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Good Samaritan Sex Offender
The Chicago Sun-Times tells the story of Erasmo Palacios, who, after dropping off his six-year-old daughter at school, was with his wife Rocio and their 22-year-old daughter, all on their way to breakfast when they saw a woman waving her arms. Thinking she was in distress, they approached her in the car, at which point...
...the woman approached their car, parked outside Manolos restaurant, leaned in to the passenger side where Rocio was sitting and asked Erasmo if he wanted oral sex for $20 or sex for $25.
The couple laughed, realizing this wasnt a woman in distress after all.
But within seconds, Chicago police swarmed the family car, hauling Erasmo Palacios out in handcuffs. He was charged with solicitation of a prostitute.
His daughter, who had just run in to exchange her coffee for a hot chocolate, screamed, while his wife cried in fear.
Eight hours later, Palacios, who has no criminal record, was released from custody. And weeks later, charges against him were dropped.
The police report improbably charged that Palacios solicited sex from the undercover officer, even as his wife sat in the passenger seat, and his daughter was on her way out from getting a beverage. Makes you wonder how many men have been wrongfully arrested for solicitation who didn't have their wives and daughters nearby to vouch for them. Also makes those websites cities put up posting mugshots of suspected (not convicted) johns all the more invidious.
The punchline: Though the charges were dropped, the city seized the family's car under laws allowing the forfeiture of automobiles used in the solicitation of prostitutes. The city won't return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700 in towing and storage fees.
|9.12.07 @ 2:18PM|#
I'll add this to the existing set of lessons I've learned from
my government:
Unintended Government Life Lesson #303: Don't help anyone. Ever.
It's probably a fucking cop.
|9.12.07 @ 2:19PM|#
No good deed ...
I hate these fucking cops in Chicago. I hate them with a
passion.
|9.12.07 @ 2:23PM|#
When will someone sane in the judiciary declare that forfeiture laws are bug-eyed crazy unconstitutional?!
The Artist Formerly Know as Tr|9.12.07 @ 2:24PM|#
When in the Course of human events . . . .
Here Here !
|9.12.07 @ 2:26PM|#
Police officers undercover as prostitutes don't even look that good...
That's probably why he thought she was in distress. "Oh geez, look
at her Rocio! Someone must have beat the shit out of her!"
|9.12.07 @ 2:29PM|#
Government truly is a racket. Perhaps RICO should be brought to bear against the city of Chicago......
Mr. Happy|9.12.07 @ 2:32PM|#
Another reason to legalize prostitution. When you go to a legal brothel in Nevada, you have no fears of getting arrested. No fears of nasty diseases. No fears of your face plastered on a johns site. The workers aren't beaten. They aren't junkies. And they're genuinely friendly.
carrick|9.12.07 @ 2:32PM|#
Here Here !
Not positive, but I believe the appropriate british exclamation is
"Hear, Hear"
|9.12.07 @ 2:34PM|#
We are coming to the point in this country that we really have
no law anymore. How is it that we go from there being such a thing
as entrapment, meaning that cops could not entrap otherwise
innocent people into committing crimes and had to get the Johns to
ask for sex in return for money to arrest them to know the cop can
waive his arms and anyone who pulls over is arrested?
There needs to be a national "throw cops and prosecutors in jail"
task force. False arrest and abuse of prosucatorial discretion
ought to be federal crimes with mandatory prison sentences.
Whenever some dumb ass thing like this happens, everyone involved
up until the matter was dropped goes to jail. No deals, no
compromises, nothing. Just go to jail and stay there and never be
allowed in law enforcement again. I know that is a drastic measure
but these jackasses have abused the privilage of being cops and
burned up their benefit of the doubt for too long.
The Extispicator|9.12.07 @ 2:35PM|#
He wanted to do a prostitute right in front of his wife and daughter? KIN-KY. I wish my wife was that cool.
New World Dan|9.12.07 @ 2:35PM|#
Lost_In_Translation,
Do you know what real prostitutes actually look like? [shudder] If
I ever get desparate enough to pay for that, someone
please shoot me.
|9.12.07 @ 2:38PM|#
The police report improbably charged that Palacios solicited
sex from the undercover officer, even as his wife sat in the
passenger seat, and his daughter was on her way out from getting a
beverage. Makes you wonder how many men have been wrongfully
arrested for solicitation who didn't have their wives and daughters
nearby to vouch for them.
I'm really trying hard to avoid saying Fuck the
police! I really am.
What's the penalty for filing a false police report in Illinois? If
your a cop, apparently nothing.
carrick|9.12.07 @ 2:39PM|#
One of the top reasons why I left Phoenix for backwater, middle-america was that I was becoming more afraid of the police than the criminals.
|9.12.07 @ 2:40PM|#
The punchline: Though the charges were dropped, the city
seized the family's car under laws allowing the forfeiture of
automobiles used in the solicitation of prostitutes. The city won't
return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700 in towing and storage
fees.
