on Jeff’s wishlist here:
http://freejeffluers.org/assets/pdfs/WISH_LIST.pdf
Thank you all for your support over the past 9 years. We, along with Jeff of
course, are very grateful. Stay tuned…
-Friends of Jeff Free Luers
info@freejeffluers.org
http://www.freejeffluers.org
Categories: News from Elsewhere
Support needed for Romaine 'Chip' Fitzgerald
From: "Political Prisoner News" <ppnews@freedomarchives.org
Date: Thu, October 1, 2009
Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald needs our support.
Please write and fax demanding his medical
transfer and critically needed treatment!
From: Bruce Richard <BruceR@1199.org
Dear Friend and Family,
Attached is a letter demanding emergency medical
treatment for an ex-Panther that I believe most
of you are familiar with. I am requesting that
you sign off on this and fax it to 212-261-2455
or if you could authorize me to sign off for you.
The plan is to send a large number of these
letters in to the prison demanding that treatment
is provided. Your prompt attention to this matter
would be much appreciated. The fax letter is below.
*************************************
Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald, born and raised in
Compton, California, joined the Southern
California Chapter of the Black Panther Party in
early 1969 as a teenager who had just been
released from the California Youth Authority. In
September of that year, as a dedicated member of
the Party, Chip was arrested in connection with a
police shoot-out and tried for assault on police
and related charges, including the murder of a
security guard. He was sentenced to death.
Ultimately, his sentence was commuted to life
with parole. He has been in prison for nearly 40 years now.
Chip’s dedication to the cause of the liberation
of black and all oppressed people has not wavered
through all the years of his brutal incarceration. http://freechip.org/
*************************************************************
Via Facsimile 760-337-7950
Warden Domingo Uribe, Jr.
Centinela State Prison
Imperial, California
Re: Immediate Medical Treatment
and Transfer Romaine FitzgeraldB27527
Dear Warden Uribe:
This is a demand that you
immediately provide Romaine Fitzgerald the
emergency medical treatment he needs and transfer
him to a proper medical facility for care. Your
denial of this urgent treatment and care is a
blatant denial of his Constitutional rights, for
which the California prison system has already
been reprimanded by the Order of the federal district court.
Mr. Fitzgerald, who has been
incarcerated for 40 years and is now 60 years
old, has made a request for a medical transfer
numerous times because he is suffering extreme
spinal pain and is partially paralyzed, arising
from a stroke he experienced in 1998. Indeed,
over three years ago, prison doctors recommended
corrective surgery, and, recently your own
doctors supported that recommendation. Every day
his condition worsens on account of the barbaric
conditions under which you presently house him in
your administrative segregation unit. The report
of Dr. Marie Branch, based upon her examination
of Mr. Fitzgerald in July of this year, confirms
that the metal bed, extreme isolation and denial
of proper exercise and denial of a neck support
or even a pillow in that unit exacerbate his
deteriorating condition. Indeed, I believe if
you continue to refuse to provide Mr. Fitzgerald
proper treatment, he will soon suffer permanent paralysis.
The Committee to Free Chip
Fitzgerald is prepared to pay for any and all
costs related to the services of a private doctor
to treat Mr. Fitzgerald. The Honorable Thelton
E. Henderson, District Court Judge, and his
appointed Receiver, J. Clark Kelso, are copied on
this letter to alert them of these serious
concerns and encourage them to closely monitor your response.
Very truly yours,
Name
________________________
Address
_______________________
Telephone/Email
_________________
cc: J. Clark Kelso, Receiver, California Prison Health Care Services
Matthew Cate, Secretary, California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The Honorable Thelton E. Henderson,
Judge, United States District Court
Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Attorney General, State of California
Prison Law Office, San Quentin, California
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org Questions and comments may be sent to
claude@freedomarchives.org
Date: Thu, October 1, 2009
Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald needs our support.
Please write and fax demanding his medical
transfer and critically needed treatment!
From: Bruce Richard <BruceR@1199.org
Dear Friend and Family,
Attached is a letter demanding emergency medical
treatment for an ex-Panther that I believe most
of you are familiar with. I am requesting that
you sign off on this and fax it to 212-261-2455
or if you could authorize me to sign off for you.
The plan is to send a large number of these
letters in to the prison demanding that treatment
is provided. Your prompt attention to this matter
would be much appreciated. The fax letter is below.
*************************************
Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald, born and raised in
Compton, California, joined the Southern
California Chapter of the Black Panther Party in
early 1969 as a teenager who had just been
released from the California Youth Authority. In
September of that year, as a dedicated member of
the Party, Chip was arrested in connection with a
police shoot-out and tried for assault on police
and related charges, including the murder of a
security guard. He was sentenced to death.
Ultimately, his sentence was commuted to life
with parole. He has been in prison for nearly 40 years now.
Chip’s dedication to the cause of the liberation
of black and all oppressed people has not wavered
through all the years of his brutal incarceration. http://freechip.org/
*************************************************************
Via Facsimile 760-337-7950
Warden Domingo Uribe, Jr.
Centinela State Prison
Imperial, California
Re: Immediate Medical Treatment
and Transfer Romaine FitzgeraldB27527
Dear Warden Uribe:
This is a demand that you
immediately provide Romaine Fitzgerald the
emergency medical treatment he needs and transfer
him to a proper medical facility for care. Your
denial of this urgent treatment and care is a
blatant denial of his Constitutional rights, for
which the California prison system has already
been reprimanded by the Order of the federal district court.
Mr. Fitzgerald, who has been
incarcerated for 40 years and is now 60 years
old, has made a request for a medical transfer
numerous times because he is suffering extreme
spinal pain and is partially paralyzed, arising
from a stroke he experienced in 1998. Indeed,
over three years ago, prison doctors recommended
corrective surgery, and, recently your own
doctors supported that recommendation. Every day
his condition worsens on account of the barbaric
conditions under which you presently house him in
your administrative segregation unit. The report
of Dr. Marie Branch, based upon her examination
of Mr. Fitzgerald in July of this year, confirms
that the metal bed, extreme isolation and denial
of proper exercise and denial of a neck support
or even a pillow in that unit exacerbate his
deteriorating condition. Indeed, I believe if
you continue to refuse to provide Mr. Fitzgerald
proper treatment, he will soon suffer permanent paralysis.
