Hate Crimes Against Latinos Increase by 46.9% in San Diego County!

NC Times reports: The number of hate crimes in San Diego County increased last year compared with the previous year, bucking a statewide trend, according to a report issued by the state attorney general's office. While hate crimes against Jews, blacks and gays decreased statewide from 2009 to 2010, the number of hate crimes against Latinos increased 46.9 percent, from 81 in 2009 to 119 in 2010, according to the state's report, released last week.

By law, a hate crime involves any criminal act based on a person's race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin or disabilities. In North County cities, the number of hate crimes also increased, from 25 in 2009 to 41 in 2010, according to the state's "Hate Crime in California: 2010" report...

..Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, said.."San Diego is a border county and so the issues related to the debate over immigration are going to be hotter than in most other parts of the state." ..The number of hate crimes in the county appear to be inching up over the past several years, from 119 in 2007 to 136 in 2010, according to the state...
Attorney General Kamala Harris said that though hate crimes are aimed at specific groups of people, they affect everyone. "A crime that is motivated by hate is a crime against all people," Harris said in a written statement. "We will monitor and prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law."

..Levin also cautioned that the actual number of hate crimes may be underreported throughout the state because of budget cuts in local police departments. He said some police departments may be losing personnel who keep track of these numbers and help victims report hate crimes.

Republican TeaParty Official Fired for Urging "Deadly Force" on Wisconsin Teachers

TeaParty Republican Official in Indiana Fired for urging "Deadly Force" on Wisconsin Teachers:
A Republican TeaParty official in Indiana has been FIRED for urging "LIVE AMMUNITION" be used on Peaceful Teacher protesters in Wisconsin. Indiana Deputy Attorney General Jeff Cox was removed on Wednesday for saying on his personal Twitter account that police should "use live ammunition" on Teachers Peacefully Protesting in the Wisconsin legislature for their rights.

TeaParty Republican Extremist Cox made the comment last Sunday in response to a Tweet from Mother Jones magazine that riot police might force protesters out of the Wisconsin capitol building.

In a Twitter exchange with Mother Jones editor Adam Weinstein, Cox argued, "Against thugs physically threatening legally-elected state legislators and governor? You're damn right I advocate deadly force."

The back-and-forth continued with Cox telling Weinstein, "I support police unions. Funny you would advocate for a police union when liberals hate police." He later told the journalist, "Typical leftist. Try to silence anyone who disagrees with you."

Weinstein at the time did not know he was talking to one of Indiana's deputy attorney generals.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said late Wednesday he was dismissing Cox after a "thorough and expeditious review" of his online postings.

The same day, Indiana lawmakers dropped a similar ANTI-union bill after Democrats followed their Wisconsin counterparts and fled the state.

Cox's postings include blog entries in which Cox called President Barack Obama "incompetent and treasonous," and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and members of the Service Employees International Union "brownshirts," referring to the paramilitary group of the Nazis. The COWARDLY Cox has since deleted his blog, but his Twitter comments remain online. "We respect individuals' First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility," Zoeller said.

The removal of Cox occurred on the second day of a boycott by Democratic state lawmakers. The lawmakers are in neighboring Illinois to prevent a quorum required to pass the Republican bill.

Why Isn't the Brisenia Flores Murder Trial on the National News? Minuteman Leader Shawna Forde is on Trial! Why No Coverage?

It is appalling. The trial of Shawna Forde, head of the ANTI Immigration Reformist Minuteman Group is underway. She and her 2nd in command, Gunny Bush, are accused of shooting and murdering 9 year old Brisenia Flores and her Dad.
Why isn't this trial on the National News?
There is countless coverage of the Robert Krentz murder. No one knows who shot him. No one has been accused. The local sheriff believes an American killed him. However, some in the ANTI Immigration Reform movement, including the heinous sb1070 sponsor Russell Pearce "assume" the perpetrator just might be an illegal immigrant. There is NOTHING to substantiate this, yet the media covers this possibility religiously.
In the murder case of 9 year old Brisenia Flores, the police know and have charged the murder and currently have her on trial. However, THERE IS NO NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE!!! WHY!!! Doesn't 9 year old Brisenia deserve the same coverage as Robert Krentz?
What about the FAKE shooting of Louis Puroll. You remember him don't you? He is the "dirty cop," recently FIRED FOR LYING, who "said" he was shot by some "unknown illeeegal immigrant." However, now that all the news has come out, no one has ever been charged and Puroll has been FIRED for LYING to his boss over this incident.
When will Brisenia receive Justice? 9 year old Brisenia DESERVES Justice! Her murderers need to found GUILTY! Their court case needs to be ON THE FRONT PAGE OF EVERY MEDIA OUTLET IN ARIZONA AND ACROSS THE NATION!
WE NEED JUSTICE FOR 9 YEAR OLD BRISENIA NOW!!!

Mixed Justice for Luis Ramirez: Two Cops Guilty of Cover-Up, Piekarsky's Mom's Boyfriend Acquitted -- Says He Wants to be a Cop Again!

standardspeaker.com reports: WILKES-BARRE - Tears of joy mingled with sadness as one former Shenandoah policeman was acquitted Thursday of obstructing the investigation of the fatal beating of Luis Ramirez, while two of his former colleagues were each convicted of one charge. In a courtroom packed with the defendants' families and friends of the accused, and after about 14 hours of deliberations over two days, a federal jury of eight women and four men found the accused Jason Hayes, 37, of Shenandoah, not guilty of conspiracy and filing a false police report. "I feel terrific," said a smiling Hayes, who added that he wants to become a policeman again.

However, the same jury found Matthew R. Nestor guilty of filing a false police report and William Moyer guilty of lying to the FBI. Jurors ruled Nestor and Moyer not guilty of conspiracy and Moyer not guilty of filing a false police report, tampering with evidence and tampering with a witness. "I think I had a fair jury," Moyer said. "I'm very thankful I was found not guilty of the other charges. The thing I'm most thankful for is that I have a good family behind me."

