Hi.
Im cameron.
Im 18.
I live at home.
This is my story.
On February sixth Me and three other friends rode down to the local tennis courts to go free running. Before you can go to the tennis courts though, you must first pass through the park. As we entered the park we seen police cars parked and 2 officers talking to some kids. We didn’t think anything of it, they were just some little skater punks grinding on new tables. I was on a little razor scooter, the other three were on skateboards.
Me and one of the other people i was with were ahead of the other two as we passed through the park and across the bridge. I stopped at the end of the bridge to holler back to see if they were coming. I continued to walk to the tennis courts, getting about another 70 feet before i heard a voice yell at me. I looked back to see a police officer at the entrance to the bridge beckoning “get over here.” I complied with his order and both me and the girl i was with walked to him. He ordered us to come with him, and i said “whats going on?”
He replied with “you two are coming with me.” I asked why we had to go with him, and his answer was him showing his badge while saying “this is why, this is why you listen to me.” As we started across the bridge the officer grasped my wrist firmly and brought it behind my back, without saying anything or saying why. On the way across the bridge i had asked numerous times why he was restraining me but his only reply was “stop resisting.” Hand now wrenched as high as it will go, walking down the ramp of the bridge and back into the park from which we came, The cop still repeated “stop resisting.” Now that we were in front of a bunch of people i started to yell, "what are you doing this for. why are you doing this to me. The officer replied “because i can.” The officer now said “you are under arrest” (now i was getting a little angry, less shocked and more violated) I now stand firmly in one spot, not letting the officer jerk me around anymore, I repeated “I want to know what i am being arrested for.” This went on for a few more seconds before the officer put me in a headlock and wrestled me to the ground. I knew what was going on and i figured if i fought it couldn’t help the situation. I went limp and let him cuff me, it was quite dramatic, since he called the other cop over to help like i was was huge dude he couldn’t handle. mind you, i was already on the ground with his boney knee in my neck. The only thing i said at this time was “man, are you serious, are you serious?” They then stood me up wrenching on my now gimped shoulder some more.( I could, and was getting up on my own just fine.) and stood me up.
He jotted down my details on his little ticket thing as he looked at my stats. eye color, stuff like that. I answered the questions i had to. He walked me over to a stage ledge and said “Why don’t you sit down.” I said i would rather stand. he yelled said sit down, i said i would rather stand. He slammed me down on the stage ledge with all the down-force he could, Landing on my cuffed hands in the process. I went silent. He tried to extract more information to hold against me. I remained silent. The officer did not read my rights to me. I was given a ticket, for 2 crimes i did not commit.
Interfering with a police officer, resisting arrest. 6250 dollars apiece. 12500 dollar base fine. No prior convictions or any police encounters.
The ticket summoned me at a later date, to emerge at the local justice court.
The first time i appeared i was told the papers were not ready and was postponed to another date.
The second time i appeared, i was given choices to what i could do about my fines:
Plead guilty, and get a suspended sentence, but it goes on my record. or
Plead not-guilty, and get an aplication for a jurry trial. This is what i chose.
She did not expect for me to say this im sure, because her face lit up slightly.
She tried to sway me from the jurry trial by telling me im going to need a public defender and i need to have food stamps to be eligible for one.
She told me to goto DHS to get an application for foodstamps to see if i qualify. So thats what i did.
Later that month i was called in for an interview at DHS, i found out i was not eligible for food stamps.
Therefore, i am not eligible for a public defender, right?
Wrong.
Financial Eligibility
To receive an attorney, you must qualify as indigent under Washington State law. According to RCW 10.101, a person who is indigent:
* Receives public assistance (temporary assistance for needy families, general assistance, poverty-relate veterans' benefits, food stamps or food stamp benefits transferred electronically, refugee resettlement benefits, Medicaid, or supplemental security income); OR
* Is involuntarily committed to a public mental health facility; OR
* Receives an annual income, after taxes, of 125% or less of the current federally established poverty level (external); OR
[B][U]* Is unable to pay the anticipated cost of counsel for the matter before the court because the available funds are insufficient to pay any amount for the retention of counsel.[/U][/B]
* When you come in for an interview, an OPD screener will determine whether or not you meet these qualifications. You should bring all your financial paperwork with you, including: your two most recent paycheck stubs, last year's tax returns and your most recent bank statement.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/OPD/WhoWeServe.aspx
So whats going on here?
Ill fill you in a little more.
The third time we appeared in court, The judge asked me if i qualified for food stamps. I replied no, because i still live at home and im 18 years old, but im not in school, because i had just got my GED.
She asked how i pleaded and i answered not guilty, and i want to represent myself.
I wanted a jurry trial, my mother and father seconded that we wanted a jurry trial and that i was representing myself.
She then turned frustrated, and said no no no, thats not what you want.
She asked if my father was a working man
He said yes
She then said “Do you really want to take 15 people out of their jobs to come down here just for your son.”
We all said yes. (my dad noticeably broken by her comment.)
She claimed we didn’t know what we wanted and refused our tiral by jury.
She set a continuance for another date saying “I will appoint you a public defender to explain how things work.”
Later on we found out some more information about my rights in the courtroom, how she violated them.
I just need to know, what would you do?
Im in over my head.
We transferred it to a bigger town with a circuit court where i will be appointed a public defender.
Small town justice for ya…