Roycerson Goes to Jail

[Caleb]

I have no money.  If there's a lawyer out there for whom that is not a significant issue.  I'm yet to find him.  I've had LOTS of people tell me that such a lawyer exists.  No one has offered a name.  I'll keep looking.

As far as the criminal case goes.  I am still optimistic that they will just decide to leave me alone.  The municipal court clerks knew who I was when they called, referred to my emails, and didn't sound at all hostile.  A couple of innocent questions from Jason P. Sorens, Political Science dept. NYU might not ensure my freedom but it will be noticed.  Lenexa is a small town and I'm really hoping they'll fold at any sign of trouble.  Isn't that what happened with Russel in a KS small town?

It's not my intention to put any pressure on you to do that.  But...  you took an interest.

Lenexa Municipal Court
913-477-7600

The issue of no money for a lawer you might want to contact a group like the ACLU.
You can find the local chapter http://www.aclu.org/affiliates/ and look for the get help link on the local chapters page. They do get many requests so you may want to get ahold of them soon so they can make a decision on if the case has merit. On their page they say "To be accepted, your case must be a violation of individual rights by the government. There is never a fee charged to clients whose cases we accept."

I think most lawyers will take your case with no upfront fee if they think they can win a large lawsuit. They'll take their fee from the judgment or settlement.

[kola]

I hope the "loss of vision" (wink) and intermittant seizures (wink wink) subsides.  Hopefully it will resolve and not fester into any type of long term chronic illness. 

Kola

[Dave Ridley]

OK I need to file a report here quickly while it's fresh in my mind.  I called New Century jail this morning and talked to four different people, first the person who answered the phone, then Terry in Records, then Lt. Becker, then Captain Keller.   Each of them were polite and somewhat helpful.

The gal who first answered verified that roger was held there, but was unclear of the charges.  I began asking her if there was any evidence he had actively resisted arrest ; she passed me on to Terry in Records who said his charge was "obstruction of legal process."  Terry says he had a same day release and bond posted by Premier.  I explained to her his allegations of torture, I said no it's not as bad as Iraq but I would like to think this doesn't happen in kansas, I used to work there and liked the place.  She seemed to agree and sounded a little shocked.   She handed me up to Lieutenant Becker.  most of these people I gave them my name and told them I was with NHfree.com, a new hampshire based libertarian organization.  I  told them Roger was a member.  I told some of them that I dont' always believe allegations of cop brutality but when they come from within our organization they have more credibility.

With Lt. Becker I said that a member of our organization is claiming that authorities at the jail tortured him, that I realize this is a spectatular allegation but that it requires I at least ask some questions.  Becker laughed and seemed a little nervous; he said "we dont' subscribe to that kind of thing."  I told him that was what I'd like to believe.   He volunteered that he'd read roger's internet article and heard about his radio appearance.   but he said he thought the complaint was more with Lenexa PD.  I explained that this was partly true but that Roger had indicated various things that happened to him after he was detained and during the shackling process, also mention to one or more of these people the stuff about him not being allowed to move his arm.  Becker I believe indicated that they videotape detainees.   The captain who I talked with later indicated that they do so only in force cases

I asked Becker if they had a videotape and if the videotape would be made available to the public.

He passed me on eventually to the captain, Keller.    Keller indicated the video would not likely be released.   He said that they make hundreds of videos.

with a couple of these people I reminded them that passive resistance is very different from active resistance but that cops sometimes treat one like the other.    i said passive resistance is what gandhi did sort of, he got beat up for it and so will people like us sometimes.
I said either to becker or to the captain that I don't want to think of them as guilty but as innocent until proven guilty, just want to ask some questions.   

Keller said if people passively resist they just lie there in a lump on the floor.

I told him that all his people had been helpful to me and that I appreciated this, considering the volitile nature of my questions. 

He asked for my number and indicated that he will call me back with some more answers. 

here is the full list of questions i had written up but of course didn't ask them all:

questions for you regarding a prisoner you apparently held last month.
can you verify for me that roger bottoms jr. was a detainee or prisoner at the new century jail facility?   is there any evidence that he activitly resisted arrest or was he, as he claims, only passively disobeying?    how long was he detained?  was any videotape shot during the detainment at the jail?   where is the video?  is it true that officers twisted his joints while shaclking him?   is it true that they shackled an injured arm making it impossible for him to move the arm and thus triggering excrutiating pain?   during the interoggation did an officer, as alleged, step on mr. bottom's foot with the intention of causing pain?

