The thing about ongoing conspiracies is that the conspirators are prosecutable for years after the conspiracy actually ends. In this case it is continuing at this very moment, so these conspirators are far from off-the-hook no matter what they might believe. The Real Orlando News touched on some of the basics of the phone-line block conspiracy as it relates to Orlando; however, if you read Memoirs then you know that Orlando was far from the only city where this was and is transpiring. The main areas with the problem are Orlando, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, but we can also include Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Indianapolis, San Diego, Reno, San Antonio, and Washington D.C. – now most of these cities were added later in the conspiracy, but the first listed are the original four. I'm not sure if it all began in Orlando or Anaheim.
In Early Phone-line Blocks I described the basic process in the 1990s. While I was called nuts by several heads of security for Vista United Telephone that sits on Disney property and United Telephone (Sprint) in Orlando in 1993-1995, by 1997, there were others experiencing the same problems in Las Vegas. One victim in Las Vegas pursued it in state court in 1997, and then later in federal court. The last of the case was dismissed in 2006. Eddie Munoz blamed Sprint, primarily for having insecure telephone lines. Now Munoz was not an escort service owner; he owned an advertising business where escort agencies placed advertisements. I'll quote from case documents filed in the 2004 federal case:
Mr. Munoz asserts that Sprint has allowed calls to his business, primarily from Las Vegas strip hotels, to be diverted, blocked, or otherwise controlled or routed to competing outcall service businesses. Mr. Munoz alleges that some callers to his business get false busy signals, beeping sounds, or dead air; that calls are gone before they can be answered; that phones cut-off in the middle of conversations; that his business phones stop ringing for extended periods during hours that are normally his busiest business hours; and that during such periods not even wrong numbers are received.
There is a list of witnesses included in the complaint documents. I need to discuss this briefly here: Eddie Munoz blamed Sprint because the company was supposed to be selling secure telephone lines, and he didn't claim to know specifically who did what where to the telephone lines – he simply held Sprint accountable. In court Sprint argued several points, including that they shouldn't be held accountable anymore than any other telephone company, but they did reluctantly concede that there were indeed line-block troubles, but they were not clear as to what specifically was transpiring. Munoz also named Kevin Mitnick, hacker extraordinaire turned computer security consultant, as his consulting witness.
Kevin Mitnick testified that he couldn't find any case where they could recreate the situation where a call was diverted to a competitor, but that it was his opinion, "that further testing needs to be done." Mr. Mitnick further testified "that he does not know if Mr. Munoz's calls are being blocked or diverted." The court decided that there was evidence of other causes that may be responsible for Munoz's problems, including "diversion and/or blockage of telephone calls at private hotel PBX systems," and declared the possible causes as not the responsibility of Sprint.
Now I would tend to agree with the court in that if an expert like Kevin Mitnick couldn't pin it down – what could be expected of Sprint? I was only angry with Sprint here in Orlando because no one in the upper-level of security would acknowledge that what I stated was possible – they all acted like I was a kook. The Munoz case in Las Vegas wasn't presented until several years later, and that was the state case in 1997.
For those in the legal field, the cases referred to herein are:
EDDIE PAUL MUNOZ vs. CENTRAL TELEPHONE CO. NEVADA d/b/a SPRINT OF NEVADA, Case No. CV-S-04-1212-RCJ-RJJ, Filed in United States District Court, District of Nevada
Court of Appeals Docket # 05-15295, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
State of Nevada Case No. 97-15906
At any rate, I've worked on this since early 1993, in-between saving my life and the two-week jury trial, and five years of college, and finally today I have more answers. I have answers in relation to the PBX line blocks, as already discussed, and I also have answers concerning the new, or more recent, wireless blocking that is transpiring in the resort areas here in Orlando.
As far as I'm concerned I'm owed lots of money by the conspirators and some serious apologies from the Orlando MBI of past and the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor – well, I'll settle for the money from the conspirators at this point in life. I imagine that Eddie Munoz would feel the same. But I won't be going away – I can't because that's what happens when you spend so much time discrediting a person, attempting to bury them in a Florida prison, and leaving that person with nothing to lose. I'm not dumb enough to believe that the clowns from the MBI concocted that criminal case without instigation from our gang of conspirators involved herein – it might be a great time to tell them (the MBI) that they were unknowingly used.
Next: I'll continue painting the picture of the ongoing conspiracy
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Surrounded by Ghosts
If you were an agent, either state or federal, trying to get something on me, by the time we were through you would despise me, or perhaps you'd laugh. Your reaction to me would depend on your personality and how I'd treat you would depend on your demeanor.
I was tossing and turning in attempt to fall asleep, but I gave-up, and now I'm drinking a doppio espresso at 6:00 a.m. on no sleep. Too much on my mind and thank God my wonderful son bought me the pro-espresso machine from Starbucks when my too expensive Italian model went kaput a while back. It's a Starbucks Barista in steel. It cost my dear child more than $500, but he couldn't stand seeing his mother make the drive to Starbucks just for one quad-espresso. I never did like regular coffee. And I drink it undiluted, black – no sugar or milk. I don't even dress-up my espresso. It is as intense as I am.
I was staring at the fluorescent stars on the ceiling and couldn't help but to laugh. I am surrounded by ghosts. The people that email me are ghosts. The people on forums and blogs that I post on are ghosts. The people that dial me on my Blackberry are ghosts. I even received a letter in my publishing company mailbox from a ghost yesterday. Sometimes I even find myself going to a lot of trouble to help ghosts. Okay I admit that sometimes I bait the ghosts, but it hasn't failed me yet and it can be fun.
I've been working on this research for a new book and it seems to attract ghosts like a magnet; so much so, that I have no one real in my life anymore except my immediate family and a couple of real friends, and sometimes even they get ticked-off with me. I have reconnected with a couple of people from the past, but as of yet I'm not clear if they are being real or if they have ghost intentions. For all I know, each has only contacted me with bad intent.
It is the past that has succeeded in taking my trust for people and turned it into suspicion. Perhaps that is the real crime of the railroad attempt in the criminal case, and more damaging than any other part. They made me aware of how horrible people can be; of the level of deceit that one human being can impose on another, and without any visible remorse. Like in Dawn of the Dead they are zombies without conscience.
All too often I choose to play word games with these ghosts without scruples. I was just thinking that I should quit the word games and cease communication. Just disappear. One of these ghosts asked me where I was the other night and I almost forgot where I was spoofing from – it was one of those – oh, I used to be there, but now I'm – situations. Another ghost asked me where I was a week ago, and my response was: No one knows. You see, dealing with the ghosts with hidden agendas has finally gotten to me.
I was just making plans to reroute telephone calls – sort of in the same manner that the conspirators written about in my recent denunciation series, The Real Orlando News, still does to me. It gets technical, but I figure that if they can do it so can I, but I'd be doing it legally because it's my telephone number that they have effected. In every sense, I'd just be taking my own telephone number back and people that dial me could actually reach me – you've got to laugh; I know that I am. I am definitely LOL. On the note that I'm still considering such a response, I'd best keep it to myself, or maybe I'll tell you what they're up to real soon. I might just flip a coin, but at least now they also know that I know.