Nestor said nothing as he left the Max Rosenn United States Courthouse, Wilkes-Barre, following the verdict, which elicited happiness among Hayes' family and friends, especially his fiancee, Tammy Piekarsky (murderer Piekarsky's mom), who jumped up and down and wept with joy after he was found not guilty.

Senior U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo, who presided over the 13-day trial, set April 29 as the date for the sentencing of Nestor and Moyer, who face possible sentences of 20 years and five years, respectively. Both men are free pending sentencing. Joseph P. Nahas Jr., Frackville, one of Nestor's lawyers, said he would "absolutely" file an appeal of his client's conviction, while Enid W. Harris, Kingston, Moyer's lawyer, said she probably would not appeal her client's conviction. Any appeal by Nestor or Moyer would be heard by the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Prosecutors are legally barred from appealing the not guilty verdicts.

Day Two – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – Prosecution has a “surprise” witness – Jason Bush’s girlfriend

Guest Voz - Porter Corn - Immigration Clearinghouse:
Day Two – Shawna Forde Murder Trial – Prosecution has a “surprise” witness – Jason Bush’s girlfriend
Testimony continued to move along today with the defense cross examining the widow of Raul Flores and mother of 9 year old Brisenia Flores in Minuteman Shawna Forde’s capital murder trial. Perhaps the highlight of the day was when prosecutors announced to the Court that their investigators had found Jason Bush’s girlfriend, Melinda Shelton and were going to have her testify. The stunned defense attorney Eric Larsen immediately objected saying they needed time to interview her and investigate her story. (another defense ploy to delay the trial) Prosecutor Rick Unklesbay replied Larsen shouldn’t be surprised because Shelton has always been listed on the witness list and had in fact, been scheduled to testify today.

Judge John Leonardo declined to allow prosecutors to present her as a witness until tomorrow, giving Larsen and Jill Thorpe the opportunity to interview her this evening. It is being reported that Shelton will testify that Shawna Forde at her house in Meadview Arizona in late May (the murders occurred on May 30) and the next time she saw Bush, he was suffering from the gunshot wound to the leg.

Larsen continued his cross examination of Gina Gonzalez by trying to get her to admit she couldn’t identify Forde as the “mean” woman who was barking orders to Bush and the other home invaders. Vut Gonzalez, a brave woman to say the least, threw it right back at him. Larsen asked her, “As you sit here today you still can’t say Shawna Forde was in your home, right?” Gonzalez answered, “No, because I don’t know Shawna Forde.”

Further along in the testimony, Gonzalez stuck to her guns insisting, “She looks like the person in my house.”
Larsen asked, “You also indicated that she was initially in brown camouflage, correct?” Gonzalez answered, “Yes.” “And the second time she was now in green sort of border patrol,” Larsen asked. Gonzalez said, “Yes, like she had taken her jacket off.”

Gonzalez testimony also put the teal mini van found on Albert Gaxiolas property which had Bush’s blood and DNA in it and that had been seen cruising the Flores neighborhood earlier in the day.

Albert Gaxiola’s next door neighbor was also called to testify and she placed Shawna Fordes orange Honda Element at Gaxiolas house 4 hours after the murders. Earlier she testified, about 01:15 Gaxiola was out in his yard trying to start a flooded car. This was half an hour after Gonzalez 911 call. The witness also put Forde and another man at a gathering in Gaxiolas back yard about a week before the murders.

Testimony continues tomorrow as David Winston a medical examiner continues his testimony the autopsy and jurors get a first look at the victims.

Police Racism Causes American Latinos to Steer Clear of Connecticut Town! Cops say "You Spics Don't Have Rights Here!"

FoxNews reports: Hispanics are leaving East Haven in droves and their allegations paint an ugly picture of the small Connecticut suburb. Santiago Malavé has worked law enforcement jobs in Connecticut for more than four decades, but as a Puerto Rican, he says he cannot drive through his own town without worrying about police harassing him. Malavé, a probation officer who works in New Haven, says the racial abuse is so bad that he only crosses the town line into East Haven to go home. He and his wife are now preparing to sell their house and move, joining an exodus of Hispanics who say police have hassled them with traffic stops, false arrests and even jailhouse beatings.

The Justice Department has started a civil rights investigation, and the FBI recently opened a criminal probe. But that has not changed things on Main Street, where restaurants and stores that cater to Hispanics are going out of business. If the goal of police was to ruin East Haven's Hispanic community, some grudgingly say they have succeeded.

"We can't tolerate the town anymore," said Malavé, 64. "For us to leave our beautiful home is something that hurts, but we can't deal with these people." Racial profiling allegations began swirling about two years ago in East Haven, a predominantly Italian-American seaside suburb of about 28,000 people 70 miles northeast of New York City. Hispanics make up only about 7 percent of the population, but their numbers had been growing as the peaceful, small-town setting and thriving businesses attracted newcomers from Mexico and Ecuador.

Police Chief Leonard Gallo, who is on administrative leave, has denied the allegations. The office of acting Police Chief Gaetano Nappi referred calls to Town Attorney Patricia Cofrancesco, who did not respond to phone messages seeking comment. Hispanic business owners say police made a practice of parking outside their shops and stopping any Latinos. Some who complained say they faced retaliation.

Luis Rodriguez, an immigrant from Ecuador who owns the Los Amigos Grocery, said he was arrested two months ago and jailed for five days after a woman pointed out to police that his 3-year-old son was unsupervised on the sidewalk outside the store. He said police were out for revenge because his wife had been videotaping them. He was charged with child neglect; the case is still pending. Meanwhile, his store is up for sale. Ecuadorians used to travel from as far as Massachusetts for jalapenos, Ecuadorian sodas and other specialty products. But Rodriguez said police have scared customers away by threatening to alert immigration authorities if they ever saw them in town again. "If I had known the police in East Haven are so much trouble I never would have invested so much money here," said Rodriguez, 41, who has put more than $120,000 into the store.