The Committee to Free Chip
Fitzgerald is prepared to pay for any and all
costs related to the services of a private doctor
to treat Mr. Fitzgerald. The Honorable Thelton
E. Henderson, District Court Judge, and his
appointed Receiver, J. Clark Kelso, are copied on
this letter to alert them of these serious
concerns and encourage them to closely monitor your response.
Very truly yours,
Name
________________________
Address
_______________________
Telephone/Email
_________________
cc: J. Clark Kelso, Receiver, California Prison Health Care Services
Matthew Cate, Secretary, California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The Honorable Thelton E. Henderson,
Judge, United States District Court
Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Attorney General, State of California
Prison Law Office, San Quentin, California
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org Questions and comments may be sent to
claude@freedomarchives.org
Categories: News from Elsewhere
La Organizacion Campesina Emiliano Zapata - Region Carranza Denuncia la Detencion de "El Chema"
por Organización Campesina Emiliano Zapata (OCEZ)
“Luchamos por obtener un pedazo de tierra para trabajar y sostener a nuestros hijos”
La organización campesina Emiliano zapata OCEZ REGION CARRANZA denunciamos lo siguiente:
Nuestra organización campesina históricamente se ha caracterizado por enarbolar la lucha social en defensa de los mas necesitados, de los que menos tienen, desde tiempo atrás hemos consolidado básicamente nuestra lucha por obtener un pedazo de tierra para trabajar y sostener a nuestros hijos, impulsando la creación de programas de atención social en beneficio de los grupos de campesinos que conforman nuestra organización; en este caminar desde tiempo atrás hemos estado juntos por la misma necesidad y hemos coincidido por buscar formas y mecanismos de solución ante los tres niveles de gobierno que impulsan el desarrollo y la gobernalidad en nuestra estado y en la región.
Esta lucha por la tierra y de los movimientos sociales que hemos emprendido es y ha sido para que seamos escuchados ante los gobiernos en turno en busca de las soluciones a nuestras demandas. Ante esta situación, nos ha traído una serie de acusaciones y señalamientos, vinculándonos de pertenecer a grupos armados para desviar la lucha social y confundir a la población, con ello buscan justificar las incursiones militares, los patrullajes y una serie de intimidaciones que se da a lo largo de esta lucha social. El caso especifico nos han señalado primeramente de pertenecer al PROCUP y actualmente al EJERCITO POPULAR REVOLUCIONARIO (EPR), así también nos han fabricado delitos a varios de nuestros compañeros que pertenecemos a grupos de delincuentes, vínculos en el trafico de drogas, de armas, trafico de ilegales, correderos de indocumentados, tratándonos como delincuentes. Y no como luchadores sociales. Para llevar acabo sus planes de desmoronamiento de nuestra organización nos van poniendo grupos de choque en las diversas comunidades, creándose así los grupos paramilitares en la región. En coordinación con estos planes hacen uso de los trabajos de inteligencia a través de los diversos cuerpos policíacos como: la PGR, la AFI, el CISEN, la AEI, POLICIAS MINISTERIALES, LA SEDENA, GRUPOS DE INTELIGENCIA MILITAR SEDENA, y los OPERADORES POLITICOS al servicio del estado, entre otros.
hoy nuevamente denunciamos lo sucedido el pasado miércoles 30 de septiembre del año en curso como eso de las 11:00 hrs. de la mañana penetraron en la comunidad agentes ministeriales de investigación DISFRAZADOS de trabajadores de LA COMISION FEDERAL DE ELECTRICIDAD portando uniformes de esa institución y vehiculo oficial en donde fue secuestrado nuestro compañero JOSE MANUEL HERNANDEZ MARTINEZ y llevado a los separos de la PGR para imputarles y presentarles delitos fabricados como un delincuente y no como un luchador social. A raíz de esta detención se provoca un accidente carretero donde pierde la vida nuestro compañero JORDAN LOPEZ AGUILAR y 3 heridos de gravedad que se encuentran hospitalizados en el hospital regional de Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Tal es el caso de los compañeros BALLARDO HERNANDEZ DE LA CRUZ, JUAN JIMENEZ ZEPEDA Y JOSE SANTOS LOPEZ AGUILAR, en este echo les dieron un cerron el vehiculo de nuestra organización que iban al rescate de nuestro compañero a la altura del rancho el fortín les dieron un cerron con un vehiculo de escolta de los agentes ministeriales el cual no portaban placas y en su interior iban elementos encapuchados que portaban armas largas de alto calibre.
Ante esta situación, repudiamos la política actual de los gobiernos estatal y federal por estos actos en donde hemos demostrado lo contrario que no somos lo que nos han señalado, el cual estábamos desahogando la mesa de dialogo y acercamiento con el gobierno de SABINES y no es posible que se nos de este tipo de trato, y hacemos un llamado a las declaraciones de NOE CASTAÑON secretario de gobierno que no evada la situación que estamos viviendo, al contrario este gobierno debe de ser coadyuvante ante las situaciones federales por que es competencia del actual gobierno del estado.
Es por ello que estamos pidiendo de MANERA URGENTE su ¡! LIBERTAD INMEDIATA ¡! del compañero JOSE MANUEL HERNANDEZ MARTINEZ y garantizar su presentación con vida. Así mismo le pedimos al delegado nacional de la COMISION FEDERAL DE ELCTRICIDAD CFE de una explicación, del por que están usando a ese organismo para uso de detenciones de lideres, como si ellos fueran los nuevos cuerpos de inteligencia.
¡! CON LA UNION DE LOS POBRES VENCEREMOS ¡!
¡! TIERRA Y LIBERTAD ¡!
