[Discuss] [Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] State's Attorney Rietz
Participates In Cover-up Of Police Brutality
Belden Fields
a-fields at uiuc.edu
Thu Feb 7 14:16:37 CST 2008
i Marti,
I agree that this should not be the major argument against her,
rather her performance. I also agree that Ivy came in too late, but
I'm not sure he was a strong candidate anyway. I think that the
Republican woman could have given her a better run f or her money if
she had challenged her in the Democratic primary. She may do very
well in the November election. I was impressed.
Thank you for the P>S. I try not to be.
Belden
On Feb 7, 2008, at 11:43 AM, Marti Wilkinson wrote:
> Hi Belden:
>
> If this was a Julia or John Rietz doing a virgin run for the office
> the argument about possible conflicts due to marriage to a police
> officer would be much stronger. However, we are looking at an
> incumbent and that takes a campaign to a much different level. On
> top of that Ivy threw his hat into the ring far too late to make an
> effective challenge to the office.
>
> When Julia ran for the office originally her supporters put
> together a well run campaign which included advertising. I don't
> think that Ivy had enough time to even have yard signs printed
> out. It's these types of details that make all of the difference
> in the world.
>
> PS: I don't think you are sexist.
>
> Peace, Marti
>
> On Feb 4, 2008 7:38 PM, Belden Fields <a-fields at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> You make some good points Laurie. I'm not sure I would favor a
> legal ban myself. But I would be less inclined to vote for someone
> as states attorney if he/she were married to a police officer. And
> again, to get to my major point, I don't think that I would be
> sexist for that.
> Belden
>
> On Feb 4, 2008, at 2:25 PM, Laurie at advancenet.net wrote:
>
>> > She is not just a top bureaucrat, but sets policies regarding
>> how to prosecute certain kinds of crimes and gets involved in
>> individual cases.
>>
>>
>> Isn't that what a top bureaucrat does – particularly with respect
>> to the setting of policies regarding how to prosecute certain
>> kinds of crimes and civil matters?
>>
>>
>> With respect to the second part regarding getting involved in
>> individual cases, obviously, states attorneys get involved in
>> individual cases to greater and lesser degrees depending on their
>> need to control, political insecurity, and other factors; but
>> their main function typically is administrative and managerial,
>> which does involve policy-making at both a general and a
>> procedural level. From watching and listening to her on TV during
>> the debates, I got the distinct impression that she is not only
>> somewhat of a control freak who may attempt to micro-manage
>> controversial cases (which is not all that unusual for elected or
>> appointed states attorneys) but also some of the less
>> controversial criminal cases being worked by her office.
>> Nevertheless, she has to delegate much of the mundane daily
>> decision-making and judgments to her staff even in controversial
>> cases as a practical matter of time constrains and demands on her
>> with respect to other activities in her agency; moreover, the
>> specific concrete interpretations of both legislative provisions
>> and administrative policies, rules, and regulations with respect
>> to their application and implementation in any given individual
>> case are a matter of judgment by the person who is actually
>> working the case on a daily, work-a-day basis and goes unnoticed
>> by everyone until it comes into question and becomes problematic.
>> It is only then that it may come to the attention of higher ups in
>> the bureaucracy.
>>
>>
>> She also strikes me as a very defensive ego involved individual
>> who would take any criticism as personal and would claim credit,
>> control, and involvement in each and every case at the strategic
>> level when she could do so without having to deal with the nitty-
>> gritty details of the case which she probably is not up on in most
>> instances. Hence, your impression may be correct; but it just as
>> well may be a result of her ability to blow smoke in an impressive
>> way which is what attorneys are trained to do and what politicians
>> perfect to a fine point if they are to be successful.
