#detriot train station

[boymosher-420]

[katxwarren]

tracy spiridakos. thirty seven. cisfemale. she/her. » there’s katherine warren who’s been living in ashford for fifteen years. the diligent currently works as a detective and they’re known for being inquisitive but also competitive at times. rumor around town is that they grew up in foster care as a child. i overheard they disapprove of the changes happening in ashford because stubbornness to change. tw: abandonment, foster care

>> full name: katherine natalie warren >> age: thirty seven. >> birthday: january 11th >> zodiac: capricorn >> gender: cis female >> sexuality: hetrosexual >> place of birth: detroit, mi >> hobbies: >> tattoos: a tiny bird on her wrist >> piercings: both ears.

katherine was born on a bitter cold detriot winter morning and it was only the very next that the tiny blonde baby girl was dropped off at the local fire station, the hospital blanket wrapped around her. a quick and short note with the words 'i'm sorry, i couldn't' attached to the run down car seat kat was placed in. very quickly with no information on who left her, where she came from, and no signs that anyone was coming back for her katherine was placed into the city's foster care system. kat doesn't have many memories of being a young girl just small snippets of different homes decor. by the time she was eight the young girl had given up any childlike hope that her birth parents were ever going to come back and whisk her away. it was the year of her eighth birthday that she decided to stop wishing for them to come back every time she blew out her candles on her cake. she bounced around a decent amount, by the time the she turned ten years old she had already lived in a handful of homes. some times she would be placed in a tiny home filled with way too many kids smushed together in one room. it wouldn't be too long before she was picked up again and placed into another home, usually more chaos and instability than the last. the only consistency that kat truly had was the sweet police officer who would pick her up, offering her a sympathetic smile and a dessert at the local diner before dropping her off at her new temporary residence.

it was by the time kat had turned fourteen when she had made the decision that when she was old enough to be fully on her own she was going to leave the foster program behind and become an officer of some sort. just like the sweet lady officer who would always make sure even if the midst of the constant inconsistency that she was still cared for. she was going to make it her mission that she too was going to have the job where she could help others. doing her very best to work her way through school she enrolled into the police academy by the time she had just turned twenty years old. she worked dead end jobs and did everything she could to put herself through the duration of her police training. her goal of helping others and provide a safe place her driving force. she put everything she had into her school and work and it had shown to others that she came off a bit as an overachiever.

once she had graduated she had been recruited for a police department in ashford, mass and packed her few belongings and made the move, leaving her past behind her in detroit. that move was fifteen years ago and working her way up in the police department, owns a quaint little townhome, even adopting a stray cat and created the life she has always wanted for herself. however, by putting her job first she has neglected, maybe intentionally, the romantic part of her life.

[stvtisticsmovedd]

✔ :  What drew you to the character you currently play? What types of characters are you generally drawn to?

Ask the mun!

First off, good afternoon Gwen. Much love, seeing you on the dash makes me happy. As for your question!

My first duty station was South Korea, I was fresh outta A.I.T(training for my job) and I was BORED outta my mind. I had been dumped by my PIECE OF SHIT EX, (big fuck you to him but thanks for the development) and I remembered I LOVES writing before I fucked up in the rp community. So I came up with the name Rose Atlas, then I gave her my job minus the tactical stuff. I didn't make a blog for her but she sat in my mind. The thought of someone waking up one day and suddenly being able to see like a video game, little achievements popping up and objectives, names of characters she'd interact with it all came to me over time.

Then, I played the game Detriot Become Human with my friends, how the androids saw things is how I see things for Rose but also adding a little bit of Deus Ex: Human Revolution into it as well. However, Rose isn't an android she's Human but just sees like one for lack of a better term. It's all based on HER perception of things. Whatever information she gets is how SHE sees it. It only made sense to give her a technology based job but then I got the new ideas, Technopath and Electrcitiy Manipultion. Rose Annalise Atlas are the best and some of the worse parts of myself. Her toxic ex is based off my relationship and her epic love is what I personally one. Of course she's not self insert but she means so much to me because she has pits and pieces of me.