The Justice Department's civil rights branch began investigating the police force in September 2009. It is still looking into alleged discriminatory policing, but it identified preliminary concerns in April over issues including outdated policies and a lack of clear guidance on the use of force. The town's mayor, April Capone, revealed this month that the FBI was gathering evidence for potential criminal prosecutions of some of the officers. Her office declined to comment.

Dermot Lynch, a student intern with Yale Law School's Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic, said the problem goes beyond a few rogue officers. "This is a systemwide leadership failure. It's going to need widespread reform," said Lynch, whose group filed a lawsuit in October on behalf of nine immigrants who say East Haven police abused them with beatings and unwarranted use of a stun gun. It also quotes officers using ethnic slurs.

Until recently, East Haven was considered a refuge by Hispanics, a suburb with ample parking and less crime than New Haven. Malavé, who has lived here since 1977, said he never had problems before late 2008 when police responded to a report by his wife that some money was missing. The couple had begun to argue. Malavé, who was asked his nationality, said police arrested him for disorderly conduct the minute he said he was born in Puerto Rico. "I tried to talk to the sergeant, but he said, `You spics don't have rights here,"' said Malavé, a former New Haven police officer.

Hispanics in East Haven say more than half their population -- estimated at 1,900 by the Census Bureau -- has moved away. Mario Marín, who was at work one recent afternoon in his family's empty restaurant, La Bamba, said two of his siblings moved to nearby Waterbury and another brother returned to Ecuador. He said one brother, like other Hispanic property owners, lost a house to foreclosure after his tenants moved away. "They destroyed our future here," Marín said of police. He said even out-of-town diners have stopped coming since officers launched raids on the restaurant's parking lot, towing away any cars with out-of-state license plates.

Marín and others said run-ins with police have been less common since police came under federal scrutiny. But activist John Lugo of Latinos United in Action, who helped organize a march against racial profiling last year, said his group still advises Hispanics to steer clear of East Haven.

Republican and Beck Fan - "Dannie Baker" Set to go to Trial in April for the Chilean Student Murders

Dannie Baker, the former Republican National Committee Volunteer, Glenn Beck enthusiast and the man charged with killing two Chilean students and wounding three others in February 2009 is scheduled to go to trial April 11. Walton County Circuit Judge on Thursday set the trial date. A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 27. “We’re going to push for the trial to be in April,” Assistant State Attorney Bobby Elmore said after Wells set the date. “Nothing’s certain because we can’t predict the future. But it’s looking good.”

Baker, 61, is being held at the Walton County Jail. He was arrested Feb. 26, 2009, just hours after he murdered 22-year-old Racine Argandona and 23-year-old Nicholas Corp-Torres at Summer Lake town home complex on Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach. At the time, he told neighbors he was going to kill Mexican illegal immigrants. The Chilean students -- here in the country legally -- were visiting a friend when lawmen say Baker fired a rifle through one of the unit’s windows about 1:45 a.m.

Three other students, Sebastian Arizaga-Suarez, David Bilboa-Meza and Francisco Cofre-Fernandez were wounded in the shooting. After the shooting, Baker barricaded himself in his town home at the same complex until he surrendered shortly after 6 a.m., according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Baker is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, three counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and shooting into an occupied building. Baker was committed to Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee for mental evaluation and treatment for over a year, attempting to play the "crazy card." However, much to Baker's disappointment, he was determined competent in August 2010 to stand trial.

The three students who were wounded returned to Chile. Elmore said they likely will be called to testify at Baker’s trial. Elmore said the state will seek the death penalty.

Roberto Rivera of Destin spoke with Elmore after the date was set. “From what I’ve been told it looks good for April,” said Rivera, who has kept in touch with two of the students who were wounded. “He can still possibly relapse and the trial won’t begin. For the family, this is going to be a very significant event.

“We all thought he would be playing the crazy card for five years.” Rivera looked around the courtroom and shook his head. He said media attention has declined since the shootings occurred, but the case should resonate with people throughout the community. “This was a national disaster,” he said. “Those kids have had medical issues, psychological issues, and I’m the only one here (for this case). It’s disgraceful. “He (Baker) has to pay for what he’s done, and everyone should care about that.”
Note to Readers: "Immigration Talk with a Mexican American" will continue to follow this trial until the Court Decision and Penalty Phase are announced.

Outrageous News: Racist Right Wing Radio Station Promoting Winning a Chance to Chase (Shoot?) "Illegal Aliens" In Phoenix!

610 WTVN, a Racist Right Wing Radio Station, is promoting Winning a Chance to Chase (Shoot?) "Illegal Aliens" In Phoenix!
Their promotion says: "we would like to send you where Americans are proud and illegals are scared, sunny Phoenix, Arizona! You'll spend a weekend chasing (shooting?) aliens and spending cash in the desert, just make sure you've got your green card! Win round trip airfare to Phoenix, hotel accomodations, and a few pesos in spending cash - just register below!"

Hate Monger John Corby, a radio personality for News Talk 610 WTVN in Columbus, is the man behind the contest, and,as you can see in this promotion, "chasing aliens" is only a taste of the language used that has Ohio immigrants' rights advocates furious.

The contest is in response to Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman (that's his face on the ID card), who boycotted Arizona by banning all city-funded travel after SB 1070 was signed by Governor Jan Brewer.

Racist, Murderer Keith Luke Attacks Psychiatrist in Prison. Now in Solitary Confinement and held on $1M Bond

Keith Luke hates minorities. Luke was arrested Jan. 21, 2009, on the murder, rape and other charges of Cape Verdean Immigrants. Prosecutors say he forced his way into a Brockton apartment where he brutally raped and shot a Cape Verdean woman who survived, then fatally shot two other immigrants from Cape Verdean before leading police on a chase through the city. He told police he shot the three victims as part of a plot to kill as many “non-whites” and Jews as possible and planned that night to open fire on bingo players at a local synagogue, according to prosecutors and paperwork filed in court.

