"Yeah over thirty years."

They said, "I responded like an echo, I adapted like a shadow, I struck like an arrow."
I don't know what they call it, harassment. Somebody, I'm not sure. I have no idea. I don't remember. Yeah they put cuffs on me. What do you think happens? You go through the system, you either end up in Rikers Island or you eat shit for another two years. I don't know what I did. I think I harassed, I think somebody. The constitution means I have rights. I wanna know where they are? I'm trying to find them. I've been looking for the last thirty years. I think my rights have been lost. Probably close to maybe thirty five. Yeah over thirty years.

Tony

"Make people smile. That's what I try to do."

Make people smile. That's what I try to do. Make people smile. I shake my hips and do a funny dance. People laugh. You know. There's a funny guy dancing.

A couple of weeks ago, an undercover police officer came up to me. He was standing next to me for awhile and looking a little suspicious. I was wondering what he was doing. Later he came over to me and got me on the handcuff and took me to the jail. This is the costume I was wearing that day. I was in the jail for like two hours. It's an Elvis costume. I have all different costumes. I have a monkey, penguin and Mickey Mouse.

Yoshi

"What if some crackhead rolls up on me, fucking starting some bullshit? "

I bought a knife here in one of these stores, what's it called, gravity knife. Apparently it's against the law. They'll sell them to you here but they'll arrest you for having them. They picked me up, criminal possession of a weapon four. Here I am in court. They dropped it to, the DA originally told me that I was gonna get time served with guilty but now I gotta do one day of community service and I gotta come back in July, a huge problem for me. It's not a problem, it's an inconvenience.

Why did I have a knife? I mean who knows? The lifestyle I live, what if some crackhead rolls up on me, fucking starting some bullshit? Why not? They'll sell it to me. Why can I not have it? They make them all the time. So personally I don't understand why I could buy a knife in the city that I can't have in the city. In the store that sold it to me they didn't tell me it was gonna be illegal or not, they didn't like, "Here's your knife, thirteen fifty, but if they catch you with it they're gonna charge you with a crime." So I don't feel I should have been the one going to jail, you know the mother fucker who sold it to me, fuck. It is what it is. That's why I'm here. I made it. I slept on the fucking steps last night just so I'd be here on time. And uh that's it.

Tinnon

"You should be allowed to rest your eyes, allowed to be comfortable."

Trying to straighten out my community service because I missed it that day. Because it was snowing that day I was supposed to do it. For sleeping in an ATM, criminal trespass. Me and my ex-girlfriend had an argument and she kinda kicked me out of the apartment so I found myself an ATM and fell asleep.

She said something I didn't like and I said something she didn't like. Sometimes she can be very nice and sometimes she can put me down. She didn't really put me down, she just didn't understand me, she misunderstood me. Like she's totally against marijuana use. Sometimes I like to smoke. That could run into a problem between me and her. She thinks that it just wastes my time.

It was kinda carpeted. It was a Chase bank. I just remember waking up and two cops were in front of me. Not like having a place. Not like a couch or bed. It was better then the streets themselves. The police are cracking down on people sleeping in ATM's. If you're not hurting anybody or damaging anything and you're homeless I think you should be allowed. Allowed to rest your eyes, allowed to be comfortable. I understand if ten people are sleeping there but not everybody knows about it so. You might have one or two people at a time sleeping in the place. I think the one or two people that come there first should be allowed but I don't make the laws.

Sammy

"it's the craziest thing."

The charge was criminal trespassing. Hopping the turnstiles trying to get to a party. Oh man, it's the craziest thing. Me and a couple of friends going to a party figured we hop the train so we hopped the train, see the cops and run thinking we were gonna get away. We ran downstairs to the platform. From there it's only two cops so far chasing me. I'm on one end of a bar and he's on the end of the bar and we're just going back and forth. It's just like cat and mouse at this point. It's four of us, two of them cops, some of us got away. The cops were just on my ass. They're just chasing me, chasing me, chasing me for like five minutes now. Then more cops come. By the time I knew it I had cops all over me, I'm against the bench getting handcuffed.

Seemed like he was getting tired. He was totally out of breath by time he caught me. He's a fat white guy. He looked like somebody out of the Sopranos to be honest.

Sean

"Squeezing my genitals, this and that."

The previous case was about, of all things a straw. See I was with a friend of mine that had been know to these police because a couple of weeks earlier her and her boyfriend were in a pizza place arranging a drug deal from the dealer over the phone very much out loud with the narc squad sitting next to them. So some weeks later we're sitting in a coffee shop and they notice her and I guess they had their eyes on us. So I left the coffee shop to go around the corner to get a, this is right in Union Square to go to the grocery and of course two cops stopped me and started molesting me, throwing their hands all over me, squeezing my genitals, this and that. I'm asking them, What's going on?" They won't tell me. So they leave me alone. I go to the store. You know I better go check on my friends. Sure enough I went back and mind you they patted me down. A second time back, they see me like four or six of them just grab me and start doing the same thing, knock my food out of my hands, smash my face in the wall. Really manhandling me and this time he produces a straw and that's his evidence of drug use. I had a straw in my pocket, And, you know, this was for protesting that, you know, you can't just pull people out of coffee shops, and, you know, search them for no reason, you know, other than the sight of them. So, I'm here to get the straw thing dismissed, hopefully. They're giving me a hard time with it, but I'm pretty confident.

George

"Crap. I knew this was gonna happen."

They said that I walked through a park after the sign said that I shouldn't. This was around 1:30AM. I was… I had one beer with my brother and a friend of mine and we took a cab back across, uh, 3rd street and my friend was going somewhere else so I hopped out of the cab to meet a business associate. I walked up LaGuardia and then I saw that there were women standing in the park, you know, taking pictures of the arch, still lit at the time. There were gates up but there was also a police car at the entrance of the park, so if it was really illegal to be in the park, I would imagine someone would have been confronting the women at that point. It was also 14 degrees outside. So I decided, what the heck, I can cut through the park in 10, 15 seconds flat, so I started walking through the park. As I approached the north side of the park, I see a police van roll up and I go, "Crap. I knew this was gonna happen." The guy stops me, asks me what I was doing--sorta like what you are doing right now, except without a video camera, as far as I know--and hit me with a, uh... failure to obey park signs. [laughter]

Gary

"This is not Gestapo."

I was walking up the street with my hands in my pockets just like this and I see this kid pulled over and he looks at me and I looked back and they're like, "Hey stop!" and I walked back and then take another look back, someone runs over, jumps up, grabs me, slams my fucking head in the ground, holds his hands over my head and about to hit me and I say, "I'm from Ohio." After he just grabs my fucking shit, pulls me up and takes me to a car, searches my pockets, says, "Oh what about that wallet in the phone booth, what about your wallet?" I'm like I have my wallet, it's in my friends car. Then they take me over to this phone booth, grab this wallet that doesn't have my ID in it, has like drugs in it and stuff.