As for the second part of the question; mainly strong leading ladies i.e(listing some bc I can go on and on, but just know I love all my writing partners)

@horrorbestowed with Jennifer Blake and Talia Hale @gracedead for Azrael, you( @thesnowfelled ) for Hope, Hayley and Freya, @occultismx for Jenna Wilcox, Jules Ravensworth and her characters, @gentlehcarts with her ladies @bxdassbanshee for Lydia Martin, @noetic-noesis-noein with the adorablly funny Arden ' i can talk your ear off but give you the best drip of your life' Harris @unbearablyindifferent with Sarah MOTHERFUCKING I'LL KILL YOU WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE MILLER !!!! powerful female muses are what I'm drawn to. Girls gotta stick together, it's hard being a woman in a man's world and I think Rose or any of my characters surrounded by STRONG powerful woman who don't take shit from anyone or anything just gets me going. Rose will be your partner in crime or hype woman. Your character says "I killed someone" Rose or another character of mine will be like "Alright. Where we hiding it?" I really can go on and on about it. I could list so many other WONDERFUL writers with AMAZING characters but you got a strong, powerful leading lady? Yeeaaah you got my vote. Slay queens mf SLAY.

[xicanation]

Efrén Paredes, Jr. was a 15-year-old honor student in St. Joseph, Michigan who was who was wrongly convicted by in a majority White jury in Berrien County, Michigan, a community with a history of white supremacy.  There was no evidence whatsoever linking young Efrén, who had no previous criminal record, to a murder and armed robbery.  He was given two life sentences without parole and another life sentence with possible parole.

Efrén has now served almost 28 years an is now 43.  He is also a longtime activist and advocate who has opened unimaginable doors and touched communities far outside his cell.

Efrén needs our support: Ways to help

1.  Sign the petition:  www.tinyurl.com/Efren1016 2.  Donate: paypal.me/ZavalaParedes

The controversial case has gained international attention, been condemned by veteran investigators, city councils, been addressed at the United Nations, and by numerous reknown activists and academics, including:

His story is also part of a few documentaries:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/185104498

and the Natural Life film.

According to 4efren.com:

Several notable scholars and activists across the country support Efren’s release including Dr. Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez, Director, Institute for MultiRacial Justice, author, and activist; Dr. Carlos Munoz, Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, author and activist; Dr. Rodolfo Acuna, historian, educator and Chicano studies scholar; Dr. Jorge Chinea, Director of Chicano-Boricua Studies Department, Wayne State University, author and activist; Dr. Martha Grace Duncan, Professor of Law, Emory University, and author; Favianna Rodriguez, political printmaker, digital artist, activist; Juana Alicia, muralist, printmaker, educator, and activist; Elena Herrada, Director, Centro Obrero, Detroit Public Schools Board Member, and writer; Elisha Miranda aka E-Fierce, filmmaker, writer, and activist; Dr. Walter Garcia-Kawamoto, Journal of Adolescent Research, Manuscript Consulting Editor; and others.

Efren also enjoys the support of world renowned wrongful convictions expert Paul Ciolino, a veteran private investigator. Ciolino is the author of numerous articles in professional publications and the book, “In the Company of Giants: The Ultimate Investigation Guide for Legal Professionals, Activists, Journalists and the Wrongfully Convicted.” In addition, he co-wrote the best-selling and critically acclaimed textbooks “Advanced Forensic Criminal Defense Investigations” and “Advanced Forensic Civil Investigations.”

Ciolino is the former chief investigative advisor to Northwestern University Law School’s Center on Wrongful Convictions, the Medill School of Journalism, and DePaul University Center for Justice in Capital Cases. In 2003, when former Illinois Governor George Ryan granted clemency and pardons to 167 death row inmates, he cited Ciolino’s investigative work, which helped free five innocent men, as one of the reasons for the en masse commutations.

According to Ciolino, “There is not one shred of credible evidence to suggest that Efren was involved in the murder. No weapon, no eyewitnesses, no physical evidence, no motive, no prior conduct to suggest that a 15-year-old student athlete, and honor role student with zero criminal background, would have planned, participated in or committed this murder. The community and jury were sold a bill of goods based on the words of drug dealers and thieves.”

