Student's Arrest at GOP Convention Puts His Life in Limbo

[struggle4progress]

usuke Joshua Banno is a college student from Arizona marooned in Manhattan. In his old life, he would be feeding his two chickens, riding his bike and working in the maintenance department of the student union. He would also be graduating next month.

Instead, Mr. Banno is answering phones at a Midtown restaurant, Blockhead's Burritos, to help pay legal expenses. He has fallen a semester behind at Prescott College in Tucson, and is learning more about criminal law than he ever cared to know.

The change in Mr. Banno's life dates from August, when he traveled by bus to New York City to join crowds of protesters at the Republican National Convention.

He was arrested on Aug. 29 and was charged with assault and reckless endangerment, accused of igniting a papier-mâché dragon. For months he has proclaimed his innocence, saying that in the chaos of the crowd, the police just picked the wrong person. Last week, prosecutors seemed to agree, after concluding that a police officer had misidentified Mr. Banno. <snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/15/nyregion/15tape.html

[burrowowl]

1. Is the U$ a

POLICE STATE?

[struggle4progress]

2. If we allow it to be one, it is. eom

[Straight Shooter]

3. I remember the incident. The flaming dragon was very dangerous.

All the more reason they should have made sure they got the right person who set it on fire.

It's time to file a claim for damages, Mr. Banno. Not necessarily a lawsuit, unless push comes to shove.

[NYC]

4. How close were you to the dragon?

?

[Dogmudgeon]

5. "Not necessarily a lawsuit"?

This is exactly what lawsuits are for.

Sue big, settle reasonable, and scare the hell out of the City Fathers. It's the only thing they seem to understand.

Nothing "speaks truth to power" like the prospect of a big-money punishment. If Mr. Banno sues the city for $100 million, it will hit the newspapers and gain national attention. Then the city will hurry to make nice and make sure it isn't repeated.

--p!

[jukes]

6. absolutely

false arrest & wrongful detention are serious violations. mr. banna is DUE relief to get his life back on track; and the only way to complel proper police procedure is to punish governments for violating our civil rights.

if we continue to roll over, they'll roll over us.

[dsc]

7. Note that the only reason he is free now

is that they found a tape proving the officer was wrong. Otherwise it would be he said officer said and we know who gets believed.

[truthisfreedom]

8. cops lie. i've watched it twice, once in front of a judge. this cop should

face weeks of public humiliation, lose his job, and go to jail.

[tanyev]

13. Not to mention the story a couple days ago

how they discovered the prosecutor's office had edited a videotape they were using to accuse someone. Another videotape taken by an onlooker proved that the cop was lying.

[cleofus1]

9. and who says...

We don't have political prisoners in the good old U.S. of A.

[mbperrin]

10. 80% dismissal rate so far!! Those are some strong cases,

all right - they stink to high heaven!

Sounds like time to let a DA go to me.........

[sendero]

11. There seems to be an epidemic..

... of police misidentifying perps in the action, and police claiming that perps did something they did not, like resisting arrest and such.

Thank god there is tape, otherwise these innocent folks would be railroaded into serious punishments for crimes they did not commit.

THERE HAS TO BE A CONSEQUENCE TO THE POLICE FOR THESE MISTAKES. THEY CANNOT BE GIVEN A PASS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE POLICE, AND EVEN CIVILIANS ARE LIABLE FOR HONEST MISTAKES THAT CAUSE HARM.

[mmonk]

12. Remember, America is different

than the one we've lived through following the civil rights movement. If you protest, always carry a camera.

[struggle4progress]

14. Good advice. eom