Now they're trying to put a felony on me for this wallet that has no ID in it or anything to link it to me. I have a pregnant girl at home. I just came to see a Phish concert and go home and take care of my pregnant girl. They're trying to take my life away for no reason for Gestapo shit. This is not right. It's unconstitutional and it's not fair. You can't do this. I don't have help. I don't even have a phone to call home. no one even knows where I am.

This is not the America I was told. You can't do that to people. This isn't Gestapo. This is not Gestapo. This is not a Nazi police country. This is fucking America.

Ricky

"I'm not really for this system you know, really."

Petty larceny in the 5th degree and they also charged me with obstruction of justice. The victim claims that I you know that I stole a phone from her you know, you know it's funny she says that you know cause like you know in the past my stuffs been stolen you know so I've never been made a complaint you know.
I think the system is a bunch of boloney. It's ridiculous. It's just a bunch of b.s. man. Like for real. You got cops coming through here like shooting unarmed men and making their jobs back. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of rapisists came through here, you know, they'd get that thrown out. Meanwhile they want to lock people up for like b.s. You go to my neighborhood over there psst you got psst, you got homicides going on over there, unsolved homicides and attempt murders but meanwhile they want to lock people up for a bunch of b.s. you know just to get a collar you know status or something. This system is messed up. Justice, I think they gotta rewrite this or something, like cross examinate themselves you know cause I wouldn't be surprised there's some corruption going around in this stuff, in these walls you know this building. There's corruption in the NYPD. You know so why isn't there corruption in here? Like people are getting blamed for nothing man. It's a headache you know. You know you lose your hair falling out of us. I'm not really for this system you know, really.

Quincey

"She searched me, and she felt it. In my panties."

I was going to visit my husband in Rikers Island, I got busted with some tobacco in my panties. Well, the officer, for some reason, she searched me, and she felt it. In my panties. Regular cigarette. Had it in a balloon. Yeah. No, you can't smoke in Rikers, period. Can not smoke in Rikers Island, at all. No one. So, you have to sneak it in. I don't know. I have no – can't tell you that.

Renee

"it's public disorderly—public—public—disorder—disorderly conduct."

So, I'm homeless and at a certain point in the day I don't really have many options on where I can go to the bathroom. They've closed the public bathrooms and a lot of the bars and other public places around town do not let you use their bathrooms when you're homeless – unless you buy something, which I don't have money to buy. So, I had to pee in a bush. And, I was peeing in a bush and just – I swear to God, if the officer had been two seconds quicker, all of this would have happened with my pants down around my ankles. Just managed to get my stuff put away and all of a sudden — stuff. My junk. Put away. And, all of a sudden, somebody's grabbing me from behind. Did not identify themselves, I had no idea who was grabbing me – it was just somebody was grabbing me. So, I pulled back, which, I believe, is the normal human thing to do and so the officer then pulled me back again, handcuffed me, slammed me into the wall, threw me on the floor, and it wasn't until he picked me back up and turned me around that I saw the cop car – that I realized what was going on. So, that's public urination and resisting arrest. And, because I was bleeding, as he threw me in the back of the cop car, I think that's why he felt the need to accuse me of assaulting him. In fact, he claims that I bit him. Now, I had a witness who was standing two feet away who can tell you that that did not happen, so I've been — I came to court, I was supposed to come to court a couple weeks ago, I was late, didn't realize what time I was supposed to be here, the judge yelled at me, I almost cried, and so I had to come back again today, and the last time they were willing to — the first time I was through, they were willing to drop the assault charge and then – but just charge me with resisting and public urination and give me public service? Community service. And I was, like, "yeah, but I didn't do this." So, I said no, I pled not guilty, so I had to come back, I was late the first time, I had to come back again and they reduced the charge again to something called 220 or 240.20, which is not a crime, doesn't go on your record, it's publicdisorderly—public—public—disorder—disorderly conduct. Disorderly conduct. So, that's what's officially going on my record, it's not officially considered a crime. But, the part that I find interesting is that the police officer lied, completely lied, and claimed that I assaulted him, which never happened. Never happened. That's pretty much the long and the short of it.

Daniel

"Where's the dope, where's the E?"

One of my friend snitched on me AKA told the cops I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. Me being dumb enough, I actually didn't check her background. Didn't figure she was a cop in time. Sold her an ounce. Then she tried to get me to sell her some E. I got hip. Caught on to the game and told them, "I know who you are. Or you're not. You're not a cop. All right I'll go back and get it." Then there was a big wild goose chase and they chased me all around. I had a cop follow me for six blocks. Then I started following them. That's actually the pretty funny part. He hopped into a UPS truck. I thought I was good, free for about two or three weeks. Who thought they would catch me at thirteenth and Sixth. I forgot took a cab over there by accident. Steeped foot. Eighteen narcotics officers, not D boys. "Turn around get down on the ground." It was like eighteen officers for my skinny ass. As soon as they catch me they grab me by the throat, "Where's the dope, where's the E?" I'm like, "I'm not gonna lie to you about that." I only sell trees. I lost $2500 to the state for some marijuana. That's some bullshit.

Anthony

"Cops were called so I had to be on the run."

I had to bring my court paper for anger management. Cause I assaulted someone for calling me out of my name. Faggot. I just maced him and I wanted to fight him but then cops were called so I had to be on the run. They caught me, in the city and I got arrested. I wasn't trying to hide I was trying to run away cause i knew I did something wrong but then at the end of the day I know that I didn't because i was self defending myself. I maced him and I went to go punch him and he blocked, so I just went off cause his eyes were really red. People calling me out of my name? Yes. Because I'm gay.

John

"Crack cocaine. I'm addicted to crack cocaine."

Prostitution, I was charged with prostitution. Yes. It was an undercover...yesterday afternoon, the undercover wanted drugs, and he came up to me, and said, "you know where to go get some crack at?" I said, "yeah," then he asked me do I want to do a sexual favor. I said "I don't do sexual favors. I don't do any sexual favors, I'm not a prostitute." But, they still charged me with...they just charged me with prostitution, not drug charges. No, I'm not a prostitute, that's the thing. I'm a person that does drugs. Nope, it didn't even get that far because I took the money and I ran. No, he gave me the money to go get the drugs, and I took the money and I ran. I guess he had something recorded, something on the phone recorded, stating that I would do it. Sexual favors. At the time, I did. I would have sex with him. Regular sex. $20. Sex. Regular sex. At the time, I didn't have no money. Yes, I was strung out. No, if it's for my freedom, no. I'm going home, I live in New Jersey, I'm going back home to try to straighten up my life. Crack cocaine. I'm addicted to crack cocaine. At the time, I did, but, now, I'm getting into too much trouble over this, I don't want to do it no more. Going on nine years. I want to get a job and go get my kids back. He's helped me, Jesus has helped me get through this, he's helped me get through this...this time. I had this for about two months, and it hasn't...it never came off my neck. Well, this case, right now, yes, because I could be going to jail now, to Rikers. And, since I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, I got released. So, thanks to God. I got released. I'm out, out in the world now. Now, I can straighten up my life.

Tara

"Im doing this to save the world..."