[EthanAllen]

Dada-

In some way Royce's case is a lot like your petition of redress of grievances which requires free passageway within government buildings to the employees. No? His claim is that he was exercising his constitutional common right of way that is contained within the roadways, sidewalks, and shoulders of roads.

[Roycerson]

Dada-

In some way Royce's case is a lot like your petition of redress of grievances which requires free passageway within government buildings to the employees. No? His claim is that he was exercising his constitutional common right of way that is contained within the roadways, sidewalks, and shoulders of roads.

I suppose it is but I'm not going to go that way with it. 

Thanks Dave.  Court is on Fri.  I'll let you know how it goes.  If I end up in jail someone will post on the FTL thread about it.

[Roycerson]

Went to court today.  This time I was arraigned on all three above charges.  I don't know why they felt the need to arraign me twice.  Incompetence of bureaucrat's I suppose.  Not much of note.  A person I had with me said that the judge must have known who I was because she spoke to me differently than the others.  I didn't notice that but I DID observe that I didn't get quite the same "are you sure you don't want a public pretender" spiel as the rest of them leading me to suspect that despite the clerks previous assertion that the judge would not read my email or in any other way familiarize herself with me or she would have to recuse herself that she probably did have a familiarity about where I stand on tax payer funding.  Every person I saw arraigned was there for a victimless crime.  Drinking underage (one of them 20 years old I noticed), driving without a license, etc.  I wasn't paying much attention, I had a Heinlein book.

When asked how I wanted the judge to set the case to proceed I answered "right now".  I am dissapointed that I didn't think to say I would like her to dismiss the charges and leave me alone because I didn't hurt anyone.  Apparently a speedy trial isn't important to her because I have another court date on Aug. 21st.  AFTER WARPED TOUR  YIPPEEEEE!!!!

Since the courthouse is next door to the police station I growed the balls to go in there and ask for a complaint form.  The uniformed secretary asked me why.  I said: "Does it matter?"  After we verbally sparred on that point for a short time I asked:  "Would you rather I just leave and tell people you refused to give me the form?"  She told me she would get a Lt. for me.  After a short wait in the lobby a man came out and introduced himself as the Chief of Police.  I said: "Oh you got my email.  I'm the one who was beaten and tortured by your officers."  He said: "Oh, you're Mr. Bottoms."  He then refused to give me the form until I entered a small room with him.  I told him I didn't want to go in that room alone with him because I'm terrified of cops.  He allowed someone to come in the room with me on the condition that she not speak or interfere in any way.  I agreed though I wouldn't call it voluntary as I had previously grasped the complaint form and he had not let go of it.  Clearly it was being used to coerce me into doing something I didn't want to do.

He explained to me the gist of the form and strongly encouraged me to fill it out on the spot.  I had to be quite insistent that I was going to take it with me.  I asked him how he felt about his officers punching harmless people lying on the ground.  He gave a BS answer about training officers to react not only to the imminent threat but the possibility that a threat might arise (poorly evidently as I was not a danger).  What he specifically did NOT say is that it's not OK for cops to punch people who are just lying harmlessly on the ground.  What kind of piece of shit do you have to be to refuse to say that and still sleep at night?

The Chief wrote a phone number on the form and told me I would have to make an appointment and respond to questions about "my side" when I completed the form.  I assured him every word of that email was entirely truthful.  As far as I'm concerned that Email WAS a formal complaint and he has thus far refused to act upon it.  It pisses me off that they want me to do their paperwork for them.

At some point the officer who arrested me came in the room.  He was most unwelcome, sneaking up behind me when I had made it quite clear that because of my ordeal I was quite unnerved being in a cops presence is something I construe as a hostile act.  I mentally spar with myself on the rationality behind the intense anxiety I feel around them.  On the one hand I know it's unlikely they'll hurt me at that time, on the other, I HAVE been beaten and tortured for walking.  Why should I believe they are not capable of more of the same or worse?