I was tossing and turning in attempt to fall asleep, but I gave-up, and now I'm drinking a doppio espresso at 6:00 a.m. on no sleep. Too much on my mind and thank God my wonderful son bought me the pro-espresso machine from Starbucks when my too expensive Italian model went kaput a while back. It's a Starbucks Barista in steel. It cost my dear child more than $500, but he couldn't stand seeing his mother make the drive to Starbucks just for one quad-espresso. I never did like regular coffee. And I drink it undiluted, black – no sugar or milk. I don't even dress-up my espresso. It is as intense as I am.
I was staring at the fluorescent stars on the ceiling and couldn't help but to laugh. I am surrounded by ghosts. The people that email me are ghosts. The people on forums and blogs that I post on are ghosts. The people that dial me on my Blackberry are ghosts. I even received a letter in my publishing company mailbox from a ghost yesterday. Sometimes I even find myself going to a lot of trouble to help ghosts. Okay I admit that sometimes I bait the ghosts, but it hasn't failed me yet and it can be fun.
I've been working on this research for a new book and it seems to attract ghosts like a magnet; so much so, that I have no one real in my life anymore except my immediate family and a couple of real friends, and sometimes even they get ticked-off with me. I have reconnected with a couple of people from the past, but as of yet I'm not clear if they are being real or if they have ghost intentions. For all I know, each has only contacted me with bad intent.
It is the past that has succeeded in taking my trust for people and turned it into suspicion. Perhaps that is the real crime of the railroad attempt in the criminal case, and more damaging than any other part. They made me aware of how horrible people can be; of the level of deceit that one human being can impose on another, and without any visible remorse. Like in Dawn of the Dead they are zombies without conscience.
All too often I choose to play word games with these ghosts without scruples. I was just thinking that I should quit the word games and cease communication. Just disappear. One of these ghosts asked me where I was the other night and I almost forgot where I was spoofing from – it was one of those – oh, I used to be there, but now I'm – situations. Another ghost asked me where I was a week ago, and my response was: No one knows. You see, dealing with the ghosts with hidden agendas has finally gotten to me.
I was just making plans to reroute telephone calls – sort of in the same manner that the conspirators written about in my recent denunciation series, The Real Orlando News, still does to me. It gets technical, but I figure that if they can do it so can I, but I'd be doing it legally because it's my telephone number that they have effected. In every sense, I'd just be taking my own telephone number back and people that dial me could actually reach me – you've got to laugh; I know that I am. I am definitely LOL. On the note that I'm still considering such a response, I'd best keep it to myself, or maybe I'll tell you what they're up to real soon. I might just flip a coin, but at least now they also know that I know.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Early Phone-line Blocks
The early phone-line blocks on escort service telephone numbers in most area resorts is simple to explain, but still, to this day, the practice is not acknowledged or admitted. They all still run for cover or call me paranoid when I speak about the topic. Back in the day they simply pretended that it wasn't possible – even the head of security at United Telephone (Sprint) and Vista United Telephone (changed names and hands sort of) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. I stepped into the picture in 1992; however, it was already transpiring when I arrived. It was discovered easily and simply explained some time later. I was never an expert on the topic, but one would have to have their head buried in the sand to claim that it was not possible.
First it must be stated that all escort service lines were not always blocked. The lines were blocked when there were large conventions in participating resorts, but only during the conventions. Hopefully you understand where this could cause confusion – an escort service owner is screaming about line blocks, though they often booked a call in the hotel at the same time. They had an easy time painting a few of us as nuts and then others would have second thoughts about complaining.
It must also be stated that at the time there was another operation going on while our lines were blocked, so conventioneers were still being furnished with escorts, but from the secret operation.
PBX systems had specific features and one of those features was the ability to prevent a specific block of hotel room telephones from dialing a list of numbers. So block and unblock they did, and on a regular basis. It was indeed a feature of any PBX system that I found to be installed in a given resort. At the time there were limousine company owners that also believed it was happening with their lines, so it wasn't only escort services. Indeed, the conspirators had a for-profit venture going, and not a goal of preventing anyone from seeing escorts. So taking the high-ground pedestal routine can be tossed out the proverbial window here. They were, and are, not any better than any escort service operator, and in fact committed their crimes on the blood of others. Sneaky thieving people – to state it mildly.
If Ford Motor Company had booked a convention at the Dolphin, a Sheraton resort that's on Disney property, for 1200 people and reserved 900 rooms, by the time those conventioneers checked-in at the resort and received the assigned room, the block list was in effect. No one in any of those specific 900 rooms could dial a number on the list through the hotel PBX system. Today this only matters a little bit as most people would choose to dial from a wireless phone, though not all as the smart ones do not want the escort service number on their wireless service call log. Today a few are ahead with technology and dial through GOOG-411, a Google service. Back to the past…
Anyone outside of the blocked rooms, say not with the particular large convention, could get through without a problem. Do you see where the confusion entered the story? It took me quite some time, almost two years, to figure out the formula in play and to figure out a partial solution. Back in the 1990s (throughout) the problem was made clear with many escort service ads in the yellow pages including a statement about fast-busy signals and to dial using a calling card or off the hotel premises if the dialer reached that fast-busy. Yes, the result was that the conventioneer reached only this fast-busy signal when dialing the blocked number through the hotel's PBX system. People used to dial me from payphones when they reached the conclusion that the phone in their hotel room had a problem.
Memoirs is divided into three parts, and Part One is mainly about these blocks in area resorts, and then of course the book leads to the relentless pursuit of me. No doubt that the two are interconnected.
Next: Blocks in area resort PBX systems today
First it must be stated that all escort service lines were not always blocked. The lines were blocked when there were large conventions in participating resorts, but only during the conventions. Hopefully you understand where this could cause confusion – an escort service owner is screaming about line blocks, though they often booked a call in the hotel at the same time. They had an easy time painting a few of us as nuts and then others would have second thoughts about complaining.
It must also be stated that at the time there was another operation going on while our lines were blocked, so conventioneers were still being furnished with escorts, but from the secret operation.
PBX systems had specific features and one of those features was the ability to prevent a specific block of hotel room telephones from dialing a list of numbers. So block and unblock they did, and on a regular basis. It was indeed a feature of any PBX system that I found to be installed in a given resort. At the time there were limousine company owners that also believed it was happening with their lines, so it wasn't only escort services. Indeed, the conspirators had a for-profit venture going, and not a goal of preventing anyone from seeing escorts. So taking the high-ground pedestal routine can be tossed out the proverbial window here. They were, and are, not any better than any escort service operator, and in fact committed their crimes on the blood of others. Sneaky thieving people – to state it mildly.
