Brickbat: That'll Teach You to Have a Spanish Name

The Maricopa County, Arizona, officials claimed Briseria Torres was an illegal alien and charged her with three counts of forgery for having falsely obtained a driver's license. She spent four and a half months in jail and lost her house because she couldn't make payments. She was finally freed and the charges against her dropped after her attorneys presented a judge with a birth certificate showing that she was born in the United States. Prosecutors knew about the birth certificate but allowed a law enforcement officer to tell the grand jury that indicted her that it had been falsely created and the state had canceled it. That was not true.

Brickbat Archive

Comments

[Whiterun Guard]

Hey man, I was born in East L.A.

[RBS]

I'm glad this was a Brickbat, I couldn't get past the first couple of paragraphs of the linked article. I'm sympathetic to the guys position but calling everyone who disagrees with you rednecks and knuckle draggers probably isn't an effective way to convert them to your side.

[Whiterun Guard]

Meh, no one's ever going to be converted anyway. It's either self-convert, or remain faithful.

So you might as well have some fun lashing out in the most hurtful way you can think of.

[Dagny T.]

It was a crappily written article, agreed. He's writing for the Phoenix New Times, which a quick Google informed me is their version of the Village Voice/The Stranger/what have you. Those tend to be aimed at a generally whiny liberal audience.

Not that I disagree with the guy either, mind. But the tone is abrasive and he did a remarkably effective job at making the story as confusing as possible. He waits until 3/4 of the way through to reveal that the woman herself was confused about her name/nationality. Obviously that doesn't justify her treatment, but it's a bit more complex than just picking a random Spanish name out of the phonebook.

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

calling everyone who disagrees with you rednecks and knuckle draggers probably isn't an effective way to convert them to your side.

Besides, it's offensive to knuckle-dragging rednecks like me. You don't get into the club just by simple declaration. There are standards to met here!

[Alice Bowie]

I'm all for states rights. If the state of Arizona wants to behave this hostile towards latino, let them. No law will make those asshole RED NECKS in Arizona change. Just let them be and lets hope that assholes of the like in my state would move to Arizona.

Latinos need to wake up and leave that stupid state.
And, Americans (Latino or not) that are not happy with what these states do should consider boycotting the states.

I'm Latino. I would pack up and leave that state. Not because Jan Brewer signed a racist law, but because 70% of Arizona citizens feel that it's A-OK for latinos to be treated like this.

[Agammamon]

Ay, there's the state of Arizona, and then there's the arshole government of and in Maricopa county - don't get the two confused.

[Adam330]

The Governor of the state seems like she's Sheriff Arpaio's twin sister. And the legislature is busy passing all sorts of silly anti-immigrant laws. Forgive those of us who have a hard time telling the difference.

[darius404]

Unless their rights are violated, in which case should be illegal anyway.... Did you miss the part where the prosecutor lied about her nationality?

[Adam330]

This is a rather extreme version of vote with your feet. People should have to move from their homes just so they can enjoy basic rights, like not being locked in jail for 4.5 months for no reason at all?

[Copernicus]

Aren't cases like this the same as hitting the lottery?

[Coeus]

You would pay money for a ticket that gave you the chance to be incarcerated for 4 and a half months?

[sarcasmic]

Prosecutors knew about the birth certificate but allowed a law enforcement officer to tell the grand jury that indicted her that it had been falsely created and the state had canceled it. That was not true.

Charges of perjury and false imprisonment are soon to follow.

*rimshot*

Haaaaaaaaaaaa ha ha ha ha!

I'll be here all week.

[Auric Demonocles]

I'll be here all week.

No you won't, you'll be in bigot reeducation camp.

[Scooby]

Any lawyers who can confirm my suspicions: A prosecutor's absolute immunity does not extend to subornation of perjury, does it? Knowingly allowing the false testimony to be presented is subornation of perjury, right?

[Adam330]

The prosecutor could likely be criminally charged (fat chance). Absolute prosecutorial immunity applies to civil lawsuits.

[R C Dean]

Also not immune to a complaint against his/her/its license, which would really be hitting him/her/it where it hurts.

When I get to the point where I'm not actively practicing law any more, I may take up a new hobby: filing ethics complaints against prosecutors.

[21044]

Thank you in advance if you truly do this. I will put you on the list of the 1% that the other 99% give a bad name.

[Azathoth!!]

What kind of name is 'Arpaio' anyway?I'm pretty sure that the Angles and Saxons weren't raising any glasses to their Lord Arpaio.