Comments and Follow-up
The outcome is still to be decided. I was ordered to appear in Court on Tuesday February 17 because it was a three day weekend. Found an attorney to appear with me for the bargain rate of $1,500 which would cover his fees through trial if needed. (he started out at $2,500 so $1,500 was a bargain)When we got to Court we found it locked, nothing going on. A check down stairs where they post the schedule also showed nothing. A check at the Court clerk's office showed that I was being arranged at Santa Rita they were shocked I had made bail. We then went to the District Attorney's office and was told they had not made up their minds about what to do with the cast and would send a letter in a few days. As of this writing (March 15, 2004) I have never received any thing from them except the return of my bail money a month later.
I now have an arrest record of "Resisting Arrest" that will always be there. I could have a hearing for around a $1,000 in attorney fees to have it removed, but I have been told by a judge that after three years of hearings for these removals he has only removed one. There are two witnesses against me and no evidence against them.
I am being told that to file a false arrest suite against the officer would cost me from $5,000 to $10,000 just to take it up to trial and about the same amount again for the trial.
I have no grounds for and action about being terrorized in jail, that dosn't count unless I was being beaten.
I want to do something, but in becomes a question of how much money I want to spend or lose.
The one thing that could be done that would help all concerned. That is to push for the installation of video cameras in the Jail holding area. This would protect the jailers from false accusations of abuse. And who knows maybe a prisoner as well form time to time. I am sure everyone from Sheriff Charles C. Plummer, to the medics, to all the other jail personal, know and must condone what is going on there or this measure would have been taken a long time ago.
If you would like to make a comment or leave a message please contact me at "oaknv04@yahoo.com"