Middle of the road, front of all the cars, Times Square, the taxis are driving fast, cars were running all over the road, right? I was walking right in the middle of the road, and then a little sparrow came up to me, right? And it flew up, and it was injured. I could tell it was injured 'cause it couldn't fly. It was bouncing all over the road. And, I sort of picked it up like this, then it flew out of my hands and landed right next to me. And, I picked it up again, and a taxi ran right over it. And squished it. The point of the story is that I believe that life is so precious, you know, and you can't waste a single second, 'cause if a sparrow can get...gets killed like that, what about us? About the human population? Everything we do makes a difference. Every single thing that we do, every day in our lives, every second, makes a difference.

I'm doing this to save the world, one step at a time. My first step was saving a sparrow the other day, that was the second sparrow, the first sparrow I saved, I took care of it all night, after that, I sent it to the vet and it was saved. I give money to the homeless, I fundraise for the homeless, I'd like to help the sick, I'd like to find the cures for diseases, and if we all work together, if all the doctors and everybody who's willing, who wants to help, works together, then I think we can make a difference.

I was protesting against Donald Trump, because Donald Trump is a monopolist who builds buildings all over New York, and they're ugly, by the way. Right near his building. I was laying on the floor. Next to the sign. In the sidewalk. They asked me to get up, and I refused because I absolutely violated no law, I was standing...I was standing...I was laying on the floor and I wasn't doing anything wrong, and they told me to get up because "you're in people's way." Now, if I'm trying to prove a point, I'm in people's way, people walk by, and they notice, so...and then they tried to arrest me. I ran around a little bit so I could get the people's attention, to what's going on in the world, and then, one of the cops stood by me over there, and then ten of them or, I don't know how many cops—undercover, by the way, they weren't in uniform—jumped me from behind, got me on the floor, wrestled with me, I resisted arrest, of course. They maced me, which was okay, it was the first time I was maced in my life, but it didn't hurt that bad, I couldn't see anything for a while, but EMS came and they washed my eyes out, so it was okay. The cops were okay with me, they were fine. I respect the cops, I just want to make a point. And, I think I'm proving that point day by day.

Maksim

"Inner, inner, inner, inner, inner beauty"

I'm here on the 30th. of June for violation of protective ordinance, confessing my love by texting my girlfriend over my text phone, over my phone, confessing my love to her as well as sending her a two page love letter, also confessing my love to her and sending her a 1.5 carat diamond ring as a friendship ring. For that; I have been ordered by the court of New York to appear in court today as well as I spent close to a week in Rikers Island over this whole issue and I blame it all on the love bug and I'm still in love and I would take her back in a heartbeat.

Not necessarily, it seems like she might have got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. We all have our bad days and I can say that I take my responsibility and I believe in forgiveness, she forgives me, I forgive her.

A.. filed harassment charges as well as an order of protection and for the violation of order of protection that's why I'm here today.

Inner, inner, inner, inner, inner beauty as well as outer beauty, intelligence, cultured, sophistication, know how to cook, well groomed, well educated, clean oral hygiene and many more other attributes.

I love her and I miss her dearly.

Brian

"I never had a license! And I'm 48!"

I was at BBQ's, the lady is going into labor pains, the person that took her there in her car had to step out, so they wasn't there, I came to 'em, she told me "could you drive me to the hospital?" I drove her to the, I was driving her to the hospital, the officer stops, say, "hey, the windows on the van is too dark." He asked for my driver's license. I say "I don't have one." They get me downtown to the courts and say "you were driving with a suspended license." So, I come to court today, they tell me to go to DMV to get my license straightened out. I never had a license! And I'm 48! So, I don't know what their problem is, but I'm going to DMV, anyway.

Oh, I was eating some honey-roasted chicken and french fries. I've been driving all my life. They just gave me a summons and told me to go on, and I paid it. I always have the registration. They just give me a summons and say "listen, just go ahead about your business, pay the summons." Yeah, I'm going down there to get one immediately. Oh, that's easy. I've been driving for over thirty years, I can take the test with my eyes closed. Money's tight right now. Hey, it was easier then, it was easier driving 'cause they never stopped people for their license...the infractions they stop people now is, like, ridiculous. Oh, I always have a car to drive. Never a problem. I know a lot of people.

Kenneth

"Perhaps I did, you know, degrade the quality of others' lives…"

I wrote on a wall at my university, "I Believe in You," and I was tackled by three undercover police officers, had to spend the night in jail, and now I had a lovely day at court. And, you know what? It was quite an experience. I mean, it was fun, it's kinda silly. I think, you know, cops really need to reassess their priorities, I mean, it's a bit of chalk. But I can't complain. I mean, I did write on a wall, and perhaps I did, you know, degrade the quality of others' lives, as the law seems to stipulate, however, I don't know. I'll leave it up to the judge to decide, but...it's water-soluble, and I only do it before it rains, so, you know. I don't write just that, I write whatever sort of comes upon me, but they're always sort of silly inspirational truisms. I just want to make people happy, I want to create an environment that is much more alive as opposed to just this dead, gray place. I also plant flowers sort of in inanimate objects sort of around the city. I'm waiting to be arrested for that. Hopefully that'll come soon, we'll see. I don't know, I just want to make people happy, but the law doesn't really agree with that, so, see what happens.

Sam

"Then I start to sing songs in the prison…"

I just walked my dog in the street and the FBI and Service Secret are around in 5th Avenue and 80 Street and a lot of secures there, and are not supposed to pass through there, but I don't know, and the officers asked for my ID and my ID's from my country, and he asked so many questions, and he arrest me and then I come here, when I stay for 38 hours in the jail, and I saw a lot of people there and then I start...I'm a man of God, I start to ask God "why I'm in here, why I'm here for so long," and the Lord say to me "preach my word," and I say "all right," and then I start to sing songs in the prison, and all the prison there start to look at me and listen the words, one prison there, he say "preach the words of Jesus," and then I tell to the other, I say "Lord, why?" and the Lord say "preach," and I preach the words of the Lord in the jail, like, and then I say "and everyone is go home" and one Brazilian guy is coming and this Brazilian tell me his life and then I pray for him and then he give his life to Jesus, and I say "Lord, I'm tired to be here," and the Lord say "remember my words, remember, my son, I'm in the jail, all my disciples in the jail, Peter, Paul, everyone, I send you here because all these people need someone's pray," and I'm in here in this court, like, for almost one year's come every time, every time, and today I put my feet in the court, and I pray to the Lord, say "Lord, today is done," and the judge say "no, you free, you can go," and the case is dismissed, that's all worship, and that I give all glory to the Lord, cause only He is the Lord, and the my service here is done.

In 80 and 5th Avenue, it crosses Central Park, and the Service Secret they protect some very important man. I don't know, I don't know his name. Well, in this case, no, because He's the Lord God, He have a mission, no one understand, the Pope, or something, the Lord, and that's the reason I worship Him. They protect the man who working in the...President of some nation, he's important man. No, Jesus, He no need law to protect Him cause He's the son of God, He have a whole power of earth in His hands. No, He protects me from the Service Secret.