¡! JUSTICIA Y RESPETO A LOS DERECHOS A LAS GARANTIAS INDIVIDUALES
¡! ORGANIZACIÓN CAMPESINA EMILIANO ZAPATA OCEZ - REGION CARRANZA
Categories: News from Elsewhere
Parole holds key to California prison overcrowding
Parole holds key to California prison overcrowding Between 60,000 and 70,000 California parolees return to custody annually for violations, many of them minor. Reforms passed this month could help cut prisoner tallies. By Michael B. Farrell | Staff writer Tracy,...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
MI: State Senate Votes to Cut Some Prison Spending including closing some prisons and cutting food, education for prisoners
State Senate votes to cut prison spending Associated Press • September 30, 2009 LANSING — The Republican-led Michigan Senate has voted to cut prison spending hours before a deadline to address a $2.8 billion state budget deficit. The 5% cut...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
Jeff Luers to be released as early as next week!!!!!!!!
Just got a note from his mother who says that attorney Lauren Regan was notified
that Jeff qualifies for early release and may be freed in about a week!
Yippeeeeeee!!!!
that Jeff qualifies for early release and may be freed in about a week!
Yippeeeeeee!!!!
Categories: News from Elsewhere
$74 million in Stimulus funding for New Navajo Jails
Stimulus Funding Is Earmarked For Detention Centers On Reservation September 30th, 2009 By Tammy Gray-Searles Nearly $74 million in federal stimulus funds will be used to construct three sorely needed adult detention centers on the Navajo Nation. President Joe Shirley...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
Study Highlights HIV/AIDS Challenge In American Prison System
"A new study by Dr. Nitika Pant Pai – an Assistant professor of Medicine and a medical scientist at the Research Institute of the MUHC – suggests the majority (76%) of inmates take their antiretroviral treatment (ART) intermittently once they...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
NM: Task force: State finances limit prison reform efforts
Task force: State finances limit prison reform efforts By Trip Jennings 9/30/09 New Mexico Independent New Mexico should study the merits of an early controlled release pilot project for non-violent women prisoners and establish re-entry councils across New Mexico, a...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
From El Barrio to Durban
Eyewitness video from the recent attacks on the Kennedy Road Settlement and Abahlali baseMjondolo
UPDATE October 13 '09: Here's Picture the Homeless' reportback from Friday's consulate protest here in NYC.
UPDATE October 8 '09: Protest at the South African Consulate in NYC this Friday (tomorrow) from Noon to 1:30p at 333 E 38th St btwn 1st & 2nd Aves --> organized by Picture the Homeless, the Poverty Initiative, and Domestic Workers United.
UPDATE October 6 '09: Press Statement by the Kennedy Road Development Committee, Abahlali baseMjondolo and the Poor People’s Alliance
Before we get to Movement for Justice in El Barrio's message to Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) in Durban, please take these actions in support of their South African shack dwellers' movement at this critical moment:
1) Circulate eyewitness video coverage of the attack on the shack dwellers, which can be found at http://www.abahlali.org
2) Sign the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/274924944
3) Alert any press connections and send them to http://www.abahlali.org
4) Send emergency resources (even as little as $10):
Tax-exempt donations can be made by check. Please make checks payable to "South Africa Development Fund" which has promised to forward 100% to AbM and mark them for Abahlali baseMjondolo and mail to:
South Africa Development Fund
555 Amory Street
Boston, MA 02130
OR
transfer directly to Abahlali baseMjondolo Bank account with the following details:
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement
Bank: First National Bank
Acc no: 62218884577
Branch: Umgeni Junction
Branch Code: 00200913
Swift Code: firnzajj759
Please mark payments for Abahlali baseMjondolo.
Thank you! Now here's the word from Movimiento...
Statement of Support to the Shack Dwellers Movement of South Africa
From Movement for Justice in El Barrio in New York City
To our sisters and brothers in Abahlali baseMjondolo [AbM] (Shack Dwellers Movement), the Kennedy Road Settlement in Durban, South Africa:
Greetings in solidarity on behalf of Movement for Justice in El Barrio. We want you to know that we, the simple and humble people of East Harlem, New York, are filled with rage for everything that is happening to you, our sisters and brothers, in your country of South Africa. It pains us to hear that 3 members of your community have been pronounced dead and there may be more, many are missing, and even more are seriously injured. This repression that began on the evening of Saturday September 26th, and has yet to cease, in the form of invasion and violent raids in your community are a blatant attack on democracy and the movement for the power of poor people.
It is obvious that not only are the local police behind what is happening in the Kennedy Road shack settlement, but local politicians, that are members of the state party, the ANC, as well. We know that when the Sydenham police were called, they did not respond, and that police dressed in plain clothes that were present during the attacks did nothing to stop the destruction. In addition, we know that of the arrests that have been made so far, none of the people who are part of the militia that launched this completely unprovoked attack on Saturday evening have been arrested, and that most of the Kennedy Road Democratic Committee (KRDC) is behind bars at the Sydenham Police station (including those that were not even present during the attacks because they were attending a public event nearby!).
It is obvious that the police knew about these attacks and that they support this militia that clearly wants to destroy everything the Kennedy Road shack settlement has created and stands for. And, of course, the police can do this because they know they can get away with it as they have the support of powerful local politicians who want to destroy the Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers Movement) and KRDC because they are in the way of their political and economic control.
As we stated to you when you visited us, we stand with you sisters and brothers because we too are fighting the same system that uses vicious and aggressive strategies of displacement to remove us from our homes, only we are in different places. But no matter, we know that in all parts of the world the capitalist system and its political class from above impose these practices against the simple & humble people.
Which is why we are sharing these words from across the oceans and continents to let you know, from here in East Harlem, New York, that we are going to support you and we will do everything necessary so that this ends in favor of the South African community, so that one day in the future we all will be able to achieve our liberation.
Sisters and brothers you are not alone, we are with you and unite in one cry of dignified rebellion and rage.
Long live the dignified struggle of the Abahlali baseMjondolo!
Sincerely,
Movement for Justice in El Barrio
Introduction to Abahlali baseMjondolo:
The Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers Movement) began in Durban, South Africa, in early 2005. Although it is overwhelmingly located in and around the large port city of Durban it is, in terms of the numbers of people mobilized, the largest organization of the militant poor in post-apartheid South Africa. Its originary event was a road blockade organized from the Kennedy Road settlement in protest at the sale, to a local industrialist, of a piece of nearby land long promised by the local municipal councilor to shack dwellers for housing.
