#Chicago Business Defense Lawyer

[pontemlaw]

Chicago Business Defense Lawyer

Top Business and Commercial Lawyers in Chicago

Pontem Law is a legal firm. Their website has information about Chicago business defense lawyer and provides information and resources for businesses in the Chicago area to defend themselves against legal disputes and litigation.

Feel free to connect with us to get the access to experienced lawyers who specialize in this field.

[nottobehornyonthemain]

I’m just going to throw my hat into the ring about Steve’s parents because I’m bored. But like, Let’s spice up the level of shitty parenting.

Give me a Mrs. Harrington who’s actually a professional. Steve has said that she’s “super well respected” and, for as much as the fandom likes to play him as a dumbass, you don’t put people whoes only achievement is being a jealous housewife on your résumé, especially when you have another parent with a notable (ostensibly white collar) career.

Give me a Mrs. Harrington who’s a news anchor, or a lawyer. Give me a Mrs. Harrington who worked her ass off to be taken seriously by men for the entire late 50’s and early 60’s. Give me a young, ambitious woman with hazel eyes at a mixer for the company she’s working for in Chicago one night, who caught the eye of the charismatic man with ridiculous fluffy brown hair.

Give me a Mr. Harrington who grew up with a veteran father who never really seemed to care. Give me a little boy waiting, every day, for his dad’s letters, waiting for his father Otis to get back from this horrible war. And then he does, and he’s a hero, and suddenly it’s like nothing his son does is worth his notice. When he’s 15 and gets into his first fight? Otis doesn’t even comment on his bruised face before he walks out the door in the morning. When he gets into college? His mother is the one to hand him the watch his parents allegedly both got him as a graduation present. When he gets a job! A good job, where he has his own office and his name on a plate on his desk, not so much as a card.

Give me a Mr. Harrington who promised himself that, if he ever had a son, he would notice. He would pay attention to his kid’s grades, and what they were doing in school. That he would be proud of whatever college his son got into. That if his kid was ever doing something stupid, drinking, fighting, smoking, he would care. And he would say something.

Give me a Mr. Harrington meeting a beautiful woman in Chicago one night, and somehow, convincing her to come back to Hawkins with him. Give me the big news engagement and the blowout wedding fit for two people with nowhere to go but up.

Give me the Harrington couple buying their house, and planning to wait a few years before they start having children. Give me them having their first child, a son.

Give me a Mrs. Harrington being offered the promotion she’s been working towards for years almost immediately after, and taking it.

Give me a Mr. Harrington who never really thought his wife would keep working when they had children, but being smart enough not to say anything about it. Give me them realizing that, between both of their jobs, plans change, and their son will be their only child.

Give me a Mrs. Harrington who “doesn’t trust” her husband not because he might be cheating on her, but because, for as much as he can charm and schmooze with just about anyone, he has never had anyone tell him that he lacks actual understanding of his business. Give me a Mrs. Harrington seeing a stack of papers her husband brought home last night where the math doesn’t quite add up. Give me the blowout fight over his shady new business partner and the costs they could save if they just… cut a few corners. Give me her struggling to be taken seriously and explain to him that the consequences could be actual jail time and a complete destruction of their lives. Give me him hating that she thinks she knows better than him about his own business.

Give me a Mr. Harrington who keeps his promise to care about what his son is doing. Give me his unnecessary lectures, and comments and micromanagement whenever his son walks in the door.

Give me a Mrs. Harrington who couldn’t care less what her son is doing as long as he’s alive. Give me her bitchy comments that have been her best defense in the professional world for so long rubbing off on her son.

Give me a Steve who’s let it shape him. Who got his brown eyes, and desire to be at the top of the social sphere as soon as possible from his mom. Who got his begrudging tendencies to care while still finding something to complain about from his dad.

Give me a Harrington couple who isn’t absent, exactly. Who have the occasional business trip, but are actually in town when most of this stuff goes down. Give me a house that’s almost always empty, not because no one lives there, but because Mrs. Harrington is out late again tonight because the boss needs to be sure everything is in perfect order for Monday. Because Mr. Harrington absolutely has to close this deal. Because Steve has practice for both swimming and basketball today.

Give me a Steve who craves the domestic because of this. Who doesn’t have big plans or ambitions. Who, at his center, just wants to be able to flop on the couch and watch movies with the people he cares about. Who wants family vacations, and kids, and a big house filled with noise. Give me a Steve who understands that that’s where his love of parties came from.

Give me a Mr. Harrington who watches as his son seems to completely throw away everything he worked so hard to give him. Give me the fights over the beer, and the weed, and the grades. Give me the bombshell that his son didn’t even manage to get into college, and the realization that he needs to learn to be responsible.

Give me a Mr. Harrington who comes home one night to Robin and Dustin eating cereal in his kitchen at midnight. Who doesn’t really know what to say, so he sets down his briefcase and eats a bowl of cereal while asking these children who they are and why they’re in his house. Give me a Mr. Harrington patting his son on the back the next morning and telling he how much he likes the nice girl who can speak every language, and the little boy who can recite the periodic table from memory. Give me a Mr. Harrington who knows he made the right decision when he made his son get a job of his own instead of just working for him.

Give me a Mrs. Harrington who, when Steve informs her in the middle of a conversation that he has a boyfriend, doesn’t look up from the mirror where she’s applying her eyeliner.

Give me a Steve who’s had enough of her not caring and asks her, “really? You don’t have anything to say?”

Give me a Mrs. Harrington icily meeting his eyes in the mirror and saying, “Steven. You’ve been putting egg in your hair once a week since you were twelve and a girl in your class told you it makes it shiny, and you’ve been stealing my hairspray even longer.” Then goes back to lining her eyes.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Smith at The Guardian:

It will be a study in contrasts around age, gender, race, temperament and policy. It will also be the first time in US presidential history that a former courtroom prosecutor will take the debate stage alongside a convicted criminal with the White House at stake. Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has served as a trial lawyer, district attorney and state attorney general in California. Former US president Donald Trump, her Republican rival, has been convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal.

The pair will go head to head in Philadelphia on Tuesday night in their first – and perhaps only – debate, just 75 days after Joe Biden’s dire performance against Trump triggered a political earthquake that ultimately forced him from the race for the White House. Few expect such a transformative result this time. But Trump has his last best chance to end Harris’s extended “honeymoon” while the Democrat is aiming to prosecute her opponent’s glaring liabilities before tens of millions of voters watching on live television. “It’s the first time Donald Trump is actually going to be cross-examined in front of the American people,” said Tara Setmayer, a former Republican communications director on Capitol Hill. “Kamala Harris’s career and experience as a prosecutor, attorney general and a senator is something that Trump should not underestimate in this debate.”

This will be Trump’s seventh appearance in a national general election debate, making him the most experienced debater in US presidential history. Against Biden in June he repeated familiar falsehoods that mostly went unchallenged. Harris is expected to be a more formidable opponent and could put Trump on the defensive over facts, policy and his conduct following the 2020 election. The 59-year-old has not been shy about embracing her career in law enforcement so far in the campaign. A video at the recent Democratic national convention in Chicago declared: “That’s our choice. A prosecutor or a felon.” In a speech accepting the party’s nomination, Harris told cheering delegates: “Every day, in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and I said five words: Kamala Harris, for the people.” She has also been touting her record taking on predators and fraudsters, telling crowds across the country: “I know Donald Trump’s type!” Harris brought that experience to bear in her memorable 2018 cross-examination of Brett Kavanaugh during Senate confirmation hearings after Trump, then president, nominated him as a justice on the supreme court.

But she is unlikely to go after Trump directly over his convictions – or three other criminal cases still looming over him. When, at a rally in New Hampshire this week, an audience member shouted, “Lock him up!” Harris replied: “Well, you know what? The courts are going to handle that, and we will handle November. How about that?” In May Trump became the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes when a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush-money payment to an adult film performer. On Friday the judge, Justice Juan Merchan, delayed Trump’s sentencing until 26 November – after the election date of 5 November. For any other candidate on a debate stage, the convictions would be a huge liability. But Trump has repeatedly rallied his base by falsely claiming that the case, and others relating to election interference and mishandling classified information, are bogus and politically motivated. Should the topic arise on Tuesday, he is likely to cast himself as a martyr and also remind viewers that he was nearly assassinated in July. The 90-minute duel, held at Philadelphia’s National Constitutional Center, will be moderated by the ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there will be no live audience and candidates’ microphones will be muted when it is not their turn to speak.

The same rules seemed to work in Trump’s favour when he took on Biden in Atlanta in June. Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan, said: “Trump adjusted well to no audience and the cutting of the microphones in Atlanta. Biden clearly didn’t. “He had never debated when there’s no audience; same thing with Harris. Not getting any feedback and not knowing how things are going, you have to trust your judgment and who’s got better media instincts than a reality television host?” The muting of the microphones may not only save Trump from himself – he interrupted Biden 71 times during their first presidential debate in 2020 – but prevent Harris offering sharp rejoinders such as “I’m speaking”, a line she delivered against Mike Pence in the vice-presidential debate four years ago. Harris and Trump have never met before in person and, in the city of Rocky Balboa, are likely to take on the roles of boxer and fighter respectively. Trump, 78, is not known for his discipline, preparation or fidelity to the truth. His debate performances, like his governing style, are typically based on gut instinct rather than considered analysis.

The first (and possibly only) debate between Kamala Harris (D) and Donald Trump (R) will take place on Tuesday with ABC as the host outlet that will air on numerous cable, streaming, and broadcast outlets.

Tuesday night is the prosecutor v. felon debate, and it’ll be an epic one in which hopefully Harris wins.

Will Harris emerge as the victor in her path to become the first woman to become President? Or will Trump win the debate to set him on a path to a return to 1600? Stay tuned.

[forgivemeyourhonor]

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find Julian De Los Santos, the 46 year old criminal defense attorney originally from Chicago, Illinois. Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're tenacious and dogmatic, but what you might not know is that they are a witch, and that they’re hiding something… ― Raúl Esparza, bisexual, male, and he/they.

previous threads - visage - musings - wanted connections

current threads - mood board

Name: Julian De Los Santos

Alias: Juli, Jules, Jay

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/They

Age: 46

Birthdate: 03/10/1944

Big Three: Pisces, Virgo, Taurus

Occupation: Criminal Defense Attorney

Height: 5’9”

Hometown: Havana, Cuba → Chicago, IL, USA

Family: mother (Rosa De Los Santos), father (Markos De Los Santos), eldest brother (Markos De Los Santos Acosta), older brother (Sergio De Los Santos), older brother (Basilio De Los Santos), younger sister (Valeria González), younger sister (Yara De Los Santos),

Friends: N/A

Relationship Status: single

Sexuality: pansexual icon

Other Relationships: N/A

Character Inspo: Kendall Roy - Succession, Miranda Hobbs - Sex In the City, Jack Donaghy - 30Rock, ADA Rafael Barba - Law & Order SVU,

At 46 years old, this criminal defense attorney navigates the legal system of Cardinal Hill, where he has sought solace ever since one fateful night that forced him to leave his city of Chicago behind.

Born in Havana, Cuba -- his early days saw too much turmoil. At the age of five, his family was forced to seek refuge from the conflicts of their native country. Business in Chicago was booming so this is where they settled. This journey -- the journey to Chicago meant they had to briefly say goodbye to their loved ones. Especially Julian. Two weeks before they migrated Sergio, Julian's older brother had become incarcerated as a result of a political demonstration gone awry. He was forced to stay in Cuba until his sentence was completed. This had such a lasting and powerful impact on his childhood that feelings of pain and misfortune remained with him and continue to do so far beyond his tender years.

Julian's parents, Rosa and Markos De Los Santos -- were a dedicated nurse and a powerful patent attorney. These hard workers instilled in him the values of perseverance and responsibilities. He excelled in academia and was driven to pursue law just like his father. But he didn't want to work tirelessly for companies or The Man, so he decided early in his academic career that he wanted to specialize in criminal law. He hoped to make a difference in the lives of those who, like his brother, found themselves ensnared in the gaping maw of the justice system.

