[Peace] Fwd: [cu_citizens] minutes for 3-12-05

[danielle at illinoisnorml.org]

In lieu of the CU Citizens for Peace and Justice report at the AWARE meeting
today, here are the minutes from our most recent meeting.  They are good!

----- Forwarded message from Christopher Evans <caevans2 at hotmail.com> -----
    Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:06:47 -0600
    From: Christopher Evans <caevans2 at hotmail.com>
Reply-To: cu_citizens at yahoogroups.com
 Subject: [cu_citizens] minutes for 3-12-05
      To: cu_citizens at yahoogroups.com


Minutes for the Meeting of Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice on
March 12, 2005
 


The meeting was attended by 12 people and since this secretary didn't record
accurately every name, I won't attempt to list them. This reporter would like
to apologize in advance if names of participants get overlooked in the
recording of these minutes to follow: 

Sister Carol Ammons facilitated the meeting and reminded participants that the
list of agenda items did not rank their priority- that all items listed for
discussion are of equal importance to Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and
Justice. 

Aaron Ammons further qualified the discussion by insisting everyone attending
the meetings are encouraged to voice their opinions, concerns, and topics
whatever they may be. Aaron also wanted participants to understand that if
anyone disagrees with what they hear at meetings, that disagreement is
acceptable and needs to be heard as well. Aaron then explained that CUCPJ is a
direct action group, meaning that conversations become actions in this group.
These actions are the goal toward real change, and everyone is encouraged to
"do something" toward positive change, and that actions are what this group is
about, not just talk. As an example, Aaron then invited the group to join him
on a canvassing mission after 3:00p.m. today to help Matt Varble get elected on
the Champaign City Council over Vic McIntosh.

Carol Ammons then raised the issue of the Disparity Study the Champaign County
Board voted to do back in the summer of 2004. The Disparity Study is a $50,000
expenditure to hire a specialist out of California to examine in detail the
Champaign County's hiring practices across all departments, committees, and
projects and determine the level of minority hirings and contracts at all
levels of County government over a number of years. The Study was approved by
the County Board over heated objections and was a controversial issue that
fueled the removal of Patricia Avery from Chairman of the County Board last
year.

Carol Ammons informed the group that the Study has since been delegated back to
a Facilities Committee of the County Board and thus has become an inactive
initiative as the Study awaits for "approval" out of this Committee. It is
suspected that Vice-Chairman of the County Board, Steve Beckett, has used this
unusual and unnecessary procedure to kill the study from ever happening. Carol
Ammons wanted the group's input as to how CUCPJ can pursuade the County Board
to do the Disparity Study.

Many in the group wanted to know how important the study was and Rob asked for
the group to decide what language the group wanted to convey about
the Disparity Study. 

Danielle Chynoweth suggested CUCPJ demand from the County Board specific numbers
and information about minority hiring and thus, the Board would need to do
the Study to provide that information.

Chris Evans asked the group to clarify why the group felt the Disparity
Study needed to happen.

After some discussion, the group agreed the Disparity Study definitely needed to
happen since African-American-owned businesses and entrepenuers deserve and need
the opportunity to provide goods and services to the County of Champaign.

Carol Ammons read a short statement from Democrat County Board Member, Jennifer
Putnam, who encouraged the group to lobby individual County Board Members who
are opposing the Disparity Study and show up at the County Board meeting on
Thursday, March 24, at 7:00p.m. at the Brookens Administration Center.

The group agreed on two action plans: 1) Attend the Democratic Caucus meeting on
Tuesday, March 22 at 5:30p.m. at the Brookens Administration building  2) Attend
the full County Board Meeting on Thursday, March 24 at 7:00p.m. at the Brookens
Administration Building  

The group then discussed Felony Disenfranchisement, and specifically an Illinois
House of Representatives legislative bill that would allow police officers to
collect DNA samples from anyone arrested for a felony, regardless of whether
or not that arrest leads to a conviction.    

Aaron Ammons expressed concern that given the Champaign Police's propensity to
overcharge black males with felonies, and that the slightest infraction of
obstruction of justice can lead to arrests for felonies, this DNA collection
strategy will hit hardest in the black community.

Danielle Schumacher reported that it is NORML's best guestimate that the State
of Illinois will be unable to afford collecting DNA from every single felony
arrestee, but that the police departments might become selective then as to who
they collect samples from and thus, concurred with Aaron Ammons' point above.

Chris Evans asked how the collection of DNA, regardless of conviction, is not
considered an unwarranted search and seizure by police. (meaning how can one,
specific arrest, even if that arrest is wrongful, the arrestee is
exonerated, and the charges are thrown out of court; could lead law enforcement
to conclude there is a justifiable assumption that the arresttee will commit
future crimes and therefore they will need a DNA sample on file for future
investigations?)

It was determined that Democrat Representative from the Illinois House of
Representatives in the 103rd District, Naomi Jakkobsson, plays a pivotal role
in whether this bill for DNA collection passes out of the committee she serves
on. The group strategized ways to educate Ms. Jakkobsson on the issue.