>>
>>
>> But, regardless of how intrusive she might be in the production of
>> the work product in individual cases, there still remains the
>> question of whether or not she would be less intrusive if she
>> could and would formally recuse herself from cases or if the
>> intrusions would only be more tacit and obscure. I would ask the
>> same with respect to any official – let alone any states
>> attorney. Moreover, it does not address the question as to if
>> what make the spousal relationship more corrosive than other
>> familial relationships or even close friendships and business
>> associations –past and present – or close business relationships
>> and friendships of relatives with non-related persons. Moreover,
>> should such prohibitions and restrictions also apply to civil
>> cases as well as criminal cases? To be practical, I do not see
>> any way to remedy the problem by means of formal stipulations and
>> prohibitions; the best that can be hoped for would be to legislate
>> mechanisms that resulted in closer public scrutiny of various
>> relationships and entanglements which might influence the actions
>> and decisions of actors in the legal system and which would make
>> such factors publically transparent so that their effects on
>> judgments would be apparent and could be publically challenged.
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Belden Fields [mailto:a-fields at uiuc.edu]
>> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 1:24 PM
>> To: Laurie at advancenet.net
>> Cc: AWARE peace
>> Subject: Re: [Discuss] [Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] State's
>> Attorney Rietz Participates In Cover-up Of Police Brutality
>>
>>
>> My impression from listening to Julia is that she is much more
>> intrusive in the process than you suggest Laurie. She is not just
>> a top bureaucrat, but sets policies regarding how to prosecute
>> certain kinds of crimes and gets involved in individual cases. I
>> have had quite a conversation with her about one specific case.
>>
>> Belden
>>
>> On Feb 3, 2008, at 4:34 PM, Laurie at advancenet.net wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Out of curiosity, why are you satisfied in limiting the
>> prohibition to spousal relationships only; how about brothers,
>> sisters, mothers, fathers, children, cousins, nephews & nieces,
>> and in-laws? History has shown that even close friends and
>> business associates can influence the decisions that law
>> enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys and judges; I do not
>> think that one can preclude such influences or even minimize them
>> if they are going to exist. Why can't states attorneys recuse
>> themselves from each and every such case? As a practical matter,
>> the states attorney does not actually do the prosecutions in
>> trails in most cases but passes it on to their assistants and
>> deputies. While it is true that they can influence the decisions
>> and actions of their assistants and deputies, it is also true that
>> they can do the same if and when they recuse themselves.
>> Independent prosecutors do not really exist except in name only,
>> as documented over and over, unless the attorney acting as
>> prosecuting attorney has the fortitude to fight for their
>> independence and are willing to put their careers at jeopardy.
>>
>>
>> Most states attorneys are administrators and managers of their
>> bureaucracies; they frequently seek to travel the paths of least
>> resistance and disruption to the routine daily operations of their
>> agencies which might cause them to loss cooperation of those whom
>> they pragmatically or politically are dependent on if their
>> agencies are to be efficient and effective. Fairness and justice
>> are secondary to administrative and managerial priorities and
>> bureaucratic culture. Indeed, they typically are even dependent
>> on police and ex-police to do their investigations and furnish
>> them with information and data, which makes them inclined to not
>> make trouble vis-à-vis law enforcement; similarly, they are also
>> dependent on judges and are not inclined to do anything that would
>> alienate the judges.
>>
>>
>> Unfortunately, it is only human propensity for individuals who
>> become prosecuting attorneys as well as police officers to self
>> select such positions based on their values and beliefs,
>> attitudes, psychological needs among other factors; if they were
>> not inclined to believe that their side is right and give the
>> benefit of the doubt to those who are aligned with their values
>> and beliefs, they would not have become prosecutors and cops.
>> There often is a tendency for judges to presume that the
>> prosecutors and cops are correct and give them the benefit of the
>> doubt whenever a question arises until proven otherwise. It is
>> rare for judges, prosecutors, or police officers to question the
>> word of prosecutors and law enforcement personnel.