The arresting officer told me that this is not the venue for what I'm trying to accomplish.  That's when the Chief told me he would make an appointment to discuss my complaint and I took the oppurtunity to point out that evidently this IS the appropriate venue according to his boss.  Just why the hell did he feel the need to interject in this conversation in the first place.  Of course I know he's a meddlesome busybody, that's why I was there in the first place.  On the way out I asked him if he still felt good about what he did that night.  He hesitated, looked at me, looked at his boss, looked back at me.  I said: "You don't have to answer" (as if I would presume to require or enforce such a thing being a strict NAP/ZAP adherent, I doubt he recognized the irony)  He said:  "Good, I won't"  I left with a slight grin on my face knowing full well that this guy is at least honest enough to not wish to lie about it and perhaps not mean hearted enough to have enjoyed doing what he did.  You might recall from previous posts he IS the only guy who didn't seem to enjoy my pain.

I then tried to get a copy of the police report.  They wanted 5 dollars.....  yep 5 DOLLARS!!!!  to make a copy....  FUCKING MONOPOLIES!!!  I told them I didn't have any money (I did NOT tell them that to give them money which I have plenty of first hand knowledge that they would then likely use to do evil is very much against my moral code), they told me I could get a copy in a motion for discovery and told me that I MUST have an address for a motion of discovery.  I don't.  The next hurdle is getting them to provide a homeless person with the things that they must by law provide a defendant.  I WILL NOT give them anyone else's address as we all know the kind of things cops are known to do to people who file complaints and those close to them.  The Chief denied such allegations....  Maybe he doesn't know how to read or does not take an interest in the goings on of his profession.  I should have recommended he visit copwatch.org.

To be continued.......

[error]

Give 'em Hell!

[Roycerson]

I'm sure it's clear to them at this point that life would be better for all if they'd just left me alone.  They have to save face though.

[Matyalynnrin]

Cheers to you Royce, stay strong, stay calm. I'll be having a shot in your honor tonight, you can pick the liquor if you like. 

[Roycerson]

Cheers to you Royce, stay strong, stay calm. I'll be having a shot in your honor tonight, you can pick the liquor if you like. 

hey everyone I'd like to introduce Miya ^.  She's an FSP member, FTL shriner and FINALLY she's on the boards!!!

[d_goddard]

You've got my respect bigtime, Royce.

The fact that the cop who you wanted to file the complaint against was allowed to be in direct contact with you, may well give you grounds for a suit against the Chief.

If you haven't contacted the ACLU yet, I really do think you should (and no I don't love everything the ACLU does but for the love of god cases like this one are where they are useful)

[Roycerson]

I'll admit I have not yet contacted them.  Partly because I'm a huge procrastinator and partly because I REALLY hoped they'd see reason and decide to leave me alone.  I figured my case would look more attractive to them if the charges had already been dropped.  No private KS attorney has even acknowledged reciept of my emails and apparently copwatch isn't really worried about doing anything but growing their database.  I'm bound to learn a lot during this process and will afterward keep an eye on their forum for clueless people like me.


If I don't get help from the ACLU I'll just have to proceed on my own unless I get lucky.  The adrenaline is fading so I'm about ready to fill out all of the paperwork they want me to do for them, I expect that'll keep me busy today.  I've resolved to call the ACLU on Monday.


And thanks     I sensed you've been a bit skeptical about me.  That's OK.

[Kat Kanning]

A trucker called in to Alex Jones yesterday.  He said when he started up with a new trucking company, he was presented with paperwork to sign up to spy for the government - report anything suspicious.  One of the suspicious things listed that you should call in about was someone walking along the highway.  Reminded me of Roycerson's problem.

[Raineyrocks]

A trucker called in to Alex Jones yesterday.  He said when he started up with a new trucking company, he was presented with paperwork to sign up to spy for the government - report anything suspicious.  One of the suspicious things listed that you should call in about was someone walking along the highway.  Reminded me of Roycerson's problem.

I heard part of that show.  It's crazy the way they are trying to get everybody to snitch on anyone for any little thing, isn't it?

[kola]

In order to understand a gooncop you have to have to be able to think like a gooncop. Why are they doing this kind of shit?

IMO. one of the reasons the Evil Black Beasts (aka goocops) are inventing these "snitching" laws  is to give them the authority and create an easier way to invade our lives. So NOW, all they have to say is they are "investigating a complaint" and this gives them fricken authority to do whatever the hell they please. So even without a complaint ("snitch") they can use it to their advantage to mess with innocent commonfolks.

hidden videocameras with audio are the best non-violent means of defense..and the best type ia the kind that is transmitted to your home PC. This way, if they confiscate it the camera, we still have the footage.

Also, If you see someone pulled over and you have a camera, record it.

Kola slogan: "police the police, in the name of peace"

KOla
Kola