Despite being quite successful, the echoes of his life in Chicago haunt his daily life. When he was just 31, nearly ten years into his practice, a tragic misstep would leave him reeling for decades. He made the difficult decision to relocate to Cardinal Hill. Julian hoped to escape the memories that haunted him and start fresh. The ghosts of his pasts are really never far behind and they influence his work as a criminal defense attorney -- shaping his understanding of true justice and redemption.

In the idyllic town of Cardinal Hill, Julian is known not only for his excellent legal expertise but also his compassionate approach with every client. He never shames, he only seeks to provide the solace to Cardinal Hill that it has given him. He fights passionately and tirelessly for the underrepresented. Driven by a deep-rooted belief in second chances - for others and for himself.

Julian De Los Santos continues to wade the challenges of his profession while he grapples with his family legacy, his identity and his own conscience. He stands at the crossroads of his present and his past, seeking to meet the man he was and the man he continually strives to be.

Headcannons

In Cardinal Hill, Julian becomes unlikely friends with an older library employee who was once a lawyer herself. Sharing her experience with Julian, who at some point started hating the law and called it lifeless. The old library provides another place of worship for him.

Julian struggles in his romantic life. He often pushes people away because he believes that anyone who gets too close will either suffer because of him or they will eventually leave. He's usually drawn to people who have their own past troubles and forms bonds over shared experiences.

When the pressure becomes too much or the guilt is too loud sometimes Julian will wander the streets of Cardinal Hill at night to clear his head.

Julian is Catholic and often struggles with his faith since the incident and he attends Mass regularly because of this. He struggles with feelings of unworthiness and he often confesses to a sympathetic priest.

Despite the slight turmoil it causes, Julian kept all of his late father's law books. He often revisits them and the footnotes in the margins to remind him of the man he wants to be.

Julian still writes letters to his older brother in hopes that one day he'll be able to read them -- wherever he is.

He carries around a rosary in his pocket as a comfort whenever he feels overwhelmed. He finds solace in counting the beads, allowing it to ground him in moments of guilt or anxious thoughts. It's a small act that helps him seek clarity.

One of his clients in Chicago taught him what Zine's are and he was inspired to make one and to his surprise it went really well. To this day he still makes them when he has free time -- divulging his thoughts on the law, redemption and morality. His Zine's resonate well with most people and it gives him a great sense of community.

He is the youngest of his brothers and sometimes that makes him feel inadequate or like the runt of the boys.

However, he is the only witch out of the brothers and that fills him with a sense of pride. His mother is a witch too and taught him everything he knows, which he happily passes down to his two younger sisters who he loves more than anything.

To find comfort and connection to his Cuban roots he takes a few cooking class and gets really into it, actually! He often cooks traditional meals and invites neighbors over for dinner parties.

[beardedmrbean]

Federal prosecutors are expected to begin presenting their witnesses to the jury Friday in the corruption trial of former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, a man they labeled in opening statements as a two-faced bribe-taker and extortionist.

Among the first witnesses expected to take the stand is an expert who will give the jury a crash course on City Hall politics, including how wards are traditionally treated as mini-fiefdoms for aldermen and how Burke, as Finance Committee chairman, held vast power over city affairs.

But first, the jury of nine women and three men will hear the rest of opening statements by Burke’s lawyer, who on Thursday said the landmark trial is essentially “a bribery case without bribes and an extortion case without extortion.”

Burke, 79, who left the City Council in May, is charged with 14 counts including racketeering, federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.

Burke’s longtime ward aide, Peter Andrews Jr., 73, is charged with one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

The third defendant, Lake Forest real estate developer Charles Cui, 52, is charged with one count of federal program bribery, three counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

The son of a Democratic ward boss and alderman, Burke served more than 50 years on the City Council and allegedly ran the Finance Committee like his own personal fiefdom before his office was dramatically raided by the FBI in November 2018.

Opening statements in his trial, one of the biggest public corruption cases to hit the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in years, began after four days of jury selection and a weeklong COVID-related delay. The trial before U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall is expected to last up to six weeks.

In his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Chapman said that even as a heavyweight politician constantly in the Chicago spotlight, Burke lived a double life, using his position at the “very potent intersection of opportunity and power” to try to win business for his private law firm and get other things he wanted.

Displaying a photo of the entrance to Burke’s longtime third-floor City Hall office suite, Chapman said the veil over Burke’s corruption was only pierced when prosecutors were able to secure the cooperation of his colleague, then-Ald. Daniel Solis, in 2016, leading to dozens of wiretapped calls and recorded meetings that will lay out Burke’s illegal schemes in real time.

“You at this trial are going to get to go behind those office doors, and see, and most importantly hear, how Ed Burke offered to sell his official position with the city of Chicago in exchange for law firm business,” Chapman said.

The defense, meanwhile, called the allegations a “story” unrooted in fact. In his opening statement, Burke attorney Chris Gair painted Burke as a zealous public servant, a proud lawyer and enthusiastic Chicagoan who made all those phone calls simply to help people.

“Mr. Burke never asked for anything from anyone in this case. Not for money, not for legal business, not for anything — never,” Gair said, claiming Burke saw “not one dime” from the alleged schemes.

Walking over to Burke, who was seated at the defense table in a dark suit and blue plaid pocket square, Gair put his hands on the former alderman’s shoulders as he described him as an upstanding family man.

Gair then turned his sights on Solis, putting up the former 25th Ward alderman’s photo in court and calling it “Exhibit A in the world of people who are corrupt and untruthful.”

Gair also hammered on what he said were the “pack of lies” Solis fed to Burke over the months of his secret cooperation, dangling the false prospect of law business in an effort to get Burke to bite. “He did it for two years with one object in mind: keep himself from going to prison, save his skin” Gair said. “And it worked.”

Prosecutors have opted not to put Solis on the witness stand. While the defense has promised to call him as their own witness, Gair did not mention it to the jury in his opening remarks Thursday.

[news4dzhozhar]

Biden's Justice Dept. keeps hard line in death row cases

CHICAGO -- Rejon Taylor hoped the election of Joe Biden, the first U.S. president to campaign on a pledge to end the death penalty, would mean a more sympathetic look at his claims that racial bias and other trial errors landed him on federal death row in Terre Haute, Indiana.

But two years on, Justice Department attorneys under Biden are fighting the Black man's efforts to reverse his 2008 death sentence for killing a white restaurateur as hard as they did under Donald Trump, who oversaw 13 executions in his presidency's final months.

“Every legal means they have available they’re using to fight us,” said the 38-year-old's lawyer, Kelley Henry. “It’s business as usual.”

Death penalty opponents expected Biden to act within weeks of taking office to fulfill his 2020 campaign promise to end capital punishment on the federal level and to work at ending it in states that still carry out executions. Instead, Biden has taken no steps toward fulfilling that promise.

But it's not just inaction by Biden. An Associated Press review of dozens of legal filings shows Biden’s Justice Department is fighting vigorously in courts to maintain the sentences of death row inmates, even after Attorney General Merrick Garland temporarily paused executions. Lawyers for some of the over 40 death row inmates say they've seen no meaningful changes to the Justice Department's approach under Biden and Trump.

“They’re fighting back as much as they ever have,” said Ruth Friedman, head of the defender unit that oversees federal death row cases. “If you say my client has an intellectual disability, the government ... says, ‘No, he does not.’ If you say ‘I’d like (new evidence),’ they say, ‘You aren’t entitled to it.’”

Administration efforts to uphold death sentences for white supremacist Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black church-goers, and Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are better known. Lower-profile cases, like Taylor’s, have drawn less scrutiny.

The Justice Department confirmed that since Biden’s inauguration it hasn't agreed with a single claim of racial bias or errors that could lead to the overturning of a federal death sentence.

It's a thorny political issue. While Americans increasingly oppose capital punishment, it is deeply entrenched. And as Biden eyes a 2024 run, it's unlikely he'll make capital punishment a signature issue given his silence on it as president.

In announcing the 2021 moratorium, Garland noted concerns about how capital punishment disproportionately impacts people of color and the “arbitrariness” — or lack of consistency — in its application. He hasn’t authorized a single new death penalty case and has reversed decisions by previous administrations to seek it in 27 cases.

Garland recently decided not to pursue death for Patrick Crusius, who killed nearly two dozen people in a racist attack at a Texas Walmart. His lawyers have said he had “severe, lifelong neurological and mental disabilities.” He could still be sentenced to death under state charges.

Garland also took the death penalty off the table for a man accused in 11 killings as part of a drug trafficking ring.

Defense lawyers say that makes it all the more jarring that Garland’s department is fighting to uphold some death sentences. In one case, Norris Holder was sentenced to death for a two-man bank robbery during which a security guard died, even though prosecutors said Holder may not have fired the fatal shot.

Prosecutors decide before trial whether or not to seek the death penalty, and current death row inmates were all tried under previous administrations. Prosecutors have less leeway after a jury's verdict than before trial.

Court challenges after trials are also often not about whether it was appropriate to pursue the death penalty, but whether there were legal or procedural problems at trial that make the sentence invalid.

“It’s a very different analysis when a conviction has been entered, a jury has spoken," said Nathan Williams, a former Justice Department lawyer who prosecuted Roof. "There has to be a respect for the appellate process and the legal approaches that can be taken."

A Justice Department spokesman said prosecutors “have an obligation to enforce the law, including by defending lawfully obtained jury verdicts on appeal.” The department is working to ensure “fair and even-handed administration of the law in capital-eligible cases," he said.

Inmate lawyers dispute that prosecutors have no choice but to dig in their heels, saying multiple mechanisms have always existed for them to fix past errors.

Justice officials announced this month that they wouldn't pursue death in the resentencing of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., convicted of killing North Dakota student Dru Sjodin. But that only happened after a judge vacated the original death sentence.

Notably in 2021, the department agreed with lawyers for Wesley Coonce, sentenced to death for killing a fellow inmate in a mental health unit, that lower courts should look again at intellectual disability questions in his case. But the Supreme Court disagreed, declining to hear his case or remand it to lower courts.

Seven federal defendants are still facing possible death sentences.

The first federal death penalty case tried under Biden ended this month. The jury was divided, meaning the life of Sayfullo Saipov, who killed eight people in a terrorist attack on a New York bike path, will be spared. Trump made the decision to seek death and Garland allowed the case to move forward.

Garland's criteria for letting some capital cases proceed isn't clear, though the department often consults victims' families. Some feel strongly that suspected or convicted killers should face death.

Inmate attorneys have asked for all capital cases to get a fresh look. Garland has appeared to take one step in that direction.

The department this year restored written guidance emphasizing that staff can be proactive in fixing egregious errors in capital cases, though none has invoked that option. Garland also re-set processes in which capital defendants can, in certain circumstances, ask the department to consent to their bids for relief.

Taylor was charged with killing restaurant owner Guy Luck in 2003. His lawyers say the 18 year old “discharged his gun in a panic” as Luck tried to grab a gun inside a van in Tennessee.

The prosecution described Taylor to his almost entirely white jury as a “wolf” whom they had an “obligation” to kill. An alternate later said some jurors were determined to get Taylor, recalling: “It was like, here’s this little Black boy. Let’s send him to the chair.”

An appeals court rejected Taylor’s bias claims in 2016, though a dissenting judge said courts must be especially diligent to guard against bias when a defendant is Black and the victim white. She also said Taylor didn't seem to be among the worst of the worst, for whom death sentences are reserved.

Taylor revived the bias claims, though the department hasn't directly addressed them. It has rejected many of his separate claims.

As the 2024 election looms — and with the chance of someone even less sympathetic to their claims entering the Oval Office — death row inmates know the clock is ticking.

“Trump ran out of time during his killing spree,” Taylor told the AP via a prison email system. If elected again, “I don’t think he’d waste any time in continuing where he’d left off.”

