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Edgar Coker’s case reminded me of an experience that devastated me and so motivated this post.
The State of New Hampshire criminal justice system framed my son for statutory rape. There was no evidence of a crime. The girl in question never filed a report. The State of NH did not follow its policies and procedures that require rape counseling and an exam of underaged rape victims.
A doctor did not examine the “victim” who did not receive rape counseling. According to authorities, there was no need to get my son’s version of events. I was warned to leave the state of NH for my safety. The police report was a kind of dog-whistle meant to incite racial hatred. My address published in the local newspaper without regard for my safety.
For my son, the presumption of innocence was not an option entertained by the criminal justice system. Law enforcement did not question him. He was assumed guilty and arrested on $50,000 cash bail, no bond. He was in jail for almost a month where I was not allowed to visit him, and neither was his therapist who had treated him for years. It was nearly one week before I was able to speak with him over the phone, after his arrest.
My son had a documented learning disability. He was immature and had difficulty communicating. He had been in therapy since his father committed suicide. There was no consideration of his disabilities or medical needs when the criminal system prevented his therapist from visiting.
The court assigned attorney told us my son would have to serve time in prison– for a crime that didn’t happen. The attorney thought the investigation suspect as it was concluded in less than 24 hours, something he never saw happen. According to the court-appointed attorney, the girl exposed herself to my son. My son did not have sex with her; he said no.
The only evidence of rape were reports written by cops. No signed statement by the victim of a crime. She nor her parents did not sign the police report which went into a lavish fantasy story filled with racial undertones that never happened.
I hired a private attorney who did get the bail changed to a bond and the amount reduced. Had it not been for the court-appointed attorney bail would have been reduced further.
When I attempted to have the case annulled, despite the absence of evidence of any crime, the court wanted my son to go to therapy for sexual predators. Bail was used as evidence of the severity of the crime. To undergo such treatment would indicate guilt, so he declined. The case was dismissed, but it will stay with him. Cops can use that arrest to establish criminality in any case they wish to pin on him.
Why would NH criminal justice system do this? Curiously, the arrest happened about 1-2 weeks after I won a MCAD hearing against Tufts Medical Center. One has to look at Tufts administration, its legal team and their tactics to understand the uncanny coincidence. That is another story to tell at another time.
My son committed no crime but as I discussed the case with friends we realized the criminal system was rigged. The statutory rape laws were meant to protect children instead they incarcerate children and young adults while middle-aged and senior white men like the Roman Polanski, Trump, and Catholic clergies run free. Teenagers and young adults have sex with each other because of overlapping circle of friends. I heard of several young white men who had open relationships with “underage” girls in high school and middle school without charges of statutory rape. It should not be a crime but an opportunity to educate teenagers and young adults.
I’ll end on a disturbing observation: the court was filled with brown children and young adults pleading guilty at the advice of their court-appointed attornies. I saw so many tearful young brown faces sentenced to the plantation. It was heart-wrenching to observe. The brown children were in orange jumpsuits, and white children were dressed in suits.
How can we track ALL falsely accused teens and young adults on a national level? The information gleaned from such data would provide evidence of structural racism inherent in the criminal justice system.
BTW, know I would never lynch or kill myself.
XXX
Pinned Comment:
Hi Pete, it’s a risky topic to discuss. The experience taught me much about the system.
The warrant was particularly misleading. It was my son who made me realize that 99% of the written inaccurate police statement was related to an incident about two years earlier. The alleged victim’s story was a paragraph in the police statement which was several pages.
The only evidence of a crime provided to his attorney was the warrant.
I call the event the other traumatic nightmare that cost financially and medically. The harm done to my son was worse and will always be problematic. I want that changed.
Sadly, I’m not alone. Millions of Americans face similar or worse encounters with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. With friends and family, I was able to pay a private attorney and the nonrefundable bond. If not, my son could have gotten caught in the dragnet of the prison industrial complex awaiting trial.
My son is one in I suspect millions of falsely accused who are cataloged by the system and then bilked for money most people don’t have. Money that is non-refundable regardless of innocence or case dismissal.
It was not easy for me to make this public but I felt the need to share my experience of structural racism in the criminal justice system of NH after watching Blackkklansman twice over the weekend.
Hi Angela, as you know I am very aware of this case against your elder son. And I’m so pleased you have now detailed it here in writing, therefore being therapeutic and a written testimony.
I have four main thoughts on this worrying story:
(1) Without doubt the American justice system is structurally/systemically racist, where if the data you seek was easily available, it would be easy to prove;
(2) Many of us know that some police officers “fit up” innocent defendants, whether Black or not; I personally know a White British man also accused of a crime he never committed and yet it still is used against him if a similar crime takes place local to him;
(3) Your son’s mental health issues should have, even if he’d raped that girl, been placed in psychotherapeutic care and not in a jail alongside the hostile personality disordered; and
(4) We are now having teenagers and young adults placed on the Sex Offender Registry (Register in the UK), and even imprisoned, for normal healthy curiosity and exploration. As you wrote, when I was young there were many late teen, even a few mid-teens with a little older lovers. For about two decades now we’ve had a hysteria about inter-generational sex that is condemning not only genuine child abusers but adolescents of maybe just a year either side of the Age of Consent.