Mivaldo

"They have a vision of a white Harlem…"

Hello, world. Hello, New York. In Harlem, they have an agenda. They have a vision of a white Harlem where they're trying to get rid of all the vendors and everybody that's black. And, I got into a problem with three cops in Harlem, P___, R______, and Z___. Now, they confiscated $10,000 worth of Nike shoes from me on September 17, 2008. They wrote me up for vending without a license. That's what they do. And, I beat the case. I came back to the 28th Precinct, they laughed at me, they said "nigga, don't you know what this is? If you're tryin' to get your shit back, you'll wish your mother had an abortion." So, I went with my tail between my legs that day. On the 5th of March...on February 5th. I'm sorry, 4th, February 4th...P___, R______, and Z___ came out again, they took 100 Gucci jackets from me, wrote me up for vending without a license. I beat that case. So, I call Internal Affairs after that, on the 6th, and I just met with Internal Affairs about three days ago. So, now they're gonna lose their pension, messing with me. But, in the meantime, they want to murder me. They put me in jail on the 19th with a guy with full-blown AIDS. A white boy. He stuck me with a needle with fluid in it, and now, 30 days later, I have HIV. This is the type of shit that's going on. New York Police Department, Corrections. So, if you thinking about coming to New York, and you're thinking about doing anything even illegal, or even if it's not illegal, you can get in trouble here just by being black. Just by being in Harlem. And just by having a purpose, they'll run up on you, they want to know who you are. Your fingerprints. They didn't even know I was a veteran. They didn't think I was a veteran 'cause of the way I look. Once they found out I was in the Marine Corps for 12 years, I got the Purple Heart, they're like "oh, Semper Fi!" They want to dismiss things. It's too late now.

But now, I'm here to turn myself in for something simple. The prosecutor on the, I think it was the 6th of March, she said "the charge is vending without a license." I produced the license to the judge, and the prosecutor, and my lawyer. She said "I want to give him 10 days." And, the judge was, like, "for what?" She says, "I don't have enough information to dismiss the case." But, she wanted to give me 10 days. She don't have enough information. Here's the license. Here's the license. What did she want to give me 10 days for? That's why I'm coming back here today. I was supposed to come the 30th, but I was incarcerated until the 31st, I get 30 days in Riker's for an assault charge. So, I'm here to get this cleared up. But, what they don't do, they don't vacate warrants when you black. I don't know about white. They keep the warrant on you. So, when the cop asks you for ID, they're, like, "oh, you got a warrant." It's, like, "you crazy. I just got out the system." "No, no, we gotta bring you in." So, that's what happens. They keep the warrant on you. And you gotta go through hell to get it dismissed. So, in conclusion, New York is a terrible place right now, we're in a police state. We're in a Nazi state, whereas black people can't even walk the street. And, oh, yeah, I'm black. I love white people, I've got blond hair, but let's not get it twisted. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. The whole world needs to know what's going on in New York. So...peace.

Why do I have blond hair? You never saw a black blond before? You know, Jesus was blond. Jesus was blond. He looked similar to this. And they hated him. People hate me, too. It's not because I'm ugly, like, take a good look. It's not because I'm ugly. That's not it. It's that I'm so beautiful, it causes people to be uncomfortable. And, I'm beautiful in my mind, body, and soul. But, the great thing about this is people part like the Red Sea when I walk through. People on my right, people on my left. Now, the people on my right are my friends. They love it. People on my left are the ones who don't love it. And, sometimes I get physically attacked. Physically assaulted by the way I look. But I'm not giving it up because if I could cause a reaction to where you want to physically attack me then I must be doing something right. Because if you've got the nerve to put your hands on someone, you got serious issues. I don't have the issues. You have the issues. If I attacked everybody that I didn't like the way they looked, where would I be? You understand? So, I'm not gonna change a thing. And I wear gold tattoos, too. I am 99 percent Jesus. I'm one percent Cream. See, the ingredients to Creamology is 99 percent Christ, one percent Cream. See, Christ, if you punch him in the face, he'll turn the other cheek. If you punch me in my face, I'mma kill you. Another thing about Christ, he didn't get out to the females. I get out to the females. That's the only difference between me and Jesus. I'm righteous and I'm holy. I may swear every now and then, but I get on my knees and ask for forgiveness. So, I'm not Jesus. Anybody that tells you they're Jesus is a liar. The devil is a liar. There's only one Jesus. And he ain't came yet, but he's coming soon to remedy all these problems, all these issues that we have. Got that?

Roville

"You might have to fight for your sneakers…"

They're definitely a status symbol. Not that that's what I'm going for but they definitely give you the idea that the person was in fact in jail, the person was in fact incarcerated. Definitely. Definitely. As well as the shoes and my lack of a belt also; all of it gives you you know. Someone would see me and it gives you off the jump that I came from jail.

To some people I think it's just a fashion statement. That's how some people choose to wear their pants. It's a style, it's a fad that maybe one or two people started and it's followed. Even though it originates from being in jail and not being allowed to wear your pants. Like myself if I was to stand up straight and walk a few feet you would be able to notice that my pants would not be able to stay on my waist they would actually fall off. So the idea did come from jail you know and I guess people carried it on to the streets even though you have a belt you still decide to wear them below your waist. Which to me is quite uncomfortable. Me being young and it's been in style for years I even catch myself doing it, even unintentionally where someone has to remind me to pick up your pants. Oh, ok I'm bogging.

These are actually jail issued sneakers that you get because when you enter the jail your property is taken and your sneakers are taken. People argue about who has the better sneakers and people are getting hurt and even killed over the issue of sneakers they come in jail with. I might have a $145 pair and you might have a $20 pair and might decide you might want my $145 pair and I might need to fight. The sad thing is as that as time go on I don't want to say it became a fad, it became a style. It became kind of like automatic you might have to fight for your sneakers, which is usually the first thing another inmate might try to take from you. They might ask you nicely first, "let me get those. Let me give you a couple of soups, which only cost 35 cents." Let me give you some of my commissary for your sneakers, you know.Me personally I'm actually happy that you don't have to come in with your own sneakers, that you can have jail issued. It's kind of like a uniform in a way. That's one less thing to argue about. I think it was a good idea.

I myself refuse to get on the train with the jail issued shoes because it's quite embarrassing. They also have orange issued sneakers. I've seen all different colored jail shoes. I've seen black. I've seen orange. I've seen dark blue. I've seen dark purple. I don't think none of them are cool. I don't even like the idea of wearing them. To be real I don't like them. Some people want you to know they're been locked up. They definitely want you to know.

Steven

"They thought I was someone I wasn't."