If Ford Motor Company had booked a convention at the Dolphin, a Sheraton resort that's on Disney property, for 1200 people and reserved 900 rooms, by the time those conventioneers checked-in at the resort and received the assigned room, the block list was in effect. No one in any of those specific 900 rooms could dial a number on the list through the hotel PBX system. Today this only matters a little bit as most people would choose to dial from a wireless phone, though not all as the smart ones do not want the escort service number on their wireless service call log. Today a few are ahead with technology and dial through GOOG-411, a Google service. Back to the past…
Anyone outside of the blocked rooms, say not with the particular large convention, could get through without a problem. Do you see where the confusion entered the story? It took me quite some time, almost two years, to figure out the formula in play and to figure out a partial solution. Back in the 1990s (throughout) the problem was made clear with many escort service ads in the yellow pages including a statement about fast-busy signals and to dial using a calling card or off the hotel premises if the dialer reached that fast-busy. Yes, the result was that the conventioneer reached only this fast-busy signal when dialing the blocked number through the hotel's PBX system. People used to dial me from payphones when they reached the conclusion that the phone in their hotel room had a problem.
Memoirs is divided into three parts, and Part One is mainly about these blocks in area resorts, and then of course the book leads to the relentless pursuit of me. No doubt that the two are interconnected.
Next: Blocks in area resort PBX systems today
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Real Orlando News
I'm still interrupting the When Adult Ordinances Infringe series for now. It's time we all figured out what is really going on in the City Beautiful of Orlando, including Disney World area resorts, International Drive/Sea World area resorts, and Universal area resorts. In this situation I'm going to go ahead and lump all of these areas into the term "resort areas," sort of the way I did in my book, Memoirs of an Accused Madam: The War on Adult Business in Orlando.
Some readers stated to me that the title is weird, but actually it is right on target. The book was never all about the relentless pursuit that resulted in my arrest and trial, but then you'd have to be a thorough reader to get that. I do tend to write between the lines at times – well no more hidden meanings and messages – they have made it so that I have little-to-nothing to lose, and I no longer care how they respond and will be responding reciprocally if necessary. I'm really a plain, straight-to the point type, so why change now or for their sake? I decided that if I'm going then the line-block conspirators are going with me, so by the time we're done here, you'll know who they are. What the hell – I'll turn it into quite the scandal in theme park land.
No one that's read my book seemed to get the idea concerning the telephone line blocks or the subsequent website blocks, and it's not going to be easy to explain the wireless services blocks in the resort areas that goes on today in a non-technical and direct mode, but I'll be giving it my best shot. It is all quite technical though. The first idea that I need to be clear about is that each method of blocking is violating various federal laws, including the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. This is what I'd like to address today, just so that we are all on the same page.
What is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
So how does this relate to the line-blocking issues? Well, see that short part about "abridging the freedom of speech"? It has been picked apart by attorneys and judges from one end of the country to the other for a couple of centuries now; the picking began with issues concerning religious freedom though. The part that refers to the press is easily related to this blog – so the powers that be in Orlando resort areas had best mind their manners and back away here or we will be meeting in a court of law.
I truly only finished college with the intention of going to law school, but at some point I decided that graduate studies in history might serve as a vehicle to get me away from all of this crap instead of raising my blood pressure on a daily basis. Well, it didn't work out with the false criminal record that was handed to me later. We all know that the State of Florida does conduct background checks on teacher or professor applicants, and what else would I intend to do with a master's degree in a specific area of history? I also know the Florida Bar for exactly what it is – dissent only goes so far in this state and they would have had my license suspended in short time. I personally know numerous attorneys that could attest to this as factual, except that they all want to practice law again one day; nevertheless, I'm all too aware of law these days and have evolved from the Vicky Gallas that was acquitted by a jury of her peers back in 2003. That Vicky had stamina, but not necessarily the appropriate writing abilities or the required knowledge of law. Since it's unlikely that I'll ever apply at McDonalds, here I am: the new and improved me.
I will assume that you can connect the First Amendment issues with the telephone-line, website, and wireless access issues. Just in case you don't get it yet, my next chosen topics are pertinent sections of the Communications Act and its changes over the years in connection with blocking and jamming. Once I'm satisfied that the dots are all connected for you, I'll move on to the acts of the conspirators. You could be thinking, gee Vicky, I'm not so sure that turning this into blog fodder is a great idea, but not to worry - I'm used to backlash more than most.
Mentioning threats of backlash, here's a quote that was directed at me in late 2007 in a Topix forum. The poster went by Been Around and was posting from Las Vegas at the time:
After we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese thought back to Pearl Harbor and realized they should never have picked a fight with a sleeping giant. If you’re going to take cheap shots at MBI, then don’t cry if they fight back. All is fair in love and war.
Only one of the conspirators or agents of the MBI would consider their group to be "sleeping giants," and indeed, the statement of "All is fair in love and war" sent chills up my spine. But I'm ready to play now guys. We all have our limits, and you have stepped beyond mine.
Next: The Communications Act, telephone lines, and blocking and jamming of wireless transmissions
Some readers stated to me that the title is weird, but actually it is right on target. The book was never all about the relentless pursuit that resulted in my arrest and trial, but then you'd have to be a thorough reader to get that. I do tend to write between the lines at times – well no more hidden meanings and messages – they have made it so that I have little-to-nothing to lose, and I no longer care how they respond and will be responding reciprocally if necessary. I'm really a plain, straight-to the point type, so why change now or for their sake? I decided that if I'm going then the line-block conspirators are going with me, so by the time we're done here, you'll know who they are. What the hell – I'll turn it into quite the scandal in theme park land.
No one that's read my book seemed to get the idea concerning the telephone line blocks or the subsequent website blocks, and it's not going to be easy to explain the wireless services blocks in the resort areas that goes on today in a non-technical and direct mode, but I'll be giving it my best shot. It is all quite technical though. The first idea that I need to be clear about is that each method of blocking is violating various federal laws, including the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. This is what I'd like to address today, just so that we are all on the same page.
What is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
So how does this relate to the line-blocking issues? Well, see that short part about "abridging the freedom of speech"? It has been picked apart by attorneys and judges from one end of the country to the other for a couple of centuries now; the picking began with issues concerning religious freedom though. The part that refers to the press is easily related to this blog – so the powers that be in Orlando resort areas had best mind their manners and back away here or we will be meeting in a court of law.
I truly only finished college with the intention of going to law school, but at some point I decided that graduate studies in history might serve as a vehicle to get me away from all of this crap instead of raising my blood pressure on a daily basis. Well, it didn't work out with the false criminal record that was handed to me later. We all know that the State of Florida does conduct background checks on teacher or professor applicants, and what else would I intend to do with a master's degree in a specific area of history? I also know the Florida Bar for exactly what it is – dissent only goes so far in this state and they would have had my license suspended in short time. I personally know numerous attorneys that could attest to this as factual, except that they all want to practice law again one day; nevertheless, I'm all too aware of law these days and have evolved from the Vicky Gallas that was acquitted by a jury of her peers back in 2003. That Vicky had stamina, but not necessarily the appropriate writing abilities or the required knowledge of law. Since it's unlikely that I'll ever apply at McDonalds, here I am: the new and improved me.
