Important message for arrestees: demand a lawyer
It appears that police are humiliating arrestees in court, leaving them physically attached to each other as they go through the courtroom process. Any judge that tolerates this has no control over his/her courtroom.
But more important, it also appears that some arrestees have been secretly moved about in a way to prevent their access to attorneys.
Excerpt:
"It wasn't until after Fadness's arraignment was over that nine members of the People's Law Project came into the courtroom. Three of the attorneys spoke to Crespin and Fadness, but by then it was too late for them to intervene.
"Brian Vicente, one of the attorneys, said his group had been getting calls from protesters for the past half-hour but didn't know where to meet them."
Story is here:
First five protesters appear in court after midnight
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/26/first-five-protesters-...
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a long-standing practice
Consider this excerpt:
"[They] were moved from jail to jail in a shell game calculated to confuse or dispirit [their organization] and to limit the access to ... lawyers ... "
That is an excerpt from a book i wrote about Colorado history -- specifically, about a coal miners' strike in 1927.
Note that Denver has multiple "jails", and arranging a meeting with an attorney is much more difficult when you don't know where you'll be an hour from now. This (moving prisoners around) is an old police tactic that we should not fall for. Once the judge makes a ruling, it is usually too late.
--richard myers
One way to help
Probably the legal team is stretched thin at this point, but having observers at all the detention facilities can help (by spotting transports), and if possible attorneys with complete lists of people arrested who can constantly ask to see all clients at all the facilities. Of course the police will probably claim they don't know who's in their facility, which is probably good material for a civil case later.
In past actions, police phones seem to magically be broken, their computers break down, and they don't even always tell detainees where they are located let alone give access to phones. Add to that the constant verbal humiliation and lying by jailers, often holding protesters (and others) in inhumane (way too hot or cold, no water or food, nasty chemicals, constant loud noises) conditions. Then they lie about or withhold information about when people will see attorneys -- sometimes not even providing the opportunity prior to arraignment. All part of punishing us in detention because very few will be convicted.
And this is the good situation because protesters have friends and lawyers and buddies in with them -- imagine being a lone male of color without all that support.
Innocent until proven guilty my ass.
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