I thought you needed a joke for a punchline. This crap ain't
fuckin' funny. Just quibbling.
ed|9.12.07 @ 2:41PM|#
Too bad he has a family. Murdering all the players involved
might just be worth frying for.
I kid. Somewhat.
|9.12.07 @ 2:43PM|#
I am sorry, but they lied. They of course being the perverts who solicited sex from an undercover police officer lawfully posing as a prostitute. The charges were dropped on a technicality. The wife... well, she was the worse one of the bunch, talked about all kinds of sick things she wanted to do to the prostitute/officer. Sickening things, things no human should be aroused by, let alone participate in.
Russ 2000|9.12.07 @ 2:45PM|#
Also makes those websites cities put up posting mugshots of
suspected (not convicted) johns all the more invidious.
What kind of sick fuck actually visits those websites?
It's bad enough some Milgramesque schmuck gets paid to put a site
like that together.
TrappedEastOfTheBigMuddy|9.12.07 @ 2:45PM|#
The city won't return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700 in towing and storage fees.
The city incured these costs for their own benifit, and at their
own discression under the mistaken impression that the car belonged
to the city of Chicago.
This was not done at Palacios request or for their benifit.
So whose costs are they?
Brando|9.12.07 @ 2:54PM|#
Is there any legal remedy to getting his property back without paying the fee? I would happily donate to a fund to help with legal expenses.
|9.12.07 @ 2:58PM|#
The city won't return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700
in towing and storage fees.
The way I see it the city owes the Palacios rent for the car, and
compensation for the inconvenience. Let's not even mention a
settlement for false arrest. I guess they've solved all the violent
and property crimes in the windy city and the cops have nothing
better to do.
Episiarch|9.12.07 @ 3:09PM|#
I guess they've solved all the violent and property crimes
in the windy city and the cops have nothing better to
do.
Dude, those crimes are hard to stop..and dangerous! Why would they
work on those when they can fleece some wetbacks who they figure
won't fight back?
Come on, give the pigs some credit for efficiency.
LibertyPlease|9.12.07 @ 3:10PM|#
Is there any legal remedy to getting his property back without paying the fee?
I think there are MUCH bigger issues to discuss,
given how frequently this bullshit happens.
1) Criminalizing victimless activities
2) Growth of law-enforcement numbers and scope
3) Entrapment
4) Asset Theft
5) Lack of LEO accountability
6) Lack of LEO oversight
7) Lack of media coverage (other than Radley Balko, CATO, the
odd-"isn't-that-wacky" story in MSM.
LibertyPlease|9.12.07 @ 3:14PM|#
I left out probably the two biggest problems (that I see)
1) Criminalizing everything
2) Exempting the Enforcers
|9.12.07 @ 3:17PM|#
LibertyPlease,
You see, the problem with discussing those issues is that fearless
intellectual juggernaut and advocate of liberty Anderson Cooper
doesn't look as cool doing that as he does dodging missiles in
Basra (for example).
In other words, most modern "media" is infotainment. Radley Balko
and the other Reason writers stand out so much because
they're real actual journalists who are good at what they do.
Another good post, Radley. Well, good in the sense that you are yet
again revealing that law enforcement is willing to break the law to
enforce the law.
LibertyPlease|9.12.07 @ 3:21PM|#
...revealing that law enforcement is willing to break the law to enforce the law.
Worse, breaking the law to aggressivly enforce unjust laws.
|9.12.07 @ 3:25PM|#
The city won't return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700
in towing and storage fees.
OK, towing ~$100. Storage $4600? What did they do, get the car an
apartment in the Loop? Damn, this shit just pisses me off.
|9.12.07 @ 3:26PM|#
And we wonder why people are becoming less and less helpful and friendly in this world - my goodness all the couple thought was the woman was in distress and they were trying to HELP
SJE|9.12.07 @ 3:26PM|#
Re: "THEY LIED"
Click on the link and it goes to the Corona (CA) Police Dept. I
gotta ask, do the Corona taxpayers pay their police to surf the
web? Whats more, pay to submit commits to blogs? Do such comments
reflect the views of the CPD, and the City of Corona?
My follow up question: if, as the poster states, they lied, can
he/she please provide us with the court transcript or other
evidence?
|9.12.07 @ 3:29PM|#
Maybe the pigs were just looking for Hispanics/immigrants to fuck with (pun intended) ?
|9.12.07 @ 3:31PM|#
I am curious to know what the Cops had to say about this. People lie to unbelievable extents and that includes both the citizens and the cops. For all we know they were actually soliciting and are just lying to the paper. When an article says that that the facts of the case are confirmed, then I will believe it.
