[CPRB] Re: [CUCPJ Announce] Interesting quotes & comments in the N-G articles.

[John W.]

This "diversion" program is what was used back in 2001 when the two members
of the School for Designing a Society were arrested and charged with
obstruction of justice for peacefully standing on the sidewalk and observing
a police stop.  They basically use the carrot and the stick approach -
threaten to charge you with a bogus crime, and dangle the "diversion"
program in front of you with the expectation that you'll choose the path of
least (and least expensive) resistance.  You're damned if you do and damned
if you don't.  Bottom line: It's state coercion if you didn't commit a crime
in the first place.

John Wason


On 4/5/07, Jan & Durl Kruse <jandurl at insightbb.com> wrote:

> Teen who was pepper-sprayed offered alternative to charges
> > By Steve Bauer
> >
> > Thursday April 5, 2007
> >
> > URBANA – A Rantoul teen arrested and pepper-sprayed by Champaign
> > police Friday was given adult diversion as an alternative to any
> > criminal charge.
> >
> > The 17-year-old had been arrested on a charge of resisting
> > arrest/obstruction but was advised of the offer from the Champaign
> > County state's attorney's office by Judge John Kennedy when the young
> > man appeared at an arraignment hearing Wednesday.
> >
> > Champaign police said the teen was walking through Douglass Park after
> > it was officially closed and would not stop for officers Friday night.
> > Police also said he took a fighting stance. Officers then used pepper
> > spray on the youth and arrested him for resisting arrest/obstruction.
> >
> > The News-Gazette normally does not identify those arrested for
> > misdemeanors.
> >
> > Kennedy advised the teen Wednesday that the state's attorney's office
> > is not charging him at this time. He said adult diversion is a
> > voluntary program in which prosecutors promise not to file any
> > criminal charge for any matter that brings a person to court if that
> > person successfully completes the program.
> >
> > But if the person does not comply with conditions or complete the
> > program, criminal charges could be filed later, Kennedy said.
> >
> > Champaign attorney Ruth Wyman appeared with the teen, along with
> > family members and friends. The Rev. Jerome Chambers, local chapter
> > president of the NAACP, also attended.
> >
> > He said after the hearing that the decision by the prosecutors was "a
> > wise decision."
> >
> > Champaign police require people to comply with orders to stop and
> > answer questions, he said.
> >
> > "They only were trying to stop him and ask him some questions,"
> > Chambers said. "If he would have done that, there would be no
> > problem."
> >
> > Chambers said he is afraid that some people want to make the situation
> > a political issue.
> >
> > "The young man has become a victim," Chambers said. "The minority
> > community feels victimized. The NAACP is present to see that there is
> > fairness."
> >
> > State's Attorney Julia Rietz said after the hearing that the youth has
> > made an appointment to see a diversion counselor.
> >
> > "Adult diversion is a program to keep first-time offenders out of the
> > court system," Rietz said.
> >
> > A panel of volunteers and a diversion counselor meet with the person
> > to talk about a situation and determine what is appropriate for the
> > person to do, which could include public service work, a letter of
> > apology or restitution.
> >
> > Champaign Police Chief R. T. Finney said Wednesday that the
> > department's internal review of how police used force in the teen's
> > arrest is based on reports and interviews.
> >
> > Those reports from officers and the interviews police did with other
> > people "indicated that the officers used the level of force allowed by
> > the law and our policy," Finney said.
> >
> > "We haven't had anybody come forward to file a complaint that any
> > force was used other than the pepper spray," he said. "He displayed an
> > active resistance. That level of force was required for active
> > resistance."
> >  Find this article at:
> >
> > http://www.news-gazette.com/news/2007/04/05/
> > teen_who_was_peppersprayed_offered
> > Comments
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