[black-paraphernalia]

BLACK PARAPHERNALIA DISCLAIMER - PLEASE READ

A shout out to leptoquark3 where BP first saw/knew of Edward C, Lawson

“Why do we have to look closely? because they won’t just come out and say they hate Black people - story over - they have to use pseudoscientific beliefs to construct their racist arguments… “Racists are inherently intellectual cowards” -  Edward C. Lawson

WHO WAS THAT MAN ON OPRAH SHOW 1990

EDWARD C. LAWSON Born?- Died 2011?

An African American civil rights activist, who was the plaintiff in the case of Kolender v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352 (1983), in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that a California statute authorizing a police officer to arrest a person for refusing to present identification was unconstitutionally vague.

Between March 1975 and January 1977, Lawson was detained approximately fifteen times, as a pedestrian or as a diner in a cafe, and asked to present identification; some detentions lasted minutes, others lasted hours.

He was arrested several times pursuant to California Penal Code § 647(e), but prosecuted only twice, with one conviction (the second charge was dismissed). In 1975, Lawson, representing himself (known as pro se), brought a civil rights action against San Diego Chief of Police William Kolender and others, taking the case through U.S. District Court and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor.

The U.S. District Court ruled in Lawson's favor, enjoining enforcement of the law. Kolender appealed the ruling the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; the ruling in Lawson v. Kolender, 658 F.2d 1362 (9th Cir. 1981) upheld the District Court, voiding § 647(e).

Kolender appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1983 upheld the Court of Appeals in voiding the law. This case is of historical importance not only because the California statute was voided, but also because it is one of the few examples of an ordinary citizen successfully representing himself all the way through a U.S. District Court.

Lawson received political support at the time from prominent Black leaders including Jesse Jackson, activist/comedian Dick Gregory, U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters D-Los Angeles, U.S. Congressman John Conyers D-Detroit.

Lawson's Supreme Court brief was accompanied by amici curiae briefs from the ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and others.

In 1983, Carl Stern, the CBS Evening News U.S. Supreme Court reporter commented that this case was the most reported U.S. Supreme Court case that year. Stern was referring to front-page newspaper articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times as well as articles in Newsweek, Time, Fortune, The Village Voice and other news publications. 

By way of his grandmother, Lundy Bohanan, Edward C. Lawson is a direct descendant of a survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot and massacre in Oklahoma. On May 12, 2011, Edward C. Lawson died; This is reported by John Longenecker of Pro Per Inc., a longtime business partner and friend. To date, there has been no obituary. A report from a man with a similar name as Edward's relates that he died of pancreatic cancer. 

Excerpt-source of story:https://alchetron.com/Edward-C-Lawson 

[lawyersdatascraping]

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[schfiftytwo]

On Spring Vibes

Whoo, so much for trying to be consistent. In my defense (to the void) there is a significant amount of stuff going on at work, and with some of our senior folks leaving for the green pastures of multimillion (tbh at this point its multibillion, damn capitalism working as god intended) dollar firms, the reshuffling, big ticket things, and random fires have a fervor unlike anything I've seen before. Super interesting stuff, thankful that I'm helping out on meaningful things, happy that it's fulfilling, good that some of it is public, all of that blah blah blah, it's busy folks.

But. Let's take back a bit of time and see what's cooking. Today, I want to write about something that I've gabbed with friends and close colleagues about for what has to be years now - my reflections on springtime. Now, this could go any number of ways. I could talk about the weather, I could talk about the new flowers and leaves (and weeds, fuck the weeds man) sprouting up around the neighborhood, people getting more uppity to be outside, etc etc, and yeah I guess that's all relevant for springtime, but not what's on my mind.

The thing that I'm getting at is a bit less concrete - springtime as a vibe. And the vibe I've been most interested in is springtime as a set of realizations, reminders, and feelings unique to this time of year. Why these specific musings?

It's because it's commencement season. For the uninitiated (and really it shouldn't come as a surprise), I have always loved school and the idea of schooling. The pure pursuit of learning, being surrounded by a properly insane mix of brilliance and stupidity, finding your niche, and at base finding what it is that makes you tick inside and outside the classroom stands as one of the great memories and milestones of my life. Indeed, if I wasn't so pressed to, you know, pay bills, I would have dove headfirst into being a professor (shouts to my incredibly lucky classmates who actually did that - god damn you guys, what a life).

Anyway - the consumation of all that effort, all that discovery, the season of commencement, has always been a very special time of year for me (sue me), and usually results in me thinking a bit more wistfully than I usually do. In some ways a lot of the vibe I'm trying to put into words is pure sentiment, excess romanticism. The faces of elation of closing one chapter and opening another, the burst of the pinnacle of youth before the stupendous fall of adulthood, the photographs, the regalia, the pomp and circumstance, the pantomime and pageantry - I simply cannot get enough, and I am lucky that I've been able to enmesh myself in many commencements - both my own, and those of my friends and family.

In another way, and perhaps what is more to the point, the vibe also represents a view toward the unknown - what I mean by realizations, reminders, and feelings. The example that comes to mind is perhaps unique to my line of work, and how it stacks up with that of my colleagues with a different kind of "D" after their name. For us lawyers, commencement (and really the years of law school as a singular experience) is a representation of the next chapter, a start toward the bar, that first job, that first time you get a chance to prove you're a grown up. For me and many of my peers, that all centered around biglaw - becoming corporate sharks, prowling the mean streets of DC, NYC, Chicago, LA, Miami, Austin, Toronto, etc, closing deals, popping off demand letters, standing up in federal court and playing our best unflappable selves (god how insufferable we must have been - but has anything really changed lol). For others, it was about doing justice - defending the little guy, or more often than not going after the bad guy (who also happened to usually be the little guy). Perhaps more noble pursuits, but tinged with that cloying badge of authority, the aura of importance.

The comparison (and I promise I'll get to the point here, dear void), and what more often than not brought me to a point of poignancy, was what I saw both with my peers who decided to do the real doctor thing and devote their lives to saving lives. The MDs in my life are suspiciously plentiful - my very first love from those days when I didn't even know what kind of person I wanted to be is now a prominent attending physician in a hospital that is affiliated with that one famous school in Boston (yeah, that one), and even my peers in my current circles who went the MD route have done exceptionally well for themselves - wait, am I the odd one out? They're helping people and I...well I guess made the rich guys and gals of the world just a bit richer. Fuck.

Anyway. The thrust of their lives is what I'm focused on. Take for instance match day for MDs - the day where medical school kids, after decades of hard work, sweat, tears, boundless insecurity, and constant ironborn perseverance, find out where they will spend the next four years post grad as resident physicians (yes, just like Scrubs or House, but also 1000% not like that). Every school memorializes that day - livestreams of the reveal, interviews with students, countless photos of students, their families, their loved ones, their children (!) in still moments of pure, often tearful joy at this next chapter. I matched in orthopedic surgery at UChicago. I matched in internal medicine at Baylor. I matched in cardiology at Columbia (wink wink to the A+E readers, can't stop won't stop). Even my mother, a physician in her own right, recalls the day she matched - an event she described to me as one of the happiest and scariest days of her life, one that established the start of a long and fulfilling career in the service of others.

Now. Why bring this up? I'm not a doctor (or at least not that kind of doctor), why would I care about what my well-heeled peers get to do? Don't I have better things to do?

Well, that's exactly it, no? Better things to do. I share this because for years, my predictably slime person attitude was all about the flair and spectacle - god damn, I love the forest green of your Harvard divinity loops signifying you're now a hot shit MD. Fuck me, your Stanford overcoat gown with the green inlay makes you look like a fearsome yet benevolent medical wizard, a young Yen Sid with a penchant for healing. That hospital you're going to is legendary, isn't that one super famous doctor there who did this and that. Never did I give a real substantive thought to what that all really meant, once the spectacle wrapped, the gowns and trappings packed away, the photos developed and framed, the memories faded into those clouds in the deep crevasses of our brain.

Why is that? Simple - for me and my closest cadre, none of us had any inkling about the pursuit of helping people. We were excited about being unreasonably compensated in all the right ways, wining and dining, getting suited up to fuck shit up, being young and reckless and meme-worthy but still rocking it. Respectable drive for a young lawyer maybe, but...just tinged with something that I can only describe as a sad shallowness. Not even the promise of pro bono work (which none of us did btw - we were too busy helping rich folks get richer) was enticing enough to convince us otherwise, or even pretend we could enlighten ourselves in a meaningful way.

Tying it up, what is the point here? Did I get lost again?

No, not really. The point is that during this time of emergence, of new beginnings, I am always reminded of what my beginning was, and how...truly fruitless it was in practice. How excited I was to be important, and how quickly I realized how unimportant I was, even amid the trappings and corridors where I knew important things (including important things I did!) were happening. Meanwhile, my peers who went another route, one more noble, whether it was to do justice, or to really help people - to hone their craft, ease suffering, be meaningful, had begun in earnest. Maybe I had a lovely office, incredibly quippy coworkers who I trusted and swore by as a result of deep trauma bonding during shit work weeks (of which there were so, so many lol), maybe I was objectively wealthy, but...

I just...didn't think I'd realize so quickly how little that all meant. How much it affected me, changed me, made me into someone I didn't like, someone my now-wife resented?

What could have been if I had been smarter, more willing to let my talent be in the service of actually deserving people. If I had been brave enough to do something that wasn't solely focused on the flair of it all.

That, dear void, is the point. Why I do what I do now, why I have committed myself to helping others (because yes, I do work for you after all), not only to better myself, but perhaps to convince myself that I can remedy what time I wasted trying to be a shill. Every year, I remind myself that this is why it (work?) matters, why I matter, why this pursuit of mine, my love of what I do day in and day out is and always will be worth it. It has to, after all.

Why would anyone in their right mind be a lawyer if it wasn't truly meaningful?

Springtime vibes indeed. Cheers, folks.

[rosenfeldlawyerchicago]

Emerging Trends and Recent D

Introduction: Personal injury law is a dynamic field constantly evolving to adapt to changing societal norms, technological advancements, and legal precedents. In recent years, several developments have shaped the landscape of personal injury law, influencing how cases are litigated, settled, and adjudicated. This article explores some of the significant trends and advancements in personal injury law, shedding light on their implications for both plaintiffs and defendants. Legislative Reforms and Tort Reform Efforts: Legislatures across jurisdictions are enacting reforms aimed at limiting liability, capping damages, and streamlining the litigation process in personal injury cases. These tort reform efforts seek to address perceived inefficiencies, reduce litigation costs, and promote economic growth by providing certainty to businesses and insurers. However, such reforms are often contentious, with proponents arguing for tort reform as a means of curbing frivolous lawsuits and reducing insurance premiums, while opponents raise concerns about limiting access to justice and undermining the rights of injured parties. The debate over tort reform continues to shape the legal landscape of personal injury law. Conclusion: In conclusion, personal injury law is undergoing significant changes driven by technological advancements, social attitudes, and legal developments. From the expansion of liability in product cases to the growth of mass tort litigation and the impact of technology on evidence and litigation, recent trends and developments are reshaping the way personal injury cases are litigated and resolved. As the field continues to evolve, it is essential for legal practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders to stay abreast of these developments and adapt their strategies accordingly to navigate the complexities of personal injury law in the modern era. https://emergingtrendsandrecentdevelo616.blogspot.com/2024/02/emerging-trends-and-recent-developments.html Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Chicago Car Accident Lawyer https://www.rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com/ https://localbizmentions.blob.core.windows.net/chicago-personal-injury-lawyer-2/chicago-personal-injury-lawyer.html https://chicago-personal-injury-lawyer-1.us-southeast-1.linodeobjects.com/chicago-medical-malpractice-lawyer.html https://s3.us.cloud-object-storage.appdomain.cloud/chicago-personal-injury-lawyer-1/workers-compensation-lawyer-chicago.html https://s3.amazonaws.com/chicago-personal-injury-lawyer-2/truck-accident-lawyer-in-chicago.html https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/chicago-personal-injury-lawyer-1/best-personal-injury-lawyer-in-chicago.html https://9gh30.upcloudobjects.com/chicago-personal-injury-lawyer/best-medical-malpractice-lawyer-in-chicago.html https://chicago-personal-injury-lawyer-1.s3.fr-par.scw.cloud/workers-compensation-lawyer-near-me.html https://understandingthedefensesemplo204.blogspot.com/ https://understandingthedefensesemplo204.blogspot.com/2024/02/understanding-defenses-employed-by.htmlAutomatic PermalinkCustom Permalink0 / 8,000.html https://www.tumblr.com/rosenfeldlawyerchicago/743449056561545216 https://buenaparkpersianrugrepair957.blogspot.com/ https://orientalrugrestorationlajolla.blogspot.com/

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An antitrust murder whodunnit: I accuse Judge Bork with the Powell Memo in the smoke-filled room.

