Tag: police

Happy Holidays!!

On By Melba V. PearsonIn Legal News2 Comments

And just like that, 2023 has come to an end! It has been a nonstop year, and I look forward to getting some R&R this holiday season. But before I do, here are some quick updates!

Congratulations to Tanya Bhatt, who has been elected to the Miami Beach City Commission. She is someone I supported during her race, and I look forward to seeing great things from her in the coming year.

I was honored to provide input on the ongoing battle to get recreational cannabis on the ballot in Florida. The Miami New Times quoted me in a two-part series, that you can read here and here. I also weighed in on an awful case of police brutality for the Knoxville News Sentinel, which thankfully ended well under the circumstances. Lastly, with two high-profile rappers on trial in Atlanta and Broward County, I chatted with the Miami Herald about the use of hip-hop lyrics by prosecutors as evidence of wrongdoing. It’s a slippery slope since the lyrics may have been written way before any crimes may have occurred, and artists often brag about things they have no involvement in (often encouraged by studio bosses because it sells records).

Graphic with photo of Melba and text "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together" African Proverb
Quote of the Month!

On the work front, our team at the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators at Florida International University has been doing a great deal of work in Maryland, with our work being featured in Maryland Matters. Using data for transparency in prosecution shouldn’t be feared by offices, it should be embraced!

ICYMI

Check out my recent appearance on CourtTV discussing the Young Thug case among others; I also weighed in on the Jonathan Majors and P. Diddy cases.

I had a wonderful #MondaysWithMelba with MaryKay, the owner of Your Alpaca Cottage! We managed to blend our love of animals and social justice.

Are you on TikTok? If so, see my recent video on the importance of supporting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in the wake of multiple allegations against P. Diddy.

Had a fun time with Erik Fleming on his podcast, along with Dr. Tracy Pearson (ironically, no relation!).

Panel discussion hosted by Lexis Nexis on the changing legal landscape in Florida

Call To Action:

We are soooo close to getting abortion access on the ballot in Florida, but we need more signatures — especially in Broward, Orlando, Osceola, Tampa, and Polk County. Ohio is proof of concept that this can happen, and the polling is consistent — the majority of Floridians (despite who they may vote for) support access to safe abortions. Keep in mind that what happened to a woman in Texas can — and has happened — in Florida. If you have not signed, please do so here.

You may recall the horrible case of AJ Owens, who was killed in front of her children by her racist neighbor. There is a collection and toy list to help them during this holiday season, so please join me in giving them a little joy during the first holidays without their mom.

Enjoying a great Art Basel exhibit on the Harlem Renaissance with fellow members of the
Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee

Candidates I’m Watching:

End-of-year giving is not just for charities — it’s for candidates too! The last quarter push is critical. Here are some folks to support locally for their elections in 2024:

Rodney Jacobs — I’m really excited about Rodney throwing his hat in the ring for the Florida State Senate. His military service, as well as working on police misconduct in the City of Miami, gives him a fresh, balanced perspective that is sorely needed!

Marisol Zentano — Marisol is taking another shot at becoming Miami Dade’s Property Appraiser. She ran in 2020 with me and did incredibly well with little name recognition plus a short runway to campaign. 2024 will be the year for her to win it!

Lucia Baez – Geller — Lucia served us so well on the School Board that she became a target for extremists who want to ban books in a willy-nilly fashion. She is now running for Congress, taking on an incumbent who voted to keep George Santos in Congress among other awful votes. She’s a public school teacher, a daughter of immigrants, and frankly, a breath of fresh air.

Monique Worrell — She is still fighting despite being wrongfully removed by the Florida Governor. She had her hearing in front of the Florida Supreme Court and is awaiting a decision regarding reinstatement. Regardless of the outcome, she is running for her second term as State Attorney in the Orlando area. The people should decide who serves in elected office, not anyone else.

Thank you for all of your support, comments, and emails this year. I’m doing a digital detox until January to reset for what we know will be an intense year in politics! Wishing each of you the happiest of holidays, and best wishes for the New Year.

In Solidarity,

M.

Happy Holidays from the Diva and the Cowboy!

For People of Color in Jacksonville FL, Walking Can Be a Crime

On By Melba V. PearsonIn Legal News1 Comment

Hi RLD Family, 

See my first piece for the ACLU Blog!

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Walking is a lot of things. It’s great exercise. It’s a cost-free mode of transportation. But for Black people in Jacksonville, Florida, evidence suggests that it’s leading to discriminatory encounters with police.

Black pedestrians in Jacksonville are ticketed a stunning three times as often for pedestrian violations, like jaywalking, as white pedestrians, according to ProPublica and The Florida Times-Union. In a recently published exposé, the outlets examined 2,200 tickets issued in Jacksonville between 2012 and 2016. They found that although representing only 29 percent of the city’s population, Black people received a whopping 55 percent of all pedestrian tickets. Disproportionate enforcement also occurred for lesser known offenses. For instance, 68 percent of people who received tickets for “failing to cross the road at a right angle or the shortest route” were Black.

In Jacksonville, crossing the street on a yellow light or walking on the street where there is no sidewalk can result in getting a ticket with a $65 price tag. If you are poor or working but struggling to make ends meet, this is an especially hard pill to swallow. Failure to pay may impact your credit score or possibly result in suspension of your driver’s license.

The disparate citation rates in Jacksonville raise serious concerns about racial profiling. The ProPublica/Times-Union story even includes pictures of police officers doing the exact same thing that Black pedestrians have been ticketed for.

The issue of disparate enforcement in the state of Florida is far from new.

