“Totalitarianism is patriotism institutionalized.”
Steve Allen
“Patriotic” Americans are still berating me for “demeaning” my son’s “sacrifice.” A typical message goes something like this:
“Your son died to give you the right to spew your filth against this country. If it wasn’t for the military and people like your son, you wouldn’t have the freedom to protest.”
Oh, really? If I have the “freedom to protest” then why have I been arrested so many times and why did I have a four-month restraining order from protesting near the White House last year that would have landed my buns in jail for six-months if I violated it? Why are activists still being arrested for solely exercising what used to be our fundamental rights?
Posted by copwatch | Sun, 06/19/2011 - 12:10am story
By LINDA GREENHOUSE May 18, 2011
Police officers following a suspect into an apartment complex in Lexington, Ky., don’t know which apartment their man has entered. But wafting through one of the closed apartment doors is the familiar odor of marijuana. The smell provides reason to believe criminal activity is afoot, probable cause for a warrant to search the apartment.
Posted by copwatch | Sat, 06/18/2011 - 11:12pm event
The case is called JACQUELINE ALFORD v. JAMIE BARNEY.
Courtroom 1
17th Floor
450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco (Federal Court)
Police Murder of Hupa Man, Peter Stewart: http://redwoodcurtaincopwatch.net/node/666
Posted by copwatch | Tue, 05/17/2011 - 9:37pm story
Supreme Court gives police a new entryway into homes
The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision in a Kentucky case, says police officers who loudly knock on a door in search of illegal drugs and then hear sounds suggesting evidence is being destroyed may break down the door and enter without a search warrant.
Posted by copwatch | Mon, 06/13/2011 - 2:45am event
The case is called JACQUELINE ALFORD v. JAMIE BARNEY.
Courtroom 1
17th Floor
450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco (Federal Court)
Posted by copwatch | Mon, 02/28/2011 - 12:53am story
Jeremy Marks, a black high school student was put in jail last year for videotaping a LAUSD school police officer assaulting another teenager at a bus stop. All Jeremy did was videotape the incident & nothing else yet he was put in jail for approx 7 months, & was bailed out right before XMAS thanks to someone from Google....he was charged with 'Attempted Lynching.' (His bail was $155,000 & he was threatened with 7 yrs prison time)
On Jan 26, 2011, DA Steve Cooley had Jeremy's home raided and 30 + LAPD cops came in and took computers, cell phones etc.....trying to get any evidence they can before his trial!
LA District Attorney orders Gestapo-style police raid on home of Jeremy Marks
Terror tactics in the police war on video
By Doug Kauffman and Ian Thompson January 27, 2011 
Posted by copwatch | Mon, 01/24/2011 - 1:52pm story
I recently was pulled over by the Arcata Police Dept. The two officers approached my vehicle and asked me to open my door. I complied but did not unlock the rest of the doors. While the officer on the driver's side was talking to me about why he stopped me, he unlocked the doors. I re-locked them, and he said " leave the doors unlocked!"
Posted by copwatch | Tue, 11/30/2010 - 1:19am story
Pat-Downs Hit Middle America Where It Counts
Nov 24, 2010 By David Coleman
The recent outrage expressed by white males and females over intrusive airport pat-downs may have an upside. At least at the nation’s airports, non-minority airline passengers who seek to board an airplane are being sensitized to the indignities that are a routine part of the lives of some men of color who merely walk or drive down a street.
Posted by copwatch | Sat, 07/17/2010 - 12:22pm story
The word is that raids will begin on Monday, July 19th. Cops hunt down outside-sleeping people every night, but these raids will be broad-sweeping and perhaps more orchestrated.
These raids will violate the rights of the houseless people. There are no legal, free-of-charge places to sleep in Eureka (or Arcata), so there are no options for almost all people who have no shelter except to sleep where they can find a hidden piece of ground. Then ya gotta be able to protect yourself from the rain, wind, cold, dew.
This is not a new situation. But all too often, people who are housed dismiss the reality of the situation by simply saying, "Well, there are homeless shelters for them to go to." That is completely INACCURATE.
Posted by copwatch | Wed, 07/14/2010 - 9:29pm story
So today, July 14th, the Mateel meal (free cooked meal) was held at the Vet’s park across the street from the bookstore in Garberville (because the Mateel kitchen staff is down at the reggae site). Police (Humboldt County Sheriff’s Dept) arrived and told people that the Veteran’s have said they don’t want anyone sitting in the park, that they want it cleared out. People asked where they could go and there were no places. Police said they will arrest people who are sitting in town anywhere.
Posted by copwatch | Fri, 07/09/2010 - 11:51pm story
The City of Eureka proves itself again to care more about pushing its weight around, stealing, towing, searching, seizing, than it does about YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO PLACE TO LIVE.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TALK TO THE POLICE, FBI, DA OR ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT OR INVESTIGATOR.
Their job is to Collect or Create Information to arrest you and help prosecute you. They’re not trying to win justice or help you.