I will assume that you can connect the First Amendment issues with the telephone-line, website, and wireless access issues. Just in case you don't get it yet, my next chosen topics are pertinent sections of the Communications Act and its changes over the years in connection with blocking and jamming. Once I'm satisfied that the dots are all connected for you, I'll move on to the acts of the conspirators. You could be thinking, gee Vicky, I'm not so sure that turning this into blog fodder is a great idea, but not to worry - I'm used to backlash more than most.
Mentioning threats of backlash, here's a quote that was directed at me in late 2007 in a Topix forum. The poster went by Been Around and was posting from Las Vegas at the time:
After we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese thought back to Pearl Harbor and realized they should never have picked a fight with a sleeping giant. If you’re going to take cheap shots at MBI, then don’t cry if they fight back. All is fair in love and war.
Only one of the conspirators or agents of the MBI would consider their group to be "sleeping giants," and indeed, the statement of "All is fair in love and war" sent chills up my spine. But I'm ready to play now guys. We all have our limits, and you have stepped beyond mine.
Next: The Communications Act, telephone lines, and blocking and jamming of wireless transmissions
Thursday, August 20, 2009
When Adult Ordinances Infringe (Part 1)
In the course of my researching adult ordinances in various areas, I realized that I live in what has to be the most prurient community in the nation. You're probably thinking to yourself that I must be clueless as to the definition of the word, but you'd be incorrect on that. Sex and adult business receives so much attention in Orlando and Orange County, Florida that it necessitates the belief that these people have an inordinate interest in all that is sexual. That those that hold the power in the area – including in the tourism industry; a mainstay here – want to wipe-out anything adult related. Of course that hasn't really worked for them, especially not in my case, and has actually had the opposite effect. I still enjoy playing with that fire.
You're probably thinking, gee Vicky, I'm not so sure that turning it into blog fodder is a great idea, so I'll make a few disclaimers before I really get started here. Today is only the beginning and it is disclaimer day.
The Demings, Jerry and Val, are excluded herein. I don't blame them, and though I personally reside in Brevard County, I encouraged everyone that I know in Orange County, and I know plenty of people, to vote for Jerry Demings for sheriff. Trust me folks, anyone is an improvement on former sheriff Kevin Beary – thank God we're rid of that good ole boy – but it wasn't just that. At first I backed John Tegg because a cop that I know (deputy nameless) raved about how wonderful he is, but then I discovered that Tegg was on MBI in past and that’s when I hit the brakes with that recommendation. I really know little about Jerry and haven't seen him do anything offensive, so he already has the advantage over most around here. And I like Val – she is educated, intelligent, straight-forward, pretty – and she's frequently attacked by the good ole boy regime that no one can seem to get rid of here. So this is not directed at either of the Demings.
It's really not directed at Buddy Dyer either, except that he's sounded like a talking piece for his wealthy and powerful pals lately. Buddy, you really ought to know better. This is a new era, an era ruled by the people, and you're choosing the wrong buds no matter how much money they've got. Don't forget your past.
It's not directed at the New MBI either. I like Phil Williams and know that he didn't tolerate misconduct from his deputies when he was sheriff in Brevard County.
It's also not directed at Assistant City Attorney Kyle Sheppard. At least he recognizes that litigation does cost money, and when you're wrong you stand to lose. Not every adult business owner is going to run and hide.
I also omit each City of Orlando commissioner from this soon to be critical denunciation. I think that some of you were wearing blinders when the MBI managed to get you to pass the new adult ordinance in 2002. I don't think that you knew what you were backing when you listened to the MBI rhetoric. Perhaps you had this understandable belief that cops don't lie and all cops are good cops, but I think that at least one of you has learned from this and now sees the picture for what it is. I may be giving you too much credit, but we shall find out.
By now you're probably wondering who I do include, and since this is a progression, you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.
Next: When Adult Ordinances Infringe (Part 2)
You're probably thinking, gee Vicky, I'm not so sure that turning it into blog fodder is a great idea, so I'll make a few disclaimers before I really get started here. Today is only the beginning and it is disclaimer day.
The Demings, Jerry and Val, are excluded herein. I don't blame them, and though I personally reside in Brevard County, I encouraged everyone that I know in Orange County, and I know plenty of people, to vote for Jerry Demings for sheriff. Trust me folks, anyone is an improvement on former sheriff Kevin Beary – thank God we're rid of that good ole boy – but it wasn't just that. At first I backed John Tegg because a cop that I know (deputy nameless) raved about how wonderful he is, but then I discovered that Tegg was on MBI in past and that’s when I hit the brakes with that recommendation. I really know little about Jerry and haven't seen him do anything offensive, so he already has the advantage over most around here. And I like Val – she is educated, intelligent, straight-forward, pretty – and she's frequently attacked by the good ole boy regime that no one can seem to get rid of here. So this is not directed at either of the Demings.
It's really not directed at Buddy Dyer either, except that he's sounded like a talking piece for his wealthy and powerful pals lately. Buddy, you really ought to know better. This is a new era, an era ruled by the people, and you're choosing the wrong buds no matter how much money they've got. Don't forget your past.
It's not directed at the New MBI either. I like Phil Williams and know that he didn't tolerate misconduct from his deputies when he was sheriff in Brevard County.
It's also not directed at Assistant City Attorney Kyle Sheppard. At least he recognizes that litigation does cost money, and when you're wrong you stand to lose. Not every adult business owner is going to run and hide.
I also omit each City of Orlando commissioner from this soon to be critical denunciation. I think that some of you were wearing blinders when the MBI managed to get you to pass the new adult ordinance in 2002. I don't think that you knew what you were backing when you listened to the MBI rhetoric. Perhaps you had this understandable belief that cops don't lie and all cops are good cops, but I think that at least one of you has learned from this and now sees the picture for what it is. I may be giving you too much credit, but we shall find out.
By now you're probably wondering who I do include, and since this is a progression, you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.
Next: When Adult Ordinances Infringe (Part 2)
Monday, August 17, 2009
US Justice – Cops
Clearly Marshall Frank's knowledge of police department structure, including hiring and promotions, is far beyond my own. Frank dedicates a chapter to the topic of "Cops" in his recent book, Criminal Injustice in America: Essays by a Career Cop. I will be the first to admit that cops often live under a microscope and their lives are dedicated to the career, and are not their own to live as they see fit; on duty or off duty. The reason for this is the level of power that comes with the badge. It is a shame, but a few bad apples can spoil it for the entire barrel in this case. Most people have individual encounters with cops at one point or another in their lifetime, and if those encounters are negative, we can easily carry that baggage for the remainder of our lives and in every new brush with the system. One bad experience can weigh like a ton of bricks as is evident in my recent article, Surviving a Police Encounter.