40-some years ago, US antitrust enforcement took sick. In the years since, it has been largely comatose — right up until the very recent past, when the Biden administration began to take muscular — but very belated — action to restore a modicum of competition to the economy.

There’s a widely received narrative about what happened to antitrust law. 40+ years ago, fringe economists and other ideological entrepreneurs from the University of Chicago won the argument, publishing such a rigorous defense of monopolies as “efficient” that lawmakers, regulators and judges had no choice but to change their ways.

That is the “enlightened technocrat narrative,” and, as a narrative, you can be forgiven for assuming that it is not empirically testable. But as a trio of scholars show in “The Political Economy of the Decline of Antitrust Enforcement in the United States,” this narrative can and must be subjected to empirical scrutiny.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4011335

First, I’ll explain the authors’ conclusion, then I’ll explain the evidence that supports it. The authors conclude that the change in US antitrust enforcement wasn’t the result of reasoned argument, but rather, a mix of financial enticements and a covert influence operation.

They find that the change in antitrust enforcement didn’t arise from:

public clamor for more monopolies or less competition regulation;

campaign promises by politicians;

explicit marching from politicians to the regulators they funded;

the confirmation hearings for regulators and judges

Instead, the change in antitrust can be causally linked to an increase in lobbying, a revolving door between regulators and the industries they regulate, and lavish “educational” programs aimed at judges that included luxury holidays.

In other words, the complete reversal in antitrust enforcement in the US was not the result of better arguments, nor was it the result of democratic deliberation. Instead, it was a self-accelerating mix of bribery and propaganda, funded by big businesses, which grew even bigger as a result.

What’s more, this outcome is theoretically consistent with the Chicago School’s own orthodoxy. Under “public choice theory,” Chicago School economists predict that regulation will inevitably come under the sway of regulated industries, who will suborn their regulators to make them do their bidding, to the detriment of the public interest.

The “enlightened technocrat narrative” asks us to believe that antitrust is an exception to the tendency of regulators to be captured by the firms they are charged with regulating — especially when those firms are concentrated, making it easier for them to coordinate their policy preferences.

In truth, the whodunnit for the murder of antitrust enforcement has a pretty obvious set of perps. They subscribe to a theory that says that if the question of antitrust enforcement is up for grabs, it will be captured by big business.

As if that weren’t enough, there’s a smoking gun, the “Powell memo,” in which a corporate lawyer advised the US Chamber of Commerce to increase and harmonize its lobbying, particularly around who gets federal judgeships. That lawyer, Lewis Powell, later got a seat on the Supreme Court, after intensive lobbying, and went on to contribute to many decisions that encouraged monopoly formation.

If that’s not enough of a smoking gun, how about this one? Richard Posner — an archduke of Chicago School economics — cowrote a memo to one of Reagan’s key economist entitled “Throttling Back on Antitrust: A Practical Proposal for Deregulation.”

The memo makes the case that publicly arguing for weak antitrust would be a bad news, because it would “antagoniz[e] politically influential constituencies.” Instead, they argue for making policy through the back door, by slashing enforcement budgets and installing regulators who quietly assured them that they will not enforce antitrust.

Big American businesses had motive, means and opportunity. They told us they would do it. They told us how they would do it. They told us it was theoretically inconceivable that they wouldn’t do it. They did it. They got rich. US antitrust enforcement wasn’t beaten in the marketplace of ideas — it was slaughtered in smoke-filled back rooms.

That is the paper’s conclusion and while it might seem obvious to people who pay attention to this stuff, they offer a wealth of data to support it. Start with the political question:

Since the 1970s, no president advocated for a reduction in antitrust enforcement, no Congress voted for reduced enforcement except indirectly in obscure budget bills, and no senate knowingly confirmed nominees to the FTC or DOJ, or to the supreme court, who openly promised to reduce antitrust enforcement

Even though no one who was approved to the federal judiciary advocated for dismantling antitrust, dismantle it they did. This is especially visible at the Supreme Court, where key decisions like Illinois Brick stripped standing from nearly everyone who was harmed by monopolistic behavior, which meant that almost no one was entitled to sue, undertake discovery, and reveal evidence that could vindicate them.

Other decisions legalized formerly prohibited conduct, such as vertical monopolies, and created narrow, impossible-to-satisfy tests for when a company should be prohibited from buying its suppliers or customers. Still more decisions effectively legalized predatory pricing. And over all of it was the decision to allow companies to impose binding arbitration on their customers and workers, which ended the risk of class actions for harms from monopolistic conduct.

Lower courts took their cues from the Supremes and also narrowed and weakened antitrust. At all levels of the federal judiciary, judges got their ideology on antitrust from the Manne Seminars, luxury junkets paid for by giant American companies where judges were indoctrinated into Chicago School theories of antitrust.

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/22/1124477182/federal-judges-economics-boot-camp

At one point, a full 40% of the US federal judiciary was a Manne Seminar graduate, and after they attended, they radically changed their behavior, finding in favor of monopolies again and again:

https://www.nber.org/papers/w29788

Antitrust enforcement became a mere vestige of American policy. As firms grew bigger — and as they became more capable of abusing their market power, the number of enforcement actions declined steeply. This was made all the more urgent by deregulation in other areas, which increased the scope for abuse of market power.

The American public did not want antitrust euthanized. American trust in big business has been in freefall for decades. A 1974 poll found that 60% of Americans were in favor of increasing antitrust penalties (6% opposed this). In 1980, 64% of American said that “promoting competition” was “important, very important, or very, very important” (12% said it wasn’t important “at all”).

In 1982, 75% of Americans polled wanted the government to do more to control the activities of large companies. Not surprisingly, nearly every presidential candidate until the 1970s spoke favorably of antitrust on the campaign trail. After that, candidates just stopped mentioning it — but they didn’t campaign against it.

The list of presidents who supported muscular antitrust enforcement isn’t limited to FDR and Kennedy — it includes Truman, Eisenhower, and other right-wing figures. Reagan’s 1980 platform promised to “assur[e] through anti-trust enforcement that neither predatory competitive pricing nor price gouging of captive customers will occur. In 1988, the Bush campaign boasted that “we have filed more criminal anti-trust cases than the previous Administration.”

During their confirmation hearings, supreme court justices averred their support for antitrust: O’Connor spoke of “the key role antitrust plays in eliminating monopolies and protecting small businesses.” Souter affirmed “antitrust law’s key role in preventing the consolidation of economic power.” These sentiments were repeated by Thomas, Ginsburg, Kagan and Roberts.

And yet, all of these justices would go on to write or support opinions that dismantled antitrust. RBG wrote the Volvo Trucks decision that killed off the Robinson-Patman Act’s enforcement powers. Breyer, O’Connor, Souter, Thomas and Ginsburg gave us the Trinko decision, killing off enforcement over refusal to deal. Roberts, Souter, and Thomas gave us Twombly, which gutted private enforcement. Breyer. Roberts and Thomas signed into Italian Colors, weakening private antitrust enforcement. which further restricted private. In the unanimous State Oil decision, the Supremes raised the bar for preventing retail price maintenance. None of this was hinted at in their answers on antitrust during their confirmations.

Congress, too, played a part. The obscure wrangles over agencies’ budgets saw massive cuts to the enforcement budgets of the DoJ and the FTC, even as the Supremes were raising the evidentiary bar for antitrust enforcement, making each action vastly more costly for government agencies to pursue.

One particularly sneaky trick was allowing the FTC and DoJ to fund themselves by imposing filing fees for mergers. This was billed as a means of augmenting their budgets: the more mergers industry attempted, the more money the agencies would have. But very quickly, Congress used the existence of these fees to slash the agencies’ budgets, saying, effectively, “You don’t need public money because you get all those fees.” The agencies real budgets deflated and enforcement all but ceased.

The policy paid off…if you were a big business. The profit margins of smaller US firms have been flat or declined since 1980, while large firms enjoy a weighted average return of 1.8. Big business’s shareholders have shared in the bounty: the share of US income commanded by the top 1% grew from 10% to 19% since 1980.

American productivity grew, but wages stagnated. Before the antitrust revolution, workers’ pay rose with productivity. Male workers’ wages rose 36% in real terms from 1960–1980. From 1980–2016, their wages did not rise in real terms. Meanwhile, their foreign counterparts continued to reap benefits from improved productivity: in the UK, wages rose by 25% in real terms. In France, it was 10%.

Monopolies have inflicted real, measurable harms on the public, disproving the Chicago School’s claims that monopolies were efficient and would contribute to the public good. This is especially visible in health markets, where “unchallenged mergers in the dialysis market led to higher prices and reduced availability of dialysis facilities, which caused a 3.1 percentage point higher hospitalization rate and 1.6–2.0 percentage point lower survival rate.”

In pharma, we see runaway “killer acquisitions” — where a big company buys a potential rival and kills off its product before it can compete. Within-state hospital mergers have driven up prices 7–9% between 1996–2012.

In the mobile phone market, rampant consolidation drives $44-$65b/year in transfers from consumers to shareholders. Mergers in beer drove up prices 4���7%.

In other words, letting big business capture its regulators resulted in exactly the outcome that public choice theory predicts: more profits for big business, and worsening economic, material, and health outcomes for the public.

Those profits are mobilized into still more policy wins by big businesses. The same courts that gave us lax antitrust also gave us fewer and fewer limits on lobbying, culminating in Citizens United and the near-total incineration of US campaign finance laws. “In 1974 there were 2.3 Labor PACs for every corporate PAC. By 1976, the ratio was inverted. By 1985, there were 4.4 corporate PACs for every Labor PAC.”

An analysis of 370 $100m+ mergers from 2008–14 found that “companies that increased their general direct lobbying expenditures in the quarters before announcing a deal are significantly more likely to receive a favorable response from the antitrust authorities.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0929119917307356

Shareholders understand this. “The stock price response to horizontal merger announcements is higher when the bidder has lobbied more in advance.”

Lobbying is just one way to influence policy. Just as important is the revolving door, whereby regulators who make decisions favorable to industry are given well-paid jobs in that industry after their turn in office. Prior to 1970, the majority of senior FTC and DOJ personnel came out of government service, and either returned to government or retired after their terms were up. That changed in the mid-70s. Today, almost two-thirds of top FTC and DoJ enforcers go to law firms representing big business in antitrust actions or to big businesses themselves.

Rising executive compensation at large firms make this an increasingly attractive proposition. The average white-shoe law firm partner in 1970 earned twice as much an an FTC chair. That rose to 500% in the 1980s. Today it’s 1000%. Wages for FTC and DoJ enforcers have been constant since 2000, while the cost of a house in DC has quadrupled over the same period.

Like I said, the circumstantial case that big business secretly murdered antitrust enforcement in smoke-filled rooms was always strong. But this paper also provides an evidentiary record.

One fascinating wrinkle: one of the paper’s co-authors is Eric A Posner, son of Richard Posner, one of the architects of the neoliberal revolution. That strange fact is explored in detail in this week’s episode of Capitalisn’t, which is co-hosted by Luigi Zingales, another one of the paper’s authors:

https://overcast.fm/+LQuu7pjsk

[Image ID: A modified version of a Soviet propaganda cartoon called 'Capital controls the government.' An ogrish, giant business-man in a top hat with a cigar and a monocle stands before a control-box, yanking on a lever that is shaped like a golden dollar-sign. The lever operates an eject mechanism on a chair atop the control box, sending a tiny figure hurtling over the edge. The ogre holds another finger aloft, suspended between thumb and forefinger. Behind the control box are ranks of more tiny figures, awaiting their turn in the chair. The tiny figures all sport judges' powdered and curled wigs.]

