Know your rights

[InHouston]

Given the recent events with Zimmerman and CeCe McDonald's prosecution, it is important for citizens to know their rights when involved in police encounters. This documentary is by the renowned former judge and defense lawyer (who happens to be black) Bill Murphy. It’s a brilliant documentary and a rich treasure trove of information that most citizens are ignorant to. You would normally have to pay for this DVD, but it is to my surprise, still on YouTube in length for all people to see and watch.

I myself, as Bill Murphy asks in this video, was on the “business end” of a bad police encounter while performing neighborhood watch in my community. I’m not going to go into too much detail about the case, because my wife would not take too kindly to me being outted on this forum. I was standing outside my home for long hours for weeks assisting the police in keeping watch in my neighborhood when gunshots cracked over my house. I reported the incident, and nothing was called out over my police scanner. I called into the department and wanted to know why. They kept hanging up on me as I repeatedly called them back and going up the chain of command demanding answers. Exhausted, hot, sweaty and bitten by mosquitos for hours on end, and frustrated, I called them back and gave them some choice words for dismissing my call. Five days later, the police showed up in mass and arrested me, the neighborhood watch captain in front of my home and tossed me into the county jail for over 30 hours, even dodging my bail bond agent and refusing to tell them where I was to bail me out. My charge was abuse of the 911 system. I never called 911. I called them directly with constructive dialogue on their policy, and knew I did nothing illegal.

I’m white, and a Texan, and I was accosted in my holding cell by the white captain of the arresting department, and later harassed by a white officer at my release point from the county jail because I didn’t place the correct finger on his finger scanner, and threatened to throw me back in and start all over again. I found it ironic that a black officer stepped out from behind his desk, and reprimanded the releasing officer for harassing me when I posted bond as was free to go. The harassing cop told the black officer, “He’s not stupid! He should know where to place his finger.” The black cop told the white cop, “He’s not stupid, he’s nervous. If you look at his record he’s never been here before. Quit fucking around and get him out of here, you’re holding up the line!” I was the laughing stock of the jail when inmates asked why I was there. A neighborhood watch captain arrested for getting into an argument with the police, incarcerated with the very same people I was trying to protect my community against.


Upon release I paid over $5,000 for a defense attorney, who turned out to be a complete prick and sided with the police and decided to turn prosecutor on me. Then, I had to deal with the Chief prosecutor and my own defense lawyer who wanted me prosecuted too for telling the dispatcher to “Fuck off”. This trial went on for six months with no deliberation and me just sitting in the courtroom every morning at 8:00 am, all of them just waiting for me to crater. I found this documentary by Bill Murphy and realized I had violated Rule #1. Keep calm and keep cool. Don’t lip off to the police. From that point, I asserted my constitutional rights.

My lawyer took me out into the hall and told me that he struck a great deal with the prosecutor. 1 year’s probation; no legal right to carry a firearm, drug tests (which I don’t do), hours and hours of community service, the right to search my home at any time … and I tore it in half in the hallway of the court and told my lawyer, “For telling someone to fuck off? I don’t think so. No”. My lawyer not wanting to lose the case and take the loss on his record, motioned to have the case dismissed on Constitutional grounds to my right to free speech. For the next 5 months, no one in the court could find my file so they could stamp it with dismissed. I watched the county District Attorney walk into the courtroom, ask for my file by name, and walked out with my file and left the courtroom with it. I tried to tell my attorney what I saw, and he blew it off, but what I did see was my attorney rubbing shoulders with the District Attorney so he could remain the popular lawyer in the courtroom. The final ultimatum that was given to me was “Accept what they’re offering or they will challenge this in your trial”. I said, “Good. Let’s do it. A jury of my peers won’t take too kindly to the neighborhood watch captain getting pissed off at the police for throwing my call under the radar”.

Three days later, my case was dismissed and dropped because I flexed my rights as U.S. citizen.

[Stavros]

Maybe you should move to Austin...

[robertlouis]

Maybe you should move to Austin...

I would. Nothing to do with law and order, simply the most vibrant and welcoming music scene in the entire US. I'd love to do SWxSW again, it's been ten years.

[broncofan]

I'm glad it all worked out for you. I am a little bit afraid of police officers since they do have a lot of power and their word is usually believed in court.

I'll check out the video.