The movement that began with the Kennedy Road blockade grew quickly and now includes tens of thousands of people from more than 30 settlements. In the last year and a half the movement has suffered more than a hundred arrests, regular police assault and ongoing death threats and other forms of intimidation from local party goons. It has developed a sustained voice for shack dwellers in subaltern and elite publics and occupied and marched on the offices of local councilors, police stations, municipal offices, newspaper offices and the City Hall in actions that have put thousands of people on the streets. The movement also organized a highly contentious but very successful boycott of the March 2006 local government elections under the slogan ‘No Land, No House, No Vote’. Amongst other victories the Abahlali have democratized the governance of many settlements, stopped evictions in a number of settlements, won access to schools, stopped the industrial development of the land promised to Kennedy Road, forced numerous government officials, offices and projects to ‘come down to the people’ and mounted vigorous challenges to the uncritical assumption of a right to lead the local struggles of the poor in the name of a privileged access to the 'global' (i.e. Northern donors, academics and NGOs) that remains typical of most of the NGO based left.
The movement’s key demand is for ‘Land & Housing in the City’ but it has also successfully politicized and fought for an end to forced removals and for access to education and the provision of water, electricity, sanitation, health care and refuse removal as well as bottom up popular democracy.
The AbM office is in a community center on Kennedy Road, located in the Kennedy Road informal settlement, and is also home of the AbM meeting hall and a childcare center. The office is the location of most AbM General Meetings as well as the meeting place for the Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC). The KRDC is just one of many autonomous political organizations that function within each settlement; these organizations, often called Development Committees, constitute AbM.
Background information on the attack
1. On Saturday night members of the Kennedy Road Development Committee were subject to a surprise attack by a group of about 40 armed men chanting anti Mpondo slogans. The police failed to intervene. People were killed. Later on that night all key AbM leaders were subject to attack. Everyone's houses (and businesses in two cases where people had shops) were destroyed. This mob (now known as 'the Zulu mob' in the settlement) has direct connections to the local ANC who had promised, two weeks ago, to turn the AbM office into an ANC office.
2. The police arrived in the morning and arrested 8 people all (as far as we know - we'll only be sure who has been arrested when they appear in court this morning) are members of the KRDC – the same people who were attacked. Among the arrested are people who were performing a dance at a public event elsewhere in the city on Saturday night. Attacks and threats continued unimpeded in the presence of the police. Calls for help were ignored.
3. Thousands have fled the settlement and some individuals, all key AbM activists, are in hiding as they have been told that they will be killed. Some Xhosa and Pondo people organized themselves against 'the Zulu mob' - this was independent of AbM or the KRDC, which are multi-ethnic organizations. There may well have been counter violence from this quarter. If so it may well be accurate to characterize it as defensive.
4. On Monday morning a huge police presence descended on the settlement as the local ANC councilor and the provincial MEC for Safety and Security arrived (proving that it is easy to get the police there when the state wants them there). They spoke in the hall and offered a clear endorsement of the fact that AbM has been driven out of the settlement. Some of their statements have been recorded. They began, bizarrely, to claim that the KRDC had launched the attacks - this is a total fabrication that they will not be able to sustain, as there were many witnesses on the scene - including some who are independent of local politics. They have also denied the ethnic character of the first attack.
5. After the politicians left so did the police. The settlement was left in the hands of groups of armed men - many not know to the residents. They trashed the AbM office and banned, on the pain of death, all AbM activists and supporters as well as media from entering the settlement.
UPDATE October 13 '09: Here's Picture the Homeless' reportback from Friday's consulate protest here in NYC.
UPDATE October 8 '09: Protest at the South African Consulate in NYC this Friday (tomorrow) from Noon to 1:30p at 333 E 38th St btwn 1st & 2nd Aves --> organized by Picture the Homeless, the Poverty Initiative, and Domestic Workers United.
UPDATE October 6 '09: Press Statement by the Kennedy Road Development Committee, Abahlali baseMjondolo and the Poor People’s Alliance
Before we get to Movement for Justice in El Barrio's message to Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) in Durban, please take these actions in support of their South African shack dwellers' movement at this critical moment:
1) Circulate eyewitness video coverage of the attack on the shack dwellers, which can be found at http://www.abahlali.org
2) Sign the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/274924944
3) Alert any press connections and send them to http://www.abahlali.org
4) Send emergency resources (even as little as $10):
Tax-exempt donations can be made by check. Please make checks payable to "South Africa Development Fund" which has promised to forward 100% to AbM and mark them for Abahlali baseMjondolo and mail to:
South Africa Development Fund
555 Amory Street
Boston, MA 02130
OR
transfer directly to Abahlali baseMjondolo Bank account with the following details:
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement
Bank: First National Bank
Acc no: 62218884577
Branch: Umgeni Junction
Branch Code: 00200913
Swift Code: firnzajj759
Please mark payments for Abahlali baseMjondolo.
Thank you! Now here's the word from Movimiento...
Statement of Support to the Shack Dwellers Movement of South Africa
From Movement for Justice in El Barrio in New York City
To our sisters and brothers in Abahlali baseMjondolo [AbM] (Shack Dwellers Movement), the Kennedy Road Settlement in Durban, South Africa:
Greetings in solidarity on behalf of Movement for Justice in El Barrio. We want you to know that we, the simple and humble people of East Harlem, New York, are filled with rage for everything that is happening to you, our sisters and brothers, in your country of South Africa. It pains us to hear that 3 members of your community have been pronounced dead and there may be more, many are missing, and even more are seriously injured. This repression that began on the evening of Saturday September 26th, and has yet to cease, in the form of invasion and violent raids in your community are a blatant attack on democracy and the movement for the power of poor people.
It is obvious that not only are the local police behind what is happening in the Kennedy Road shack settlement, but local politicians, that are members of the state party, the ANC, as well. We know that when the Sydenham police were called, they did not respond, and that police dressed in plain clothes that were present during the attacks did nothing to stop the destruction. In addition, we know that of the arrests that have been made so far, none of the people who are part of the militia that launched this completely unprovoked attack on Saturday evening have been arrested, and that most of the Kennedy Road Democratic Committee (KRDC) is behind bars at the Sydenham Police station (including those that were not even present during the attacks because they were attending a public event nearby!).