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Andrew Perez at Rolling Stone:

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s husband is currently representing Fox Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, in a defamation lawsuit, according to court records reviewed by Rolling Stone. The lawsuit relates to reports by one of Fox’s local stations.

Jesse Barrett is a trial lawyer and managing partner at SouthBank Legal. He heads the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, which opened after Justice Barrett joined the high court. While the SouthBank Legal website says that Jesse Barrett “focuses on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and complex commercial litigation,” it notes, in a recent addition, that he has “represented a prominent media company in a lawsuit alleging defamation.”  That prominent media company is Fox Corporation, which owns the conservative cable news channel Fox News. Fox News regularly covers matters at the Supreme Court and will surely continue to do so as the high court nears the end of its term. It is set to issue rulings soon on a slate of controversial topics, such as abortion, guns, public corruption, and whether Donald Trump is entitled to immunity for life for acts he committed as president. 

Jesse Barrett’s work for Fox Corporation highlights one of ethics experts’ biggest complaints about the Supreme Court: Justices are not required to disclose their spouses’ clients, so the public has no way to track who is paying money directly to their families. In her 2021 financial disclosure, Justice Barrett even redacted the name of her husband’s firm, despite it being common knowledge that he works there. [...]

It is no secret that Jesse Barrett represents corporate interests: His firm bio says his “clients have included multiple Fortune 500 companies and corporate executives.” The Southbank Legal website says that the firm has represented 26 Fortune 500 companies.  The public has no way to identify Barrett’s clients, for the most part. However, federal court records show that Barrett is serving as Fox Corporation’s lead counsel in an ongoing defamation case. He had the case moved from Cook County, Illinois, to federal court late last month.

[...]

The defamation case was filed by Lavell Redmond, an Illinois man who was convicted of aggravated sexual assault as a minor and served 24 years in prison. Redmond was hired as a code enforcement officer by the mayor of Dolton in 2021, the original complaint says. He is suing Fox over a series of reports that scandalized his hiring — the first of which claimed he had been hired for “a job in which he goes into Dolton homes and businesses to inspect them.” The complaint says that “as a code enforcement officer, Redmond was never responsible for entering village resident’s homes to do his job, nor did he ever enter village resident’s homes. Redmond only had the ability to observe home exteriors to write code violations.” Redmond alleges that “FOX 32’s reporting directly led to Redmond being arrested and wrongfully charged with violating the reporting requirements of the sex offender registry,” as well as his subsequent termination.

Jesse Barrett, the husband of right-wing SCOTUS Justice Amy Coney Barrett, is representing Fox Corporation (the parent company of right-wing propaganda outlet Fox “News”) in a defamation lawsuit regarding its Chicago O&O station WFLD (Fox 32), per a report from Rolling Stone.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 24, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

On Monday, we learned that after last year’s election, John Eastman, a well-connected lawyer advising former president Donald Trump, outlined a six-point plan to overturn the outcome of the election and install Trump as America’s leader. They planned to cut the voters’ actual choice, Democrat Joe Biden, out of power: as Trump advisor Steve Bannon put it, they planned to “kill the Biden presidency in the crib.” This appears to have been the plan that Trump and his loyalists tried to execute on January 6.

That is, we now have written proof of an attempt to destroy our democracy and replace it with an autocracy.

This was not some crazy plot of some obscure dude in a shack in the mountains; this was a plan of the president of the United States of America, and it came perilously close to succeeding. The president of the United States tried to overturn the results of an election—the centerpiece of our democracy—and install himself into power illegitimately.

If this is not a hair-on-fire, screaming emergency, what is?

And yet, Republican lawmakers, with the notable exceptions of Representatives Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), have largely remained silent about the fact that the head of their party tried to destroy our democracy.

The best spin on their silence is that in refusing to defend the former president while also keeping quiet enough that they do not antagonize the voters in his base, they are choosing their own power over the protection of our country.

The other option is that the leaders of the Republican Party have embraced authoritarianism, and their once-grand party—the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party that saved the United States in the 1860s, the party that removed racial enslavement from our fundamental law—has become an existential threat to our nation.

Democracy requires at least two healthy parties capable of running a government in order to provide oversight for those currently in control of the government and to channel opposition into peaceful attempts to change the country’s path rather than into revolution. But Republicans appear to believe that any Democratic government is illegitimate, insisting that Democrats’ calls for business regulation, a basic social safety net, and infrastructure investment are “socialism” that will destroy the country.

With Democrats in charge of the federal government, Republicans are cementing their power in the states to support a future coup like the one Eastman described. Using “audits” of the 2020 elections, notably in Arizona but now also in Pennsylvania and Texas, Trump loyalists have convinced their supporters to distrust elections, softening the ground to overturn them in the future. According to a new poll by NORC at the University of Chicago, 26% of Americans now believe that “[t]he 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and Joe Biden is an illegitimate president,” and 8% believe that "[u]se of force is justified to restore Donald Trump to the presidency."

Arguing that they have to stop the voter fraud they have falsely claimed threw the election to Biden, Republican lawmakers in 18 states have passed more than 30 laws to cut down Democratic voting and cement their own rule. Trump supporters have threatened election workers, prompting them to quit, and have harassed school board members and local officials, driving them from office.

Although attorneys general are charged with nonpartisan enforcement of the law, we learned earlier this month that in September 2020, 32 staff members of Republican attorneys general met in Atlanta, where they participated in “war games” to figure out what to do should Trump not be reelected. The summit was organized by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, the fundraising arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which sent out robocalls on January 5 urging recipients to march to the Capitol the following day “to stop the steal.” In May, RAGA elevated the man responsible for those robocalls to the position of executive director, prompting others to leave.

In states where Republicans have rigged election mechanics, party members need to worry about primary challengers from the right, rather than Democratic opponents. So they are purging from the party all but Trump loyalists, especially as the former president is backing challengers against those who voted in favor of his impeachment in the House in January 2021. Last week, one of those people, Representative Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), announced he was retiring, in part because of right-wing threats against his family.

Trump loyalists are openly embracing the language of authoritarianism. In Texas, Abbott is now facing a primary challenger who today tweeted: “Texans deserve a strong and robust leader committed to fighting with them against the radical Left. They deserve a leader like Brazil has in Jair Bolsonaro…..” Bolsonaro, a right-wing leader whose approval rating in late August was 23%, is threatening to stay in power in Brazil against the wishes of its people. He claims that the country’s elections are fraudulent and that “[e]ither we’ll have clean elections, or we won’t have elections.”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) today used language fascists have used in the past to stoke hatred of their political opponents, tweeting that “ALL House Democrats are evil and will kill unborn babies all the way up to birth and then celebrate.” Yesterday, the leader of Turning Points U.S.A., Charlie Kirk, brought the movement’s white nationalism into the open when he told a YouTube audience that Democrats were backing “an invasion of the country” to bring in “voters that they want and that they like” and to work toward “diminishing and decreasing white demographics in America.” He called for listeners to “[d]eputize a citizen force, put them on the border, give them handcuffs, get it done.”

Today, we learned that the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) will be held in Budapest, Hungary, where leader Viktor Orbán, whom Fox News Channel personality Tucker Carlson has openly admired, is dismantling democracy and eroding civil rights. When former vice president Mike Pence spoke in Budapest earlier this week at a forum denouncing immigration and urging traditional social values, he told the audience he hoped that the U.S. Supreme Court would soon outlaw abortion thanks to the three justices Trump put on the court.

Establishment Republicans who are now out of power are not on board the Trump train. They are quietly backing anti-Trumpers like Representative Cheney. Former House speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, former Florida governor Jeb Bush—who was widely expected to win the Republican nomination in 2016, only to be shut out of it by Trump—and former president George W. Bush's former adviser Karl Rove have all donated money to Cheney to help her stave off a challenge from a Trump loyalist in the 2022 election. Next month, former president Bush himself will hold a fundraiser for Cheney in Texas.

Other establishment Republicans currently in power might be staying quiet about the party’s slide toward authoritarianism because they are simply hoping that the Trump fire will burn itself out. The former president is no longer commanding the crowds he once did, and his increasing legal woes as well as the investigation into the insurrection will almost certainly take up his time and energy. The mounting coronavirus deaths among his unvaccinated supporters also stand to weaken support for his faction.

But the fact that Republican lawmakers have ignored the Eastman memo, which outlines the destruction of our democracy, suggests that the party, which organized in the 1850s to protect the nation against those who would destroy it, has come full circle.

—

Notes:

https://bbj.hu/politics/foreign-affairs/world/budapest-to-host-cpac-in-2022

https://www.kptv.com/former-president-george-w-bush-to-hold-fundraiser-next-month-for-liz-cheney/article_8ba92a10-7103-5ee0-94ef-4bd813437e28.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/24/arizona-audit-just-destroyed-big-gop-lie-more-ways-than-one/

https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2021/05/04/more-staff-flee-gop-attorneys-general-group-after-it-doubles-down-on-insurrection/

https://bbj.hu/politics/foreign-affairs/world/budapest-to-host-cpac-in-2022

https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/pence-hopeful-supreme-court-restrict-abortion-us-80185222

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/republican-ags-group-sent-robocalls-urging-march-capitol-n1253581

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/us/politics/anthony-gonzalez-ohio-trump.html

https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/08/kansas-ag-aides-attended-war-games-summit-where-group-planned-to-combat-biden-win/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-17/more-than-half-of-brazilians-disapprove-of-bolsonaro-poll-shows

https://www.mediamatters.org/charlie-kirk/charlie-kirk-deputize-citizen-force-put-them-border-order-protect-white-demographics

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/23/brazil-bolsonaro/

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[from comments]

Mobiguy

It is time to call this out as what it is - a well-documented attempt to overthrow the government, led by people too unconcerned or too stupid to worry about leaving a paper trail.

The January 6th sheep currently in court are not the problem. It's time to round up the ringleaders of this attempted coup and prosecute them on an open and shut case of treason.

Reasonable people insist on framing this coup as a robust political debate, but reasonable people are wrong. It is a naked power grab, an assault on the popular will, and blatantly illegal. Three evidence is there, in the seditionists' own hands.

A crime has been committed, even if it was unsuccessful. Failed bank robbers don't get to walk because they got no money. Failed murderers are still prosecuted. The evidence is there for all to see, and the alleged criminals aren't denying it. They're doubling down, and we're letting them. Either prosecute them, or remove the treason laws from the books since they're clearly meaningless and unenforceable.

In short: lock them up.

[walker-extended-universe]

Walker, Texas Ranger: Season 7 Episode 13- Special Witness Recap/Review

Starting off in Chicago, we see a couple having an anniversary dinner in a restaurant. A strange man sits at the bar section and goes over to join the husband when his wife goes to the bathroom. The stranger sits next to the husband, who seems uncomfortable, and introduces himself like a business partner and says his boss said to give him an anniversary present. The man delivers a weak chokehold-like hug and the husband soon passes out. After that, the strange man gets up and goes to the door, just in time for the wife to return and see what’s become of her husband.

We then cut to Dallas, where there appears to be come kind of field day competition for those with special needs. Our Texas Ranger, Cordell Walker, is a volunteer here. He introduces a couple of famous athletes to the kids attending the fair and they deliver a pep talk. After this, a girl named Sally approaches Ranger Walker and says that she’s scared of not doing well. She wants to go to San Antonio for the State Championships. Walker reminds her that winning isn’t everything and that if she can be brave enough to try, then she’ll have done enough. Walker then joins his fiancee, Alex to watch in the stands.

A race begins and Sally is in the lead. But when another girl falls off the track, she stops to help her. The girl tells Sally to keep going and leave her be and, despite the setback, she regains her lead and finishes in time to enter the finals. Walker and his wife are very proud of her.

