Mr Norris was 65 years old at the time, and a collector of orchids. He eventually discovered that he was suspected of smuggling the flowers into America, an offense under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species….
In March 2004, five months after the [initial] raid, Mr Norris was indicted, handcuffed and thrown into a cell with a suspected murderer and two suspected drug-dealers. When told why he was there, “they thought it hilarious.” One asked: “What do you do with these things? Smoke ’em?” …
[Later] an undercover federal agent had ordered some orchids from him, a few of which arrived without the correct papers. For this, he was charged with making a false statement to a government official, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Since he had communicated with his suppliers, he was charged with conspiracy, which also carries a potential five-year term.
As his legal bills exploded, Mr Norris reluctantly changed his plea to guilty, though he still protests his innocence. He was sentenced to 17 months in prison. After some time, he was released while his appeal was heard, but then put back inside. His health suffered: he has Parkinson’s disease, which was not helped by the strain of imprisonment. For bringing some prescription sleeping pills into prison, he was put in solitary confinement for 71 days. The prison was so crowded, however, that even in solitary he had two room-mates.
Milwaukee Police Department. (Granted, the detainee was being a wee bit a dick, but what the hell.)
Police Officer Goes Crazy When He’s Told He Needs a Warrant to Search Car
Know your rights! Don’t allow cops to search your car or home. Never talk to police officer without a lawyer, even when you’re not under arrest.
"Government is in reality established by the few; and these few assume the consent of all the rest, without any such consent being actually given."
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— Lysander Spooner.
Whistle blowing is not a crime.
Courage To Resist
Free Braldey
Bradley Manning Support Network
Braldey Manning @ Truthout
Big Island blogger Damon Tucker claims he was the victim of police brutality in Pahoa early Saturday morning and that he will be filing a lawsuit against the Hawaii County Police Department. Police say are investigating the incident, but the charge against Tucker alleges he was interfering with official police duty.
Tucker said he had just finished photographing a concert at the Pahoa Village Club.
He said he was walking to his car when he saw officers breaking up a fight.
“I started taking pictures and an officer asked me not to take pictures so I put my (camera) phone down. Then I heard a crash. It sounded like a bottle breaking or something like that. And I started video taping again, and about 5 or 10 seconds later all of a sudden all I knew is I was getting thrown to the ground, handcuffed on the sidewalk. Then I got lifted off the sidewalk … slammed back down to the ground again,” Tucker said.
Tucker was arrested and charged with obstructing government operations, a misdemeanor. After his release his wife took pictures that show scrapes, abrasions, and bruises on his back, shoulders, elbows, and knees.