Episiarch|9.12.07 @ 3:36PM|#
For all we know they were actually soliciting and are just
lying to the paper.
Seeing as they were with a daughter old enough to go inside the
store herself, I have to go with my knowledge of the behavior of
most normal humans and say they are telling the truth. Plus, going
by normal cop behavior, I believe them even more. On top of it all,
it's entrapment.
|9.12.07 @ 3:46PM|#
Illinois coppers. I hate Illinois coppers. (Revs up engine before running cops off bridge.)
Guy Montag|9.12.07 @ 3:46PM|#
The punchline: Though the charges were dropped, the city
seized the family's car under laws allowing the forfeiture of
automobiles used in the solicitation of prostitutes. The city won't
return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700 in towing and storage
fees.
Does DC still do this? I think I have asked here before but I don't
remember anybody knowing the answer.
Right after I started working in the DC area some cop beeped his
horn behind my truck and I had no idea what he wanted. He turned on
his lights and I moved half way into a partial parking spot, since
there were vehicles in front of me and i could not move forward.
When he pulled alongside of me he yelled at me that the next time I
did not get out of his way he would have my vehicle siezed and sold
at auction.
Later I found out why there were no right turns in that
neighborhood during most of the day. It was some sort of
inconvenience measure to keep drivers from soliciting
prostitutes.
|9.12.07 @ 3:48PM|#
Uh, sounds like entrapment to me if the cop brought up the subject of price. Something in this story is not true.
|9.12.07 @ 3:50PM|#
You know, what I'm wondering is, is there absolutely noone in
the whole Chicago police force that's embarassed by this?
WTF or as PJ O'Rourke once wrote "What the fucking fuck???"
K.|9.12.07 @ 3:51PM|#
The city won't return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700
in towing and storage fees.
Nice extortion racket.
|9.12.07 @ 3:51PM|#
I hope Erasmo Palacios gets good legal counsel and sues the
city, their police department and individual police officers for
millions.
As the fact stand he was entrapped by a ruse that should make
ordinary citizens fearful of being compassionate toward people in
distress.
|9.12.07 @ 3:52PM|#
$20 bucks for head!!! - now that's entrapment.
But seriously, who goes to score tail with the family in the car.
This reeks of pettiness on behalf of the fuzz from the arm waving
collar hunter all the way up to the bureaucracy inept pound.
$20 bucks!
stephen the goldberger|9.12.07 @ 3:56PM|#
This is just like that that time they arrested Eddie Murphy for giving a transsexual prostitute a ride home. Another lesson learned, don't ever be a good samaritan or the state will accuse you of sex crimes.
|9.12.07 @ 3:59PM|#
WalterBoswell -
At prices that low, the "prostitute" was most likely a
transvestite... or at least that's what my host brother in France
told me to watch out for if offered a low price while frequenting
the prostitute haunts of Paris
ICK
|9.12.07 @ 4:04PM|#
What on earth is going on with the Chicago cops??
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_255092827.html
Thunderman|9.12.07 @ 4:05PM|#
I hate living in Chicago too. A mobster mayor that's been in office forever, THE WORST transit system in the WORLD, cops like john burge that beat suspects with all kinds of items, and a crappy county hospital.. BUT, at least we have "the bean".
FreeMe|9.12.07 @ 4:12PM|#
I'm calling the police dept. to complain. I suggest everyone else do the same.
|9.12.07 @ 4:13PM|#
Guys, this is very typical for Chicago. The Chicago Dept. of
Revenue is not directly connected to traffic enforcement or the
general police, but they work closely with them both in regards to
impounded vehicles and Denver Boots.
In nearly every case where a vehicle is turned over to Revenue,
even if the impounding has been ruled to be unwarranted, the poor
SOB whose car has been turned over to the department will be forced
to still pay to get his car back.
The Chicago Department of Revenue are the biggest bunch of
gangsters and racketeers in the country, only seconded by the
current Presidential administration.
Their vans normally cruise low income neighborhoods and randomly
put boots on vehicles, and force the poor folks to pay to have them
removed or they impound the vehicles and either force them to pay
ridiculous amounts to get them back or sell them at auction.
One guy I knew had his car unjustly impounded for parking tickets
that should not have been billed to his car. He went to court and
had the tickets removed. However when he went to Revenue to get his
car and despite having a statement from the court claiming that he
did not owe for the tickets, they refused to turn over his car. He
had to go back to the judge and get a direct court order to force
them to turn over his car. When he did, they took another ten days
to do it. And to add insult to injury, two weeks later, they put
those very same tickets back on his car again and he had to go
through all of that crap again. Just for the record, he no longer
lives in Chicago....
And as for the poor guy in this story, odds are that he will not
get his car back, as there are many reports that they take very
expensive cars that they get and re-auction them off very quickly,
to avoid having to give them back. Once the car is gone, they can
stall forever regarding the money, if they are ordered to return
the vehicle.