We cut to a house where a lawyer and his client are discussing an upcoming trial. The lawyer assures Mr. Foley that things are going swimmingly, that they have the judge and jury they want and they have an 83% chance of aquittal. Foley is not happy with those odds and uses Russian Roulette as an example to show why those odds are not good. He assures his lawyer he will take things into his own hands and tells him to leave. He then greets the strange man from Chicago, Mr. Riggs, and tells him to take out the witness for the current case as it will assure his win. Another man in the room protests this as he believes he can handle the witness himself. Mr. Riggs responds by knocking the shit out of him.

We cut to the title Sequence, complete with theme song. Short but effective.

We cut to scene with Walker, Alex, who is also the lawyer prosecuting Foley, and the witness, Trent, at a bar. The witness reveals that the previous witnesses on the case had been scared into not sharing their testimony but assures them that he doesn’t scare quite so easily. Walker and his wife just want him to be prepared.

We cut to the next day, where Walker and his partner, James Trivette are sitting in a surveillance truck listening to someone talk. Carlos, a felloe detective, has been tasked with going undercover as an old woman to catch someone who has been assaulting old ladies. Carlos is not happy with this but it’s his duty so he deals. While they aruge over how feminine he is, a group of morons staggers up behind him and attempt to attack. Good thing Chuck Norris is nearby to do most of the ass-kicking in the trio. 

We cut to the Trent entering Alex’s office, bringing self- defense equipment for a class. Alex then tells Sally’s mom that she got a job interview for her at 3 o’clock the next day. Sally’s mother doesn’t like this as she has to take her daughter to practice at that time. Trent overhears and offers to take her himself. Plans are set and Sally makes it to practice. Mr. Riggs is there scoping them out. We cut to a scene of Trent and Sally walking with smoothies. They have a heartwarming conversation before Riggs shows up pretending to be a priest. He tells Trent hat there’s a woman hurt in the back of a nearby alley and she needs help. He tells Sally to wait where she is and follow Riggs. Sally moves closer to watch, which gives her a vantage point to see Riggs attack Trent. Trent hold his own very well, even managing to dodge Riggs’ knife for a suprising length of time, but ultimately Riggs gets a stab in, which is when Sally calls for help. There’s a pause as Riggs seems to consider attacking Sally, but help is too nearby and he flees the scene.

We cut to the hospital. Walker and his partner are there and Alex joins them, asking what happened. No one is sure as Sally is the only witness and she’s too shaken to say anything. We learn that Trent is in stable condition for now, but he’s nowhere near waking up. With the trial only ten days away, it looks like Foley may get his aquittal after all. Walker vows to find the person that did this. 

We cut to Foley and Riggs at his house. Foley says that Riggs didn’t complete teh job since Trent isn’t dead, but Riggs claims he did, seeing as Trent won’t be condition to testify at the trial. But there’s still the matter of the witness. Riggs seems surprised that Foley knows about it and a tense silence settles in the room. Riggs is visbily nervous.

We cut to another hospital scene. Carlos is talking to an unconscious Trent, updating him and the audience on his condition, which is mostly unknown and will remain that way until Trent wakes up. Carlos tells him not to give up before leaving the room and punching the wall in anger. Walker tells him to take it easy. Carlos is frustrated and says that if Trent had had a gun on him, this wouldn’t have happened. Walker claims they both know why he won’t use guns and we get a flashback to a gun accident that happened in Trent’s childhood. Trent’s friend was apparently very dramatic as he managed to fall no less than four times before dying, leaving Trent traumatized. Back in the present, Walker says that if Trent won’t use a gun, then he’ll have to learn to use something else. He’s unsure of what but he promised to have a talk about it with him later.

We then cut to the investigative trio at the crime scene. Carlos and James seem confused as to who could’ve done something like this to the best martial artist they know. Walker deduces it must’ve been someone who had confidence in their hand-to-hand combat skills as the bruises on Trent’s face indicate they were hand-to-hand at first before the weapon came out. They speculate that Foley hired the attacker to take out Trent before the trial and Walker says that once they catch him, they’ll be able to prove that.

We transition to another scene at Foley’s house. Foley’s lawyer tells him that he wants out of the legal team. He doesn’t want to be a part of Foley’s web of lies. Foley uses the leverage of their past to get him to stay and the lawyer reluctantly agrees. Foley brings up the lawyers son for added fear factor before wallking away.

Another transition to Sally at the Ranger’s office. She’s speaking with a sketch artist who’s using a computer to create the face of the man she saw. Sally asks after Trent and the woman assures him that he’ll be fine and that they need to focus on catching the bad guy for now. Alex comes in and informs the team that she asked for a postponement of the trial but didn’t receive it and it will be the next day. With no star witness and no hitman, they’re sure to lose. Just then, they complete the image of the man Sally saw. The teams looks over it, thanks Sally, and makes plans to go after them. Carlos is put on guard duty for Sally and her mother whole Cordell and James make plans to go after their fake preist. They arrange to have the sketches sent out to various media outlets and then we get a lightening transition superimposing the sketch over Riggs’ face. 

We cut to the next day. Carlos is sleeping on Sally’s couch and her mother offers him coffee. 

We cut again to a seedy bar scene. Riggs sits at a table huffing a cigar over a photo of his sketch in the paper. The bartender recognizes him and calls it in. Riggs notices and makes his way to the pool table. He pays a man $1000 to “put the hurt” on the Texas Rangers that are about to come in. The man agrees to take the money but points out that he and his men could easily “put the hurt” on Riggs. This prompts Riggs to attack him and put him in a chokehold, preventing the others from stepping in. Once they concede, he walks away.

Then, James and Cordell pull up in his truck while badass music plays. They enter the bar, looking for their man. Everyone turns to look at them and the music is cut off, leading into a tense scene. Walker tries to warn the men looking to fight them that it won’t be worth it, but his words are not heeded and Walker and Treivette proceed to “put the hurt” on them. After Walker twists his arm, the leader tells them about the deal with Riggs, but he can’t give a name to the face in the paper no matter how much Walker twists. They find a glass left on a table, assume it was the one that Riggs drank out of and, without gloves, collect it as evidence.

We cut to the courthouse, where Alex is pleading again for the trial to be postponed given Trent’s condition. Foley’s lawyer argues that they don’t know when Trent will be ready to testify and that it would be pointless to wait. The judge is in agreement.

We cut to a scene at Sally’s house with Carlos and her mother. They talk about she’s raising Sally on her own and how hard it must be. Sally’s mother explained that the father left after Sally was diagnosed. Carlos says that he doesn’t know what he’s missing and they share a moment.

Cut to another scene with Foley and Riggs. Foley is upset that Riggs has been identified and mocks him for believing Sally wouldn’t be a problem. He tells Riggs to clean up his mess.

We find Riggs at a classy restaurant buying a drink for the police sketch artist. She comments that he looks familiar and he brushes it off. 

Back at the hospital, Trent still isn’t awake but he’s fine otherwise. Alex tells Walker that she couldn’t get the trial postponed and without Trent, there’s no case. She feels helpless over what to do. Walker says that she could always quit, which infuriates her enough to send her back to work to find a way to make her case without Trent. Walker smiles as she walks away.

Back at the restaurant, Riggs is regaling the artist with stories of his childhood. She says that its late and she has to go home but Riggs insists on walking her to her car. She accepts and they go out. She offers to give him her number before he pulls a knife on her. She gives him her keys and some information in exchange for her life.

We cut to the office. James tells Cordell that they have an ID from the fingerprints: Donovan Riggs, a man who’s wanted in connection with 23 murders. The MO matches Trent’s assault.

We cut to a man walking his dog. The dog start barking at a trunk that’s leaking blood, much to the man’s dismay.

The next scene is Sally and Carlos stretching to go on a run. Riggs watches them closely and starts his car to follow them. 

Back at the scene with the bloody trunk. Another stab wound to the chest. It’s the police sketch artist. James asks why someone would kill her but Cordell immediately makes the connection to Sally and they take off running back to the truck.

The next scene is Carlos and Sally running through a park. Walker and Trivette are on their way to find them, hopefully before Riggs. Sally and Carlos talk about Trent’s condition and he assures here that Trent will be okay.

Then Riggs attacks Carlos. Carlos tells Sally to run and she does, but Riggs isn’t far behind. He catches up to her and grabs her, but hesitates before he can hurt her. This gives Walker the change to jump in an attack. Riggs may be excellent at hand-to-hand, but Walker is better and he bests him at every turn while Sally watches from behind a tree. The knife comes out but Walker dodges and quickly disarms him before landing the same spinning kick to his face several times, knocking him out. Sally runs out to him and tells him she’s scared. He hugs her and assures her she’s okay.

Finally, we cut to the court case. Foley’s lawyer calls for all charges against his client to be removed. This causes uproar in the stands and the judge says if it happens again, she’ll kick them out. The lawyer claims that since Alex’s case is based entirely on eyewitness claims and she has no eyewitness, that the case should be dismissed. Alex seems worried when asked if her witness can testify but then Trent is brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair to triumphant music. Alex calls him to the stand and the trial can begin.

After this, we cut to the special olympics finals in San Antonio to watch Sally race. Walker stands behind the finish line and is there to hug her when she finishes in first. We then cut to credits.

8/10. Sally is adorable and I love how everyone treated her so well. The hunt for Riggs was interesting too. But they lose points for having Walker say that Trent would’ve been fine if he had a gun and then turning around to never once use a gun himself. Slight regain of points for Carlos fighting the goons as an old lady.

[regular-things]

Here are some of the bail funds and other organizations fighting against police injustice:

National

LGBTQ Fund: Bail fund providing relief to jailed LGBTQ people in 15 states and counting. Mission: “Each day, tens of thousands of LGBTQ people are held in jail or immigration detention because they cannot afford bail — for immigration status or charges like sleeping in public. With your help, the Freedom Fund posts bail to secure their release and safety.”

Campaign Zero: Organization that utilizes research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in the U.S. Mission: “Over 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America. We are calling on local, state, and federal lawmakers to take immediate action to adopt data-driven policy solutions to end this violence and hold police accountable.”

Unicorn Riot: Nonprofit media collective dedicated to exposing the root causes of social, economic, and environmental issues. Mission: “Our work is dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues through amplifying stories and exploring sustainable alternatives in today’s globalized world.”

Minnesota

George Floyd Memorial Fund: The official GoFundMe to support the Floyd family. Mission: “This fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.”

Minnesota Freedom Fund: Community-based fund set up to pay criminal bail and immigration bonds for individuals who have been arrested while protesting police brutality. This has become one of the most prominent bail funds, providing relief to protesters in Minneapolis seeking justice for George Floyd. Mission: “We stand against cash bail as unjust and identify wealth-based discrimination as a vehicle for the criminal justice system to target populations for structural violence.”

Black Visions Collective: Minnesota-based black, trans, and queer-led organization committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence. Mission: “We aim to center our work in healing and transformative justice principles, intentionally develop our organizations core ‘DNA’ to ensure sustainability, and develop Minnesota’s emerging black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, we are creating the conditions for long-term success and transformation.”

Reclaim the Block: Coalition that advocates for and invests in community-led safety initiatives in Minneapolis neighborhoods. Mission: “We believe health, safety, and resiliency exist without police of any kind. We organize around policies that strengthen community-led safety initiatives and reduce reliance on police departments.”

California

Peoples City Council Freedom Fund: Los Angeles-based fund helping to pay for legal support, bail, fines, and court fees for arrested protesters in the city, as well as medical bills and transportation for injured protesters, supplies for field medics, and direct support to L.A.’s Black Lives Matter chapter. Mission: “As the mayor and city council have sought to increase the LAPD’s budget during a pandemic, and as police around the country continue to kill innocent people of color, we have taken to the street to protest the funding of state sanctioned murder.”

Silicon Valley Democratic Socialists of America Bail Fund: The Oakland/San Jose chapter of DSA is currently allocating donations to a temporary bail fund, as well as a COVID-19 aid fund. Mission: “Money in the fund may be used at the discretion of the committee for the following purposes: to pay bail, fines, or legal fees; to provide jail support; to pay for closely related expenses.”