Luke is being held in the Plymouth County jail’s Unit G, the section where some of the most dangerous prisoners are held. He is locked in his cell 23 hours a day. When he is let out to shower or go to an enclosed exercise area, he is shackled and under guard. There are no weights in the exercise area and he does not mingle with other prisoners. Since his arrest, Luke has shaved his head, grown a beard and etched a swastika on his forehead.

Security for the 23-year-old Luke is now tighter than ever after his jailhouse attack on a defense psychiatrist hired to examine the murder suspect. Seven court officers and deputy sheriffs flanked Luke when he was arraigned Thursday at Brockton Superior Court on charges stemming from the Jan. 7 attack on Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and television personality who was at the jail to begin a mental evaluation of the murder suspect. He was hired to help with Luke's insanity defense. Luke said he attacked him because he didn't agree with his religion. Dr. Ablow is Jewish.

Superior Court Judge Carol Ball made note Thursday of the extra security measures and asked whether Luke needed to return for the next court date on May 6. “Does your client need to be here? Can we not bring him in, given the production that is necessary when you do bring him in?” the judge asked. Luke’s attorney, Joseph Krowski Jr., said he will bring his client in only when necessary. Luke was arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, civil rights violation with injury and assault and battery with intent to intimidate. He pleaded innocent to the charges. Ball ordered him held in lieu of $1 million surety or $100,000 cash. Luke is being held without bail, pending trial, in the murder case.

Keith Luke is an admitted White Supremist and an active member of Podblanc.

Jury Permitted to Hear Caucasian Crew Leader's Words "I STABBED HIM!"

AP Reports:
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — A jury will be permitted to hear testimony that a New York teenager, Jeffrey Conroy, admitted to police moments after the fatal knifing of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero that he was responsible, prosecutors said Tuesday. Jeffrey Conroy, 19, is the only one of seven teenagers charged with murder in the November 2008 stabbing of Marcelo Lucero near the Patchogue train station on Long Island. Two other teenagers have pleaded guilty to assault as a hate crime and other charges and have agreed to testify against their co-defendants. Conroy and four others are awaiting trial; all have pleaded not guilty. Conroy's trial is expected to start sometime in March.

The killing shone a national spotlight on the area's race relations; prosecutors contend Lucero's death was the culmination of an ongoing campaign that targeted Hispanic immigrants for violence. Since the killing, the U.S. Justice Department has said it is investigating hate crimes in Suffolk County and police response to them.

The Southern Poverty Law Center issued a report in September titled "Climate of Fear; Latino Immigrants in Suffolk County," cataloguing a litany of anti-immigrant attacks dating back a decade. State Supreme Court Justice Robert Doyle, in a Feb. 11 ruling released by prosecutors on Tuesday, said Conroy's comment to police only minutes after the attack that "I stabbed him" will be permitted at Conroy's trial. Doyle ruled that Conroy blurted out the admission while being searched for a knife and that "traditional Miranda warnings were not required."

Conroy and his six friends (the Caucasian Crew) were arrested within minutes of the midnight stabbing, only blocks away from where Lucero was killed. Defense attorney William Keahon did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Doyle also ruled that defendant Kevin Shea's comments to detectives following the stabbing were admissible at trial. Shea's attorney did not immediately return a call for comment.
The two defendants who have already pleaded guilty admitted participating in other attacks on Hispanics, confessing they and their accomplices frequently used racial epithets when confronting victims. In one instance, a Hispanic man was shot with a BB gun.

Lucero, 37, came to the United States when he was 21. He was walking with a friend when they were confronted by a group of teens. His friend fled, but Lucero was surrounded, prosecutors say. He tried to fight back, flailing at the assailants with his belt before being fatally stabbed.

Police Statement Says Jeff Conroy Confessed in "Beaner Stomper" Murder of Marcelo Lucero!

Newsday Reports:

A knife in his right hand extended outward, Jeffrey Conroy went toward the "Spanish guy" who was swinging his belt, according to a written statement he made to Suffolk police hours after the fatal stabbing of Marcelo Lucero ."His back was to me and as I ran towards him he turned to face me," according to the statement, made Nov. 9, 2008. "He was about four or five feet from me, I continued to run towards him and stabbed him once in either his shoulder or chest."Minutes later as police approached, Conroy confessed, according to his statement. "I told the cop that my knife was tucked in my boxers and I was the one who stabbed the guy," he said in the statement obtained by Newsday. "I don't blame the Spanish guy for swinging the belt at us. It was obvious that he wanted to get the [expletive] out of there. He was ready to defend himself . . . "The "guy" was Lucero, 37, an legal Ecuadorean immigrant whose death authorities have labeled a hate crime. Seven former Patchogue - Medford High School students were charged with gang assault and conspiracy in connection with Lucero's death. Conroy, now 18, of Medford , was also charged with murder and manslaughter as a hate crime. Nicholas Hausch and Jose Pacheco have pleaded guilty; the other five, including Conroy, are awaiting trial. Pretrial hearings begin Wednesday on whether Conroy's statement was taken appropriately and can be used in a trial.

Conroy's attorney, William Keahon of Islandia , did not return calls for comment Tuesday. He previously has said police were "creative" in taking the statement. When asked two months ago about excerpts from Conroy's statement quoted in court papers, in which Conroy referred to regularly going out and looking for Latino people to beat up, Keahon said, "He never said those words, he never said anything like it."Handwritten statements by each of the seven teens - written by Suffolk detectives based on interviews and signed by the defendants - were obtained by Newsday.The statements tell a similar story of the night of Nov. 8, 2008: a group of teenagers hanging out at a local park, eventually leaving, determined to find Latinos to beat up.In each statement, the seven defendants said they were near the Patchogue train station, where several of them approach Lucero and a companion and provoke a fight. Both Lucero and his companion defended themselves by swinging their belts, according to the statements. One of them "yelled at us that he had been in this country 20 years," Jordan Dasch's statement read. None of the other six defendants witnessed Conroy stab Lucero, according to their statements, and none realized Lucero was stabbed until Conroy told them as they walked away."Jeff said . . . 'I stabbed that guy.' At first I didn't believe him, but when he showed me his knife with blood on it I knew it was no joke," read Kevin Shea's statement. Shea's attorney argued in court last week the statement was coerced.One defendant suggested Conroy toss the knife, according to multiple statements.