Crooks, I tell you...they are a bunch of crooks.
LibertyPlease|9.12.07 @ 4:18PM|#
I have to go with my knowledge of the behavior of most normal humans and say they are telling the truth. Plus, going by normal cop behavior, I believe them even more.
No kidding. I hear the myth of the "good cop" frequently, but have
never seen one in the wild (rare in print too, even with the
police-state-sympathetic media). Can't tell you how many
non-criminal people I know who have been arrested for bullshit by
aggressive (and often ego-manical) police.
My wife and I were talking the other day about needing to keep a
lawyer's business card in our wallets in preparation for eventual
(unjustified and/or accidental) arrest.
As a white-collar, mortgage-holding, middle-class, average
American; I'd like to say Fuck the police. Fuck them all. If there
is a good cop out there, fuck him too for going along with the LEO
mob.
Ryo|9.12.07 @ 4:23PM|#
Speaking of cops hassling people for doing absolutely nothing
wrong:
Police
Threaten, Detain Motorist for Parking After Hours
Luckily the kid had a camera rolling...
|9.12.07 @ 4:40PM|#
Ryo, there's a video on CNN's site.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/09/12/chetry.kid.pulled.over.dashcam.cnn
|9.12.07 @ 4:58PM|#
The lesson here is always have a camera because cops lie.
We need the death penalty for corruption like they have in China
now.
|9.12.07 @ 5:10PM|#
Mad Scientist - Ryo, there's a video on CNN's site.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/09/12/chetry.kid.pulled.over.dashcam.cnn
Me likeeeeeeee. That's cheered me up no end. I also like the fact
that he interviewer asked "did you tried to go to the police and
say this is what happened to me" and he replies that he went to the
intertubes GO TUBESSSSSSSSSS.
mgroves|9.12.07 @ 5:26PM|#
I'm wondering if there might be some important details left out...why would a whole vice unit want to arrest this guy? What's in it for them? Something doesn't smell right with this story.
|9.12.07 @ 5:29PM|#
As a white-collar, mortgage-holding, middle-class, average
American; I'd like to say Fuck the police. Fuck them all. If there
is a good cop out there, fuck him too for going along with the LEO
mob.
It wasn't me! I didn't say it. I (the halo shines) resisted.
bugs nixon|9.12.07 @ 5:54PM|#
Wooah oooh oh...
Trouble in America...
[im so glad i don't live there]
|9.12.07 @ 5:55PM|#
Sickening things, things no human should be aroused by, let alone participate in.
Like what? A Cincinnati Hot Plate?
|9.12.07 @ 6:12PM|#
Like what? A Cincinnati Hot Plate?
The useless crap you learn because of this websie...
Yeah, I googled it.
SJE|9.12.07 @ 6:20PM|#
mgroves wrote: "I'm wondering if there might be some important
details left out...why would a whole vice unit want to arrest this
guy? What's in it for them? Something doesn't smell right with this
story."
If mgroves wants evidence that this is NOT so unusual, see Radley's
article today (with photos) of 8 cops arresting 2 guys with one
joint. Sorta the same scale, don't ya think.
Indeed, if there is an undercover cop involved, it would make sense
to have more police to protect the UC officer, no?
miche|9.12.07 @ 6:27PM|#
A little off topic but on the subject of criminalizing vice, Dallas PD is trying to stop prostitution by busting massage parlors for massaging without licenses. They've busted more people for license violations than prostitution. (at my site)
|9.12.07 @ 6:28PM|#
If you want to know what a prostitute looks like..
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070912/ap_on_go_co/vitter_flynt_2
|9.12.07 @ 6:44PM|#
Wow.
I was considering putting a high tech startup in Chicago but if
they do this crap to FAMILIES.. single guys at a stoplight haven't
got a prayer.
I think I'll go with Atlanta. Thanks for providing me with the
'tipping point' data I needed to knock me off that fence.
Goodbye Chicago.
EB
|9.12.07 @ 6:53PM|#
i see alot of comments about liberty
i see this man talking about it an awful lot
http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com
time to take a stand against corporate and corrupt america.
|9.12.07 @ 7:15PM|#
"He has erected a multitude of new Offices and sent hither
swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their
substance."
Declaration of Independence, 1776
|9.12.07 @ 7:19PM|#
They should turn this around on the cops.
Since the cop waved them down and did all the talking it was SHE
who was soliciting HIM for sex.
Of course, if this was a joke rather than a travesty, the punchline
would be something like:
"And then the wife says to her husband:
'$25! She's got to be kidding - don't take less than $50 for doing
it with her!'"
|9.12.07 @ 7:19PM|#
Oh, the Sun-Times has a constant parade of articles about the
whole parking ticket/towing/confiscation racket. No matter how many
times the politicians wave their arms and promise to "investigate",
nothing ever changes.