Marshall Frank states: "A police officer is the most powerful human being in the United States. Not the president, not Bill Gates, not the Olympic strong man. A cop is the only person in the nation empowered to physically take your freedom away, on the spot."
To me, the citizen with negative encounters with cops, the statement is in itself scary. Too much power corrupts. Marshall Frank barely addresses this controversial subject though, and instead chooses to discuss departmental structures, which is not surprising to me. I consider the chapter to be the thin blue line, and the proof that even good cops like him just do not talk about bad cops; regardless, bad cops and overzealous cops certainly do exist. I suppose that it was a topic that he couldn't address more thoroughly, as obviously he is aware of many from his own department. He does state that when cops are abusive or corrupt everyone loses, and I must give him credit for asserting his thoughts that far. I lived in Miami in the 80s and I knew bad cops – a list of them.
One of the solutions that Marshall Frank has for the community is to "do away with elected sheriffs," and it's one that I wholeheartedly agree with. I considered Sheriff Kevin Beary from Orange County, Florida to be one of the worst. Beary had no concern with his officers' misconduct, unless it happened to be a publicly popular cause; then, and only then, did he care. Other than this it was a free for all. I know because I lived it for a decade and my complaints of serious misconduct were completely ignored. It was as if they forgot that I was also a citizen, and one that had never been convicted of anything.
Overall I consider Frank Marshall to be one of the best in his field and grounded in reality in respect to almost all issues important in our society in relation to cops, law, and the US criminal justice system. This was an excellent and enlightening book that I would recommend to anyone.
Marshall Frank states: "A police officer is the most powerful human being in the United States. Not the president, not Bill Gates, not the Olympic strong man. A cop is the only person in the nation empowered to physically take your freedom away, on the spot."
To me, the citizen with negative encounters with cops, the statement is in itself scary. Too much power corrupts. Marshall Frank barely addresses this controversial subject though, and instead chooses to discuss departmental structures, which is not surprising to me. I consider the chapter to be the thin blue line, and the proof that even good cops like him just do not talk about bad cops; regardless, bad cops and overzealous cops certainly do exist. I suppose that it was a topic that he couldn't address more thoroughly, as obviously he is aware of many from his own department. He does state that when cops are abusive or corrupt everyone loses, and I must give him credit for asserting his thoughts that far. I lived in Miami in the 80s and I knew bad cops – a list of them.
One of the solutions that Marshall Frank has for the community is to "do away with elected sheriffs," and it's one that I wholeheartedly agree with. I considered Sheriff Kevin Beary from Orange County, Florida to be one of the worst. Beary had no concern with his officers' misconduct, unless it happened to be a publicly popular cause; then, and only then, did he care. Other than this it was a free for all. I know because I lived it for a decade and my complaints of serious misconduct were completely ignored. It was as if they forgot that I was also a citizen, and one that had never been convicted of anything.
Overall I consider Frank Marshall to be one of the best in his field and grounded in reality in respect to almost all issues important in our society in relation to cops, law, and the US criminal justice system. This was an excellent and enlightening book that I would recommend to anyone.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
US Justice: Prostitution
I truly appreciated Marshall Frank's take on prostitution and the law in his book, Criminal Injustice in America: Essays by a Career Cop, and did comment briefly in my review. Now I'll expand on my thoughts. Legalizing prostitution is the best statement I've heard in quite some time, and that's not because I have ever promoted it. It is because it's most often a commercial transaction between someone that wants to buy and someone that wants to sell. Disregard the reasons for wanting to buy or sell as they are immaterial. Marshall Frank went so far as to make the bold statement that women often sell when they date or marry and men often buy. I am a woman and it's unlikely that I'd continue a relationship with a man that asked me out to dinner and expected me to pay – oh I'd pay, and then walk out the door. Some women may not appreciate that, but I'm being real here, and if one doesn't care for what I have to say it's time to cover the eyes and move on.
First I'll address those that just don't understand how I didn't promote prostitution. To state it succinctly: I never stated to an escort, a client, or an agent that sex was involved in the transaction. I marketed sexy escorts by the hour; not escorts for sex. Big difference.
Sure, sometimes escorts provided sex – the figure the state arrived at in my trial was about 50% of the time, and this came from the actual real escorts that they forced to testify under threat of a lengthy incarceration on conspiracy charges. In each case the escort stated that we had never discussed it, and that was a fact. A few druggies that I said goodbye to after attempting to work with them for a month or two stated something quite different, but then none worked with my business for more than a few months, and most moved on to open their own escort service. The real escorts that testified worked with me for a minimum of a year and maximum of 4 years. I can't tell that someone is a druggie after meeting them; this takes time and it's not instant knowledge. Some people hide it well. The result, years later, for me was the revenge of the druggies. That is it – I'm done defending myself. I'm the one that won and the jury sure wasn't stupid.
Frank stated that escort services should just be licensed and regulated – but mine were. That is the other absurd issue with my arrest and trial. In that I never contradicted myself anywhere, the state and federal government were as prosecutable as I was and as much a part of each and every transaction. I was elated that he didn't bring-up the brothels in Nevada. I don't care what anyone says about these places because I know ladies that worked in many and they're awful, controlling, and greedy dives. We do not need such a model for legal prostitution in the United States; instead we should look to Germany or the Netherlands. In Germany prostitution is an accepted and viable occupation. Prostitutes are tested at specific intervals and licensed. They do have brothels there, and escort services, but escorts also work on their own. You see, an escort that chooses to work with an agency does so because she would rather pay a fee for the business services of advertising, booking, and verifying clients. How hard is that to understand?
So why do our politicians want to turn escorts, prostitutes, and agencies into criminals and organized crime groups? Simple answer here: It always has to do with the religious agenda in one way or another. And of course there's the money – can you imagine how many women arrested for prostitution and agency owners arrested on organized crime or promoting prostitution subsequently are forced to feed the money-grabbing system? I know that I lost everything I ever saved, including my house. Even a person (escort) arrested on a misdemeanor prostitution charge must bond out of jail, pay to retrieve her vehicle from wherever agents had it towed, hire an attorney, and if she pleads guilty, which almost all do, she must pay a fine, pay for medical tests, and pay monthly charges to probation for what is usually a year. My bond was $100,000, which is $10,000 in cash. A normal prostitution bond is $1000. Tons of money coming into the system with this racket! So why bust someone with a gun robbing 7-11s? He has no money and is the last on the list to go, especially in Orlando.
As Marshall Frank states, "Moral is a subjective term." Somewhere cannibalism is moral and somewhere else walking on a beach in a bikini is immoral. Let's stop dictating morals and say it how it really is, because prostitution is not referred to as the world's oldest profession without reason.
Next - More on Marshall Frank's Book
First I'll address those that just don't understand how I didn't promote prostitution. To state it succinctly: I never stated to an escort, a client, or an agent that sex was involved in the transaction. I marketed sexy escorts by the hour; not escorts for sex. Big difference.