>>
>>
>> From: peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net [mailto:peace-
>> discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Belden Fields
>> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 3:02 PM
>> To: Marti Wilkinson
>> Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net
>> Subject: Re: [Discuss] [Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] State's
>> Attorney Rietz Participates In Cover-up Of Police Brutality
>>
>>
>> I have to take issue with my friend Marti's position on Julia's
>> being married to a police officer. While it is a delicate issue,
>> I do not think that it is sexist to argue that someone who is very
>> lenient with police and corrections officers when they commit
>> crimes, and is very willing to take officers' sides of a story
>> when there is an arrest with force and the arrestee claims that he/
>> she has been unjustifiably roughed up by police, can be more
>> inclined to side with the officers because of such a
>> relationship. I think that would likely be the case if a
>> policewoman were married to a civilian male or if the officers
>> were engaged in a gay or lesbian relationship. States attorneys
>> make judgments about how cases of arrest should be handled. In
>> that sense they are judges of first instance. Since states
>> attorneys cannot recuse themselves from each and every case, I
>> think it is best that there not be a spousal relationship between
>> states attorneys and police officers, corrections officers, or
>> trial judges. I don't think that this has anything to do with
>> sexism Marti, just a natural human propensity to be sympathetic
>> with the perspectives of a spouse of whatever gender or sexual
>> preference.
>>
>> Belden
>>
>> On Feb 3, 2008, at 1:21 AM, Marti Wilkinson wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Actually Julia Rietz is married to a police officer (they have two
>> children) and she has never made that aspect of her personal life
>> a secret. She has even pointed out that to judge her for who she
>> is married to is sexist and that is something I do agree with her
>> on. As an individual Rietz is capable of standing or falling on
>> her record as States Attorney.
>>
>> One of the reasons why Piland lost to Rietz back in 2004 was for
>> his lenient handling of the Brady Smith case. He allowed Smith to
>> plea bargain on charges that he molested African American boys in
>> his capacity as Dean at Franklin Middle School. Smith was able to
>> get probation while facing these serious charges. Pilands office
>> was also accused of overcharging African Americans in this county.
>> Rietz ran for office with the promises that she would change things.
>>
>> Now lets look at the record of Rietz. When Sgt. Meyers received a
>> felony conviction for his part in torturing inmates at the
>> Champaign County Jail - Rietz allowed him to plea bargain his way
>> into probation. Her justification was that losing his job and
>> pension was sufficient punishment for his actions. This is
>> somewhat reminiscent of what went down with the Brady Smith case.
>>
>> Someone else recently pointed out that her office was willing to
>> allow Robert Arnette the opportunity to plea bargain his way into
>> probation when he faced charges of molesting his stepchildren. He
>> is now facing murder charges in the death of his ex-wife Naomi.
>>
>> The issues with overcharging that Pilands office faced has not
>> been resolved under Rietz's watch. For this and for other reasons
>> Rietz is now facing some competition in the primary.
>>
>> My suggestion at this point is to leave her personal life out of
>> the equation.
>>
>> Peace, Marti
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 2, 2008 5:57 PM, <cboland at insightbb.com> wrote:
>>
>> Reitz...must go. She has been using both sides of the coin for the
>> longest. First to begin with her long time boyfriend is a police
>> officer and a republican. She has been using the Democratic party
>> as a way of power, many of us in AWARE found that out during
>> campaigning for Obama as Senator a few years back. She is really a
>> wolf in sheeps' clothing! Let's get rid of her as fast as possible!