Juvenile Life Without Parole

There was no physical evidence linking Efren to the crime, no eyewitnesses to the crime, and Efren was home with his parents and two brothers when the crime was committed.

Efren had no juvenile or adult criminal record previous to his arrest on March 15, 1989. In a rush to judgment, and efforts to allay community concerns of criminals committing further acts of violence, he was tried and convicted only three months after his arrest by a jury comprised of 11 White jurors and one Black juror.

Efren received illegal two life without parole (LWOP) sentences for one homicide and a parolable life sentence for the armed robbery. The prosecutor charged Efren under two alternate theories of murder — premeditated murder and felony murder — and his trial judge, Zoe Burkholz, sentenced him for both counts of murder.

The Berrien County Court is located St. Joseph, MI, the same city where the crime occurred. St. Joseph had a racial composition of being 95% White at the time. The judge, prosecutor, all the investigating police, and the victim in the case were all White. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Berrien County ranks among the top 25 most segregated metropolitan areas in the country.

All but one of the youths in Berrien County who have received life without parole (LWOP) sentences have been children of color. Efren is the only Latino youth in the county’s history to receive the sentence.

Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Efren has since been actively involved in community issues and amplified his message of non-violence and criminal justice reform.  According to his site, “He has appeared on various radio stations and podcasts across the nation to discuss criminal justice issues. Some of the stations include National Public Radio (NPR), Michigan Radio, Central Michigan University Public Radio, the Jack Ebling Show, La Raza Chronicles, KPFA Radio, Detriot Superstation 910 AM, Thousand Kites, Juvenile Justice Matters, Youth Radio, and others.

“Articles about Efren have been featured on ColorLines, RaceWire, The Progressive, The Michigan Citizen, South Bend Tribune, TelesurTV, Latina Lista, The Nation, Seattle Times, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, Lansing State Journal, MLive, Associated Press, 99% Invisible, The Theory of Everything, AlterNet, and other web sites. In 2015 Latina Magazine named Efren as one of four Latino prisoners in the U.S. deserving of clemency.

“Efren has taken his message of non-violence and criminal justice reform to other countries as well. He spoke to a large audience of youth at a basketball tournament in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and has appeared twice on TelesurTV, a station based in Quito, Ecuador.

“During his incarceration Efren has raised money for underfunded classrooms, youth summer camps, and breast cancer awareness. He also applied for and received grants from a corporation to build a weight training area and fund the purchase of library books, encyclopedias, and a learning resource center at a prison he was formally housed at.

“Efren has been invited to speak at various religious services and cultural organization events throughout his incarceration. He has been a keynote speaker at Cinco de Mayo, Latino History Month, Kwanzaa, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Black History Month events, just to name a few.

“He has also developed proposals and received approval by prison administrators to host numerous members of the public who have visited prisons to speak on an array of subjects. Some of those people have included professors, state representatives, poets, authors, psychologists, lawyers, and social justice advocates.

“During the course of his incarceration Efren has received commendations from prison Wardens for the positive work he has done assisting the prisoner population through his work serving over 14 six-month terms as a member of the Warden’s Forum at various prisons. He also has the support of a retired Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund Executive Director as well as current and retired Michigan Department of Corrections staff.

“Efren is currently the subject of an immersive audio project being created by a New York-based podcast producer and Columbia University graduate student. An Emory University law professor is also devoting an entire chapter to him in an upcoming book she is authoring about prisoners sentenced to life without parole sentences when they were juveniles.

“In September 2015 Efren was among 20 prisoners selected to help develop a prison outreach component of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) program based at Michigan State University (MSU). MBK is a program that trains people to become mentors to at-risk African-American boys, Grade 6-8, in the Detroit Public Schools. Upon successful completion of the program training Efren will receive an MBK Mentor Internship certification from the MSU Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.”

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Xica Nation first heard about this story from Maria Luisa Zavala, Efren’s wife, who had these words to share:

How did you two connect? Why did this matter speak to your heart?

MZP:  “In 2000 -2001 I was working at a nonprofit that started in SouthWest Detroit that later moved to Lansing Michigan.  It was called the Xicano Development Center (X..D.C.).  One of our board members had a relative that was incarcerated.