Sure, sometimes escorts provided sex – the figure the state arrived at in my trial was about 50% of the time, and this came from the actual real escorts that they forced to testify under threat of a lengthy incarceration on conspiracy charges. In each case the escort stated that we had never discussed it, and that was a fact. A few druggies that I said goodbye to after attempting to work with them for a month or two stated something quite different, but then none worked with my business for more than a few months, and most moved on to open their own escort service. The real escorts that testified worked with me for a minimum of a year and maximum of 4 years. I can't tell that someone is a druggie after meeting them; this takes time and it's not instant knowledge. Some people hide it well. The result, years later, for me was the revenge of the druggies. That is it – I'm done defending myself. I'm the one that won and the jury sure wasn't stupid.
Frank stated that escort services should just be licensed and regulated – but mine were. That is the other absurd issue with my arrest and trial. In that I never contradicted myself anywhere, the state and federal government were as prosecutable as I was and as much a part of each and every transaction. I was elated that he didn't bring-up the brothels in Nevada. I don't care what anyone says about these places because I know ladies that worked in many and they're awful, controlling, and greedy dives. We do not need such a model for legal prostitution in the United States; instead we should look to Germany or the Netherlands. In Germany prostitution is an accepted and viable occupation. Prostitutes are tested at specific intervals and licensed. They do have brothels there, and escort services, but escorts also work on their own. You see, an escort that chooses to work with an agency does so because she would rather pay a fee for the business services of advertising, booking, and verifying clients. How hard is that to understand?
So why do our politicians want to turn escorts, prostitutes, and agencies into criminals and organized crime groups? Simple answer here: It always has to do with the religious agenda in one way or another. And of course there's the money – can you imagine how many women arrested for prostitution and agency owners arrested on organized crime or promoting prostitution subsequently are forced to feed the money-grabbing system? I know that I lost everything I ever saved, including my house. Even a person (escort) arrested on a misdemeanor prostitution charge must bond out of jail, pay to retrieve her vehicle from wherever agents had it towed, hire an attorney, and if she pleads guilty, which almost all do, she must pay a fine, pay for medical tests, and pay monthly charges to probation for what is usually a year. My bond was $100,000, which is $10,000 in cash. A normal prostitution bond is $1000. Tons of money coming into the system with this racket! So why bust someone with a gun robbing 7-11s? He has no money and is the last on the list to go, especially in Orlando.
As Marshall Frank states, "Moral is a subjective term." Somewhere cannibalism is moral and somewhere else walking on a beach in a bikini is immoral. Let's stop dictating morals and say it how it really is, because prostitution is not referred to as the world's oldest profession without reason.
Next - More on Marshall Frank's Book
US Justice: The Drug War
This past week I read Marshall Frank's recently published book, Criminal Injustice in America: Essays by a Career Cop, and then reviewed it on Amazon.com. I feel that I didn't do this retired Miami-Dade Captain's book justice, although I did give it the top Amazon rating of 5 stars. I had so much to say that I was only able to cover two of several topics, and only basically – Amazon doesn't want an essay as a review – and left out too much. While I do not agree with everything that Frank has to say, he wins the title of most realistic and intelligent cop that I have ever listened to. I do listen to cops, but most often hear little more than pro-police and system rhetoric. This is a group of people that usually simply enjoys power and considers caging fellow citizens a service. I talk about bad cops often enough, so it's time that I paid a little bit of attention to a good cop.
Frank takes the intelligent position of ditching the useless War on Drugs in its entirety. Now I've never been any more than a moderate user of marijuana throughout my life. Oh, I've tried other drugs when I was much younger, but each had an unwelcome effect that left me with the knowledge that I'd never do that again. It's not necessarily a bad thing to try something once – one can give a correct assessment of its value or lack thereof. The only so-called drug that I found value in is pot, and it is a plant that is used in its natural form – you don't have to smoke pot and can use a vaporizer, omitting the harmful issue of smoke. But Marshall Frank thinks that all drugs should be legalized for users and should be available from a safe source such as a government-run or licensed seller. I absolutely agree. As has been proved in the last 40 years – yes, that is 40 and is not a typo – criminalizing drugs has only served to create criminals. It didn't work for my parent's harmful alcohol, and it will never work for my harmless marijuana.
The Drug War has never worked to stop drug use, or even to stop the flow of drugs. Where there's a will, there's a way. Today it serves to keep the system financially solvent while breaking it at the same time. You're probably thinking that this is contradictory, and you'd be correct. State government is a business, courts are a business, and jails and prisons are a business. If drugs were legal plenty of cops, attorneys, judges, corrections officers, and even clerks and secretaries would be out of jobs. For that matter the people that built prison structures all the way down to day laborers would be jobless, and then the towns and cities that survive on the circulated money could likely fail. So it is a business – and nothing more. Be real and stop pretending that it's any more than that. Forty years is ridiculous, and if you don't get the point by now, you never will.
I have a longtime friend that was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for trafficking in cocaine. Elias has been there for a long time – since 1998 – and won't be released until 2016, and that is with "good time". I'm not going to discuss his particular case at the moment (I will be at a later date), but suffice it to say that the feds were as guilty as he was, and I don't see any of them paying for the dirty deeds. No doubt that most are retired and enjoying the good life as I type. It is a waste of life for Elias. He made a few mistakes as most people do in life, but get real: Twenty-two years is a sentence that should be reserved for violent people, and there was zero violence involved in his case and he is a non-violent person in general. It is a travesty and Elias is a part of the broken US criminal justice system. The worst part is that Elias is far from alone and there are hundreds of thousands of people like him caught in this false war that continues only to save a lot of jobs. Elias is a sacrificial lamb for the system.
I haven't spoken to Elias in some time, although he tried to call me the other day, but when I hit "5" to accept the call, a recording stated that I was not accepting the call and then hung-up on me. The only way to fix such a problem is to write him a letter and ask how. The Bureau of Prisons doesn't resolve anything without being pushed to extremes. Just a part of the crappy system we seem to be stuck with. I do want his permission to speak about his case, so when I hear back I'll tell you about it. I don't think that permission will be an issue though as Elias wants to publish his own story.
Marshall Frank offers the most recent statistics involved in his straightforward book, and though most of the book is stuff that I've known for quite some time, it's just refreshing to hear it from a man that spent 30 years, most of it as a homicide investigator, for Miami-Dade County. Frank makes an honest assessment of what has been done in this estranged War on Drugs and he offers solutions that could be implemented in the not-so-distant future. We have states going broke – California comes to mind first – and governors begging for money to keep it all afloat. Bull! Start releasing every non-violent victim of the Drug War, and start now!