If it ain't sleazy, it ain't Chicago.
|9.12.07 @ 7:20PM|#
No kidding. I hear the myth of the "good cop" frequently,
but have never seen one in the wild
I'm curious, LibertyPlease, how many encounters with LEOs you've
had. Good cops (at least from a libertarian POV) seldom make news,
and are rarely mentioned here at Reason, so basing your conclusions
on that sample isn't a good idea.
|9.12.07 @ 7:27PM|#
That is a rare risk of having police. Letting them go undercover though... police state.
Greg Magarshak|9.12.07 @ 7:29PM|#
Tell me if this is logical or not:
Cops should be tried and prosecuted just like anyone else for doing
crazy and unlawful things.
But at the same time, if they raid someone's house without a
warrant, if they find incriminating evidence it should still count
in court! In other words, the logical outcome should be 1) use the
evidence against the criminal/killer, but 2) try the cop for
breaking into a suspect's house without a warrant. Some cops would
risk that trial just to catch the killer...
|9.12.07 @ 7:38PM|#
"In other words, the logical outcome should be 1) use the
evidence against the criminal/killer, but 2) try the cop for
breaking into a suspect's house without a warrant. Some cops would
risk that trial just to catch the killer..."
Greg;
I would have no problem with that if the LEO's were only interested
in actual crime rather than non-violent, voluntary interactions
that happen to be illegal (War on Some Drugs, Prostitution and
Gambling immediately spring to mind).
Therese|9.12.07 @ 8:21PM|#
Wow. That is RIDICULOUS. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Jesus. Is our country really that desperate...
|9.12.07 @ 8:26PM|#
The punchline: Though the charges were dropped, the city
seized the family's car under laws allowing the forfeiture of
automobiles used in the solicitation of prostitutes. The city won't
return the car until the Palacios pay $4,700 in towing and storage
fees.
Certainly, you knew
this was coming....
|9.12.07 @ 8:50PM|#
What the article didn't mention is the veracity with which the wife was waving a twenty dollar bill at the undercover officer while shouting, "better you than me babe!"
|9.12.07 @ 9:06PM|#
>>No kidding. I hear the myth of the "good cop"
frequently, but have never seen one in the wild
>I'm curious, LibertyPlease, how many encounters with LEOs
you've had. Good cops (at least from a libertarian POV) seldom make
news, and are rarely mentioned here at Reason, so basing your
conclusions on that sample isn't a good idea.
crimethink, I said something
similar in a comment the other day.
Someone said on a thread the other day that not all cops are bad and perhaps he is right. But I'm starting to see these endless claims of good cops (and by that I mean law enforcement generally) as the equivalent to sightings of UFO's and Bigfoot - I'll believe it when I see one.
I'll tell you what is evidence for the general lack of "good cops"
- their continued and deafening silence to outrage after outrage.
If they existed in any substantial numbers I'd expect them to be
concerned about these thugs, goons and downright criminals that
Balko has done so much work to expose over the years. You'd think
they would be worried about their image and reputation as good cops
being tarnished by these incidents, but apparently not, as you
almost never here a cop say anything negative about
another cop no matter how bad his behavior.
On the other hand, there is no such difficulty finding evidence of
cops who have gone out of their way to lie about the facts and
events of, say, a drug raid, in order to protect the guilty. This
unmistakable disparity speaks volumes about the relative likelihood
of finding a "good cop" in nature, as it were.
|9.12.07 @ 9:47PM|#
Same story happened to my friend. As he was driving home from his late shift job, a woman at a red light on Sunset Blv, offered sex trough the window. He declined and drove home where his girlfriend was waiting for him. As he parked his car, cops stormed his garage and arreste him for sollicitating prostitution. He managed to get away after 5k as lawyer fees.....
|9.12.07 @ 10:13PM|#
i just don't believe the part about the car impound. if they left him go then they cannot charge him for the car...if it is true, then he needs a lawyer to sue...
latisha|9.12.07 @ 10:24PM|#
WAIT!
Like seriously. And then on top of all of that they won't give
their car back until they pay $4,700?!?!?
What in the...
|9.12.07 @ 11:29PM|#
But at the same time, if they raid someone's house without a
warrant, if they find incriminating evidence it should still count
in court! In other words, the logical outcome should be 1) use the
evidence against the criminal/killer, but 2) try the cop for
breaking into a suspect's house without a warrant. Some cops would
risk that trial just to catch the killer...
The problem is that they will "find" evidence, or never release
that they illegally searched to begin with. Every police officer
I've dealt with has been pleasant and fine, but any job where you
get to carry a gun and boss people around is going to attract some
assholes. And if an asshole has a choice between going to jail, or
dropping a joint in the corner when nobody is looking, I think you
can imagine what will happen.