The ACLU analyzed the rate of stops and tickets for seatbelt violations for 2014. Statewide, Black motorists were stopped and ticketed almost twice as much as white motorists based on data from 147 different law enforcement agencies. In some places, data showed Black motorists were as much as a staggering four times as likely to be ticketed.

In Tampa, Black children as young as 3 years old were targeted for stops while riding a bicycle and ticketed for things like “bike riding with no hands.” From 2003 to 2015, more than 10,000 bike tickets were issued — 79 percent of them to Black residents. Black people, however, compose only 26 percent of the Tampa population. In 2016, the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services issued a scathing report indicating that the tickets burdened Black cyclists in Tampa and did nothing to reduce crime or improve safety.

Does law enforcement have a compelling reason why they continue to overpolice communities of color? No, they do not.

The reason given by Jacksonville law enforcement for their pedestrian ticket enforcement practices is that it reduces pedestrian fatalities. But city officials in Jacksonville have not backed up that reasoning with evidence showing, for example, that the rate of pedestrian fatalities was actually lowered over time as a result of whatever practices are leading to such high rates of ticketing Black people for pedestrian offenses. Law enforcement has likewise not presented data showing that such interactions have reduced crime by, for example, leading to the apprehension of crime suspects or seizure of weapons and contraband.

Overpolicing of communities of color leads to one thing: the overpolicing of communities of color. That’s unacceptable and illegal. It’s time for Florida law enforcement agencies to make changes to the way citizens of color are treated. Only by embracing reform can police in Florida protect and serve everyone equally.

 

Aramis Did It Right: My Latest in the Orlando Sentinel

On By Melba V. PearsonIn Legal News2 Comments

The video of State Attorney Aramis Ayala being stopped by police has gone viral.
This shouldn’t be surprising: Ayala is the first African-American state attorney in Florida, and she is experiencing heightened scrutiny for her stance on the death penalty. Ayala is currently in a legal battle with Florida’s governor who, after she made her stance public, reassigned close to two dozen of her death-penalty-eligible homicide cases to another state attorney.

Read the rest here. 

New In HuffPo: My New Normal Post Philando Castile

On By Melba V. PearsonIn Legal News1 Comment

police car

Yesterday, I was pulled over.

The reason given was that my license plate cover was too dark. I never thought it was, nor had I been warned for this previously.

In the past, I had my prosecutor’s badge to protect me — not anymore.

I’m the number two in the state for the most powerful civil liberties organization – the ACLU.

And I felt fear.

 

I placed my hands over the steering wheel, in full view of the officer. When he asked for my registration, I made sure to move slowly, with my hands continuously in full view.

 

He commented on my sports car, and my President Obama pin hanging from my rear view mirror. He also commented on my novelty license plate. My plate can be construed in several ways — commonly it is thought to support Black Lives Matter. In truth, the plate is a combination of mine and my husband’s initials. I don’t correct people, because I support intelligent policing. I always liked the double entendre.

 

Read the rest in the Huffington Post here.

#TBT: Best of 2016

On By Melba V. PearsonIn Good Vibes2 Comments

voting 2016

 

 

Hi RLD Family,

As we bring 2016 to a close, I wanted to share the stories on the blog that were the most popular this year. I’ve put the link to the post in the title, so go ahead and click to read it again…or for the first time if you missed it.

Let’s begin the countdown!

 

 

#5. Don’t Leave America, Fight For It!

This Presidential election definitely brought out some strong feelings — and the outcome came as a surprise to many. I shared my thoughts as to “where from here” and my resolve to fight for what is rightfully mine as an American. My forefathers planted trees on this land, and I intend to stay and enjoy the fruit of their labor.

 

#4. An Open Letter to Bill O’Reilly on Slavery

My response to the crazy and factually incorrect comments regarding slavery made by Fox News host Bill O’Reilly appeared in the Huffington Post. It remains the most commented on and liked piece that I have done so far.  We must be vigilant to make sure that those who wish to revise history, whitewashing it and trying to minimize the effect it had on this nation, are held to task.

 

#3. My Take on Police Shootings

This piece was published in the Huffington post as well. It was in response to some of the horrific shootings by police that we saw this year. Not every case merits an arrest;  if an officer can articulate legitimate reasons for being in fear, then the shooting is justified.  The focus must remain on deescalation tactics  to reduce the number of fatal shootings, and shining a light on those shootings that are not justified to ensure that everyone is equal under the law — facing consequences when the law is broken.

 

#2. #LoveWins: Interracial Relationship Realities

An innocent and sweet Old Navy ad featuring an interracial family drew the ire of Internet trolls. As a result of the racist backlash, many families started to post pictures showing what love is. I was no different;  not only did I post pictures of my husband and I, but I penned a piece to discuss some of the challenges that we face as a couple. At the end of the day, as long as you have a love and communication, you can overcome anything!

 

And the number one post of 2016 on the Resident Legal Diva is:

#1. Goodbye My Dear Friend…

This was one of the toughest pieces for me to write. Actually, writing it wasn’t that hard; reading and sharing it was the difficult part. My friend suddenly passed away earlier this year, and left a hole in my heart that can never be filled. This was a tough year for me with regards to friends and family transitioning to the next life. All we can do is cherish those we love while we have them, mourn those we have lost, and keep them alive in our hearts through our beautiful memories.

This year I also took a gander at vlogging! I did three videos — check out the links below.

 

So for 2017, what do you want to see on the blog? Do you want to see more articles? More Diva Talks videos? More Diva Reads where I discuss articles of interest that I have been reading?  I’d love to hear from you, sound off in the comments below.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous, and amazing New Year. I’ll see you on the flipside!

M.

 

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courtesy CreateHerStock