It was a case of mistaken identity. What happened was they accused me of something I didn't do. They thought I was someone I wasn't. You know each time that I kept repeating my own plea to the officers you know I told them I'm not this person who you think I am, they kept coming at me and said but this person and that person said that you're this person. I was like ok. You know what cause I obey the law and I understand that the law has its place, its own provocative permission. But I told like this, I was like look, "You got proof?" They said, "they got witnesses." I was like look, "I am not this person, I will never be this person, no matter how hard, no matter how high I'll never be that person." I did my part you know. I went upstairs, said hello to a couple of people. In between it all you know what I found out? That the majority of people that are locked up are locked up over nonsense. You know what I'm saying? There's a lot more to do in this world then to harass the little man, then to bother the person who cannot even fend for themselves. You know truth and nails, what the fuck they want from us? Want they just cut our wrists off you know. What the fuck they want? We're nibbling on our forearms right now. I'll bite my own elbows for them. And they're still not happy. You know what I tell them, I tell them nothing, I do whatever the fuck they want, because I'm a slave to them, I'm a slave to these bitches they fucking own me. See that. The courts own me. So what am I gonna do man. Twenty times a day I still pay my taxes. I still represent. What do I represent? A living, breathing free man. What is that accumulated for? To be a free man. It means shit in this world. The only thing that talks is money. And I don't hate money but I hate what money does to people. Mother makes a mother fucker evil inside. People don't understand that shit. I'd rather be poor , brokeless, I'd rather have two cents in my pocket then have a hundred million dollars in the bank. Because the reality of it is, when you get money you get fucking stupid and you start looking at people like you're better than them. You start looking down on people. You think your aggression is real nah. You think your money is tight. The reality of it is there's so many people out here man fucking hurting. The middle man is carrying the weight for you mother fuckers. We're the middle men.

Dave

"A police officer approached me. She was undercover."

I got arrested for selling cocaine and heroin to an undercover police officer. Lower East Side. I was hanging out on the Lower East Side. A police officer approached me. She was undercover. Asked me, said she was dope sick. Said that she needed to cop. She said she knew a guy named Mike ..... who happens to be a good friend of mine. Using her name I called the drug dealer that I know. I copped the dope for her. She gave me, she promised me a bag of dope for getting the dope for her. After I gave her the dope I was arrested for selling heroin.

Matthew

"Yeah he's a real asshole."

I'm trying to like get rid of a domestic partnership. Void it. And also I'm trying to vacate a warrant that I got for hopping the turnstile. I just jumped over the turnstile to get on the train without paying. They gave me a ticket. I couldn't pay it. And now I have a warrant. It will be if like I get picked up by the police or something. So that's why I want to get rid of it. It was like a hundred dollars which is pretty ridiculous I think. I mean obviously I didn't have money to get on the train. Hopefully they'll give me community service or something I dunno try to work something out. Maybe a payment plan, they do that a lot.

Oh the domestic partnership. Yeah I dunno I just, it's probably going to be pretty uncomfortable. Me and my ex boyfriend got one for housing reasons I guess a year ago or something. I really want to get rid of it. I haven't seen him in six months. I don't really want to see him but they need both our signatures. Yeah he's a real asshole.

Yeah I write. I'm a writer. Like auto biographical short stories. I wrote a lot about traveling. I hitchhiked across the country. I hopped a freight train and stuff.

Naomi

"I don't know why they took me to jail. "

I was facing three charges, one was disorderly conduct and the other was a fare beat, and um, and assault with. First the assault with the weapon was grand larceny the first time I was arrested and then once I got out of the Tombs, jail, it turned into assault with a deadly weapon. They thought I stole the drill at first, they didn't understand the guy that was talking to them. There was a locksmith in my building. The cops didn't understand that he was trying to say that somebody there called the cops I mean called the locksmith on them. I'm not really sure cause I didn't hear his side of the story. Assault with a deadly weapon. I got arrested by the same arresting officer twice. That same day. Basically the same area. Right in my neighborhood. First it was grand larceny and then it tuned into assault with a deadly weapon cause I supposedly took the drill and threatened his head or something. The locksmith. I don't know. I have no idea who he was. I can't really say much more cause I don't really know; anything. I don't know why they took me to jail. That's why it was dropped, I guess. I didn't do anything.


The farebeat, that was because I swiped my card and it keep on saying you know, swipe again here, swipe again here. I swiped again at a different turnstile and it said insufficient funds. But I already checked the two cards that I had. One had two fifty and one had eighteen dollars on it. The two fifty one is the one I used. And then once it said insufficient funds I figured it took the money and I made eye contact with the police so, it's not like, I just figured I'd tell them you know, it just said insufficient fare and I and I did check before. The second time he was kind of rude. He was very rude. He arrested me. I don't remember how it exactly went down. But the people in his precinct actually said he was kid of a hot head. He said something. He knew who I was.


He was just in my building and he asked me for my ID because he needs an ID to get into the basement. I'm like. It's not my basement and he took my wallet out of my hands. I said to him, "You're going to jail" because he kicked me as I was leaving. I said, "You're going to jail." I kind of scared him I guess. I didn't have any intention on calling the police. But he called the police I guess. The police had him in the car and they were turning and I waved them down. I didn't realize he was already in the car. If I hadn't waved them down they wouldn't have even came over to me and then they arrested me and I realized he was in the back seat and he had already told them his, whatever story. He can't really speak very good English so they didn't understand a word he said so they arrested me for grand larceny for stealing his drill. I never stole a drill though. Where is the drill? The drill is still in his car.

Anthony

"I broke his nose and there were cops like right around the corner."

I got into a fight because somebody, this guy punched my girlfriend and we were out and it was just a quick reaction I think and I just punched him back, I broke his nose and there were cops like right around the corner. It was a quick fight and we just got booked, that's pretty much what happened.

He was just being drunk and he she kinda like pushed him without I mean walking by like tried to make space and the guy thought like she did it on purpose. She spilled a little bit of his drink and he just like turned around and grabbed her by the hair, pushed her away and that's what happened.

I was very quick. It wasn't like a big deal but there was people right there. It was like the outside of, you know where they put the little chain so people can go outside and smoke and everything. So it was like outside the place. Yeah that's what happened really quick. It happened.

Nicholas

"I busted their windshield. And then they wanted to kill me."

My name is Kris, and I am coming to court because I was standing on Houston Street, at two o'clock in the morning, there was nobody around, this dump truck rolls up, lays on his horn, so loud! And I just grabbed a trash bag, and I...before I realized it was full of bottles, I was kind of halfway through the motion of chucking it at their truck, and I busted their windshield. And then they wanted to kill me. And luckily, they didn't. So I could come to court. That's why I'm at court today.

Oh, they called the cops. Well, I ran, but they found me. Around the corner. Well, I kind of thought they were talking to the cops, so I figured that I was okay. And I was kind of out of breath because I smoke a lot, so I didn't really go that far. I should've just gotten a cab and gone home. But I didn't. And I spent 36 hours in central booking for that fucking damn fucking windshield. Sucks!