Next – More on Marshall Frank's Book
Frank takes the intelligent position of ditching the useless War on Drugs in its entirety. Now I've never been any more than a moderate user of marijuana throughout my life. Oh, I've tried other drugs when I was much younger, but each had an unwelcome effect that left me with the knowledge that I'd never do that again. It's not necessarily a bad thing to try something once – one can give a correct assessment of its value or lack thereof. The only so-called drug that I found value in is pot, and it is a plant that is used in its natural form – you don't have to smoke pot and can use a vaporizer, omitting the harmful issue of smoke. But Marshall Frank thinks that all drugs should be legalized for users and should be available from a safe source such as a government-run or licensed seller. I absolutely agree. As has been proved in the last 40 years – yes, that is 40 and is not a typo – criminalizing drugs has only served to create criminals. It didn't work for my parent's harmful alcohol, and it will never work for my harmless marijuana.
The Drug War has never worked to stop drug use, or even to stop the flow of drugs. Where there's a will, there's a way. Today it serves to keep the system financially solvent while breaking it at the same time. You're probably thinking that this is contradictory, and you'd be correct. State government is a business, courts are a business, and jails and prisons are a business. If drugs were legal plenty of cops, attorneys, judges, corrections officers, and even clerks and secretaries would be out of jobs. For that matter the people that built prison structures all the way down to day laborers would be jobless, and then the towns and cities that survive on the circulated money could likely fail. So it is a business – and nothing more. Be real and stop pretending that it's any more than that. Forty years is ridiculous, and if you don't get the point by now, you never will.
I have a longtime friend that was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for trafficking in cocaine. Elias has been there for a long time – since 1998 – and won't be released until 2016, and that is with "good time". I'm not going to discuss his particular case at the moment (I will be at a later date), but suffice it to say that the feds were as guilty as he was, and I don't see any of them paying for the dirty deeds. No doubt that most are retired and enjoying the good life as I type. It is a waste of life for Elias. He made a few mistakes as most people do in life, but get real: Twenty-two years is a sentence that should be reserved for violent people, and there was zero violence involved in his case and he is a non-violent person in general. It is a travesty and Elias is a part of the broken US criminal justice system. The worst part is that Elias is far from alone and there are hundreds of thousands of people like him caught in this false war that continues only to save a lot of jobs. Elias is a sacrificial lamb for the system.
I haven't spoken to Elias in some time, although he tried to call me the other day, but when I hit "5" to accept the call, a recording stated that I was not accepting the call and then hung-up on me. The only way to fix such a problem is to write him a letter and ask how. The Bureau of Prisons doesn't resolve anything without being pushed to extremes. Just a part of the crappy system we seem to be stuck with. I do want his permission to speak about his case, so when I hear back I'll tell you about it. I don't think that permission will be an issue though as Elias wants to publish his own story.
Marshall Frank offers the most recent statistics involved in his straightforward book, and though most of the book is stuff that I've known for quite some time, it's just refreshing to hear it from a man that spent 30 years, most of it as a homicide investigator, for Miami-Dade County. Frank makes an honest assessment of what has been done in this estranged War on Drugs and he offers solutions that could be implemented in the not-so-distant future. We have states going broke – California comes to mind first – and governors begging for money to keep it all afloat. Bull! Start releasing every non-violent victim of the Drug War, and start now!
Next – More on Marshall Frank's Book
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Surviving a Police Encounter
This article is sort of an offshoot of Ted Rall's Go On, Admit It – You Really Don't Like the Police, Either posted on the Information Clearing House website today. Ted inspired the idea in relation to the significance of my own encounters with cops in the US. Most agents can be treacherous game-players and my advice is to never speak to one without an attorney present, but this is more about your average everyday type of police encounter. The experience can be memorable enough to influence every future brush with the law. I suppose, at least for the moment, that I'm tired of writing about the MBI of past and MBI cases, though there is much more to say and eventually I'll get back to it.
My first unforgettable encounter with cops in the US took place in Jackson County, Oklahoma, in Altus, in 1989. Not long after I gave birth to my son, his father and I decided to move to this place from the adult playground of Miami and buy a house. Houses were, and probably still are, cheap out there, and we found a rock house on five acres outside of town. It was a change indeed. As time wore on, Robert (my son's father – now deceased) and I were at each others throats and I moved out, renting a house in Altus. I was working on Altus Air Force Base with the Youth Center. I had worked in the Youth Center on a base in Germany previously, so getting the job was easy. The area has few jobs that don't involve farm or ranch work, so I was lucky.
At the last minute my babysitter cancelled on me and I took Robert's mother up on her offer to watch our son, Alex, any time. When I returned to pick-up Alex at 11pm – we had a skate night at the Youth Center – I found Robert there, and he was trashed on tequila. He started arguing that he had the right to keep Alex too and I wasn't going anywhere with him. I attempted to pick-up my two year-old son and get out of there, but a fight ensued. Robert managed to get Alex away from me and strap him into the car seat. We tussled on the ground, but he was over 6' tall and bigger than I was and was able to toss me off, jump in his truck, and speed off. My first instinct was to chase him, and I did so for a mile or so, but he was drunk and driving the truck into ditches and all over the road. In a state of fear that my son could be injured, I drove to my little rented house and called the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. That was the first and last time that I would ever call the cops on a man. It was an error in judgment on my part, to say the least.
It was about 20 minutes after I made the police report when a deputy called me to state that I could come to the sheriff's office and pick-up my son. Another deputy had located Robert when his truck ran out of gas and he walked down a highway carrying Alex, and they were on the way to the sheriff's office. Relieved, I ran out the door and sped to the place. I was greeted by a typical Oklahoma cop that told me to have a seat; my son would be there shortly. As the time approached 30 minutes I became alarmed, so I asked the cop where my son was. The conversation that followed:
"Is that his father that's got him?"
"Yes, he is Alex's father."
"Well then this here is a civil matter. You need to go to court. His father can keep him if he wants to unless a judge says otherwise."
"Why did you call me down here to pick him up? Why did you take the report to begin with? Never mind – I'll take care of it by myself."
The next thing I knew, this cop (big guy) is throwing me on the floor and yelling: "You're under arrest!" He's actually removing my shoelaces while I'm on the floor and telling a deputy to take my picture. They stand me up forcibly and snap a Polaroid pic. All of this happens in less than two minutes.
I ask him what I'm being arrested for, and his response is: "Obstruction of Justice," so then I ask what he's talking about, and this deputy states that when I said I'd take care of it myself, he took it as a threat towards Robert. I demand my phone call. He states: "Dial whoever you want. No one can help you anyway." I dial my father in Florida and tell him that this cop made-up a charge, Robert has Alex and has threatened to take him to Mexico, and I need out of there now. My father asked how much the bond was, so I turned to the cop and asked, and he responded that "obstruction of justice is a non-bondable offense and there is no bond." I repeat this to dad, but add "this good-ole-boy says". The cop rips the phone-line from its wall connection in a fit of anger.