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>>
>> From: Brian Dolinar
>>
>> To: announce at communitycourtwatch.org ; AWARE peace ;
>> stop at iresist.org ; coalition at iresist.org ; Jenny Putman ; Matthew
>> Gladney ; Matthew Gladney ; Giraldo Rosales ; Melodye Rosales ;
>> Ruth Wyman ; Public i ; Aghi, Shaleen ; Austin ; Claudia
>> Lennhoff ; Cope Cumpston ; Carol Spindel ; tanya parker ; andrea
>> carter ; Erik S. McDuffie ; cdbenson at uiuc.edu ; Jason Finkelman ;
>> Joe Futrelle ; Joe Futrelle ; Jeremy Gipson ; Stephen Hartnett ;
>> Anna Hochhalter ; Jacqueline Hannah ; Patsy Howell ; Rochelle
>> Harden ; Alfred Ivy ; Imani Bazzell ; Amira ; Amira Davis ; Gene
>> Vanderport ; Germaine Light ; Raymond Morales ; martin smith;
>> Chime Asonye ; Dave Roediger ; carl reisman ; mdp at uiuc.edu ; Jenny
>> Barrett ; jrbarret at uiuc.edu ; Rory Thompson ; Jeffrey R. Thibert ;
>> Tom Mackaman ; dmlarson at uiuc.edu ; Vern Fein ; Vacellia Clark ;
>> briandolinar at gmail.com
>>
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:28 AM
>>
>> Subject: [Peace] State's Attorney Rietz Participates In Cover-up
>> Of Police Brutality
>>
>>
>> Some may remember an incident on March 30, 2007 when Champaign
>> police sent 17 year-old Brian Chesley to the hospital after an
>> incident in Douglass Park. The claims of police brutality were
>> dismissed by local officials, and quickly dropped by the
>> mainstream media, but the case remains in court. State's Attorney
>> Julia Rietz, currently up for re-election, is taking Chesley to
>> court in a trial that could begin in March for a misdemeanor
>> charge of resisting a peace officer.
>>
>> Charges were filed five weeks after the incident on May 8, 2007,
>> Chesley's 18th birthday, so he could be tried as an adult. The
>> current prosecution by Rietz's office is clearly an attempt to
>> stave off a civil suit against Champaign police for excessive use
>> of force. Like the 2005 case of Sgt. Myers, a jail guard who was
>> caught using a Taser to torture inmates, Rietz is once again
>> placing the threat of law suits over the concerns of justice. This
>> is an attempt to cover up another incident of police brutality.
>>
>> On March 30, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Brian Chesley was walking
>> out of the Douglass Park gymnasium with two other youth, a 15 year-
>> old and a 8 year-old, after playing basketball. The two older boys
>> were walking the younger one home. Park programs continued until
>> midnight and park signs (changed soon after) indicated the park
>> was closed at 9:00 p.m. Champaign police said the park closed at
>> dusk and they had probable cause to stop the youth. What happened
>> afterwards is in dispute. Champaign police say Chesley youth ran.
>> Chesley says he was grabbed by police, thrown up against a fence,
>> beaten, and heavily pepper sprayed. An ambulance had to be called
>> to take him to the hospital.
>>
>> This occurred the same night as a Democratic fundraiser at the
>> house of Gina Jackson, Champaign city council representative of
>> District 1. Local kids came to her front door that night saying
>> police had just beat up somebody. The alderwoman, with other
>> members of the local Democratic Party, walked down the street to
>> find a crowd of frightened youth, and young Chesley sitting on the
>> curb obviously in pain.
>>
>> Community members went to Champaign city council the following
>> Tuesday night to address what they said was police brutality.
>> Martel Miller, of VEYA (Visionaries Educating Youth and Adults),
>> brought Chesley and his mother to the meeting and pleaded for
>> something to be done. Gina Jackson (who has endorsed Rietz's re-
>> election) said that there must be "zero tolerance" for youth who
>> do not obey authority.
>>
>> Attorneys Bob Kirchner and Ruth Wyman have taken up Chesley's case
>> and are currently representing him. The State's Attorney's office
>> attempted to make an offer of adult diversion, which would have
>> required an admission of guilt. Chesley refused the offer. The
>> trial date will be set in the next hearing on March 3, 2008 at 3
>> p.m. in Courtroom E.
>>
>> The Circuit Clerk web site clearly shows the offense date of
>> 3/30/07 and charges filed 5/8/07, the 18th birthday of Chesley,
>> 5/8/89:
>>
>> https://secure.jtsmith.com/clerk/clerk.asp
>>
>> ***Don't miss the debate Wednesday night, January 30, 6 p.m.***
>> University of Illinois Law School Auditorium
>> Alfred Ivy, III, Julia Rietz, and Janie Miller-Jones.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
>> 303 W. Locust St.
>> Urbana, IL 61801
>> briandolinar at gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
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