As for your horror story about Tufts Medical Center, I think it would be good to see where you think this about your son came about because of that….
I must clarify, that with the #4 comment, your son actually had no sexual contact with that girl. I was just commenting on from a liberal European perspective.
Hi Pete, it’s a risky topic to discuss. The experience taught me much about the system.
The warrant was particularly misleading. It was my son who made me realize that 99% of the written inaccurate police statement was related to an incident about two years earlier. The alleged victim’s story was a paragraph in the police statement which was several pages.
The only evidence of a crime provided to his attorney was the warrant.
I call the event the other traumatic nightmare that cost financially and medically. The harm done to my son was worse and will always be problematic. I want that changed.
Sadly, I’m not alone. Millions of Americans face similar or worse encounters with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. With friends and family, I was able to pay a private attorney and the nonrefundable bond. If not, my son could have gotten caught in the dragnet of the prison industrial complex awaiting trial.
My son is one in I suspect millions of falsely accused who are cataloged by the system and then bilked for money most people don’t have. Money that is non-refundable regardless of innocence or case dismissal.
I’m struggling to imagine how awful it must have been for your son and yourself. What I can think of writing is what you already have done, that is, victims of false allegations must keep repeating their story until the police become afraid to ever try the same on anyone else. Publicity is the best weapon to defeat evil in public authorities.
Sharing your story is therapeutic. For me, it helped recollection for future reference. I would like an investigation of my son’s case. Cops are not going to become honest without heavy prodding. The criminal system has to become a justice system. With Trump selecting judges that could make the criminal system more criminal if that is possible.
Yesterday’s guilty conviction of ex-cop Roy Oliver in the murder of Jordan Edwards was a welcome surprise.
Angela I’m sorry to hear about the injustice and tragedy that has befell to your family! For you there may be something you might have not considered and I’m not saying this in jest you might have a curse on you. Could be personal or generational. Check out your family history. Our war is not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities the rulers of darkness in this world. Our people as a whole have to repent ask for forgiveness from our Holy Father. We are Israel! Can you give me another answer as to why we can’t seem to get justice or why we are hated for no reason? Why is there a concerted effort to get our people to sin especially the young people. Drugs, poor education, music industry and Hollywood trapping them into Satanic worship. I know the whole society is taking a fall but we are taking the blunt of it. I have seen it all no matter what we do will never be accepted. The only thing we needed from this government was to protect our rights to exist. Time to turn to the Most High. Learn what pleases him!
Rudy, you sound like my mom. She thinks black people are cursed too. I don’t think so. If we’re cursed, it’s self-inflicted.
Yes, I’ve had a challenging life, but not a cursed one. It just took me a longer time than most to figure out my purpose or as you say “Learn what pleases him!”
When self-esteem is poor and self-acceptance lacking life sucks. It’s like going in circles while trying to seek cover from a severe storm.
I look in awe at our experiences and accomplishments in the midst of extreme hostility and structural racism meant to defeat us. We are here and strong. We were battle-tested and passed with flying colors.
Thanks so much for sharing! You are literally amazing! ❤️😊
Janae, you are most welcome. Thank you.
Angela by your response it sounds like you are not really a Bible believer. I would like to suggest two people to check out on YouTube! One is “Open Dairy “ the other is “Minister Kevin LA Ewing”. I believe our big mistake is we don’t take the spirit world seriously, our enemies do and throw it in our face every day and our churches don’t teach us how to defend ourselves!
Rudy,
I had Catholicism hammered into me. I was the youngest child boarded at this Catholic school where I lived for a couple of years. I believe I was younger than six years old when I started.
Every morning before breakfast, there was mass except on Sundays, when service was later and much longer. After serving time at Catholic boarding school, I went to a regular school in Kingston where I walked what seemed like 30 miles to the catch the public bus and then again to get home. Switched to two other buses to get to school and then to get home. Going to church and Sunday school every Sunday was a blessing.
I blocked those memories. I remember very little about the Bible except for a psalm I said regularly. Despite blocking the memories and not being able to remember my favorite psalm, the teachings are in my blood.
After watching one of the Open Dairy youtube videos, I thought about my role, the one I avoided all my life. Life is amazing.
Rudy with all that happened to me, I don’t feel cursed or like a dark cloud hanging over me anymore. As I recover, I am creating a path to that role.
I had a neuropsychological evaluation last year (2017) where at the end I was asked the largest organ in the body I didn’t know and guessed the brain. I am a doctor that’s an easy question. Anyway, today the question crossed my mind, and I immediately knew liver. Googled it to make sure. Not only am I getting better I am becoming a better me.
Thank you for recommending the videos. “check out on YouTube! One is “Open Dairy “ the other is “Minister Kevin LA Ewing”.
30 miles is an exaggeration, it was a long walk that’s all I remember
Ok Angela I hear what you’re saying! I respect your what you have to say and I’ll leave it at that! I wish you nothing but the best for you!
OK, Rudy. 🙂 We are essentially saying the same thing. I agree the Bible is a remarkable history book that provides clues about our culture and history. I believe we are blessed, not cursed.
Black Power is us standing together as one, when we understand that we will emerge victoriously.