"I tried to wash the blood off in a puddle, but there was still blood on it," Conroy's statement read.

Justice for Marcelo Lucero: Another Defendant Plea Bargains!

Jose Pacheco, one of six remaining defendants awaiting trial in the fatal stabbing of Marcelo Lucero, a legal Ecuadorean immigrant in New York has pleaded guilty to gang assault as a hate crime. Jose Pacheco agreed Wednesday to testify against other defendants accused in the death of dry-cleaning worker Marcelo Lucero. Lucero was stabbed in the chest Nov. 8, 2008, in Patchogue, N.Y. Authorities say seven teens went "Beaner Jumping" looking for a Latino victim. Last month, another defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy and hate crime charges and agreed to testify. The year since the Lucero slaying has put national spotlight on the area's race relations. The U.S. Justice Department launched a probe of hate crimes and police response to them.

With two of the seven defendants pleading guilty to charges in connection with the hate killing of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero, legal experts say more pleas can be expected as the case moves toward trial.
"It usually ends up being a little bit like bowling pins," said Bruce Barket, a Garden City defense attorney not affiliated with the case. "Once one falls, it tends to cause others to obtain a plea." With Pacheco testifying against the group, it may be possible for the remaining defendants to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Hopefully this will deter future potential Hate Crime attackers from hurting anyone else.
Reference:
NY teen guilty of hate crime in Ecuadorean's death
STOP HATE CRIMES! Sunday Marks One Year Anniversary of Marcelo Lucero's Murder!

Unemployed Americans Won't Do AgJobs! Time for Immigration Reform!!

Over the past 20 years, the USA has lost Global and Domestic Agricultural Market Share to Foreign Competitors. Even though America has some of the richest farming lands in the world, America cannot staff sufficient number of Agjobs to harvest the crops grown in the USA. So instead, these agricultural markets and jobs are outsourced overseas.

The insufficient number of workers willing to perform AgJobs in America is continuing to dwindle. This is not an economic issue. American Workers simply DO NOT WANT to perform these jobs. The work is too hard. The wages too low.

Today, there are sufficient Latino Workers willing to immigrate, come as Guest Workers willing to do these jobs, the jobs they have performed for decades. But they WON'T COME! Why? Because of the Hate-Filled Era created by the AM Shock-Jocks like Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Hannity and Limbaugh.

Now, more than ever, it is important that we discuss and pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform in our Country. We should fix our broken processes, fix the backlog in the immigration courts, establish a path for legalization for those here felonious free, and most of all, end the era of Hate Crimes against Latinos and allow a Guest Worker program that works.

Guest Voz: Dick Joyce - owner - Sherwood -based Joyce Farms:
Dick Joyce's father started the family farm in 1910 and over the years sold everything from grain to dairy products, cattle and hazelnuts. During harvest, Joyce says, neighboring farmers would go from farm to farm with a community threshing machine to cut the grain.
When the Joyce farm grew to include cherry orchards, during harvest time the family bused in pickers from Portland's West Burnside Street, Joyce says. Most were "Anglos," he says, and a few were African Americans.
"Some people termed them as 'winos,' others as 'fruit tramps,'" Joyce says. "These guys would travel and follow the crops."
At other orchard, nursery and berry operations, women and children worked during summers to pick crops, Joyce says. When laws restricted children's work in agriculture, "the children didn't get training, they didn't get the incentive to work," he says.
And more Oregonians left the rural areas for city life, Joyce says. "Over time, as their economic situation improved, people were not interested in farm work."
In the 1980s, the state saw a rapid influx of Mexicans, who filled the hole in the labor market, Joyce says. "Nobody was displaced as a result of their coming."
Joyce, who has sold most of his land, now runs a 40-acre fruit tree nursery and a maintenance business. He employs about 20 permanent workers -- all Latinos. Many have worked for him for more than two decades, he says, and he now employs their children.
"Culturally, white Americans have moved away from agriculture, and it isn't a matter of money at all," Joyce says. "There's no amount of money that you can lay on the table to make them work."
Joyce hopes to see a change in immigration law that would tighten borders and allow farmworkers to gain legal status.
Monty Smith, former farmworker, Scio
Monty Smith has done farm work since he was 12. He has worked on horse ranches, dairy farms, berry farms, plus cattle, sheep and goat farms. His family, originally from Oklahoma, followed crops from state to state.
"I love farming; sometimes it's very rewarding," he says, "though it could be a real pain."
Smith, 38, says most of his family and neighbors have dropped out of agriculture. He lives in rural Linn County south of Salem, but none of his friends do farm work.
"Farming is just something the American people don't do anymore," he says.
Most of the time, Smith has worked with Latinos and was "the only white guy working." White, non-Latino Americans shy away from agriculture, he says, because of low pay.
"It seems to me like a lot of Oregon workers are looking for higher-pay jobs -- $11 to $12 an hour -- not minimum wage," Smith says. "It takes a lot for a person to raise their family, and farms don't pay that."
Farm work can mean eight- to 18-hour days, toiling in the scorching sun or cold rain, relocating and having little family time. And many farmers don't pay overtime.
Smith was a farmworker, he says, because he didn't have family obligations. (He separated from his wife eight years ago, and his two children live in Missouri.) But last spring he got a job as a heavy-equipment operator with Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, patching potholes and fixing water pipes. He doesn't plan to return to farm work.
Reference:
Stable farm labor seems elusive in global economy

Minuteman Leader Shawna Forde and Accomplices Pointing Fingers At Each Other to Avoid Prison Time for Murders!

Shawna Forde was in court Monday with her fellow accomplices, Gunny Bush and Albert Gaxiola, for the murders of 9 year old Brisenia Flores and her Dad. Each of their lawyers began setting the groundwork so each defendant could try to pass off blame for the murders on the others.

