Guilty Until Proven Innocent

One might believe that I write this blog because I am a victim of racially motivated police brutality. Absolutely right!I was severely injured and now have a pending federal lawsuit. It happened in October of 2010. I was with my fiancé and another female friend. My vehicle was parked and the two women were arguing as women sometimes do. The police swarmed us, guns drawn they ordered us to the ground, sprayed me with pepper spray, tackled and assaulted me. Yes, it happened that quick in that order. I was subsequently charged with disorderly conduct and two counts of resisting arrest. One count for each officer that turned and assaulted me! This was the most disappointing day of my entire life.  I lost faith in police and realized that I must do something to defend innocent African American males from unwarranted brutality. Becoming an Attorney is front line action. The case was dismissed in the preliminary hearing stage without prejudice because the police never showed up. The police figured that I was most likely uneducated, had a criminal record, was on probation, or worse. They were wrong. However, the assistant DA refilled the charges. The charges were once again dismissed on a motion that there was no evidence to prosecute. The assistant DA appealed the decision to the Superior Court in order to soften the blow from the civil suit. The Superior Court reversed the decision of the County Judge. My Attorney then appealed to the State Supreme Court but they would not hear the case. So I will be going to trial for trumped up charges. My defense has cost me over 8000 to date and another 4000 more due. The agony and stress of having pending charges and being in the criminal justice system is hard to deal with. In theory, Americans are innocent until proven guilty but anyone that has felt the wrath of the criminal justice system knows different.Anyone with pending charges will not be obtain gainful employment unless they are self employed.  I have been labeled but I will not go down without a fight.  I will never make the mistake of taking a plea for something that I did not do in order to reduce the charges, reduce the Attorney fees, and inconveniences associated with criminal charges. It is very possible that you will lose your job, money, respect, family, and end up worse off than you can imagine with an encounter with the police. 

            Throughout my life and my experience, the law has been there to protect me as a citizen in the greatest country the earth has ever seen. It has also been a thorn in my side in my quest for success in life. African American men must wake up and not allow injustices to be done to them. We can not make mistakes. One mistake can cost you your life and doom one to lifelong poverty.