It is obvious that the police knew about these attacks and that they support this militia that clearly wants to destroy everything the Kennedy Road shack settlement has created and stands for. And, of course, the police can do this because they know they can get away with it as they have the support of powerful local politicians who want to destroy the Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers Movement) and KRDC because they are in the way of their political and economic control.
As we stated to you when you visited us, we stand with you sisters and brothers because we too are fighting the same system that uses vicious and aggressive strategies of displacement to remove us from our homes, only we are in different places. But no matter, we know that in all parts of the world the capitalist system and its political class from above impose these practices against the simple & humble people.
Which is why we are sharing these words from across the oceans and continents to let you know, from here in East Harlem, New York, that we are going to support you and we will do everything necessary so that this ends in favor of the South African community, so that one day in the future we all will be able to achieve our liberation.
Sisters and brothers you are not alone, we are with you and unite in one cry of dignified rebellion and rage.
Long live the dignified struggle of the Abahlali baseMjondolo!
Sincerely,
Movement for Justice in El Barrio
Introduction to Abahlali baseMjondolo:
The Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers Movement) began in Durban, South Africa, in early 2005. Although it is overwhelmingly located in and around the large port city of Durban it is, in terms of the numbers of people mobilized, the largest organization of the militant poor in post-apartheid South Africa. Its originary event was a road blockade organized from the Kennedy Road settlement in protest at the sale, to a local industrialist, of a piece of nearby land long promised by the local municipal councilor to shack dwellers for housing.
The movement that began with the Kennedy Road blockade grew quickly and now includes tens of thousands of people from more than 30 settlements. In the last year and a half the movement has suffered more than a hundred arrests, regular police assault and ongoing death threats and other forms of intimidation from local party goons. It has developed a sustained voice for shack dwellers in subaltern and elite publics and occupied and marched on the offices of local councilors, police stations, municipal offices, newspaper offices and the City Hall in actions that have put thousands of people on the streets. The movement also organized a highly contentious but very successful boycott of the March 2006 local government elections under the slogan ‘No Land, No House, No Vote’. Amongst other victories the Abahlali have democratized the governance of many settlements, stopped evictions in a number of settlements, won access to schools, stopped the industrial development of the land promised to Kennedy Road, forced numerous government officials, offices and projects to ‘come down to the people’ and mounted vigorous challenges to the uncritical assumption of a right to lead the local struggles of the poor in the name of a privileged access to the 'global' (i.e. Northern donors, academics and NGOs) that remains typical of most of the NGO based left.
The movement’s key demand is for ‘Land & Housing in the City’ but it has also successfully politicized and fought for an end to forced removals and for access to education and the provision of water, electricity, sanitation, health care and refuse removal as well as bottom up popular democracy.
The AbM office is in a community center on Kennedy Road, located in the Kennedy Road informal settlement, and is also home of the AbM meeting hall and a childcare center. The office is the location of most AbM General Meetings as well as the meeting place for the Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC). The KRDC is just one of many autonomous political organizations that function within each settlement; these organizations, often called Development Committees, constitute AbM.
Background information on the attack
1. On Saturday night members of the Kennedy Road Development Committee were subject to a surprise attack by a group of about 40 armed men chanting anti Mpondo slogans. The police failed to intervene. People were killed. Later on that night all key AbM leaders were subject to attack. Everyone's houses (and businesses in two cases where people had shops) were destroyed. This mob (now known as 'the Zulu mob' in the settlement) has direct connections to the local ANC who had promised, two weeks ago, to turn the AbM office into an ANC office.
2. The police arrived in the morning and arrested 8 people all (as far as we know - we'll only be sure who has been arrested when they appear in court this morning) are members of the KRDC – the same people who were attacked. Among the arrested are people who were performing a dance at a public event elsewhere in the city on Saturday night. Attacks and threats continued unimpeded in the presence of the police. Calls for help were ignored.
3. Thousands have fled the settlement and some individuals, all key AbM activists, are in hiding as they have been told that they will be killed. Some Xhosa and Pondo people organized themselves against 'the Zulu mob' - this was independent of AbM or the KRDC, which are multi-ethnic organizations. There may well have been counter violence from this quarter. If so it may well be accurate to characterize it as defensive.
4. On Monday morning a huge police presence descended on the settlement as the local ANC councilor and the provincial MEC for Safety and Security arrived (proving that it is easy to get the police there when the state wants them there). They spoke in the hall and offered a clear endorsement of the fact that AbM has been driven out of the settlement. Some of their statements have been recorded. They began, bizarrely, to claim that the KRDC had launched the attacks - this is a total fabrication that they will not be able to sustain, as there were many witnesses on the scene - including some who are independent of local politics. They have also denied the ethnic character of the first attack.
5. After the politicians left so did the police. The settlement was left in the hands of groups of armed men - many not know to the residents. They trashed the AbM office and banned, on the pain of death, all AbM activists and supporters as well as media from entering the settlement.
Categories: News from Elsewhere
San Francisco: Oct 2 Prison Art Show Benefit for Leonard Peltier
PRISON ART SHOW ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009
6:00-9:00 p.m.
PIER 5 LAW FIRM
506 Broadway, San Francisco, CA
There will be a Prison Art Show at the Pier 5 Law Firm (the offices of J.Tony Serra) on Friday, October 2 from 6-9. The show will include the work of Native American Activist and Political Prisoner, Leonard Peltier represented by Bird Levy of Polu Manu Productions.
I hope some of you can swing by to support our incarcerated friends and family from Penitentiaries around the world.
All proceeds from sales of Leonard’s work benefit the LPDOC (Leonard Peltier Defense Committee) in Fargo, ND.
There will food served, speakers and entertainment.
For more information, contact:
6:00-9:00 p.m.