Colorado

Colorado Freedom Fund: Providing bail relief to protesters and other individuals across the state of Colorado. CFF has also been providing protest updates on its webpage. Mission: “Founded in 2018, Colorado Freedom Fund (CFF) is a revolving fund that pays ransom (posts money bond, pays cash bail) for people unable to afford the cost of buying their own freedom.”

Florida

Free Them All: Fund organized by the group Fempower to post bond in Miami.

Georgia

Atlanta Solidarity Fund: Action Network fund set up to support the George Floyd protesters with both bail and necessary legal relief. Mission: “This fundraiser is for bail expenses for those arrested. Any surplus funds will go toward their legal defense, and to support arrestees at other protests.”

Buy Black Atlanta: Community group fund to support and repair black-owned businesses in Atlanta that were damaged during the protests.

Illinois

Chicago Community Bond Fund: Organization committed to posting bail for individuals in Cook County, Illinois, who are unable to post bail themselves. Mission: Through a revolving fund, CCBF supports individuals whose communities cannot afford to pay the bonds themselves and who have been impacted by structural violence.

Kentucky

Louisville Community Bail Fund: Bail, legal, and support fund for activists in Louisville. Mission: “The Louisville Community Bail Fund exists to not only bail out folks, but provide post-release support to get them from jail, fed, and to a situation of safety. LCBF also maintains a focus on preventative measures for those targeted by law enforcement and threatened with incarceration.”

Louisiana

New Orleans Safety and Freedom Fund: Community fund for bail, jail fees, fines, and drug testing fees in New Orleans. Mission: “Together, we will make New Orleans a safer, more equitable place to live, by redesigning the role money plays in the criminal justice system.”

Maryland

Baltimore Action Legal Team: Bail fund and legal relief for the city of Baltimore, with a focus on black activists. Mission: “BALT is committed to building the power of the local Movement for Black Lives. We take our direction from community-organizing groups who are on the ground, and we respect the leadership of local activists. BALT is committed to anti-racist practices and to black leadership. BALT is dedicated to politically-conscious lawyering and to using creative, collective solutions to support the Movement for Black Lives in Baltimore.”

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Bail Fund: Working to post bails up to $2,000 in Essex and Suffolk Counties in Massachusetts. Mission: “The Massachusetts Bail Fund pays up to $2,000 bail so that low-income people can stay free while they work towards resolving their case, allowing individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable.”

Michigan

Detroit Bail Fund: Bail fund launched by a local activist to provide relief to the city’s protesters. Mission: “Funds donated will support BailProject.org and others who assist detained individuals in the release from jail. Your dollar will be contributed to supporting the protests, as well as getting people out of jail who were detained.”

Missouri

Kansas City Community Bail Fund: Committed to posting bail for those arrested to Kansas City. Mission: “Our mission is to give those who cannot afford bail a fighting chance at getting a positive outcome in their case rather than be persuaded to plead out through the use of a revolving fund. We want those detained pretrial to be given a chance to keep their jobs, their spot in school, their housing, and provide care for their children, while maintaining their presumed innocence, rather than sitting in local or county jail costing the taxpayers and themselves money. By doing so, we will be advocating for bail reform and ending mass incarceration by example.”

Nebraska

Neighbors for Common Good: Organization providing bail to protesters in Omaha, Nebraska.

New York

Brooklyn Bail Fund: Community bail fund for Brooklyn’s incarcerated individuals. The nonprofit recently pivoted its focus to bail reform, but organizers have committed to helping those arrested in this week’s protests and are providing support to other bail funds across the country – read their full statement on the George Floyd protests here. Mission: “We are committed to challenging the criminalization of race, poverty, and immigration status, the practice of putting a price on fundamental rights, and the persistent myth that bail is a necessary element of the justice system.”

May 2020 Buffalo Bail Fund: Fundraiser set up to provide bail for those protesting in Buffalo, New York. Mission: “In mourning and in solidarity, many people in Buffalo and other cities across the country have taken to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and other black and brown people killed by police. This fund supports bail requirements for demonstrators arrested while doing this work here in Buffalo.”

Ohio

Columbus Freedom Fund: Bail fund committed to helping those arrested for protesting in Columbus.

Oregon

PDX Protest Bail Fund: GoFundMe established by the General Defense Committee Local 1 to bail protesters out in Portland. Mission: “The Portland General Defense Committee (https://pdxgdc.com/) has provided ongoing legal support to workers and protesters in Oregon since 2017, relying on over a century of national experience. The GDC works in connection with the National Lawyers Guild and other Portland-based organizations.”

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Bail Fund: Bail fund providing relief to protesters in the city of Philadelphia, with the long-term goal of bringing an end to cash bail. Mission: “We are committed to providing direct bail assistance to Philadelphia protesters participating in actions to ensure their safe return home.”

Bukit Bail Fund of Pittsburgh: Organization founded after the preventable death of Frank “Bukit” Smart Jr., in Allegheny County Jail, working to bail out individuals currently incarcerated in ACJ. Mission: “The Bukit Bail Fund of Pittsburgh is a coalition of individuals and organizations striving to provide support for those incarcerated at Allegheny County Jail, located in Pittsburgh. We hope to not just provide bail, but also to increase our capacity for supporting people after they have been released.”

Tennessee

Nashville Bail Fund: Nonprofit committed to freeing low-income individuals from jail in the city of Nashville. Mission: “The Nashville Community Bail Fund frees low-income persons from jail, connects with their loved ones, and works to end wealth-based detention through community partnerships.”

Texas

Restoring Justice Community Bail Fund: A partnership between Restoring Justice, the Bail Project and Pure Justice to provide bail relief in Houston, initially set up as a response to COVID-19. Mission: “Restoring Justice is partnering with the Bail Project and Pure Justice to use donations to pay bail for people in need during the Covid-19 pandemic at no cost to them or their loved ones.”

Luke 4:18 Bail Fund: Bail fund overseen by Faith in Texas committed to posting bail for individuals in Dallas. Mission: “The Luke 4:18 Bail Fund is partnering with faith communities, currently and formerly incarcerated people, families impacted by the legal justice system, and funders to drastically reduce the jail population in Dallas County.”

400+1 Bail Fund: Bail fund originally created to assist a black man arrested in Austin who feared he could catch COVID-19 in jail. The fund is now being directed toward protesters in the city. Mission: “This bail fund was originally created to crowdfund resources for one black man too poor to make bail while fearing for his life due to the COVID outbreak. As demonstrations erupt around the nation, we are increasing our ask and reach. Additional funds will be used as a general bail fund to support the legal needs of comrades on the ground.”

Project Roar: Community fund dedicated to providing resources and outreach programs to Texas’ rural areas. They’ve expanded their services to include emergency jail and bail. Mission: “Some of the most marginalized and neglected communities are in your city, but also lie in the county areas outside the city limits. The need for services in rural areas is often overlooked. Engaging the community will include canvassing and blockwalking, phonebanking and word of mouth, public service announcements and community service announcements, etc.”

San Antonio Freedom Fund: Community fund set up to directly go towards arrested demonstrators in the city. Mission: “Every year countless unarmed black and brown men are humiliated, beaten, and murdered by militarized police. On May 30th, San Antonio will seek justice. The threat of arrest is real. We need your support. Please consider donating to our bail fund. All proceeds will go directly to the arrested demonstrators.”

Virginia

Richmond Community Bail Fund: Community group dedicated to freeing jailed individuals in Richmond who can’t make bail. Mission: “The Richmond Community Bail Fund exists to restore the presumption of innocence to defendants so they don’t lose their jobs, families, and critical services while also reducing the financial burden on our community of detaining citizens prior to their day in court.”

Washington

Northwest Community Bail Fund: Providing cash bail to arrested individuals in the Seattle metropolitan area. Mission: “The Northwest Community Bail Fund (NCBF) provides cash bail for marginalized people charged with crimes who are unable to afford bail and find themselves incarcerated while awaiting routine court appearances in King and Snohomish Counties in Washington State.”

Wisconsin

Milwaukee Freedom Fund: Bail fund for black and brown organizers in Milwaukee. Donations are currently on pause so as to administer the funds they’ve already received, but the webpage includes a list of similar local organizations to donate to instead. Mission: “The Milwaukee Freedom Fund was started by Black and Brown Milwaukee organizers who want to see residents supported as they assert their right to protest for justice. We are raising money and gathering resources for bail, court-related costs, rides, food, water, and other needs, as the community struggles for liberation.”

Outside the U.S.

Toronto Protestor Bail Fund: Toronto activists are holding their own Black Lives Matter protests over the death of Regis Korchinski and have set up this bail fund for those arrested. Mission: “In light of today’s protest we are looking to generate funding to release and support protesters who end up incarcerated. This bail fund includes any legal fees that may be incurred.”

[protego-et-servio]

((Not created by me. Copy-pasted, in case it gets taken down from Google Docs. Not linking to keep original safe.))

#blacklivesmatter 

PLEASE SIGN PETITIONS, DONATE, CALL AND EMAIL TO DEMAND JUSTICE, AND SHARE

Reply to this tweet if I am missing anything

Re: the man who maced a young girl at the Seattle protest

Jared Campbell #8470

Office of police accountability: (206) 684-8797 opa@seattle.gov

Chief: Carmen Best

File an anonymous complaint

Re: the woman who drove over a pedestrian during a peaceful protest in Denver

Jennifer Watson

Owner of JP Watson Interiors

Denver sheriff: (720) 337-0194

Hate crime hotline: (720) 913-6458

Re: Trump supporters who ran over protesters

Jacob Robles (jacob_robles98) and Dylan Mota (@dylan_mota_)

8JUK695

Also in the car: Alyssa Mackovitch (@alyssa_mackovitch)

Re: cop responsible for telling others to turn off their body cameras

Tobias Raya

(310) 253-6318

tobias.raya@culvercity.org

*The White House has a history of giving vague, unhelpful responses or ignoring these petitions but I’d still suggest signing and making your voices as loud as possible. It can’t hurt to try.

@icatboy on Twitter: “you guys don’t sign those white house petitions sadly they don’t do shit, those were only effective under obama’s administration and mean nothing in 7rump’s term. they aren’t obligated to give us a statement after 100k signature sadly”

I still have them linked below in the petitions section for those who want to sign

WOMAN KIDNAPPED - LICENSE PLATE EEV701

Stop sharing videos of Black people being murdered. “Seeing all sides” doesn’t mean watching someone’s murder. Believe Black people. It’s gratuitous and exploitative. Imagine being his kin right now.

BLM carrd

BLM doc

If you live internationally and cannot sign petitions without an american postal code feel free to use any of these:

90015 - Los Angeles, California

10001 - New York City, New York

75001 - Dallas, Texas

More resources for international people

Petitions

*Do not donate to change.org

Text FLOYD to 55156 OR sign the petition here: Color of Change - #JusticeforFloyd: Demand the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with murder.

Color of Change - #JusticeforBre: Police officers who killed Breonna Taylor must be FIRED.

Color of Change - #JusticeforAhmaud

change.org - Justice for George Floyd

change.org - The Minneapolis Police Officers to be charged for murder after killing innocent black man

change.org - Justice for George Floyd

change.org - Justice for George Floyd

change.org - Justice for Breonna Taylor

change.org - Julius Jones is innocent. Don't let him be executed by the state of Oklahoma.

