Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 16:24:36 -0700 (PDT) From: "phoenix copwatch" Subject: Re: Public Defender's Office: To: Cyclered@aol.com The police talked to Louis Armstrong and got him to confess to a murder in the west valley. He spent over a year in jail until the police found out by accident that he didnt commit the murder. He was in Oregon visiting his mom as he said originally when the murder happened. If Louis Armstrong had taken his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to talk to the police he would not have been arrested, nor spend a year in jail after being framed by the police for a crime he didnt commit. As Louis said he didnt even know he confessed to a murder. Michael McGraw called the Maricopa County Sheriffs office from a Tucson mental hospital to claim that he and five buddies were guilty of the Buddhist temple murders. You would figure that the cops would not take some crackpot calling from a mental institution 100 miles away and confessing to the worst murders in the history of Phoenix seriously, but they did. The six men came to Phoenix and five of them admitted committing the temple murders during questioning. The men quickly recanted the confessions but still were held in Maricopa County jail for a year until the cops accidentally discovered they didnt commit the murders. If these men had taken their Fifth Amendment right and refused to talk to the police none of them would have been arrested much less be framed by the police and spend a year in jail for murders they didnt commit. Ray Krone was accused of a brutal murder of a bar maid in Phoenix. He didnt do it and talked to the Phoenix Police knowing he would prove his innoncent. He didnt! But the cops still framed him. He spent 10 years on death row for a crime he didnt commit until DNA testing proved he did not commit the murder. I talked to Ray Krone and he said the reason he spent 10 years on death row was because he was stupid enough to give up his Fifth Amendment rights. He said that even though he was innocent of the crime the cops used everything he said against him and used it to convict him twice for a murder he didnt commit. If Ray Krone had refused to talk to the police he would not have been arrested much less spent 10 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Are those three good reasons why people who are not guilty of any crimes should always take their Fifth Amendment right and refuse to talk to the police? I think they are three real good reasons to refuse to talk to the police. The police either intentionally or just thru incompetence frame people all the time and the best way you can avoid being framed is to refuse to talk to the police. Copwatch doesnt have a problem with guilty people being arrested and found guilty of crimes. Copwatch does have a problem with the police arresting innocent people and either framing then or cohering confessions from them. Copwatch Cyclered@aol.com wrote: Suzanne Sanchez & Eleanor Eisenberg: After reading the article in today's Arizona Republic, I feel I have to reply. First of all, I should mention that I am a retired Police Officer with over thirty-five years experience. It has been my pleasure over the years to work with Public Defenders, most of whom I respected and in my opinion were professional in the court room. However, this article has me confused. Let me see if I understand you correctly. It appears you have a problem with the suspects talking with the police. What's wrong with this picture? It sounds like you couldn't care less whether the suspect is guilty or innocent, as long as your office can get them acquitted. So it doesn't matter if the suspect may have committed one, two or even three homicides, lets get him back on the street, so he can continue his life of crime. Correct me if I am wrong. However, I was under the impression that the duties of the Public Defender's office was to see that the accused obtain a fair trial, and in doing so, making sure the police and anybody else connected with the case, operate legally and within the scope of the law. But then I guess using this procedure, too many suspects would be found guilty. I don't know why you have a problem with suspects being found guilty, after a fair trial. You don't have to worry about job insurance. There are plenty of criminals to go around and keep you in business. Sincerely, Lavern J. Link cyclered@aol.com