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Protesters denied access to attorneys, forced to march in leg shackles, ACLU charges
John Byrne
RAW STORY
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The ACLU issued a stinging rebuke to the Denver Police Department Wednesday, alleging that the department may have violated laws and constitutional rights of protesters arrested outside the Democratic National Convention.
In the letter, obtained by RAW STORY, the ACLU revealed that the police refused those arrested to attorneys. Police did not give detainees access to phones unless they posted their own bond, and even failed to provide shoes, in one case marching a protester into court in bare feet and leg shackles, according the ACLU.
What’s more, police are said to have tricked protesters into pleading guilty, by giving them the impression they had to plead guilty in order to post bond. This meant that no one was allowed to make a phone call unless they plead guilty, thus making it impossible for arrestees to even call a lawyer until admitting guilt.
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Police also charged detainees from pre-printed forms where officers were expected to cross out non-applicable charges. In many cases, officers failed to cross out irrelevant charges, leading to individuals being charged with crimes they didn’t commit, such as begging or throwing rocks.
Charges for arrestees were issue on pre-printed forms, where police were told to “cross out” charges that they were not facing. In many cases, police failed to cross out inappropriate charges, and so the detainee would be charged with “begging, loitering and throwing stones and missiles,” the ACLU said.
Nor were protesters even given the chance to back down before they were arrested.
“It is not clear whether any order to disperse was given. No Legal Observer [sic], witness or arreste on the scene we’ve debriefed heard any order to disperse,” wrote Taylor Pendergrass, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Colorado. “Numerous persons, including Legal Observers, asked to be able to leave the blockaded area and were refused.”
“After the arrests, attorneys from the People’s Law Project and the ACLU arrived at the [Temporary Arrestee Processing Site to conduct confidential attorney-client consultations," Pendergrass continued. "The City refused to provide any access to allow these persons to meet with attorneys."
Perhaps the most outrageous charge, however, is that one protesters was forced to march barefoot into court in leg shackles.
"Arrestees were kept barefoot at [the detention center],” Pendergrass wrote. “I personally saw one such arrestee later at the City and County Building. I saw her marched from the elevator to the courtroom in bare feet and leg shackles. I saw her appear in bare feet and leg shackles.”
“Some arrestees who could not make their own bond spent 6, 7, 8, or more hours waiting at TAPS before being transferred to court,” he added.
Pendergrass also elaborates on the detainees being kept from being able to talk to a lawyer. The only opportunity lawyers had to speak with those arrested was in front of the jury gallery or in open court in front of the judge.
“The only access we were given to those clients was to whisper,” he wrote.
Among the seemingly more minor complaints, Pendergrass also notes that many detainees weren’t able to eat because they were vegetarian or vegan and the city mostly provided meat-based food.
In addition, he said that the city was well aware that the ACLU and other groups had arranged for attorneys to be present. “Attorneys were at the court from 11 pm on the night of Aug. 25, 2008 and were staying until each and every arrestee came to the City and County Building.”
In conclusion, the ACLU demands the City permit attorney access at the detention facility; provide blankets, shoes and slippers; allow phone calls immediately upon entering the facility; permit detainees to use restrooms individually and privately; and permit confidential attorney-client consultations in the City and County Building.
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August 28th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Over and over…Civil Liberties gone gone gone. I’m not even angry anymore. Everyone get a Camcorder, a copy of the Bill of Rights, a Lawyer and a cellphone, film every arrest, read the Constitution to police. That’s all we’ve got folks, mobs of freelance cameras. I don’t know what else to do at this point, except to sue sue SUE. If it takes 6 hours in shackles to get hold of your lawyer, SUE the police, the city, and anyone else you need to. What about a class action lawsuit?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” -JFK
August 28th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Infowars Chat now up and running….. Independent website dedicated to U the Infowarrior to meet up with others and to discuss the NWO.
NO SIGNUP, NO REGISTRATION AND NO BS.
