[AKidsRight.Org] Trial Dec 12th: Your Help / What about Jail?

jmurtari@AKidsRight.org

Good People & People of Faith,

My trial is next Monday in Lyons, NY, 0830 AM, in the Village Court.
Most of you know the details -- anyone new is welcome to go to:
http://www.AKidsRight.Org/support where you can find a history.
Please, I welcome your feedback and help as you read below, but if you
don't know the background or have 'why?' questions -- please review
the above first.  It will make any communication we have via
email/phone much more fruitful.

Ignoring 100 incidents of driving with a suspended license?
----------------------------------------------------------- 
I'm on trial for one incident.  I've told them there have been plenty
more and I'd like to be arraigned and tried on those also. They may
try to ignore those and that would be a tragedy.  Your help is needed
in contacting media to increase public attention to this: If the law
is valid then punish this parent.  If it's not valid -- then find the
law unconstitutional.  But don't try to ignore it.

Teri Stoddard <shared.parenting.works@gmail.com> will be making an
effort to contact media. She has been a great help in the past and
has a couple of web sites: http://feminist4fathers.blogspot.com/
and http://www.sharedparentingworks.org/

A list of media contacts is at the end of this message.  Please take
the time to call/email some of them in the next few days -- having
media at the trial Monday would be a big help.  Remember, be polite,
talk about the pain in being separated from your kids and the need for
real reform in Family Law.  No need to be angry at the Judge or
prosecutors, it is just enough to say the laws are wrong.  The Civil
Rights of parents need to be recognized and protected.  You can refer
them to: http://www.AKidsRight.Org/support for complete details.

The Big Question
----------------
There is a big risk in giving a prosecutor information they could use
to convict you on 100 instances of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation. I
really hope to come home on Monday after the trial.  I also need your
help in preparing for the worst case scenario.

The question I have is what about jail in this case?  How should that
be handled?  Normally, in other NonViolent Actions, I have been very
cooperative with authorities once an arrest occurs.  A voluntary
sacrifice of my freedom to show how deeply I love my child and believe
in our cause.  It has happened many times and you can find a history
at http://www.AKidsRight.Org/events.htm

But this is different. I didn't ask to have my license suspended. I do
not feel it is just. I hope I have addressed the issue with honesty
and Faith by also saying I have driven on over a hundred other
occasions.  I have nothing to hide, nothing here that deserves jail.

My great concern is my 89 year old mom, an Italian immigrant. I'm her
only child and she is in the Hospice program for the terminally ill.
I am taking care of her at home and she is doing better than could
have been expected.  But what if they put me in jail?

I can honestly say she would be terrified.  She can't live alone so
they would have to take her out of our home and put her in a nursing
facility -- after telling her, "Johnny is in jail."  Without a doubt
her life expectancy would be shortened.  It would be tragedy.  I have
plane tickets for my son, Dom (12), to be here for Christmas.  A time
we were looking forward to; maybe the last he will see his Grandma.

As I look at that it certainly is one of the reasons you should base
driving only on how you drive -- not other factors, or you end up in
this type of insane situation.  But what do I do?

Jail doesn't bother me very much. Do I just go along like before or is
something else required. This is not me voluntarily sacrificing my
freedom, but the system taking it just because they can --
big-bad-uncaring Goliath.  "Go ahead, file all the paper work and
motions you want, cry about your rights -- I don't care!  I took
your kids away before, and now I'll take you!"

How do you beat Goliath -- not with anger, but with love & sacrifice.

Noncooperation in Jail
----------------------
I've talked about this with a few people and I think I may have a
plan. If the Judge says, "Go to jail."  I will just lay down on the
floor and be passive. Oh, I will talk to them, but I won't help in any
way or answer any processing questions. Anywhere they want me, they
can carry me (and probably drop me - ouch!).

In my jail time I've seen how they handle uncooperative
prisoners. They limit communication, use of the phone, and put you by
yourself. It doesn't bother jail officials that much.  If laid on a
cold concrete floor that is where I will stay (hello hypothermia!).

But I will also make them feed me and keep me hydrated.  I'm not going
to cooperate by eating or drinking for them -- they can use an IV and
feeding tube.  I'm their total responsibility.  PLEASE UNDERSTAND this
in no suicide wish or hunger strike.  My goal is not to hurt myself,
but to make them expend an uncomfortable amount of effort to keep me
in custody.  Most small jails can't run an IV and they would have to
move me to some type of hospital setting.

Risks, Sacrifice & Reward
-------------------------
How long will this go on?  I don't know.  I just plan on taking it one
day at a time. Depending on how they 'care' for me there are risks
involved.  Any medical procedure can cause a problem.  Severe
dehydration could cause irreversible damage.  Is this a good strategy
-- we may soon find out.

Again, again, and again I have to go back to Civil Rights history.
GREAT rights are defined by the sacrifices people made to achieve
them.  This little game of suspending my license because of money
makes it impossible for me to fulfill basic family obligations and be
a free man.  Pull a son away from taking care of a sick mother because
of money -- have we lost our senses?

By it's very nature, sacrifice is not a contract.  You give up this
and you will gain that. That would make it easy.  Sacrifice is you
give up this and then maybe, maybe, you will gain that?  But always -
you gain satisfaction & self respect & peace.  "They told me to move
to the back of the bus in my kid's life -- but I said, 'No.'  They had
to carry me and hold me down."

How you can help
----------------
Democrat & Chronicle - Rochester Metro Paper (daily)
Regional Reporter: Mr. Steve Sink 585-258-2252
(ssink@democratandchronicle.com)
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/

Times of Wayne County - Local Paper (weekly)
waynetimes@aol.com
http://www.waynetimes.com/

Finger Lakes Times - Local Paper (daily)
Lyons Reporter:  Jim Miller jmiller@fltimes.com
http://www.fltimes.com/

WHEC TV (NBC) - News Hot Line: 585-232-1010,
http://www.10nbc.com/contactus.asp

WHAM TV (ABC) - Newsroom Hotline: 585-334-8743, 
Newsroom Fax Line: 585-334-8719   yourstories@13wham.com
http://www.13wham.com/contactus

WROC TV (CBS) - News Tip Line: 585-222-8888,
http://www.wroctv.com/     Newsroom@wroctv.com

WUHF (FOX) -  News Hotline: (585) 262-FOX1
News Fax: (585) 232-3005
http://www.foxrochester.com/

-- 
                                       John Murtari
____________________________________________________________________
Coordinator                            AKidsRight.Org
jmurtari@AKidsRight.Org                "A Kid's Right to BOTH parents"
Toll Free (877) 635-1968(x-211)        http://www.AKidsRight.Org/

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