Amy Goodman Speaks

Don't sign anything given to you by a cop - it will be misrepresented as a confession by police and it doesn't matter how you sign it. I've seen all kinds of "signed" confessions allowed in court, and signed confessions, even those signed at 3 in the morning, after 8 hours of continuous interrogation, have been allowed as evidence and not suppressed by the court.

This same person has spammed every message on this board with this crap. It's false information. Again, these guidelines for dealing with cops:

1. "Am I free to go?" if yes, go; if no, give your name and address if asked, say "I want to see a lawyer" then say nothing else.

2. Cops can lie to you, make phony threats, and interrogate you for as long as they want, at least until they have to bring you into court. Never sign anything they give you under any circumstances. Watch out for the "jailhouse snitch" routine, too. If you talk to someone in jail, if you did anything that might be considered illegal, don't talk about it. The only person to talk to about legal stuff is your attorney. Talk to fellow prisoners about jailhouse solidarity - but not about what got you there.

3. If the person posting the advice to make complaints against judges identifies himself and gives the case numbers for his or her complaints, instead of posting as "anonymous", and cites case law to support his contentions, then you can give him or her some credibility. Otherwise, beware. You might be able to sue for false arrest, but whatever you do, don't do as this person advises and end up filing a complaint against the judge. It pisses the judge off, and could result in you going to jail for Criminal Contempt of Court.

Exercise your rights: Use these magic words to activate your constitutional rights when detained or arrested by the police: "I choose to remain silent, and want to see my lawyer."

You must say these words to the police officers, then follow them immediately. The police are skillfully trained to achieve one goal: to have you provide all the data needed for your own arrest and conviction.

There are three levels of police encounter:

Casual Conversation: Police want to have a friendly conversation with you. No proof of any crime is needed; they are likely fishing for data that could lead to a future arrest. Do not provide any information to the police, even if they seem very nice. Instead, ask politely if you are free to go; if yes, calmly leave the encounter.

Detention: The police can detain you if a reasonable suspicion exists that you were involved in a crime. They must tell you why you are detained and and articulate the suspected crime. Ask if you are detained and why, and remember the answer. An unreasonable detention can help win your case. If detained, answer no questions and politely state that you choose to remain silent and want to consult a lawyer before being questioned.

Arrest: If under arrest, immediately tell police "I choose to remain silent and want to see my lawyer." Remain silent; do not fall prey to police efforts to convince you to talk.

Do not relay on the Miranda Warnings to benefit your case. Police only have to read your rights if you are under arrest and they want to question you. They are trained to get you talking. If this works, stop talking immediately and repeat the magic words.

Do not consent to a search. Be polite but firm about your rights with police during search encounters. If police knock on your door, step outside and close the door to talk. If in your car, follow police instructions to either stay seated or exit the car. If the cops say "Do you mind if I look in your purse, bag, home, or car?" say, "I do not consent to a search." If the cops say "Why not? Are you hiding something?" say, "I do not consent to a search."

The police may still search you, with or without a warrant, but this will preserve your right to contest the case. Never physically resist the police. If they continue despite your statement, stand aside and say the magic words: "I choose to remain silent and want to see my lawyer." Many cases are thrown out due to bad search warrants.

A note to the idiot who's putting these "judge complaint" posts up: I'm going to post this message in reply to your message - just once per main posting. Unfortunately, Bible verses aren't admissible in court and won't help you. Neither will appeals to God or Jehovah.

Loser. Disinformation Agent. Troll. Tell us who you are and cite some case names, case numbers, and real case law from a Minnesota court binding on the judges who will be hearing the cases (or US Supreme Court case law) - or fuck off and take your phony Freeman bullshit with you. After 3 days, you've never come up with any of the above - no case law, none of your own cases, no name, no nothing.

Here's a place for you to find Minnesota cases:
http://www.washlaw.edu/uslaw/states/Minnesota/index.html#jud
(under "Judicial Branch")

Minneapolis/St Paul is in the Second District:
http://www.mncourts.gov/district/2/

Here's some info about the Republican Convention on their site:
http://www.mncourts.gov/district/2/?page=3219

Minnesota has an Appeals Court which serves the entire State, and a State Supreme Court, and you can find case law under their entries on the web page.

Here's some really good legal advice: You have a Constitutional right to counsel, even for a misdemeanor. Exercise that right and get a lawyer, either retain one yourself, or have the court appoint one for you. Don't try to represent yourself - it just makes life a lot easier for the District Attorney and the cops if you try that.