I am forcibly taken to a jail cell where I paced frantically for close to three solid days and nights. At the time I had no clue as to what was going on while I paced in the cell, freaking-out as I considered that I might never see my child again. I later found out that my boss at the Youth Center and several fellow employees had come to the jail demanding to see me and demanding that I be given a bond. They were literally tossed out the door and told that if they stepped foot in the place again they'd also be arrested. Several high-ranking officers from Altus AFB called the jail to question the situation, but each was hung-up on. My father also received nothing but hang-ups when he called the sheriff's office.
By day three (a Monday) my father had managed to find the Jackson County Sheriff's home telephone number, finally reached him, and let him know that if I was not released and he didn't hear from me from outside the jail within 1 hour, he'd be on the very next flight out to Oklahoma City with an intended destination of the U.S. Attorney's Office. All I knew is that the guard (a nice, mild man) unlocked the cell in somewhat of a panic, whispering that he didn't know what was going on, but that they were releasing me right then and I had to call my father right away. These people practically shoved me out the door.
A judge dismissed the case and berated the arresting officer at a hearing held the following week. That judge just kept repeating: "I do not even believe this," with a shocked look on his face. I'll note that my son's father didn't even have a valid driver's license at the time, was wanted on a felony fugitive warrant from Texas, and was drunk and driving with no insurance. Why do you think I moved out?
My father died in 1998. If he had been alive for my mess that began in late 2001, the MBI would never have made it as far as they did with the case. My dad spent his life working for the US government and had connections that went as high as the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The perps from MBI should rejoice that my father wasn't around to deal with each one of them.
And I never dialed a cop again, except in two situations in which I saw it as most intelligent to call the police and get a report number to cover my ass if future problems resulted from escort-related situations. To call for help is the equivalent of a bad joke for me. Dad always told me that cops are not there to help – they are there to arrest – arresting people is their job, and I'd better not ever speak to one in relation to my business if questioned. Dad was right. Of course I did get my son back the same day that I was released, and all by myself.
Next: More Police Encounters
My first unforgettable encounter with cops in the US took place in Jackson County, Oklahoma, in Altus, in 1989. Not long after I gave birth to my son, his father and I decided to move to this place from the adult playground of Miami and buy a house. Houses were, and probably still are, cheap out there, and we found a rock house on five acres outside of town. It was a change indeed. As time wore on, Robert (my son's father – now deceased) and I were at each others throats and I moved out, renting a house in Altus. I was working on Altus Air Force Base with the Youth Center. I had worked in the Youth Center on a base in Germany previously, so getting the job was easy. The area has few jobs that don't involve farm or ranch work, so I was lucky.
At the last minute my babysitter cancelled on me and I took Robert's mother up on her offer to watch our son, Alex, any time. When I returned to pick-up Alex at 11pm – we had a skate night at the Youth Center – I found Robert there, and he was trashed on tequila. He started arguing that he had the right to keep Alex too and I wasn't going anywhere with him. I attempted to pick-up my two year-old son and get out of there, but a fight ensued. Robert managed to get Alex away from me and strap him into the car seat. We tussled on the ground, but he was over 6' tall and bigger than I was and was able to toss me off, jump in his truck, and speed off. My first instinct was to chase him, and I did so for a mile or so, but he was drunk and driving the truck into ditches and all over the road. In a state of fear that my son could be injured, I drove to my little rented house and called the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. That was the first and last time that I would ever call the cops on a man. It was an error in judgment on my part, to say the least.
It was about 20 minutes after I made the police report when a deputy called me to state that I could come to the sheriff's office and pick-up my son. Another deputy had located Robert when his truck ran out of gas and he walked down a highway carrying Alex, and they were on the way to the sheriff's office. Relieved, I ran out the door and sped to the place. I was greeted by a typical Oklahoma cop that told me to have a seat; my son would be there shortly. As the time approached 30 minutes I became alarmed, so I asked the cop where my son was. The conversation that followed:
"Is that his father that's got him?"
"Yes, he is Alex's father."
"Well then this here is a civil matter. You need to go to court. His father can keep him if he wants to unless a judge says otherwise."
"Why did you call me down here to pick him up? Why did you take the report to begin with? Never mind – I'll take care of it by myself."
The next thing I knew, this cop (big guy) is throwing me on the floor and yelling: "You're under arrest!" He's actually removing my shoelaces while I'm on the floor and telling a deputy to take my picture. They stand me up forcibly and snap a Polaroid pic. All of this happens in less than two minutes.
I ask him what I'm being arrested for, and his response is: "Obstruction of Justice," so then I ask what he's talking about, and this deputy states that when I said I'd take care of it myself, he took it as a threat towards Robert. I demand my phone call. He states: "Dial whoever you want. No one can help you anyway." I dial my father in Florida and tell him that this cop made-up a charge, Robert has Alex and has threatened to take him to Mexico, and I need out of there now. My father asked how much the bond was, so I turned to the cop and asked, and he responded that "obstruction of justice is a non-bondable offense and there is no bond." I repeat this to dad, but add "this good-ole-boy says". The cop rips the phone-line from its wall connection in a fit of anger.
I am forcibly taken to a jail cell where I paced frantically for close to three solid days and nights. At the time I had no clue as to what was going on while I paced in the cell, freaking-out as I considered that I might never see my child again. I later found out that my boss at the Youth Center and several fellow employees had come to the jail demanding to see me and demanding that I be given a bond. They were literally tossed out the door and told that if they stepped foot in the place again they'd also be arrested. Several high-ranking officers from Altus AFB called the jail to question the situation, but each was hung-up on. My father also received nothing but hang-ups when he called the sheriff's office.
By day three (a Monday) my father had managed to find the Jackson County Sheriff's home telephone number, finally reached him, and let him know that if I was not released and he didn't hear from me from outside the jail within 1 hour, he'd be on the very next flight out to Oklahoma City with an intended destination of the U.S. Attorney's Office. All I knew is that the guard (a nice, mild man) unlocked the cell in somewhat of a panic, whispering that he didn't know what was going on, but that they were releasing me right then and I had to call my father right away. These people practically shoved me out the door.
A judge dismissed the case and berated the arresting officer at a hearing held the following week. That judge just kept repeating: "I do not even believe this," with a shocked look on his face. I'll note that my son's father didn't even have a valid driver's license at the time, was wanted on a felony fugitive warrant from Texas, and was drunk and driving with no insurance. Why do you think I moved out?
My father died in 1998. If he had been alive for my mess that began in late 2001, the MBI would never have made it as far as they did with the case. My dad spent his life working for the US government and had connections that went as high as the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The perps from MBI should rejoice that my father wasn't around to deal with each one of them.
And I never dialed a cop again, except in two situations in which I saw it as most intelligent to call the police and get a report number to cover my ass if future problems resulted from escort-related situations. To call for help is the equivalent of a bad joke for me. Dad always told me that cops are not there to help – they are there to arrest – arresting people is their job, and I'd better not ever speak to one in relation to my business if questioned. Dad was right. Of course I did get my son back the same day that I was released, and all by myself.
Next: More Police Encounters
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