Add on that the prison system is now a money making private
industry, and confiscation of property and tickets is a good money
maker, and you'll end up with some awful cases of abuse.
|9.13.07 @ 12:05AM|#
We'll obviously some people that are commenting didn't bother to
click on the link and read the rest of the article. THEY ARE SUING
THE CITY. That is what the article was about. that was the title of
the article for gods sake. if you don't feel like clicking on it.
Here is the COMPLETE article:
CHICAGO --
It was Rocio Palacios who first noticed the woman who appeared to
need help.
It was 8 a.m. when she and her husband, Erasmo, dropped their
6-year-old daughter off at school and had picked up their
22-year-old daughter to go out for breakfast when they saw the
woman waving her arms at 53rd Street and Kedzie Avenue last
November.
The Palacioses, of Chicago, claim the woman approached their car,
parked outside Manolos restaurant, leaned in to the passenger side
where Rocio was sitting and asked Erasmo if he wanted oral sex for
$20 or sex for $25.
The couple laughed, realizing this wasnt a woman in distress after
all.
But within seconds, Chicago police swarmed the family car, hauling
Erasmo Palacios out in handcuffs. He was charged with solicitation
of a prostitute
His daughter, who had just run in to exchange her coffee for a hot
chocolate, screamed, while his wife cried in fear.
Eight hours later, Palacios, who has no criminal record, was
released from custody. And weeks later, charges against him were
dropped.
Now, Erasmo Palacios is suing the city and the officers involved in
his arrest, saying they violated his civil rights during an
incident he described as both frightening and ridiculous.
Im so lucky I was with my wife -- imagine if I had to try to tell
her and she wasnt with me, he said, before laughing at the image.
Shed never believe me. Never.
A Chicago police report offers few details, saying only that it was
Erasmo Palacios who asked for sex, never mentioning his wife in the
car or his daughter nearby.
Attorneys Lonny Ben Ogus and Joe Cavanaugh also want to know what
happened to the familys 1983 Mercedes. It was impounded that
November day and, Palacios said, his wife and daughter were even
threatened with arrest as they tried to stop police from taking it,
as they were left stranded that morning.
The city wants more than $4,700 in towing and storage fees if he
wants the car back.
City officials declined to comment on the status of the familys
car and the Palacios case, while the undercover female officer
involved in the arrest couldnt be reached.
Copyright 2007, Sun-Times News Group
The Wine Commonsewer|9.13.07 @ 12:36AM|#
I try to restrain myself but this is exactly why I hate cops. Fuck them.
The Wine Commonsewer|9.13.07 @ 12:45AM|#
Now that I've calmed down. The downtown of the city I used to
live in was filled with the cheesiest hookers you could imagine. I
mean, you wouldn't do one of them with, oh, say, Urkbold's
you-know-what.
Every time the cops tried to run one of those stings everybody was
onto it because the chick was just to good looking to be a Lake
Elsinore hooker.
|9.13.07 @ 1:20AM|#
Police... lets just get someone we have too bust someone race creed or color.lets do a setup.We have too get our quota.This is why we pay taxes its stupidity in action.
|9.13.07 @ 1:51AM|#
First of all because of the false arrest he can sue them. The
police cannot not get you on that unless you agree to pay for sex.
So first Id sue the hell of them then let them keep my car.
If that spanish guy wasn't so stupid thats what he would of
done.
|9.13.07 @ 2:09AM|#
One word. He's not a White American. And America is the democratic worst country on this fucking planet. PERIOD
|9.13.07 @ 4:26AM|#
As I read this story I thought about the good old days of the
maffia. You could count on the maffia to be honest and honorable.
Now, the cops are the maffia and they have no code of honor.
I feel deeply for all the men who have been so entrapped but did
not have the benefit of direct witnesses to corroborate their
story. Would it have helped if he had said: "I'm sorry officer,
prostitution is illegal."
America is in a real sorry state these days. It will all become a
lot worse once the depression strikes home and this kind of
shenanigan will be the least of your concerns.
db|9.13.07 @ 5:06AM|#
@ kragshot:
..." a bunch of gangsters"... In Chicago?! Hahaha, what year are we
living in? 1929 or what?
|9.13.07 @ 5:47AM|#
I believe it. I've had cops come totally unglued at me for no
reason whatsoever on one occasion, and my brother had cops charging
him with all sorts of dreamed up BS, hoping that at least one
charge would stick. Of course everything was dropped re my
brother.