Pima County Superior Court, Judge John Leonardo agreed Monday to try Jason Bush separately from his co-defendants. Leonardo scheduled Bush's trial for Nov. 2, 2010, and the trial of Shawna Forde and Albert Gaxiola for Jan. 4, 2011. Forde's and Gaxiola's attorneys want their clients to get their own separate trials, too, but Leonardo declined to split them up, defense attorney Eric Larsen said. Larsen, one of Forde's attorneys, said he has been given permission to ask for a severance again in the future.

Forde's and Gaxiola's attorneys believe separate trials are needed because it would be impossible for a jury to believe one of the defendants "without excluding the defense" of the other. According to court documents, Larsen said if Gaxiola points the finger at Forde, she would want to tell jurors about Gaxiola's drug ties and convictions. She also would point out a friend of Gaxiola's, who has not been charged in this case, "most fits the description" of the man who was seen with Gaxiola "scouting the victims' residence."

Even if Gaxiola and Forde's defenses aren't "mutually exclusive," the trials should be separate because Gaxiola would probably want to "inflame the passions" of the jury by telling them about Forde's association with the border defense movement, Larsen said. Gaxiola's attorneys, Jack Lansdale and Steve West, contend Gaxiola wasn't inside the house when the victims were shot. They want a separate trial because Bush told police he shot the victims under duress from Gaxiola, and they believe Forde probably will say the same thing.

Justice Denied for Another Hate Crime Against Latinos:Judge Says Dannie Baker Incompetent to Proceed in Chilean Student Murders & Released from Prison

First, the murderers of Luis Ramirez got off with a handslap of only six months in county jail (released next month), now the murderer of the innocent Chilean Students has been deemed to be incompetent to stand trial and is being released from prison. He is being sent to the historic mansion of the Florida State Mental Hospital in Chatahoochee. In these plush surroundings, he will receive competency training for up to five years, at which point his charges may be commuted or dropped.


On February 27, 2009, this vicious murderer, Dannie Roy Baker, began his murderous rampage a little before 2:00 am at the units of the Summer Lake Townhomes in Miramar Beach, Florida. Investigators said Baker left his townhouse, armed with a rifle, walked across the complex to the victims' unit's window, peaked inside, and opened fire. Baker, was an avid listener of Glenn Beck and other right wing shock jocks, and a volunteer for the Republican National Committee during previous presidential elections. After the shooting, his neighbor, Crystal Lynn said, "he did come up to me one time and ask me if I was ready for the revolution to begin and if I had any immigrants in my house to get them out."


On March 19, 2009, Walton County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Dannie Roy Baker before Circuit Judge Kelvin Wells for two counts of First Degree Premeditated Murder with a Firearm; three counts Attempted First Degree Premeditated Murder with a Firearm and one count Shooting at, into or within a Building. Count one of the Indictment was for the death of Racine Libia Balbontin Argandona, count two was for the death of Nicholas Pablo Corp Torres. The other three counts were also for Chilean nationals shot in their apartment. The State’s Attorney’s Office decided to seek the death penalty on the two counts of First Degree Premeditated Murder.


On November 19, 2009, Walton County Circuit Judge Kelvin C. Wells addressed him, saying, “At this time, the court is finding that … you’re incompetent to proceed and I’m going to have the sheriff transport (you) to Florida State Hospital and (you) will remain there until further order of the court.” Baker, looking slimmer than his previous photos, appeared calm and attentive, obviously prepared for the happy news of leaving prison to go to the historic mansions.


Roberto Rivera, who attended Thursday’s hearing on behalf of Cofre-Fernandez and his family, said he believes the shootings are a “politically motivated hate crime.” “Nobody’s mentioned it, but that’s what it was,” he said. Baker thought he was “protecting America from the hoards of illegal aliens,” Rivera said. He added that “the level of hatred toward liberals, Obama and migrant workers is getting out of hand.” Baker was “driven by hate and racism and a simpleton mind who’s been listening to hate radio,” he said.

New Mexico Hotel Owner Exercises His Interpretation of Offical English! Speak English Only! Change Your Name!

Here is ANOTHER REASON NOT TO PASS THE "OFFICIAL ENGLISH" legislation supported by the ANTIs!!

Larry Whitten, a retired marine, is used to people following his orders. The Virginia-born Whitten spent 40 years in the hotel business, turning around more than 20 hotels in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and South Carolina, before moving with his wife to Taos, NM. and purchasing the Paragon Inn. Whitten's management style did not work for him in Taos.

Whitten marched into the hotel with a strong arm. He layed down the law immediately! Among his own rules: he forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence. He also ORDERED them to CHANGE THEIR NAMES to some Anglicize version. No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark. If employees did NOT follow Whitten's Rule of Law, they were Fired!

In the past, Whitten's "rule of law" worked for him. The 63-year-old Texan, however, wasn't prepared for what followed. His rules and his firing of several Hispanic employees, angered his employees and many in this liberal enclave of 5,000 residents at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, where the most alternative of lifestyles can find a home and where Spanish language, culture and traditions have a long and revered history

Whitten lamented, "I'm doing what I have always done."

Former workers, their relatives and some town residents picketed across the street from the hotel. "I do feel he's a racist, but he's a racist out of ignorance. He doesn't know that what he's doing is wrong," says protester Juanito Burns Jr.

When Whitten initially arrived, he met with employees. Due to his abusive management style, he was afraid that they were talking about him in Spanish. Whitten immediately ordered his employees to speak English Only. To make matters worse, he ordered anyone who had a Hispanic surname to CHANGE THEIR NAME to the anglicized version. Those that DID NOT OBEY both of these rules were immediatly fired.

Fired hotel manager Kathy Archuleta says the workers initially tried to adjust to Whitten's style. "We had already gone through four or five owners before him, so we knew what to expect," Archuleta says. "I told (the workers) we needed to give him a chance." Then Whitten told some employees he was changing their Spanish first names. He said, "It has nothing to do with racism. I'm not doing it for any reason other than for the satisfaction of my guests, because people calling from all over America don't know the Spanish accents or the Spanish culture or Spanish anything," Whitten says.