PIER 5 LAW FIRM
506 Broadway, San Francisco, CA
There will be a Prison Art Show at the Pier 5 Law Firm (the offices of J.Tony Serra) on Friday, October 2 from 6-9. The show will include the work of Native American Activist and Political Prisoner, Leonard Peltier represented by Bird Levy of Polu Manu Productions.
I hope some of you can swing by to support our incarcerated friends and family from Penitentiaries around the world.
All proceeds from sales of Leonard’s work benefit the LPDOC (Leonard Peltier Defense Committee) in Fargo, ND.
There will food served, speakers and entertainment.
For more information, contact:
Bird Levy
Polu Manu Productions
415-577-4649
www.polumanuproductions.squarespace.com
Categories: News from Elsewhere
PLN investigates Hardin Montana jail fraud
Investigative Research re American Private Police Force Organization (APF)
by
Alex Friedmann
Associate Editor, Prison Legal News
Vice President, Private Corrections Institute
Prison Legal News and the Private Corrections Institute have been closely following the situation in Hardin, Montana related to the Two Rivers Prison and a recent proposal by the "American Private Police Force Organization" to operate the facility and build a law enforcement training center in Hardin. Our research on this issue is summarized below and was first shared with the Associated Press, which broke the story on Sept. 30, 2009, available here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ifOx0LPKy5B_0KAyPHyNTEqdQz6QD9B206QG3
_________________
APF's Michael Hilton Involved in Fraud Case; Has Criminal Record
According to court records, APF front man Michael Hilton was named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles, CA in 2000 that included ten counts of fraud and conspiracy. The case resulted in a $1.4 million judgment against the defendants, including $339,950 against Hilton. In an unpublished ruling, the California Court of Appeals noted that "Hilton is a convicted felon." One of Hilton's co-defendants, Ivano Stamegna, also was identified in the court ruling as a convicted felon. Stamegna accused Hilton of using another defendant in the suit as a pawn and stated that Hilton was the "main perpetrator of the fraud." At least three of the parties involved in this case, upon reviewing photos of APF's Michael Hilton from news articles, confirmed that he is the same Michael Hilton who was involved in the civil suit. The case is Bentley v. Carella, Case No. YC035740, Los Angeles Superior Court; the appellate ruling is Bentley v. Carella, 2003 Cal.App.Unpub. LEXIS 8418 (Cal. App. 2d Dist. Sept. 4, 2003).
One of the parties in the Bentley case stated that Michael Hilton used several alias, including "Miodrag Dokovich." Two bankruptcy petitions were filed in California under the name of Michael Hilton, in 2002 and 2004. Both listed "Miodrag Dokovich" as aliases and both included the same Social Security Number (SSN). Both petitions were dismissed by the court.
A $5,052 judgment lien was entered against Michael Hilton in January 2006 in Orange County, CA. A $1,852 small claims judgment was entered against Michael Hilton in Los Angeles County in 2000; the same claimant obtained a $3,979 judgment against Hilton in 1999. All of these judgments were against a Michael Hilton with the same SSN as the Michael Hilton who filed bankruptcy with the alias of Miodrag Dokovich. Another judgment, in the amount of $1,040, was entered against Michael Hilton in 1992 under a similar but slightly different SSN. A civil judgment was entered against Michael Hilton and co-defendant Ilia Dokovich in 1992 in the amount of $83,000, but no SSN was included in that filing.
According to records from the Los Angeles Superior Court, Michael Hilton, AKA "Chedomire Djokich," was charged on June 9, 1992 with grand theft (Cal. Penal Code Sec. 487.1), Case No. LBNA011815-01. According to a Lexis search, Djokich is an alias associated with Michael Hilton; the defendant in this case has the same SSN as the Michael Hilton / Miodrag Dokovich bankruptcy cases and civil judgments.
The Santa Ana Police Dept. also has an arrest record for Michael Hilton from April 1990, for bad checks and grand theft (Case 88-78747). That Hilton has the same birth date (Feb. 1, 1954) as the date that corresponds to the SSN in the Michael Hilton / Miodrag Dokovich bankruptcy cases and civil judgments.
According to a Lexis search, other aliases used by Michael Hilton include Miodrag Dokovich, Miodrag Djokich, Miodrag Djokovich, Michael Hamilton, Anthony M. Hilton, Michael A. Hilton, Michael Milton and Hristian Djokich, plus related variants.
Discrepancies Involving APF
APF's website states that the company's "main office is located in Washington D.C." However, according to the D.C. Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, there is no registered company in D.C. using the American Private Police Force name or similar variant. When APF included its Washington, D.C. address on its website, the address was a virtual / mail-drop office, and the management company stated that APF had not completed its application and thus did not have a valid address at that location. APF has since removed its D.C. address from its website.
The APF website states that "within the last 5 years the United States has been far and away our #1 client." However, a search of the federal contractor database reveals no government contracts for a company using the American Private Police Force name, or similar variants. See: www.bpn.gov/CCRSearch/Search.aspx
APF was incorporated in California on March 2, 2009, although the company claims it has been operating for years. APF's Michael Hilton was listed as the company's registered agent at 10501 Brookhurst Street in Anaheim, CA. That address is a single family residence owned by Serafin Vidovic, a barber in Ahaheim (www.cleancutbarber.biz). Mr. Hilton lives in the downstairs of the house, according to Mr. Vidovic.
The APF website (www.americanpolicegroup.com) went online on May 15, 2009, which again conflicts with the company's claim that it has been operating for years. Although AFP has stated it is a subsidiary of another security firm, it has refused to reveal the name of its parent company. The APF website was initially hosted on the same server as several other sites dealing with law enforcement/defense companies (www.dpsna.com and www.allieddefensesystems.com), and shared some of the same text as the other sites, indicating it simply copied that information. The APF site also contains a number of typos that would not be expected to appear on a website maintained by a company familiar with law enforcement (e.g., "Air Marshalls" and "kidknapping").
APF is completely unknown in the private prison industry. According to an Associated Press report, an official with the Professional Services Council, which includes major federal security contractors such as DynCorp and Xe Services (formerly Blackwater), had not heard of APF.