We all need dash-cams that send video to a secure location (not in
the car). Seriously. Might even help if you have an accident,
too.
|9.13.07 @ 5:56AM|#
I work for a smaller police agency (+/-50 officers) on the west coast and for the most part this stuff doesn't fly over here, we always read about stories like these and ask how, it pisses me off that they get away with this crap, if i pulled something like what happened here i'd be sitting my ass in jail. then i read all these posts about "Fuck the police!" I like to think that there are still good cops out there that raised their right hand and swore to uphold the constitution and laws of the state but when i read stuff like this it makes me wonder sometimes...
|9.13.07 @ 6:37AM|#
Lesson of the story:
- Never stop to help someone...
Add to that:
- If you are a male and you see a little kid alone crying, ignore
it and mind your own business.
We live in great times!
not american|9.13.07 @ 7:26AM|#
no fucking way you americans are this stupid theres just no way :D!! I really feel sorry for you losers.
Erm|9.13.07 @ 7:48AM|#
That's BS man. The way the article reads, you don't have to say
"YES" to a solicitation, they just offer it, and poof you're in
jail.
If this is true the police should be in jail.
edna|9.13.07 @ 7:52AM|#
I hope Erasmo Palacios gets good legal counsel and sues the
city, their police department and individual police officers for
millions.
as purdue boy pointed out, that's the whole basis of this story.
it's basically a rewrite of their lawyer's claims. now, while there
may well have been an outrage here and this may be the
facts of the case, the fact that this is purely the spin of a
lawyer looking to make $$$ ought to make one pause a bit before
accepting it at face value.
i'm surprised that a group of libertarians would be so willing to
trust the word of a trial lawyer. cops lie, but attorneys are
trained liars.
prisonplanet|9.13.07 @ 9:35AM|#
Remember, USA is on a police state. You're all free. Government loves you.
|9.13.07 @ 9:55AM|#
Ah, the Chicago police--they just can't seem to suck enough, can
they?
I really do think that we have much more to fear from brutal,
incompetent, and more than occasionally malicious police
departments than we do from global warming or terrorism. It's
getting harder and harder to distinguish the police from the
"criminals". What does this say about us as a society?
LibertyPlease|9.13.07 @ 10:35AM|#
I'm curious, LibertyPlease, how many encounters with LEOs you've had. Good cops (at least from a libertarian POV) seldom make news, and are rarely mentioned here at Reason, so basing your conclusions on that sample isn't a good idea.
- Speeding tickets
- My vehicle broken into (2X), had assholes ignore my case
- Some assholes I've known have become cops
- A family member was a petty criminal when we were growing up,
some of her petty criminal friends became cops
- Did ride-alongs for a newspaper, watched
former-petty-criminals/Cops harassing college students, and taking
great pride in it
Yes, anecdotes. But I don't have a single good anecdote. I have
some neutral anecdotes, but mostly bad ones.
Harassment by law enforcement is fast becoming a regular part our
lives. If you yourself are an agent of the state, well, then you're
privileged. The rest of us? Raising families, paying taxes, minding
our own business? We are subject to being fucked with.
Please show me the good cop. I've never seen him.
|9.13.07 @ 11:14AM|#
To those people who are outraged by police behaviour:
speak up. Contact Chicago Police Department (see
http://www.chicagopolice.org/contact.asp ) and demand investigation
of this incident. I did. Police has their own internal
investigation unit, and this should be investigated. Stuff happens,
there are bad apples, but what really matters is whether this is an
exception or the norm. If exception, these officers should be
investigated and charged.
If people only vent up on websites, this will be the norm, and we
will have this kind of police, this kind of Congress, and this kind
of President. We need to speak up - and not only on blogs.
Make a call.
|9.13.07 @ 11:53AM|#
Edna says -
as purdue boy pointed out, that's the whole basis of this story. it's basically a rewrite of their lawyer's claims. now, while there may well have been an outrage here and this may be the facts of the case, the fact that this is purely the spin of a lawyer looking to make $$$ ought to make one pause a bit before accepting it at face value.
i'm surprised that a group of libertarians would be so willing to trust the word of a trial lawyer. cops lie, but attorneys are trained liars.
Let me spin it for you Edna:
Fact 1 - man falsely arrested
Fact 2 - man's car confiscated
Fact 3 - charges dropped from the arrest
Fact 4 - city demands $4700 before they will return the car to the
man who was falsely arrested
It all seems fairly straightforward to me. But you're not sure
there's an outrage here. How much more would you need to know
before you would be sure there was unjust actions taken by the
authorities?
Now, assuming that the above four items are all true, isn't outrage
warranted? Do we have your permission not to "pause" if we assume
the facts as presented to be true? Do you know of any other facts
about these circumstances that would take one or more of these off
the table? Do you know for a fact that their attorney's comments
are just mere "spin"? Why should it surprise you that libertarians
are appalled about another apparent injustice perpetrated by the
state?
Bottom line, Edna, is that it's a given that opinions might change
in light of new facts or the revelation that other facts aren't
true. Your post wasn't needed.
|9.13.07 @ 12:40PM|#
With shit like this happening all the time is it any wonder they want to take all our guns away? Some people need to be strung up and shot plain and simple.