I don't know what's going to happen. We'll see what happens. Don't give a shit. At least I was down in central booking for something that I give a shit about. Don't make fucking noise for no reason! I'm a driver, too. If I don't have to pay for anything, I still had to spend 36 hours downtown. So, I already paid for it, as far as I'm concerned. Because, had I not gone to jail and not had to pay for anything, then yes, because, you know something? When I got out that Sunday afternoon, I was at the bar again, the bar I work at, and when they rolled up to pick up the trash, they didn't lay on their horn, and that's all I ask. There's no need. There's no need for just absolutely no, you know, just cause of honking. I mean, yes, if someone's in danger, honk. There's even a sign, "Honk Only for Danger." And, people don't give a shit. Do you want me to take a fucking giant truck into your mother's driveway and lay on the horn at two o'clock in the morning? Is that what you want? I'll do that. That's fine. That's what you're doing when you lay on your horn at two o'clock in the morning for no fucking reason.

That's why I'm here.

Kris

"I hit him with a stick. Okay?"

Yeah, my neighbor's boyfriend—she's Korean, he's, I think he's Italian—what happened was on February the eleventh, he kicked my door, then he threw me down and I hit him with a stick. Okay? I had to spend 24 hours over here, at this area over here, I was taken to Midtown South, 35th Street, 8th Avenue, the police station over there, I'm sure you've heard of it. And I had to come over here, like, around 3:30 in the morning, about 3:15 in the morning, I was here.

And, they listen to my comings and goings from the hallway, when I leave my apartment, they become very loud, they stage arguments, she's running around and saying that I saw her nude through her window, which is not true, because their windows are...they have venetian blinds on their windows, and you can't even see through their apartment because they're so filthy-dirty, put their garbage and everything else over there, and this is what it is. And, I hit the guy with a stick because he threw me down. And, the police officers arrested me on Wednesday night, February the eleventh, year 2009.


Yes, I hit him with a stick. I did. Because he did what he did first...I said to you just a second ago, he kicks my door, and he threw me down, and I fell down on my ladder that I have in the hallway. There's a big ladder that I have in the hallway at home. I had a stick that I had to protect myself just in case of anybody tries to come after me, 'cause I'm not the best fighter in the world. But, they're terrible people, I've called the police 50 times on them, and everything else. Same building. Same floor. Well, I have to go down the fire escape sometimes to check the draining systems on the roof, because when it rains they...it clogs up with these office buildings throwing garbage down on to the roof. That's what happens. They throw garbage down to the roof, and it's, you know, plastic bags and all this other stuff. You know what I'm saying? They stage arguments to make me believe that they're not getting along...they get along, they live together, the boyfriend leaves for work at 7 a.m. in the morning, now every morning, never used to until just recently. I have to leave my radio on, too, because they're very loud, they woke me up at 11:45 yesterday morning, and everything else. And, they're loud. You know what I'm saying? They talk near my door on the cell phone.


I have to...but, the thing is, when I go down the fire escape their windows are there. Now, I can't help that. I was...that building was built a long time ago, back in the 1800s, it's an old building, it's a walk-up, and I'm on the fourth floor, they're on the fourth floor. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to NOT do it, or whatever it is? You know what I'm saying? They just yell and scream at one another, you can't understand it, she's got such a big mouth, this...neighbor of mine. She's Korean, I don't know what he...I think he's Italian, he told me he was Italian.


Well, I have to go back to court again on the 15th of June. They have an order of protection against me right now, because of the stick-hitting. Eventually, they're gonna have to show up in court, because they're making up stories that are not true. First of all, if I did something like that to your wives, I'm sure that you would be smart enough to call the police, have me arrested for it, I mean, that's supposed to be an arrest factor. I mean, if you look at somebody nude, in their apartment, you're supposed to be arrested for this. You know what I'm saying? You're supposed to be arrested. I was never arrested for that charge, because they made it all up. The boyfriend made it up, she made it up.

Richard

"I gotta be a human being."

Basically I had some cases that was at 500 Pearl Street. The police testified and everything and they said what happened and whatever. I was in Rikers Island. I was beat up by the house gang. I was assaulted by the police. I was starved by the police in the cell for a month. They made me drink water and because I was fighting with people because they wasn't giving me my food. They gave me some pills that put me in a coma on Christmas day. They owe me money and they don't want to pay me. It happened in Manhattan Psychiatric Center where they gave me the illegal drugs. I told them I couldn't take them. I use to take them before and I use to throw them out when I was on Rikers Island and they still didn't believe me. I told them I feel woozy. I walked in the day room and I fell out. The police beat me up and everything. It's all on tape. I was stripped searched when I was in Rikers Island and I had a felony, it was for a homicide and I didn't cop out. They're saying I can't get paid. And I'm a human being. I gotta be a human being. If they can pay people that got misdemeanors they could pay people that got felonies in order for them to get their money for people being stripped searched in Rikers Island. I feel that's something like force against the government. They need to pay us. All right? Have a nice day.

Richard

"Yeah, I think I'm Superman."

I came in here at 9:30 in the morning, right? I sat here for three hours, waiting for them to call my name in court, they don't call my name. Then he says "these people didn't hear their name called," whatever, he says my name so I started going up, he says "no, sit down." Calls these peoples names, whose name they never...who didn't hear called, I was the first one, right? So then, I guess, he put me on the bottom of the pile, and he still didn't call my name, and then they broke for lunch at, like, what? 1:00. Said "come back at 2:15." Th' hell, y'know? I was in that courtroom for three hours. I never heard my name called. Y'know? It was an atrocity. I couldn't do anything about it. What'm I gonna do? I'm in court, for God's sake. What'd I do? I went to Starbucks. What was my charge? Harassment. Well, there was a guy on the Lower East Side, I punched him in the mouth. He tortured me for five months, and I punched him in the mouth. I don't know, whatever...whatever he was doing...they call me a paranoid-schizophrenic, see? So, they say I'm just paranoid, but I know otherwise. Yeah, I think I'm Superman. I don't give a shit. I am George Wallace, my mother was born...my mother died on January 15th, which is Martin Luther King's birthday. I am a friend to the black man. That's what I'm known for. I told you, tortured me for five months. He's just into my thoughts, he was...he screamed a lot. Very angry, really got on my nerves. I don't know what it is...for some reason, they're jerking me around, I don't know why. I'm not calling it a conspiracy, I'd like to get that whoever that guy is calling the names, I'd like to get him by the throat. That cop who's calling out the names. Clerk, or whatever his name is. Like to jerk his ass around. I tell you, I'm gonna give him another half hour to call my name, then I'm gonna go up there and start some shit. No, I'm just kidding. Just kidding. I just hope they call my name, you know, I can get the hell out of here. I'm probably gonna go up there, they're gonna say "oh, it's dismissed," you know? I've been to court three times already.

George

"I was watching my friend fight, so nobody would jump her"

Fighting and the person that, like, was...he saw me when he got locked up and he told them that I was fighting, and I just got locked up. No...I was watching my friend fight, so nobody would jump her. Over "he said/she said," stuff like that. Well, I go to school, I'm not in school right now because I have to do court and counseling, so...I study business and tech. You can catch the fight on YouTube, actually. Well, you know people like to record fights nowadays. One of the girls from they side. It's a good fight. It's interesting. It was a right-left, and you just gotta catch the rest. "Girls are going to gag." I'm a nice person, at times. When I'm in the mood. Like, around this time. I'm in a good mood.