Other Developments
Greg Smith, executive director of the Two Rivers Authority, which has control over the Hardin prison, was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 11, 2009. The reason for his suspension, which occurred just three days after Hardin's proposed contract with APF was announced, was not disclosed. APF stated that it had discussed hiring Smith's wife, Kerri Smith, who is presently running for mayor of Hardin.
On Sept. 25, 2009, APF hired Billings Gazette reporter Becky Shay as the company's director of public relations, to the apparent surprise of her editor. Shay, who had previously reported on the Hardin prison and APF's offer to run the facility, will reportedly be paid $60,000/year by the company.
The company's recently-hired attorney, Maziar Mafi, is described on his website as practicing in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, immigration, business law, litigations [sic] and criminal law. Although Mafi's website states he "has a 100% success rate on appeals in state and federal courts including published opinion from United States Ninth Circuit," a Lexis search of appellate court decisions indicates that of the three opinions in which Mafi is listed as counsel, he won one and lost two. The two appellate cases he lost: SALEHINASAB v. ZARRABI, 2003 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 2223 (Cal. App. 4th Dist. Mar. 7, 2003) and DAVIS v. HAMEDANY, 2005 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 2638 (Cal. App. 4th Dist. Mar. 23, 2005).
_______________________
Prison Legal News (PLN), founded in 1990 and based in Seattle, Washington, is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human rights in U.S. detention facilities. PLN publishes a monthly magazine that includes reports, reviews and analysis of court rulings and news related to prisoners' rights and criminal justice issues. PLN has almost 7,000 subscribers and operates a website (www.prisonlegalnews.org) that includes a comprehensive database of prison and jail-related articles, news reports, court rulings, verdicts, settlements and related documents. PLN is a project of the Human Rights Defense Center.
The Private Corrections Institute (PCI) is a non-profit citizen watchdog organization that works to educate the public about the significant dangers and pitfalls associated with the privatization of correctional services. PCI maintains an online collection of news reports and other resources related to the private prison industry, and holds the position that for-profit prisons have no place in a free and democratic society. For more information: www.privateci.org.
Contacts:
Alex Friedmann
Prison Legal News
(615) 495-6568
Frank Smith
PCI Field Organizer
(620) 967-4616
Paul Wright, Editor
Prison Legal News
P.O. Box 2420
West Brattleboro, VT 05303
802 257-1342
pwright@prisonlegalnews.org
www.prisonlegalnews.org
Seattle Office
2400 NW 80th St. Suite 148
Seattle, WA 98117
206-246-1022
by
Alex Friedmann
Associate Editor, Prison Legal News
Vice President, Private Corrections Institute
Prison Legal News and the Private Corrections Institute have been closely following the situation in Hardin, Montana related to the Two Rivers Prison and a recent proposal by the "American Private Police Force Organization" to operate the facility and build a law enforcement training center in Hardin. Our research on this issue is summarized below and was first shared with the Associated Press, which broke the story on Sept. 30, 2009, available here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ifOx0LPKy5B_0KAyPHyNTEqdQz6QD9B206QG3
_________________
APF's Michael Hilton Involved in Fraud Case; Has Criminal Record
According to court records, APF front man Michael Hilton was named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles, CA in 2000 that included ten counts of fraud and conspiracy. The case resulted in a $1.4 million judgment against the defendants, including $339,950 against Hilton. In an unpublished ruling, the California Court of Appeals noted that "Hilton is a convicted felon." One of Hilton's co-defendants, Ivano Stamegna, also was identified in the court ruling as a convicted felon. Stamegna accused Hilton of using another defendant in the suit as a pawn and stated that Hilton was the "main perpetrator of the fraud." At least three of the parties involved in this case, upon reviewing photos of APF's Michael Hilton from news articles, confirmed that he is the same Michael Hilton who was involved in the civil suit. The case is Bentley v. Carella, Case No. YC035740, Los Angeles Superior Court; the appellate ruling is Bentley v. Carella, 2003 Cal.App.Unpub. LEXIS 8418 (Cal. App. 2d Dist. Sept. 4, 2003).
One of the parties in the Bentley case stated that Michael Hilton used several alias, including "Miodrag Dokovich." Two bankruptcy petitions were filed in California under the name of Michael Hilton, in 2002 and 2004. Both listed "Miodrag Dokovich" as aliases and both included the same Social Security Number (SSN). Both petitions were dismissed by the court.
A $5,052 judgment lien was entered against Michael Hilton in January 2006 in Orange County, CA. A $1,852 small claims judgment was entered against Michael Hilton in Los Angeles County in 2000; the same claimant obtained a $3,979 judgment against Hilton in 1999. All of these judgments were against a Michael Hilton with the same SSN as the Michael Hilton who filed bankruptcy with the alias of Miodrag Dokovich. Another judgment, in the amount of $1,040, was entered against Michael Hilton in 1992 under a similar but slightly different SSN. A civil judgment was entered against Michael Hilton and co-defendant Ilia Dokovich in 1992 in the amount of $83,000, but no SSN was included in that filing.
According to records from the Los Angeles Superior Court, Michael Hilton, AKA "Chedomire Djokich," was charged on June 9, 1992 with grand theft (Cal. Penal Code Sec. 487.1), Case No. LBNA011815-01. According to a Lexis search, Djokich is an alias associated with Michael Hilton; the defendant in this case has the same SSN as the Michael Hilton / Miodrag Dokovich bankruptcy cases and civil judgments.
The Santa Ana Police Dept. also has an arrest record for Michael Hilton from April 1990, for bad checks and grand theft (Case 88-78747). That Hilton has the same birth date (Feb. 1, 1954) as the date that corresponds to the SSN in the Michael Hilton / Miodrag Dokovich bankruptcy cases and civil judgments.
According to a Lexis search, other aliases used by Michael Hilton include Miodrag Dokovich, Miodrag Djokich, Miodrag Djokovich, Michael Hamilton, Anthony M. Hilton, Michael A. Hilton, Michael Milton and Hristian Djokich, plus related variants.