Rob expressed his concern, based on his past experience, that whenever
politicians say they don't know about an issue and would need more information,
it is his understanding that kind of language serves as a tool for politicians
to avoid telling a person no to their face. Rob advised that "need more
information" means "no" in Politician-speak. 

Danielle Schumacher recalled how Ms. Jakkobssen used this "need more
information" reasoning to vote no to a recent medical cannibus proposal,
despite, ironically enough, being handed bundles of paperwork by
representatives of NORML prior to the vote. 

The group decided that a meeting would be established with Ms. Jakkobssen
to discover what her position is on the DNA collection issue, and to lobby her
to vote no on this proposal. 

Discussion then was had about the recently passed legislation that allows anyone
who has been convicted of Class 4 felonies involving cannibus possession and
prostitution to have their criminal record expunged of those convictions for
employment purposes.

Aaron Ammons asked is there anyone in the group who would be willing to help
members of the public have their records expunged.

Danielle Chynoweth suggested a clearing house, an agency, an assigned body
be given a hotline number to deal with all community-wide requests to have
this process explained and facilitated for people seeking to have their records
expunged. She suggested the Urbana Human Relations Commission might be a place
to start and she suggested she would be willing to approach their members as to
whether they would be the appropriate agency to take on this responsibility.

Danielle Schumacher reported to the group that a Congressional legislative bill
to repeal drug convictions prohibiting financial aid to higher education is
going to be soon considered by a House of Representatives committee. 

The issue of the Citizens' Police Review Board, likely to happen in the City of
Urbana first, is of paramount importance to CUCPJ.

Danielle Chynoweth expressed her concern that the upcoming ordinance creating
the Citizens' Police Review Board, to be drafted in the City of Urbana; needs
to be carefully done so as to avoid loopholes and unintended consequences that
does not allow for an effective Police Review Board. She suggested that a task
force be established by the City of Urbana to begin researching review boards,
have public conversations about the establishment of a Citizen Police Review
Board, and create publicity regarding the conversations and the Review Board.
She invited any members of CUCPJ to volunteer to be a member of this task
force.

Danielle Schumacher reported that at a recent meeting, police officers expressed
their concerns about having Citizens Review Boards, and their main concerns were
that the money spent on a Review Board ought to go to hiring more police
officers because crime is getting worse. Danielle wondered why there is more
crime, for which police officers had no answer other than they need
more officers on the streets.

Danielle Chynoweth said there needs to be a timetable on creating this Citizens
Police Review Board and feels within the next 4 years, while the Prussing
Administration is in place, would be a reasonable deadline to accomplish
implementing this Board.

Chynoweth said the group needs to nominate people who they would like to have on
the Board.

Danielle Schumacher announced the next meeting to discuss the Citizens Police
Review Board is Tuesday, March 15th at the Illinois Disciples Foundation on
Wright and Springfield.

J.C. Mosley, from Jesus is The Way Prison Ministries, shared his experience with
felony disenfranchisement and the Drug War. Mr. Mosely recounted a harrowing
experience of getting out of prison in 2003, only to have a Police SWAT team
violently raid his house without a warrant. Police were looking to solve the
murder of Helen Melchi and believed Mr. Mosely to be somehow involved based
solely on his prior felony convictions. When Mosely was discovered to have no
knowledge nor involvement in the murder, police left his residence without
incident. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Mosley then complained on camera to local
CBS-TV affiliate, WCIA News Channel 3, about the illegal, unjustified raid on
his house without a warrant by police. After this news broadcast, police later
returned to Mosley's residence and arrested him for possession of
a controlled substance- despite there being no drugs on Mosley's person and
property. Having only a public defender, Mosley was convicted and re-sentenced
to 2 years in the Department of Corrections. Mosley characterized the quality
of legal services by the Public Defender's office as "the Public Pretender",
not defender. Mosley believes the Public Defender's lawyers have too many cases
per month to adequately  defend indigent clients, especially in cases involving
complex investigations and aggressive police tactics.

Mr. Mosley also shared his experience of being a drug dealer in our towns. He
testifies that local police were content to allow the sale of heroin in the
black community as long as it stayed within the black community. He says he
became a target for law enforcement because he dealt mostly to local white
people, who used enormous amounts of drugs and had the means to pay for
them. He said it's unrealistic to believe only black people are involved in
the illegal drug trade since the poppy plant and coca leaf can only grow
outside of the continental United States and few boats and planes are found
among the arrested local drug users and dealers.

Danielle Schumacher reported that the marijuana ordinance in Urbana is still
pending and should be supported. The ordinance proposes that low level amounts
of marijuana possession could be treated by police as a petty municipal crime
involving no jail time and penalized only by a monetary fine, like liquor
violations. Police would have discretion to either charge a person caught in
possession of cannibus with a city fine or the more serious state charge,
currently the only option police have available.

Carol Ammons adjourned the meeting reminding participants that the next meeting
will be Saturday, March 26 at 1:30p.m.-3:00p.m. at the Douglass Branch
Library Conference Room.  








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