Re: police conduct

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On 4/14/06, eliza wrote:
> i was recently beaten up at the home of an ex. when i
> managed to get away i drove directly to the police station
> for help. i was told to wait and someone would assist
me.
> i had urinated during the assault as i was stomped on in
> the stomache and ribs. i sat as instructed, told the
clerk
> i was injured, and then waited for the help i thought was
> coming. it did not arrive.
>
> 2 female police officers walked in and without a word
> arrested me. i did not know why and upon asking them, the
> one apparently in charge (whose name is on the orders)
said
> i had trespassed and committed assault and battery. i had
> not done either and stated my innocence. she hauled me up
> and i winced in pain, explained that i had been injured,
> and said that i had been asked to go there and then
> ambushed before i even knew what was happening. i
> attempted to explain that there must be a mistake but the
> officer told me to shut up and said that she knew i was
> lying. i was not. she then proceeded to badger me with
> questions, most of which i simply met with silence. she
> found an old card in my wallet which my children and i had
> used to get into our house a month prior when my visiting
> mother had accidentally locked us out. my entire
> neighborhood and many friends know this to be true.
>
> the officer again told me i was lying and then added that
i
> was hostile and uncooperative. i said that i was afraid
> and in pain, not hostile or uncooperative. i requested to
> have an attorney present to safeguard my rights. she
> ignored me. i was put in a cell and the adjacent concrete
> door was shut. no one could hear me or see me except for
> the clerk on the monitor from the front desk. i
eventually
> began to vomit and shiver and curled up on the floor. the
> clerk came to tell me that it would be ok and to hang in
> there. i thanked her and asked what was happening and if
> the officer had contacted an attorney. she did not know.
> i was finally taken before a magistrate. the officer had
> already spoken to him about me and he said i was being
> uncooperative though i had not said a single word to him.
> he then answered a phone call and i heard him discussing
> mortgage rates. he hung up and then asked me if i had
> questions. i asked what i had done wrong, why was i
> arrested (i did not know and had asked the officer
> previously), and i asked to take out charges against the
> people who had lured me into what i realized by then was a
> trap and then beaten me up. the magistrate looked at the
> officer, threw his hands in the air, and denied me a
> hearing. i was taken back to the cell. the officer
yelled
> at me to stop touching my head because my hair was falling
> out all over the station and she knew i wasn't going to
> pick it up. my attacker had held onto and pulled out my
> hair throughout the entire beating. i apologized but said
> that my head was very sore and told her again (as i had at
> the beginning) that my chest was hurting badly from being
> stomped on and i couldn't stop shivering. i had removed
my
> underwear while waiting because it was wet and the officer
> had taken my coat. the temperature had dropped ten
degrees
> in the interim. she told me to buck up and if i was lucky
> i would get another bond hearing but they were
transferring
> me to the main jail. still no attorney.
>
> by this time i knew my children would be worried as i had
> not been allowed to call anyone. i was loaded in a paddy
> wagon, minus a jacket, in weather that was now 50 some
> degrees at warmest. other people on this paddy wagon
began
> to mouth off at the police on my behalf. i said nothing.
> i was put in a cell and after several more hours was taken
> before a different magistrate and bailed out. i filed the
> charges against my attackers the following morning.
>
> at first court date, i requested a continuance so as to
> arrange to hear all of the cases at once. the officer
> protested vehemently. when the continuance was granted
she
> stormed out of the court house. my ex and the other
person
> were far less concerned about this case than this
officer.
> i know that something is not right. i feel it in my gut.
> my question is whether i should pursue investigating of
> this officer, file a complaint as to the treatment i
> received, or wait until after the case is adjudicated and
> then deal with her inappropriate behavior. she has been
in
> contact with my ex to "work on the case" according to
> messages left by him. this cannot be appropriate. i
> believe the case should be dismissed. i am innocent and
> should not have been charged to begin with but i respect
> the legal system and am prepared to defend against those
> charges in court. however, i fear meeting this officer in
> court. i feel this officer is driving the train for
> personal reasons that have nothing to do with me but
> everything to do with my ex. the fact that they are in
> contact with one another, and my knowledge of his
> motivations for being in contact with any female in
> existence, makes me very apprehensive. he has a history
> of calling the police on everyone he knows, a history of
> lying to the police, and a history of not going through
> with his false charges. he seems to be determined to go
> through with this despite the fact that he will still call
> and leave messages occasionally. i do not fear his lies
in
> court and i know that the officer, because she did not
read
> my miranda rights, cannot (unless we go before an inept
> judge) use any comments (few to begin with) made by me
> against me. however, i do fear her power to make
> statements as to my being "hostile and uncooperative" in
> her opinion as this was not the case at all. she has
> apparently attempted to get the ex to file more warrants
> against me. i find this abhorrent and believe i am the
> subject of a vendetta by this officer. i had never seen
> her in my life, nor heard of her. aside from advice to
> retain an attorney (i realize this is vital), i would very
> much appreciate your comments. i realize there are many
> layers to this and apoligize for the length of the post.
i
> am so frustrated and increasingly frightened due to
feeling
> that i'm not being heard or given many options other than
> to deal with spite warrants if they're issued and show up
> for court on schedule. i am beginning to feel that there
> is nothing one can do to protect oneself from a person
> filing false charges, or from corrupt officers of the
law.
> i realize that attorneys are not magicians but it seems to
> me that legal precedent must exist somewhere to guard
> against or at the very least rectify the situation when
> individuals (officers or not) use the court system as a
> personal weapon against an innocent citizen. if anyone
can
> point me in the proper direction i would be deeply
> thankful. all comments, in fact, would be appreciated.
you should post this on the legal questions page, not the
due process chat board. you need an attorney. call a
criminal defense attorney NOW. do not talk to anyone else
about this until you have spoken with an attorney. AFter
that, check and see if the court you're in has a victims
rights advocate and call them.