Martin Gutierrez, another fired employee, says he felt disrespected when he was told to use the unaccented Martin as his name. He says he told Whitten that Spanish was spoken in New Mexico before English. "He told me he didn't care what I thought because this was his business," Gutierrez says.

The messages and comments Whitten made in interviews with local media, including referring to townsfolk as "mountain people" and "potheads who escaped society," further enflamed tensions. The town was in an uproar and protested against Whitten.

During the AP interview after hearing from the fired employees and the townspeople, Whitten became subsued. He said he was sorry for the misunderstanding and insisted he has never been against any culture. "What kind of fool or idiot or poor businessman would I be to orchestrate this whole crazy thing that's costed me a lot of time, money and aggravation?" Whitten said. (Note:We don't know Mr. Whitten. What kind of racist fool are you?? We know. We know. Some of your best friends are Latino and former Hippies. How could we think otherwise?)

Whitten should have dealt with the situation differently, especially in a majority Hispanic town, said 71-year-old Taos artist Ken O'Neil, while sipping his afternoon coffee on the town's historic plaza. "To make demands like he did just seems over the top," he says. "Nobody won here. It's not always about winning. Sometimes, it's about what you learn."
References:

Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change their names

Guest Voz - Maegan 'La Mamita Mala': Hate Crime Act Passes in the House

Guest Voz - Maegan 'La Mamita Mala': Hate Crime Act Passes in the House
On Thursday the House of Representatives passed the Defense Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 2467), including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which extends the definition of violent hate crimes to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

From Rep. Barney Frank:

The Hate Crimes provision in the legislation passed today will allow the federal government to assist local and state law enforcement authorities, which prosecute the overwhelming majority of Hate Crimes cases. It permits the federal government to share resources and enforcement tools. It also authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to make grants to state and local law enforcement authorities which have incurred especially high expenses in connection with the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.

In some ways this is good news. However I am always wary of looking at enforcement legislation as a solution. Will this mean, for example that hate crimes will be more vigorously investigated and prosecuted on the state and local level? Does this mean that there will be one actual standard for what constitutes a hate crime? Looking at Suffolk County, NY, where Marcelo Lucero was killed, it was just this week that the Federal Department of Justice announced that they would officially investigate the Suffolk County police department for “discriminatory policing” against Latinos, meaning ignoring a pattern and practice of hate crimes while creating their own pattern and practice of giving a green light to these acts. Will the new hate crimes law, which is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed by President Obama, be enough to force local law enforcement to act or will they be too busy looking at other enforcement programs like 287(g) which target immigrant communities and lead to racial profiling no even care? Wouldn’t it be more effective for the Federal and local government to create some consistency. After all, can you protect with one hand what you are trying to destroy with the other?

Sexual Predator Cop Targeted Undocumented Males to Sexually Abuse

Miami Herald.com Reports:
Broward sheriff's deputy arrested on sex-abuse charges
In a series of events that Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti called ``an abuse of power'' and ``a tarnish to the badge,'' law enforcement agents arrested one of their own Monday and accused him of sexually assaulting victims -- while in his uniform, in marked vehicles and on the job.

Jonathan Bleiweiss, 29, of Fort Lauderdale, who in March was honored as employee of the year for the Broward Sheriff's Office's Oakland Park District, was booked at 11 a.m. on 14 charges, including sexual battery, false imprisonment and stalking in connection with abusing one of the victims, a 30-year-old male. Bleiweiss was held without bail Monday.Investigators said Monday they were preparing to file charges involving seven more male victims, and said there might be even more. The alleged victims range in age from 17 to 30, but all have something in common: They are undocumented immigrants, mostly from El Salvador and Mexico, who speak little English.

``I can't think of a worse betrayal of public trust,'' Lamberti told reporters Monday evening, adding: ``The fact is, he preyed on one of our most vulnerable communities.''
The investigation began in April, when an attorney contacted the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to say two of his clients claimed to have been assaulted by Bleiweiss. BSO's sex crimes unit took over the investigation.Lamberti said they gave Bleiweiss ``the benefit of the doubt'' until they fully substantiated the allegations in July, which is when he was placed on restricted administrative duty. He is now suspended without pay.

Detectives said Bleiweiss used his authority to manipulate recent immigrants who feared the police. About 6 a.m. April 23, investigators said, Bleiweiss approached a 30-year-old man who was waiting for a ride to work outside the man's apartment complex. The man told BSO that he was then frisked and fondled, with Bleiweiss sticking his hand inside his underwear. He said Bleiweiss demanded his cellphone number, then continuously called and sent him text messages.

According to the arrest warrant, Bleiweiss is accused of performing oral sex on the man on at least four occasions between that day and June 7. He ordered the man to comply or risk deportation, said BSO Detective Graciela Benito. She said that when BSO investigators interviewed residents at the apartment complex, they discovered a similar pattern: On multiple occasions, she said, Bleiweiss stopped a victim, demanded an ID, then sexually abused them when he determined they were undocumented.