Sharae

"I'm from Northern California. Everyone smokes marijuana"

I was arrested for smoking marijuana in the west village on the street about three weeks ago. Um and we were picked up by undercover cops, we actually finished smoking the bowl, left turned the corner and then two people walked right next to us and said, "Mam can we talk to you for a second" and it was over from there. I'm from Northern California. Everyone smokes marijuana. My father smokes. We smoke on the street all the time. Not really a big deal. Didn't think it would happened. Ended up going back to the precinct and because I was a woman and I wasn't able to go into the cell with the other guys I was handcuffed and ankle cuffed to a bench for five and one half hours not able to move in a really ridiculous pants suit with these kind of like shady guys. It was ridiculous, strange. The cops were giving them cigarettes. That was weird too. They were all smoking in the precinct.

We were going out. We were going out dancing. I was wearing this like seventies high waisted striped like bell bottom huge bright bright neon stripped pants suit. It was good. Probably why we got caught, they saw my colors.

I'm smoking pot back at home or in California. On the street. Cops have better things to do. Be careful, be more careful I guess and really yeah smoke in your place here in New York, the cops even said that, "they were like it's not a big deal just smoke in your house, you can't do it on the street".

Nena

"You feel big, you feel like you're on top."

I got arrested for graffiti in May, so I'm coming here now for community service. I do graffiti, used to do graffiti for the fame, friends, I dunno. For the rush too, that's pretty much it. It's like you feel like you're all-star, like everyone loves you. You feel big, you feel like you're on top. They do it for the rush and the fame. To get there you have to go all city. Have something in every borough. All city that's what it's called. Bombings, fillings, tags. Bombing is pretty much just the act of it. Going out at night, in a car or on foot, just having cans on you and doing fillings, tags, whatever. You gotta be all city. You have to have tags, fillings, everything in every borough, everywhere. (I was) a little below all city. I was up there for awhile. Maybe 20 or 30 maybe, out of thousands of kids that do it. If you go around and see this guy somewhere and you go to Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, you see them everywhere then you just know.

I was thinking about Marines, Navy. I'm not sure yet though. Being out at night, you're more aware of what's going on, you're listening to things so you can probably use that in the military, be more aware of your surroundings. If you heard something you be instincts, you'd be more aware of what's going on. You'd be a better shot. Doing graffiti would like make you a like a better shot, because you're more aware of your surroundings at night and more aware of what's going on and you have better reflexes.

I'm not doing it anymore, I'm done.

Joseph

"He banged my head on the floor and I was scared for my life."

Well what brings me here is the petty theft accusations which is all a misunderstanding, because my true intentions was not to steal. I was thinking a lot. I basically had the item in my hand and I had to go to an event at Marquee and I just rushed out the store not thinking and basically I didn't realize I had the item in my hand till I was a block away. As soon as I was about to turn the security guard just basically told me, what "I'm going to do with it" and basically wanted me to like um, accusing me of thieving and I'm just saying, "no I didn't take it. It was an accident, I was not thinking, I just walked out the store." And um basically as soon as I gave him back the item and told him, "oh I'm so sorry about that, I'm not a thief or anything." he started choking me and I started saying, "ok what are you doing? Why are you choking me?" So I started like wrestling him and then he was like, "well we're going to take you to jail." I said, "well you can't take me to jail because I didn't mean to steal, I'm not like a thief or anything." So as soon as he started choking me I took my elbow and started hitting him. Then all of a sudden we started wrestling. I don't know what happened, I started like basically hitting him back and I had my boots and I started kicking him and um we was wrestling into the middle of the street and in the street he banged my head on the floor and I was scared for my life. So I flipped him and started running away and he caught me and started nailing me and then he started punching me in the face with my glasses on and then my eyes were really damaged and I started like grabbed his balls and twisting, he started screaming and I like punched him in his face and then I started screaming for help, "this guys attacking me." Some British guy came out of nowhere started calling the cops. Next thing you know like he nails me again and then two people grab me and they pulled me on the floor. It had to take another person to hold me down and then he starting handcuffing me with these plastic stupid handcuffs and next thing you know I'm taken in and then I have to go to jail for some stupid stuff. They charged me with a felony, robbery which I think was ridiculous for a tank top. So they charged me with a misdemeanor, they gave me a deal the judge and now I have to do community service. I feel that um, my true intentions was wasn't to steal I'm not a thief, but I feel like I wasn't thinking. It was a stupid mistake. Let me just deal with it. It's the law and you know that's it.


Johnathan

"I threw it at the twelve cops that I saw, it was a dozen donuts, a dozen cops."

I was arrested in September I believe basically for throwing donuts at cops. We were protesting the decibel, it was a federal case of decibel levels of amplified sound during political musical events. I could scream and play acoustic guitar louder than the amplified sound that they had. They wanted seventy decibels at one hundred feet, which is like into a vacuum cleaner at ten feet. The ambient noise of a crowd of several hundred people which there were at that particular event is louder than the actual amplified sound that they wanted to allow us, so we're in court over this. The event was called the donut social, in which case I was wasted drunk playing Leftover Crack, Star Fucking Hipsters and Choking Victims songs for a crowd of several hundred kids. They couldn't hear me and at some point a box of donuts was passed over to me from the crowd. I wasn't going to eat it, I wasn't going to throw it at the kids so I threw it at the twelve cops that I saw, it was a dozen donuts, a dozen cops. The last donut slid within a foot of the last officers foot. My aim got good by the end of the throwing. They charged me with harassment, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. I didn't have any weapon, I had a guitar. Donut? I considering it littering. They considered it harassment. They kept berating me saying, "how dare you throw garbage at us." I was like you just throw bullets at innocent people every day. I don't think there was any harm done. Probably if the donut slid another foot and touched the officers shoe I probably would be accused of assault with a donut.

One of the lyrics that was brought up was a chorus to a song called Crack Rock Steady. Crack Rock Steady is a choking victims song that I sang at the event and they quoted that at my trial. They quoted me saying, "kill the police, kill the police."

But the line is, Crack Rock Steady are you ready to stop the rotten blue menace, lets go kill us some cops, crack rock steady are you ready? Living above the law! We also played a song one dead cop,Power abuse; authority misuse. They kill and rape and it won’t be on the news. But you’re the good one With the badge and a gun. Braggin’ how you blasted gunshot forty-one. In relation to the Amadou Diallo shooting and killing, murdering by the police.

Scott

"Herb enhances the soul, enhances the mind, enhances the body."

I'm here today you know giving an interview and everything about what happened to me. You know the day when I got arrested and had to go to court and everything. You know I was there outside of Union Square talking to a friend of mine and next thing I know we're sitting there talking and everything and he pulls out a bag, bag of bud, bag of herb on him. You know he's telling me, "you wanna smoke?" and like I tell him, "I'm good right now" because I had to go. Next thing I know some D's, they come over there, some detectives they run up on him. You know what I'm saying? Then I'm walking away at this point you know because I got my herb on me. Next thing I know they turn around and run up on me and then they search me and violate my fourth amendment you know which is which is my right not to have my persons searched and seized without a warrant so they went ahead and did that and violated that so then they found the herb on me and so they took that and tried to get me for sales.