Discrepancies Involving APF
APF's website states that the company's "main office is located in Washington D.C." However, according to the D.C. Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, there is no registered company in D.C. using the American Private Police Force name or similar variant. When APF included its Washington, D.C. address on its website, the address was a virtual / mail-drop office, and the management company stated that APF had not completed its application and thus did not have a valid address at that location. APF has since removed its D.C. address from its website.
The APF website states that "within the last 5 years the United States has been far and away our #1 client." However, a search of the federal contractor database reveals no government contracts for a company using the American Private Police Force name, or similar variants. See: www.bpn.gov/CCRSearch/Search.aspx
APF was incorporated in California on March 2, 2009, although the company claims it has been operating for years. APF's Michael Hilton was listed as the company's registered agent at 10501 Brookhurst Street in Anaheim, CA. That address is a single family residence owned by Serafin Vidovic, a barber in Ahaheim (www.cleancutbarber.biz). Mr. Hilton lives in the downstairs of the house, according to Mr. Vidovic.
The APF website (www.americanpolicegroup.com) went online on May 15, 2009, which again conflicts with the company's claim that it has been operating for years. Although AFP has stated it is a subsidiary of another security firm, it has refused to reveal the name of its parent company. The APF website was initially hosted on the same server as several other sites dealing with law enforcement/defense companies (www.dpsna.com and www.allieddefensesystems.com), and shared some of the same text as the other sites, indicating it simply copied that information. The APF site also contains a number of typos that would not be expected to appear on a website maintained by a company familiar with law enforcement (e.g., "Air Marshalls" and "kidknapping").
APF is completely unknown in the private prison industry. According to an Associated Press report, an official with the Professional Services Council, which includes major federal security contractors such as DynCorp and Xe Services (formerly Blackwater), had not heard of APF.
Other Developments
Greg Smith, executive director of the Two Rivers Authority, which has control over the Hardin prison, was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 11, 2009. The reason for his suspension, which occurred just three days after Hardin's proposed contract with APF was announced, was not disclosed. APF stated that it had discussed hiring Smith's wife, Kerri Smith, who is presently running for mayor of Hardin.
On Sept. 25, 2009, APF hired Billings Gazette reporter Becky Shay as the company's director of public relations, to the apparent surprise of her editor. Shay, who had previously reported on the Hardin prison and APF's offer to run the facility, will reportedly be paid $60,000/year by the company.
The company's recently-hired attorney, Maziar Mafi, is described on his website as practicing in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, immigration, business law, litigations [sic] and criminal law. Although Mafi's website states he "has a 100% success rate on appeals in state and federal courts including published opinion from United States Ninth Circuit," a Lexis search of appellate court decisions indicates that of the three opinions in which Mafi is listed as counsel, he won one and lost two. The two appellate cases he lost: SALEHINASAB v. ZARRABI, 2003 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 2223 (Cal. App. 4th Dist. Mar. 7, 2003) and DAVIS v. HAMEDANY, 2005 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 2638 (Cal. App. 4th Dist. Mar. 23, 2005).
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Prison Legal News (PLN), founded in 1990 and based in Seattle, Washington, is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human rights in U.S. detention facilities. PLN publishes a monthly magazine that includes reports, reviews and analysis of court rulings and news related to prisoners' rights and criminal justice issues. PLN has almost 7,000 subscribers and operates a website (www.prisonlegalnews.org) that includes a comprehensive database of prison and jail-related articles, news reports, court rulings, verdicts, settlements and related documents. PLN is a project of the Human Rights Defense Center.
The Private Corrections Institute (PCI) is a non-profit citizen watchdog organization that works to educate the public about the significant dangers and pitfalls associated with the privatization of correctional services. PCI maintains an online collection of news reports and other resources related to the private prison industry, and holds the position that for-profit prisons have no place in a free and democratic society. For more information: www.privateci.org.
Contacts:
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Prison Legal News
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Frank Smith
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Paul Wright, Editor
Prison Legal News
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Categories: News from Elsewhere
Dutch vice-consul in Honduras reprimanded for coup support
Dutch publication Elsevier reported that the Dutch vice-consul in Tegucigalpa and family of the Honorary Consul, Ms. C.M. Klück-Baas, has been reprimanded by the Dutch Foreign Ministry for signing a letter by Dutch citizens to the Foreign Minister in support of the military coup.
The Dutch group claimed that elected president Manuel Zelaya had been deposed legally and justifiably for violating the constitution and being corrupt as well as being late in filing an annual budget. The rejection of the coup by the Netherlands government and the European Union is, the Dutch group wrote, a "scandalous injustice".
An Honorary Consul typically manages consular affairs in the host country without receiving a salary. In Central America, they are usually from the banking community. Neither a consul nor his staff are supposed to meddle in political affairs in the host country. Even so, the letter was signed by a number of family members of the Honorary Consul as well.
A spokesman of the Dutch Foreign Ministry is quoted in the Elsevier story saying that although the Dutch expats are free to voice their opinion, the vice-consul has been reprimanded for signing the missive. The Dutch government rejects the military coup and doesn't recognize the Micheletti government.
The Dutch expat support for military juntas comes on top of that of a group of American expats, notably one "la gringa" who writes anonymously on her blogcito and this week published a comment calling for assassination of the US ambassador to Honduras (a day later, only after others called for the US Secret Service to investigate, she removed the threat). This is typically the expat environment that tells journalists like yours truly that they are "too negative" and should stay out of political affairs in the countries they report on, claiming that "we're only guests here".
Categories: News from Elsewhere
Erie Co NY: Justice Department files suit against jail and holding center alleging violations of constitutional rights of prisoners
Federal Government Files Suit Over Holding Center Steve Cichon Reporting scichon@entercom.com The Justice Department issued the following news release: WASHINGTON – The United States has filed a lawsuit alleging that conditions at the Erie County Holding Center, a pre-trial detention...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
MA: uvenile life-without-parole sentence too harsh, reports says Advocates seek Mass. law change
Juvenile life-without-parole sentence too harsh, reports says Advocates seek Mass. law change By Jonathan Saltzman Globe Staff / September 30, 2009 Despite its liberal reputation, Massachusetts has one of the harshest laws in the country for sentencing murderers as young...
Categories: News from Elsewhere