Guest Voz - Old Field Guy: Right Wing Extremists Terrorize America

During my daily search routine of news articles and blogs about politics, immigration and hate crimes, I came across this excellent article titled "Right Wing Extremists Terrorize America," written by "Old Field Guy" (OFG) whose blog is titled "Just Not Right."
OFG wrote an excellent article about the Right Wing Extremists who have been terrorizing America. These are the same extremists I have been writing about whose crimes have been especially prevalent over the last several months, particularly after the election. While OFG has listed several in a very neat timeline, there are others I would like to add, including the murder of Marcelo Lucero by the Caucasian Crew and the murder of Luis Ramirez by 6 football jocks. Additionally, we should also include the numerous assassination attempts/threats to our President Obama by these right wing extremists.
The very first crime he lists was committed by far right wing extremist, white supremist and neo-nazi Keith Luke. His rape and murder spree of innocent immigrants was targetted at non-whites. Just look at him as he appeared in court in May to plead INNOCENT for the rapes and murders he committed.
He is ONE SCARY/INTIMIDATING GUY... As are ALL of the Murderers on the List.
I agree with AFG when he says these Hate Crimes are fueled by the extreme right wing political climate and they are the products of the semper fi-ish punditocracy. I also agree that these murderers are not lone wolves.
These murderers must be held accountable for their crimes and punished to the fullest extent of the law. If not, we can only expect more of these Hate Crimes to occur!
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Guest Voz: Old Field Guy from the "Just Not Right" blog
Right Wing Extremists Terrorize America
Since Obama's inauguration, America has suffered nine attacks from right-wing extremists. Many of these attacks resulted in numerous fatalities from Nazi loving, xenophobic, women hating, racists coked to the gills on white power Aryan victimhood. After DHS secretary Janet Napolitano released the report initiated during the Bush administration titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," every right-wing pundit in America was outraged. Even though no names were mentioned, curiously these pundits stepped in and demanded an apology, for slandering them personally--a blatant admission that they too, are right-wing extremists.

What is it exactly do we have to fear from these right-wing extremists that have a protective and Semper Fi-ish punditocracy who forced Napolitano into multiple apologies and retraction of the report?

1. The day after Obama's inauguration, Keith Luke kicks things off with a raping and murderous rampage. His plan was to kill as many "non-whites" as possible before killing himself.
2. Twenty days later, on February 10, Hitler admirer, Nazi memorabilia collector and serial wife-beater James Cummins was killed by his wife. Police found radioactive "dirty bomb" materials in his home.
3. Sixteen days later, on February 26, Dannie Baker walks into a townhouse where 14 Chilean students, here legally, were gathered and opened fire. He kills two and injures five, out of fear immigrants are taking over the country.
4. Thirty eight days later, on April 5, Richard Popalowski, a white supremacist, gun nut and cop killer lay in wait, wearing a bulletproof vest, for police. He killed three officers in the ensuing gun battle.
5. Twenty three days later, on April 28, Army Reservist, wife-beater, cop killer and Obama hater Joshua Cartwright shot and killed two deputy sheriffs when they tried to arrest him on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery.
6. Eight days later, on May 6, racist Jew-hater Stephen P. Morgan guns down, in cold blood, a female Jewish Wesleyan student. He kept a journal where he wrote down his belief that it is, "Okay to kill Jews and go on a killing spree."
7. Twenty four days later, on May 30, founder and Executive Director of the militant vigilante group Minutemen American Defense (MAD)Shawna Forde along with some thug followers, allegedly did a home invasion where two of the occupants were murdered. Husband and father Raul Flores, along with his nine-year-old daughter were mercilessly gunned down. The wife and mother was wounded in the invasion.
8. The next day, on May 31, far right extremist Scott Roeder assasinated Doctor George Tiller in church.
9. Ten days later, on June 10, white-power Aryan nutcase and Jew-hater James Wenneker von Brunn walks into the national Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and opens fire, killing a security guard.

These cannot be brushed aside as "lone wolf" isolated incidents as I am sure the mighty right-wing wurlitzer will try to claim but it is disturbing to watch them attempt to call these right-wing extremists as lefties. More of these attacks will surely occur, and they seem to be coming with higher frequency. More and more Americans will recoil from such acts, which will further isolate the right wing. And like a stalker, the more you ignore them, the more brazen they will become.

We're in for a long, hot summer.

Guest Voz - Maegan 'La Mamita Mala': Our Muertos Never Rest In Peace

On June 22 in Washington DC a commuter train rear ended another, and ripped open cars in the system's worst accident in 33 years. Seven people were killed and countless injured. Of the seven killed, a Latino name appeared, Ana Fernandez. Ana, a Latino legal immigrant, died in the accident. After her death, the family, in mourning, received racist hate calls from ANTI Immigration Reform extremists.
Our Guest Voz, Maegen, la mamita mala - from Vivir Latino, wrote about this on Vivir Latino:
Guest Voz: Maegan la Mamita Mala from Vivir Latino
Title: Our Muertos Never Rest In Peace
Date: June 26
Between last night and now there are cries all over the internet about letting the dead rest in peace. When the reality is that our dead never get to rest in peace. Take the death of Ana Fernandez, a mujer who lost her life on the DC Metro when it crashed earlier this week. Fernandez, who left behind six children, doesn’t get the benefit of resting in peace. Instead her last name and image has made her suspect in the eyes of many who have begun calling her bereaved family about her immigration status.

Her family gathered outside her Hyattsville apartment Wednesday. A
crying woman who identified herself as Ana’s sister said the accusations
aren’t true.

“Right now, the whole family is in pain. She was here
legally, and all her children are legal. They were born here.”

Now why does a mourning family have to deal with this on top of the pain of loss and helping 6 children who now have no mother? Are the anti-immigrant haters angry that they didn’t get to claim Ana’s life, the way they claimed Brisenia, her father, Marcelo Lucero, Luis Ramirez, José Sucuzhañay?
=======================
Jose Sucuzhanay's family commented on Maegan's blog. Here is what they wrote:

I’m So Upset To Know That They Are Questioning Their Immigration Status. Whoever Is Making Those Kinds Of Questions Is Instead Of Questioning Whether Those Children’s Will Have A Safe Future Without Their Mother Is INTOLERANT, RACIST, HEARTLESS, PITILESS, INHUMANE, INHUMAN, Etc

I’m The Brother Of Jose Sucuzhanay And I Know The Pain For Which the Fernandez Family Is Going Through. My Deepest Condolences To The All The Ana Fernandez Family; Especially To The 6 Orphan’s!

To Be An Immigrant Is Not a Crime; It Is An EXAMPLE OF LIFE. People For Millions Of Year Have Moved From One Place To Another Looking For Better Opportunities and Because of Immigrations we have the America today. Please make no mistake. We are all Immigrants.

Sincerely,
Diego Sucuzhanay And All The Sucuzhanay Family.