The main thing too, which was one of the big points I'm trying to push is that the fact that my religious right was violated you know what I'm saying because I practice Rastafarian belief and there's supposed to be freedom of religion in this country and I smoked the herbs, you know it's not smoking the herb to be a cool thing or anything like this because it's what kids do or anything to do with that. I smoke the herb because the herb comes from the earth and I smoke this because this is part of the intelligent nature, the one state of mind, the one love, everything that is about that, has to do with peace, has to do with harmony, has to be at one with nature, you know what I'm saying? Thats the plain consciousness that just happens into when you inhale the earth into your body. You know what I'm saying? Nobody ever died off it. You know. It's one of the most unbelievable medicines we have on the planet. You know what I'm saying? And just the fact that so many people use it. You know what I'm saying? You have cigarettes out there. You have alcohol out there, which kills people, kills the soul, kills the mind, kills the body. Herb enhances the soul, enhances the mind, enhances the body, has so many benefits to human kind that it's unbelievable so you know that's what I'm trying to say.

Kenny

" He was like a bully. He came over and grabbed her ass…"

I had a little altercation last March in a bar in Midtown where I live. Big guy, bully, drunk, obnoxious. Some tourists, three girls from Hawaii were there and I was taking pictures of them and all this and I guess he had an eye out for one of the girls who I was talking to, I mean she could have been my wife for all he knew, but he didn't care. He was like a bully. He came over and grabbed her ass and she said, "would you please remove your hand from my ass." I didn't say nothing. I didn't know what was really happening and he looked at me and said, "you're fucking dead." Because I, you know, he was jealous or whatever the hell even though they all left alone. I ended up in jail because of this. So he walked by back and forth saying, "hurry up and finish your drink, uh you're dead, this guy is dead" and all this and he's a big guy and I'm not, I'm five eight, I weigh one hundred and forty two pounds and uh I was drinking vodka and cranberry that night and I had a half a drink left and he said, "I hope you enjoy the rest of that drink because when that drink's done you're dead" and he went outside and smoked a cigarette and I, I don't know if I was just irate by what he said or I was scared and I was scared and I wasn't taking shit because if you live in New York you learn you don't take shit and I walked right at him and I, there some were trash bags out there and I pushed him over the trash bags onto eighth avenue and I had a knife. I'm from Maine and you're just accustomed to carrying pocket knives so whatever and I pulled it on him and I said, "ok now we're the same size, what are you going to do now?" and his eyes bulged out of his head. Well of course I'm not going to kill the guy, I mean I'm just trying to scare him you know. I put the knife away and he flipped out. Anyway cops came and they put me in jail, you know and I was just minding my own business, just having a drink after work and in a matter of fifteen minutes this whole sort of thing happened. They put me in jail, they put me in a cell with thirty nine other guys. I'm originally from New England. I, unfortunately had a world champion Boston Red Sox shirt on that day. I was a minority in that cell and there were a lot of Yankee fans from the Bronx. It was just a rough twenty four hours in jail and so I get community no I got anger management classes, I have to go to anger management class, I've completed. I'm not angry, I just got angry that night and then I just had to pay this fine. It's costing me like around you know, you have to pay for anger management class, it's costing like you know, four hundred and fifty dollars around there all together with everything and it's just been a pain in the ass and I've never even had a speeding ticket in my life. I've never done anything wrong and this happens. I'm down, I'm in jail. It's just been a character builder, we'll put it that way. I guess I did learn a lesson though I will walk away because you don't want to get thrown down in the tombs in New York City. It's not a pleasant place to be and uh that's it, fine paid, now I'll carry on, this is over but that guy had everything coming to him that I did to him; period. "You're an asshole if he's watching this, end of story, goodbye."

Tim

"Him and I were involved in an altercation. He called the cops."

I'm fulfilling a court obligation to uh, I was convicted today of misdemeanor, assault yeah that's what it was on a cab driver. Circumstances are I was out with friends we were drinking and the cab driver gave us a ride. He was trying to rip us off. Well he uh, we only paid about, I only paid eighty percent of the bill because that's what I felt, what the price was because we had taken the cab a couple of times at that time of the night and he had taken us about three blocks south of where we needed to be and we never ended up getting there so I asked him to pull over. The bill was about thirteen dollars and I gave him nine I think and I said, "this is what I'm going to pay you because this is what it usually is." and he flipped out. There were two girls in the back seat. I got out of the car, opened the door for the girls to get out and he sped away with the girls in the car and I sprinted after him. He crashed, he actually crashed the cab too, this is the best part he crashed the cab into another car and it slammed shut and that's when I flipped out. I ran over to him got the girls out told him to walk away and then him and I were involved in an altercation. He called the cops. The cops came and got me and uh I spent forty hours in jail. It was a good time. It was horrible. It was absolutely horrible. The cheese sandwiches were horrible. They need to feed us better here. Other then that it was really embarrassing.

It was just an altercation with the cab driver and supposedly theft of services. The meter doesn't lie I guess. I took an ACD and got three days of community service. Which I'm gonna do even though I really really don't want to do it. No and you know if I see him again I'll punch him.

Glenn

"We're not read our rights, we're just animals."

What brought me here today, well actually on Veterans Day, on the 11th. of this month which is November 11th. I was walking down the street on my lunch break and I went to actually I was working I was on my lunch break I went into the park, I smoked a joint one joint. The police five police officers came up to me and I put it out and I was good with them by saying this is a joint and everything and they threw me to the ground actually and they handcuffed, arrested me and put me into a car. I spent three, today is the thirteenth, I spent three days in the bullpen, I didn't even see the judge and then now they see me, I went to see the judge and they want to give me sixty days for actually smoking one joint. So actually the DA asked for sixty days and my lawyer said, "are you kidding me? It was only a joint." So he actually, the judge looked at the DA and the DA said, "Yes I want him to do sixty days."and the judge said, "no time served, let him go, go to a program or something." So they gave me a paperwork to go upstairs and fill in paperwork so I can start a program for a joint. You know I've been smoking a joint since I was fifteen. Ok. But I'm not a heavy user. I don't deserve to be put in jail at all for smoking a joint. You know. I'm a hard working man with a wife that has cancer. You know my wife has cancer at Mount Sinai hospital and it's incredible to me how the system is today. They walk around and jump out of cars, jump out of vans and then for no apparent reason just to trap people off especially in the minority communities and it's not right, it's not right. Something needs to be done. We need to follow this act that Bush set, the Patriot Act. We don't even have rights no more. America needs to know this. We don't have rights at all. All we have is ourselves and to survive, you know. We're not read our rights, we're just animals. So we need to come together one time and vote for the right people and try to end this madness because a lot of people are going to jail and spending time in jail for very very very little reason. We're getting locked up for little little little things and it's incredible. There's people outside robbing people, there's people outside robbing banks, robbing old woman and stuff and getting less time then people that's smoking a joint. That's incredible. We need to end this madness now. Thank you.

Darin