No other pages on the site….. Only infowars chat….. http://globalcordon.com
August 28th, 2008 at 9:42 am
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” -JFK
Did you expect anything less from the Denver cops…what do you think happens to the citizens of Denver when you all aren’t there? Do you think they are any different? The answer is yes, worse.
August 28th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Chin up, Chris. Because this was exposed ahead of time, the potential for civil atrocities within this facility have been severely impacted simply due to that exposure. If a bad cop hates anything, it’s documentation of their actions. We are making a difference and causing change – even if only through small victories right now. Don’t waste your time trying to read the Constitution to the police. Any of them willing to participate in such basically unconstitutional actions have already aligned with the side of those against it. Spend your time converting the ignorant who can still comprehend. Don’t spend your money on lawyers and lawsuits. As an individual, your ability to convert your financial expenses to any awakening of the people would likely be a poor investment in a cost/benefit sense. If this is your plan of action, I would suggest that your money would be better spent by giving to the legal defense funds who are attacking on a much larger scale.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
How about taking off your own shackles people? Your MENTAL shackles. The things that bind you to blindness to what’s really causing the crap in this world to occur.
You don’t really know, do you?
No, but you will…
http://www.illuminatimatrix.wordpress.com
…because this will show you.
.
.
.
.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Do we expect any less in this “free” country now. I mean we all know that the “right” to free speech and the “right” to peaceful assembly is only a Guideline right?…. This article only shows the sad state of the country we now live in with a terrorist in the whitehouse and a new terrorist on the way in (be it Mcain or Obama bin laden)
August 28th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
mybe the protesters need to start packin guns and start blasting these’s neo-nazi cops f---in worthless pigs in uniform.
August 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Why the hysteria? A few people got arrested. That’s what governments do – who said being arrested was nice? Stop all this paranoia – somebody is trying whip everybody into a frenzy over nothing in order to justify such brutality. Relax. Recognize when your emotional buttons are being pushed. Like Alex Jones freaking out to Malkin over a dead puppy – is this the type of antics we should follow? No, this is just theatre – mockingbird gimmicks.
August 28th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
seems like a big circus, with most action outside the tent.
hey you guys heard of PBDEs? You got them in your body. thanks to the new world order.
http://www.rawair.net/info.html
August 28th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
hey everbody this may not be 1776 but america is still at war.anyone care to list the casualties?
August 28th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
This is normal for the denver police. I hope the city sued millions!
August 28th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
.
.
.
….
Shackles hurt.
So does the truth.
But you need to know…
http://www.illuminatimatrix.wordpress.com
There. Now you will.
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.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
You do not have to accept this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V5iCUBEUx4
God Bless
GS
August 28th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Funny how Alex likes to quote ACLU when it suits him.
Here’s a previous article on prisonplanet about ACLU:
“No single group has had as much a detrimental effect on our society in the last half century as the American Civil Liberties Union. ”
http://www.prisonplanet.com/an....._aclu.html
——————
So how come? Is ACLU a danger to america, or a voice for freedom? WHY CAN’T PRISONPLANET GET ITS VIEWS STRAIGHT?
August 29th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Hey Winston, are you serious? You can’t manage a more intelligent question than that? Okay, let me help you out here, amigo … The ACLU is silent on the defense of the 2nd Amendment, right? Okay, that’s bad. When the ACLU actually does something that really does defend the constitution or the civil rights of a citizen or cause in an unbiased manner, then that’s GOOD. Is it your position that if someone criticizes an organization for something, they lose their right to praise them for something else? If so, that’s pretty weak.
August 30th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
HAHA @ Wakeup
Read what prisonplanet STILL has up about ACLU? The article says:
“No single group has had as much a detrimental effect on our society in the last half century as the American Civil Liberties Union. ”
If that were really true – then WHY IS ALEX HEADLINING THEIR CLAIMS?
You are better off just realising that prisonplanet promotes BS – as in the form of their ridiculous article on ACLU.