“In Michigan when prisoners want to start any type of cultural group on the inside they have to find an organization on the outside that will sponsor them.

“We had no idea what was required of a sponsoring organization.  So, another board member and I went to find out. It was very simple, we just had to send a representative once a month to sit in on their meetings and make sure they were making positive plans and putting on cultural programs that benefited the rest of the inmates. So we signed on to sponsor L.A.S.S.O. (Latin America Spanish Speaking Organization).  As the word got around in the facilities that the XDC had provided sponsorship to L.A.S.S.O. and then we got request from other facilities and from H.A.S.T.A. (Hispanic American Striving Towards Achievement).  We also made contact with I.N.U. (Indians Nations United).

“In 2003 I started to attend the LASSO meeting in the Robert Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson Michigan.  This is where I met Efren Paredes Jr.  He was the chair of the group.  Efren, the LASSO Board members and I worked hard to prepare Xicano, Mexican, Latin American educational events and programing.  I worked closely with Xicano/Latino professors at Michigan State University, community activities, and community leaders to go into the facility to speak and teach.   

“I would say that maybe a year into the work that we were doing I became curious as to why someone like Efren (he was/is very well spoken, educated, eager to learn, caring, mentor, and well written (blog)  would be serving three life sentences.  So, I became interested and he gave me information about his case so that I could learn on my own why he was in there.  He did not explain it to me, he wanted me to come up with my own conclusion after reading his court documents and learn details of his case.

“As for what motivated me to get involved in this matter I would say that after going through numerous court documents, and speaking to his family I am convinced he is innocent.  The injustice that was committed upon a teen boy and his family was a terrible tragedy.  I offered to help in any I could.  

In college I learn to be a community organizer by being a member of MEXA, I was involved in a 6 day hunger strike, fought for xicano studies, increase hiring of xicano professors, increase recruitment of xicano latino students, and working on retention of those students.  After college I we started a Brown Beret Chapter in Southwest Detroit in the late 1990’s.  After learning of this injustice committed upon this family perhaps I could be of some assistance.

“I don’t want to sound cheesy but the words that resonated with me are “an injustice to one is an in injustice to all”.  I also learned of the injustice committed to many youth getting waived into adult court to be treated, sentenced, and incarcerated as if they are grown.  They can’t defend themselves, they can’t plead out because they do not know how to navigate the criminal system.  Even adults that can understand the system get railroaded every day.  So, this was an opportunity to help an individual get his case some attention locally, nationally, and internationally.   Perhaps get him some justice.  

“I helped him and the family launch a Free Efren campaign that went strong for many years, and we were even able to get a public hearing that would inform the Michigan Governor weather she should commute him or not.  The hearing was attended by over 300 supporters.  Unfortunately, the hearing was in front of the Parole Board, which informed him that they could not recommend to the Governor weather he should be commuted because up until this day, they are not charged with hearing cases of innocence.

“We have joined the national movement of changing laws of Juvenile Lifers With Out Parole (JLWOP), and prison reform.  As a grassroots group we helped at times with informing ACLU and legislators of Efren’s case.  Now as you have read laws have changed in favor or his release, but we still have a long way to go before his release.”

Efrén needs our support: ways to help

1.  Sign the petition for resentencing: www.tinyurl.com/Efren1016 2.  Donate directly to Efrén at: paypal.me/ZavalaParedes

Links to more information

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Free.Efren/

Online petition: www.tinyurl.com/Efren1016

Donate:  paypal.me/ZavalaParedes

Efrén’s accomplishments: www.TinyURL.com/EfrenCV2016

Blog: www.4Efren.blogspot.com

Web Site: www.4Efren.com

Free Efrén: 15-year old honor student, wrongly charged 3 life sentences, spends 27th year changing the world from inside a cell Efrén Paredes, Jr. was a 15-year-old honor student in St. Joseph, Michigan who was who was wrongly convicted by in a majority White jury in Berrien County, Michigan, a community with a history of white supremacy.  

[boymosher-420]

Holiday express train passing the famous train station in Detroit. Transformers movies were filmed in part here! One of many locations!