Justice for Julius (more info with how to help and where to send emails)

change.org - Prosecute the murderers who killed George Floyd

change.org - Justice for Belly Mujinga

change.org - Justice For Tony McDade

change.org - Hands Up Act

change.org - Justice For Joāo Pedro

change.org - Willie Simmons has served 38 years for a $9 robbery

change.org - Disbarment of George E. Barnhill

change.org - Justice for Regis Korchinski-Paquet

change.org - Justice for Ahmaud Arbery- Pass Georgia Hate Crime Bill

change.org - Free Anthony Wint

change.org - After The Smoke Clears... Arrest Juan DelaCruz for the MURDER of Pamela Turner RIGHT NOW

change.org - #freejeffersonelie

change.org - Exoneration of Albert Wilson

change.org - Justice for Sean

change.org - Reopen Kendrick Johnson's Case #J4Kendrick

change.org - Justice For Tamir Rice

change.org - Justice for Tamir Rice 2

change.org - Censorship of Police Brutality in France

change.org - Fire Racist Criminal Michael J Reynolds from the NYPD

change.org - Mandatory Life Sentence for Police Brutality

change.org - Criminal Charges for Travis & Greg McMichael in the murder of Black Jogger Ahmaud Arbery

change.org - Justice for Alejandro Vargas Martinez

change.org - Make false 911 calls a criminal offense

‪change.org - RAISE THE DEGREE

change.org - Free Siyanda

change.org - Jennifer Jeffley

change.org - Fire Racist Criminal Michael J Reynolds from the NYPD

change.org - Justice for Darrius Stewart

change.org - Justice for Amiya Braxton

change.org - Justice for Dion Johnson

change.org - Justice for Emerald Black

change.org - Junk the Anti-Terrorism Bill and Uphold Human Rights

change.org - Skip to main content    Drop All Charges Against Incarcerated Trafficking Survivor Chrystul Kizer

change.org - Justice for Crystal Mason

change.org - Stop hit and run drivers who kill Innocent people from receiving bond in North Carolina

change.org - Justice for Tete

change.org - Justice for Sean Reed

text “JUSTICE” to 668366

moveon - #JusticeforBre: Police officers who killed Breonna Taylor must be FIRED

moveon - We want justice for 19 year old Darrius Stewart gunned down by a white police officer on last Fri...

Organize For - Take the Pledge: We Are the Movement for Black Lives

Text “ENOUGH” to 55156 - demand justice for Breonna Taylor

Text “JUSTICE” to 55156 - demand DA George Barnhill and Jackie Johnson are removed from office

We the People - Justice for George Floyd Make sure you confirm you signature by checking your email immediately after

We the People - Raise the Degree

We the People - Arrest the Other Three

People's Budget LA Tell your Council Member to reject Mayor Eric Garcetti's proposal to spend 54% of the general fund on the LAPD

reclaim the block - Tell MPLS City Council to Defund the Police

Donate

*Do not donate to any fundraisers hosted by Shaun King - he has an extensive history of collecting funds for pro-Black movements which have disappeared - deleted all petitions by The Action Pac because he is affiliated with them

*Need a Venmo to donate to Minneapolis activists? Donate via Venmo to the Femme Empowerment Project. Be sure to set your donation to "private." You can even specify how you want your donation to be used-- medic training, medic gear, or jail support.

Spreadsheet with places to donate to

gofundme.com - Official George Floyd Memorial Fund (this is the only legitimate gofundme to donate directly to George Floyd’s family)

gofundme - Justice for Kenneth Walker (for his legal representation supporting Breonna Taylor)

gofundme - I Run With Maud

gofundme - Help Coach Steve Parker Get Back in the Game

gofundme - Support Roy Stoddart’s Family

gofundme - Help a front line nurse and baby get proper care

gofundme - COVID19 testing, advocacy & education

gofundme - Jessica Mahone

gofundme - Comfort and Support for the Moncrease Family

gofundme - The Heart of a Chef

gofundme - Marcus Jackson Medical Funds

gofundme - COVID-19 Survivor, Ron's Road to Recovery

gofundme - Greene Family Fire Relief

gofundme - Justice for Regis

This is the only donation page approved by Regis’ mother: gofundme - Justice for Regis

gofundme - RIP Belly Mujinga

gofundme - Homeless Black Trans Women Fund

gofundme - Nadarrius Lundy (Nada) Memorial Fund

gofundme - Destiny Harrison's Legacy (organized by her mother)

Twitter thread full of gofundme’s (most of them were just listed but continue checking in case the thread has been updated)

@theysbianism on Twitter: please retweet! help my girlfriend, a Black trans woman, support her family and get her brother out of prison. the family collectively has been able to get $485 and only $200 more is needed. please boost and donate if you can!

Venmo: @celestialmadonna

Cashapp: $celestialmaddona

the action network - Demand justice for Tony McDade

Donate to Black Lives Matter

Donate to the Northstar Health Fund (medical supplies)

Sybrina Fulton's Campaign (Trayvon Martin’s mother is running for office in FL)

Donate to Reclaim the Block MPLS organization that invests in their community’s safety and fights against the police union

Donate to Black Visions Collective

Know Your Rights Camp their Legal Defense Initiative will pay for legal assistance for people protesting in MPLS + Kaepernick’s charity is funding the project

Oakland Anti Police Terror Project

South Minneapolis food shelves

MN Bail Fund and Relief List

Twitter thread of bail funds

Another twitter thread of bail funds

Pro bono representation of Houston protestors

Minnesota Freedom Fund (on-the-ground bail fund)

Louisville Bail Fund

Brooklyn Bail Fund

The Bronx Bail Fund

Atlanta Bail Fund (atl solidarity fund)

Atlanta Bail Fund (the action network)

LA Bail Fund

Columbus Bail Fund

Philadelphia Bail Fund (philly bail fund)

Philadelphia Bail Fund (philly bailout)

Detroit Bail Fund

Milwaukee Bail Fund

Charlotte Bail Fund: $WereStillHere OR venmo: ResistanceisBeautiful

Silicon Valley Bail Fund

Louisville Bail Fund

Chicago Bail Fund

National Revolving Bail Fund

Gas Mask Fund:

Venmo: @Isak-Douah

Cashapp: $Isakdouah

Paypal: isak.douah@gmail.com

Black owned businesses

Support small online Black owned businesses

Google doc of Black owned businesses

Twitter thread: "here’s a thread of black small businesses that were destroyed that you can donate to to help rebuild"

Donate to the following groups

http://aclu.org

http://joincampaignzero.org

http://nlg-npap.org  

http://blacklivesmatter.com

http://advancementproject.org

http://changethenypd.org

http://M4BL.org

http://themarshallproject.org

Support protesters

For their safety, do not post pictures or videos of their faces

How to properly treat someone who has been tear gassed

Tips for protesters

More tips

More tips

How to extinguish tear gas

How to treat a bullet wound

Disable tanks

Delete your digital footprint

Disable tanks

Twitter thread masterlist of safety tips for protesting

Protester safety tips

Support the woman pushed by the cop at Barclays $Dounyazayer

Thread of Homeland Security words being monitored on social media sites

Twitter thread: Know Your Rights

Location safety thread

Twitter thread: "how to identify an undercover cop"

If you are arrested for protesting in Minneapolis, call (612) 444-2654 and they will bail you out

Legal Rts Ctr: (612) 337-0030

If you are arrested in NYC call The National Lawyers Guild hotline with name and arrest location: (212) 679-6018

Legal Aid Society: (212) 577-3300

Atlanta jail support: (404) 689-1519

Louisville jail support: (502) 705- 0081

The Bail Project: 1 (833) 425-6827

National Lawyers Guild LA - Legal Defense Hotline: (310) 313-3700

Pro Bono Legal Representation doc

Drop Off Sites in MPLS (as of 5/29)

Epworth United Methodist Church, 3207 37th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406

MN Youth Collective Office, 2161 University Ave W. Suite 100

2161 University Ave is taking a pause on accepting donations - overflowing

CTUL- CENTRO DE TRABAJADORES UNIDOS EN LA LUCHA - 3715 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407

The Coven (Downtown/North Loop MPLS) - 30 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Bethlehem Lutheran Church - 436 Roy St St. Paul, MN (NOTE POLICE PRESENCE OBSERVED)

Please donate and drop off First Aid, Physical Safety, Covid Precaution and Nourishment Supplies

Educate yourselves

Anti-racism resources

Learn about Black history and activism

Books by Black Activists

Books: how to be actively antiracist

Learn about unconscious bias

Twitter thread of mental health resources for Black people

Twitter thread on why protesters attacked Target in MN

Being Black and LGBTQ

Twitter thread of documentaries

Open Yale course - African American History: From Emancipation to the Present

ALEC Exposed

MPLS Protests

JACOB PEDERSON of the St. Paul PD is widely believed to have been the undercover cop vandalizing stores and starting fires during protests.

Report: What Does it Take to Embed a Racial Equity & Inclusion Lens?

Twitter thread of misinformation

Twitter thread: "how can i help from the uk?"

Contact Officials

GEORGE FLOYD is the name of the man who was murdered by DEREK CHAUVIN (badge 1087), TOU THAO (badge 7162), Thomas Lane, and J Alexander Kueng. If you truly care about getting justice, make phone calls to these numbers and express your anger. We cannot let another killer cop walk free.

UPDATE: As of May 29, Chauvin has been charged for third-degree murder. Continue pressuring officials for harsher charges because what he did was clearly not an accident. Also continue pushing for the other cops who were at the scene to be charged.

Contact Outline and Info

International Affairs Division

City Hall, Room 112

350 South 5th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55415

(612) 673-3074

Velma J. Korbel, Director

Department of Civil Rights

City Hall, Room 239

350 South 5th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55415

(612) 673-3012

Mayer Jacob Frey

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/d189a2276e234cacb9f02db60dac0569

(612) 673-2100

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman

C-2000 Government Center

300 South Sixth Street

Minneapolis, MN 55487

https://www.hennepinattorney.org/about/contact

citizeninfo@hennepin.us

(612) 348-5550

MPLS FBI field office

(763) 569-8000

MPD 3rd Precinct

(612) 673-5703

MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

(651) 793-7000

Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis

(612) 788-8444

Louisville Mayor (demand justice for Breonna Taylor)

(502) 753-1784

MN Precinct Inspector

sean.mcginty@minneapolisMN.gov

Commander of Training Unit

katie.blackwell@minneapolisMN.gov

police@minneapolismn.gov

minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov

policereview@minneapolismn.gov

JUSTICE FOR REGIS CONTACTS

City Councillor Gord Perks - Parkdale - High Park

councillor_perks@toronto.ca

(416) 392-7919

MPP Bhutilla Karpoche - Parkdale - High Park

BKarpoche-CO@ndp.on.ca

(416) 763-5630

MP Arif Virani - Parkdale - High Park

Arif.Virani@parl.gc.ca

(416) 769-5072

Mayor of Toronto John Tory

mayor_tory@toronto.ca

(416) 397-2489

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders

officeofthechief@torontopolice.on.ca

(416) 808-2222

Solicitor General - Minister Sylvia Jones

sylvia.jones@pc.ola.org

(416) 325-0408

(519) 941-7751

Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey

doug.downey@pc.ola.org

(416) 326-2220

(705) 726-5538

Urge the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for transparency and accountability in handling her case

1 (800) 787-8529 OR (416) 622-0748

https://www.siu.on.ca/en/contact.php

Address concerns to SIU Director Joseph Martino

Sample Email:

Hello [recipient],

I am writing to you in regards to the incident that occurred at 100 High Park Avenue on May 27th, 2020. A 29 year-old Black woman, Regis, has died after allegedly falling off her balcony, despite police being present.

As a concerned citizen, I am very upset and disturbed at the events that took place and the allegations that this caused on the part of the police. I am demanding justice and answers as to the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet.

A complete and transparent public and independent investigation needs to take place. Charges need to be brought to all the officers involved, as well as all information and evidence should be made available to the public.

Sincerely,

[your name]

JUSTICE FOR BREONNA TAYLOR CONTACTS

Murdered by Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove

Louisville Metro PD

(502) 574-7111

Louisville Mayor Office

(502) 574-2003

JUSTICE FOR TONY MCDADE CONTACTS

Template

Tallahassee Police dept

ContactUs@talgov.com

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey

mayor@talgov.com

Commissioner Jeremy Matlow https://www.talgov.com/Main/email.aspx?emailto=jeremy.matlow

Officer Kevin Bradshaw - Officer on Tony's case

(850) 556-1726