There comes a time for those unacquainted with the way the laws of our society operate to be made lucid of the fact that not everything is black and white. Occasionally, one might question these laws. There is substantial difference between the way things are; and the way things SHOULD be. Yesterday afternoon, the justice system took a turn toward its citizens, which is what the system should hinge itself upon to begin with. What else remains to be told but the story of how one (1) person took on the local police department....AND WON. Truthfully, I have never been so emotionally charged and involved with something in my entire life. Those who find that people are under the thumb of governmental agencies....read my story. There has been a change around here that will likely last the duration of my life. I shall forever remember what transpired in the last week, and my story has to be told:
On May 4th, 2008, my friend called the police to his apartment to have his ex-girlfriend removed from his premesis and arrested, as she had burglarized his house (in this case, unlawfully entering someone else's residence). Upon the arrival of the police, they (the police) questioned the suspect involved. However, this was not a normal type of questioning. The officers in question had gone to high school with the woman who ADMITTEDLY had entered my friend's house without permission, and they interviewed her first. They inexplicably ordered my friend to return into his house, as they would 'be with him in a moment.' As they sat there, presumably talking to [her] about what had happened, there came a point in which she said that some of her belongings were in the apartment that SHE HAD JUST FUCKING BURGLARIZED. What was the next step to be taken?
Well, you might think that she would be arrested. However, you would think wrong. The officers (4) in question forcibly tried to enter the home of my friend without his permission. At this time, they were informed by my friend "fuck you, you guys aren't coming into my house." However, these officers were determined to help their friend (her). As they tried to push past my friend to enter his house (illegally, mind you) he impeded the officers from entering his house by pushing one of the officers away from his front door, who subsequently stumbled and fell over a wrought-iron railing.
Now, you might think (especially non-Americans) "Well why did he do this? That sounds illegal." Incorrect. In America, you have every right to protect your own property from unlawful entry (again, the police entering his house without permission is burglary in itself, as they were attempting to search without cause). Hearing that it is illegal, you might think that nothing transpired as a result of what happened. However, you again would be wrong.
The police, after seeing their comrade go over the aforementioned railing, charged at my friend. The next part of the story is so sickening that I have a hard time typing it without getting choked up. They began to savagely beat my friend with their fist, feet, batons, and flashlights. Adding insult to injury, after beating him up they said that he had not only assaulted an officer, but had resisted arrest. This is why it pays to get a good lawyer.
My friend's lawyer is a fucking animal in the courtroom. Never before had I seen a lawyer work the way he did, and with good reason he is the best lawyer I've ever seen and worth every cent that my friend paid. To make a jury of white women believe that the police had acted unlawfully? Proposterous. However, my friend got on the stand and told the police exactly what happened...the truth. Now you see, when you tell the truth, there's no way there can be any differentiation if your story. If you tell the truth consistently throughout, there is no way that anyone can see it in your favor. But still, one suspected felon taking on four police in a court which heavily favors law enforcement?
What happened next is something that, again, will stick with me forever. I watched these four officers lie on the stand. Perjury, right before my eyes. Their grand jury testimony differed greatly from the testimony they gave in court during the trial, and furthermore greatly differed from the reports that the officers had filled out the very night in question. How can you have two different stories under oath? Obviously one of them is not the truth. The jury saw this as well, and found my friend not guilty on all charges.
So a quick recap of what happened from the prosecution's side: My friend called the police to his house to report a burglary and he ended up having the shit beat out of him by the same police he called for help, as they knew the woman who was the supposed 'victim' in a domestic dispute. If anyone cares to hear exact details about the story, I have no problem posting them. Keep in mind, however, that will be QUITE the read As of right now, my friend is a free man. However, out of spite, my friends and I have every intention of ruining the careers of the officers that beat the fuck out of an innocent person. I hope they lose their fucking shields as a result of this, lose their pensions, lose their jobs, suffer irreparabale damage to their reputations, and ultimately; go to jail for both assault and perjury for lying under oath about beating the shit out of my friend.
Not everything in the world is fair. This is one of the few times that justice was delivered, and I (we) have every intention of ruining the lives of those who tried to put an innocent person in jail for seven years FOR GETTING THE SHIT BEATEN OUT OF HIM. It was said once, though the source escapes me at this time, that the only thing required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Those jurors are good people. Not only did they deliver a not guilty verdict; they had a special message to deliver my friend (Kevin) through another friend of ours who was sitting in the courtroom.
"Please tell Kevin that there was not a second that we did not believe him. There was not one second that we found the officers' story plausible, and we are horrified that they could so easily beat up someone who had called them for help. I'm horribly sorry that this happened to you at all." I cried when I heard that, not kidding. Absolution of guilt was obviously the intention, but for the entire jury to go out of their way to apologize to my friend after being literally put on trial for four days? That, my friends, is fucking justice. So now these four officers face perjury and assault charges, and the city is certainly going to be on the receiving end of a substantial lawsuit.
The lesson? Authority isn't always right. It isn't always just. Sometimes, it's the exact opposite. Don't let yourselves fall victim to anything. For my sake, and the sake of my friend, question everything that you hear. If this isn't reason enough to not doubt yourself, then your own convictions (not in court, I realize that might be seen as a pun) should be enough to realize that if you tell the truth there's no way that you can possibly be found guilty.
One day wiser, and experienced in the art of doubting, I pen to you all our story. The truth shall set you free.
Eternally yours, and with kindest personal (though net-delivered) regards;
Erik "Vedder" Ginty
_________________ Tread softly because you tread on my dreams- Lies are a funny thing, they slip through your fingertips because they never happened to you.
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