Shambo Ramscalton|9.13.07 @ 12:53PM|#
I'd have banged that police officer prostitute.
Gnngg....yeah....woooo!
PARTY!
logtar|9.13.07 @ 1:04PM|#
The system working as intended... I was surprised the first time someone told me, if you see someone fall down in a sidewalk you are better off not helping them get up or you might be sued... I thought, nonsense... well, now I have seen and heard enough.
|9.13.07 @ 1:15PM|#
This makes me angry. I hope that these stupid cops are held accountable and we can limit police powers and stop these outrageous entrapments.
Scott Moore|9.13.07 @ 1:17PM|#
Those cops knew exactly what they were doing.
They targeted a lower income family. They wanted the man's car and
they just took it. Police often used seized vehicles for their own
personal use and believe never for a heartbeat do they care in the
slightest for the people they have victimized. At the end of the
day Chicago cops are a bunch of slimy crooks.
|9.13.07 @ 2:04PM|#
I believe it. I've had cops come totally unglued at me for
no reason whatsoever on one occasion, and my brother had cops
charging him with all sorts of dreamed up BS, hoping that at least
one charge would stick. Of course everything was dropped re my
brother.
We all need dash-cams that send video to a secure location (not in
the car). Seriously. Might even help if you have an accident,
too.
You have basically described a situation that just happened in the
St. Louis area.
|9.13.07 @ 3:00PM|#
"They targeted a lower income family..."
I really don't think that's the issue. The cops in Chicago target
everyone.
edna|9.13.07 @ 4:58PM|#
How much more would you need to know before you would be
sure there was unjust actions taken by the authorities?
i'd want to see the assertions of the lawyers, which you have
already accepted as factual, confirmed by someone who isn't trying
to make money from this. i wouldn't believe just the police report,
either; they also have reason to lie and a track record of doing
so.
to use an analogy that libertarians would understand:
a republican says that his democratic opponent eats live
puppies.
the democrat says that the republican is skull-fucking roumanian
orphans.
which one do you believe?
|9.13.07 @ 5:46PM|#
I can legally have sex with a stranger that I pick up in a bar for free. I can legally pay two people to have sex, tape it and sell it for profit. I can legally go into a porn parlor and jack off in a private booth legally. But I can't pay a woman to have sex with me? How fucking ludicrous is that?
Chris cator|9.13.07 @ 7:16PM|#
Wow, thats about a lame as the cop who arrested a McDonalds
worker because his burger had too much salt on it. There is also a
video out there of a cop accusing a McDonalds employee of giving
him the wrong change back. He didn't believer her or her boss when
he checked and said she gave him the right change. The cop then
came into mcdonalds and arrested her, all on camera. I wonder how
cops accuse someone of something and abuse there power.
thanks
chris cator
vibe|9.13.07 @ 11:35PM|#
lesson learned , don't help anyone. good job cops. solving alot of crime one step at a time.
|9.14.07 @ 12:38AM|#
This is very messed up and points straight to entrapment the should sue the police in order to get the car back and one hell of a settlement.
Jacked up|9.15.07 @ 4:14AM|#
I hate Chicago. Every time I go there I see something bad
happen. I think it can be at least partially explained away by this
very kind of ridiculous entrapping LEO activity. People that live
under this kind of gestapo iron fist are probably likely to do
drastic things to try to get out or get even.
This kind of law enforcement activity reminds me of the very kind
of thing we used to hate about fascist governments and the iron
fisted soviet block too. What has this country come to?
Look out everybody, because the DHS may be on this very kind of
roughshod tyranny next with no checks and ballances. We need to
collectively take our Rights back NOW.
amercans|9.15.07 @ 6:48AM|#
ahhh we Americans, just so stupid. Why is that? like the question for miss teen usa. I know the answear.... 'CAUSE WE ARE STUPID!! "i personal belive...... and she is getting famous for being stupid...
tough choice|9.15.07 @ 1:37PM|#
$4700 / $20 = 225 blow jobs
car or oral with wife watching...
tough choice... tough
yo homes|9.17.07 @ 4:51AM|#
they should at least drop the impound charges,
"sorry about that, buy you still owe us 5k"
that's insane
TonySprout|9.26.07 @ 11:08AM|#
So many comments I agree with, but the ones I agree with most involve not stopping to help women. Ladies, this one should bother you most, because it's incidents like this that prevent me from stopping for ANY female, with or without child. You'll just have to fend for your selves from now on, and you have The Chitown PD to thank, in part.
TonySprout|9.26.07 @ 11:12AM|#
Better to own a firearm and have no police at all than to have these Keystone Kops protecting us. I have several friends in Chi area, but I refuse to go visit them just because of stupid laws and actions like these.
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