The Grand Jury is in desperate need of reform – Part 1
I really dislike writing this article. I had a lot of faith in our government’s justice system that protects people from violent criminals, but in one case, researching this area, I was amazed at what they do and how they do it, which is against all my principles. of ethics and fair play.
The purpose of my articles is to educate you, warn those who will soon be mistreated, and work alongside other organizations such as the NACDL (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers),
I’ve learned how seriously evil the grand jury is today. The grand jury urgently needs reform, as I can personally attest to the mistakes made through control and manipulation by the prosecutor, granted by the grand jury, which he controls and has the last word. This is not a trial, but rather a strong recommendation that the defendant be sentenced to federal prison by the prosecutor, as the judge makes the prosecutor’s orders. Whoever was in charge, it seems that the judge is a mere puppet.
When writing an article, one of the first things that comes to mind for readers is or where the information is coming from and what is the source. In the case of all my writings on the judicial system and where relevant facts are explained, the sources tell me. What I tell you is the truth. I know this will not do my reputation any good, my good name, but I intend to inform you, educate you so that you know the true story of what is happening and there are reforms to be made, but they cannot be done without someone telling you. the truth of their idiosyncrasies
This will be a two-part series because there is so much within history and current events and attempts at reform to explain. I was a victim of the current system and paid a heavy price for its devious tactics that have literally ruined my life physically, emotionally, and mentally. So what I’m telling you is the truth, since I was there and witnessed the events.
I write this for your edification and education and if you get caught in such a situation, no matter how petty the crime, you will end up with a hefty sentence if the grand jury meets on your case, and you probably have an aggressive prosecutor trying to make a name for himself. itself. The judge usually gets all the glory.
The grand jury was designed and existed today to deal with violent criminals, but that has changed to where it is now used against the innocent and the numbers are growing. They are looking for another outlet to fill the unoccupied beds of the released drug dealer, as they urgently need the budget received for each prisoner.
I am currently 75 years old, disabled and in poor health, and when I was 69, the FBI escorted me in handcuffs to the Northern Federal District Court of Indiana for a crime I did not commit. The judge later told me that they were not going to try this case against me, because they could not win. Instead, he told me that I was going to have to plead guilty and accept a plea, under extreme duress.
The decision was made by the District Court. I had to plead guilty and accept a statement, or my punishment would be very severe. I did not make a decision because they made it for me, they have methods to achieve their goal and the grand jury is an important factor.
During my stay in prison, I found out about some of the methods that are used if their proposals are not followed, these punishments are extreme.
I want you to remember this statement. I WAS IN JAIL FOR NO REASON BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO DEFEND MYSELF WITH THE GRAND JURY. IT IS WITHIN MY RIGHTS DEFENDING ME, BUT THE COURT TOOK MY RIGHTS AND KEPT ME LOCKED IN A CELL. THEN IT WAS NOT A THREAT TO THE PROSECUTOR’S PLAN, BECAUSE MY DEFENSE COULD FREE ME, AND THAT WAS NOT THE PLAN FOR ME.
They told me that I was suicidal and that they would send me to jail without a competent professional evaluation to verify this psychological defect. In prison, he was naked and all he had were two blankets, one was a steel bed mattress and the other to serve as clothing in the only means of warmth.
I ate with my fingers and every three hours the guards would take me out of the cell and place me in the middle of the room naked for everyone to look at me. The guards then entered the cell in search of contraband with their sticks hitting the steel plate at the bottom of the bed and hitting the bars that prevented me from escaping or committing suicide.
Finally, after seven days, I was seen by a psychologist and when I told him my story he laughed and laughed and called the court a bunch of idiots because I was perfectly normal. But when the news reached the court, they visited me and told me that I should remain kidnapped until after the grand jury decision. I knew the grand jury was kept secret and was basically run by the prosecutor, but I never understood the consequences – until now.
He ruled the grand jury, but I did not know its consequences, as all my attorneys were incompetent and my last attorney was the worst. He was just the court puppet.
Again I say: I was in jail with the assistance of the prosecutor without purpose until the grand jury could be and rule on my case. I couldn’t have been my own defense, which is another violation of my right, this is just the beginning.
For the past six months, I have been researching the grand jury and what I have found is amazing. One day during my investigation, I came across the organization NACDL, or National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and now I understand how the prosecutor illegally suppressed information and fabricated information for the grand jury for a probable cause verdict and immediately joined the the organization. , not as a lawyer, but as a researcher.
I have a copy of the file showing the charges brought against me, and there were two witnesses, and the grand jury keeps the names of these witnesses secret. The probable cause verdict handed down by the grand jury gave the prosecutor unlimited power. The charges were all a lie and fabricated and these witnesses committed perjury. This unlimited power of the prosecutor federal rights the judge’s wishes. The judge now becomes a kind of traffic policeman within the court. He maintains order and the calendar and has some duties, which in my case were never fulfilled, and they are serious offenses.
Now I understand why my initial charge was so low that it may not even meet the parameters of the sentencing guidelines, but, with the sentence of four years plus life probation, something was wrong, and it is the responsibility of the prosecutor. , with the help of the grand jury decision. This was a monkey test, and I was the monkey in the cage.
The prosecutor is in charge of the grand jury and gives them information about a trial and presents any information that he considers relevant, whether true or fabricated. It is supposed to be investigated and truthful and then passed on to the grand jury. But two witnesses were also included, who actually committed perjury. And I do believe that they belong to another department within the justice system.
Usually they call the grand jury for very violent crimes, but the affidavit of my crime is very small and I think there was a possible collusion between the judge and another person, because this other person told me that they were talking to the judge, and While I was in jail, he misappropriated funds from my company and we have this information, but no agency helped us in this crime. They all walked away.
Within the grand jury there are 12 to 23 good people, more than half, who must vote for the probable cause prosecutor’s decision, but if you are shy with a few votes, you can make a decision. I make the positive decision. I understand that the probable cause verdict gives the prosecutor unlimited power within the court. You can do just about anything you want. We could also discard the laws of Congress and the rules, because they no longer have meaning in this case.
There are certain laws that must be obeyed as established by Congress during the court hearing, such as mens rea and discovery, and none of these laws were obeyed by the court, according to the decision-making authority of the prosecutor. The judge told me himself that he would be investigating the reason for my men.
Apparently, another lawyer we had hired had initiated the discovery, but then the prosecutor had rejected it. I never saw what they charged me. Only my idiot final defense attorney who was appointed by the judge did what the prosecutor told him to do.
A court is supposed to be contentious, but in this court everything was agreed, which made the five members of the court against me. They would have needed more if they had allowed me to speak and participate, but I was not allowed anything in my defense …
Mens rea refers to a person’s awareness of the fact that their conduct is criminal. Generally, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime in a “guilty state of mind.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mens_rea
There is also a discovery where they investigate your past, your family, your employment records, your criminal activities, anything that belongs to you. It was a disappointment for them, as I had no criminal record or wanted to commit a crime, as that is not in my character, but fighting evil is.
We paid an attorney to investigate my case and he told us there was no discovery. So the prosecutor dispelled a federal law and I suppose he can do so because of his overwhelming power. Something is wrong here.
In a court of law, when there is a law that must be observed, since they are the ones who dispense the law and defend it against those who break the wall, but they are not held responsible, which is a sin.
There was no discovery, of which I can see the evidence and it was not allowed. We hired an attorney to investigate whether the discovery was made, and it was no discovery based on their findings and we have a record of their investigation.
I learned from my reading that the grand jury is the sword and shield responsible for protecting the people, as well as delivering justice to the guilty in a fair manner. It seems to me that his fairness has been misled for many years and this is now his common form of justice: disobey laws you don’t like and create new ones that you like whenever you want. There is no liability of any kind.
Reality hurts, doesn’t it? As I read these articles, I learned that an increasing number of innocent people are being pushed to plead guilty under the same conditions as me. Why? As has been said, “it is very easy to do”, and because the court has to maintain a certain conviction rate of 98.6% or more. The reason for this is that they have to fill the empty beds in the prisons in order to get their budget and build more buildings for themselves.
Our grand jury system is a mess. There is a reason for this. I feel like the basic reason is that the prosecutor does not get the attention and publicity that he thinks he should get and is entitled to, while the judge gets all the attention and glory.
I recommend my readers to read the full article written by these wonderful authors and attorneys. And not only give you the history, but the elements that are in reform. They gave me the impetus to write this article basically on my own, but the facts they wrote gave me a better understanding of what went wrong and why. It was the authoritarian steroid-drunk prosecutor who secured the grand jury with a lie and the two witnesses who perjured, and I walked out of the courtroom with a four-year sentence and life probation for their contributions.
In part 2 of my next article, I will quote a lot from your article, as there are things that I could never have found without your experience. I’m thankful.
Special thanks to: Frederick P. Hafetz; John M. Pellettieri of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers or NACDL
You can read his article “It’s time to reform the grand jury” in its entirety at:
https://www.nacdl.org/Champion.aspx?id=648