Friday, August 31, 2012

Santa Barbara Police Brutality (16 year old says police used excessive force) video is on you tube‏


A Santa Barbara Community Leader asked that I share This with Everyone!


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Santa Barbara Police Brutality (16 year old says police used excessive force)
Youth CineMedia interviews a 16 year old who says police used excessive force when arresting him on his way home from school. The teen featured in this video was born in the United States; however,…
00:02:26
Added on 8/31/12
72 views


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQrFaJ9Hi38&feature=youtube_gdata_player

S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!

Sharing Some Thoughts about Matt Sanchez's Memorial Service, What A Show of Love by Santa Barbara




I guess by now most everyone has heard that our friend and community leader Matt Sanchez lost his battle with cancer earlier this month. Matt had confided in me about his illness but I never thought he would leave us so soon. From the moment he told me about his illness I had been thinking just how much Matt’s support has meant to me. I would try to regularly go by and visit him and as his condition worsened it was so hard for me not to share with others what he was going through.

I guess the first time I admitted to myself he was losing his battle I had a friend with me and could not really talk with him about anything. So on my very next visit we embraced as usual but I asked him if he was ok and ready for what was coming, and Matt standing tall said to me he was at peace. For almost a month now I have been trying to write something about Matt and I just do not have the words. Even near the end when I would email him I came up blank;

“Matt,
You are always in my thoughts and because of that I am finally in therapy! 
I know what you’re thinking but no the therapy is not helping at all. I have been 
Sitting here trying to write you for hours and that just came out. I just wanted you
To know I was thinking about you (My last email to him)

Larry.”

I thought Matt’s decision not to share with us all what was going on prevented others from showing him just how much he meant and was loved by us all, boy was I wrong. Below is a portion of Santa Barbara Independent writer Nick Welsh’s column from yesterday where he shares his experience at Matt’s memorial service. All that I can add to his article is how I felt at the end of the day. It was like I had attended a huge family wedding, the kind where friends and family who have moved away come home. It was the kind of event that with every turn there was someone else to greet with a huge embrace and share a memory about Matt. Truth be told I don’t think we will ever stop showing Matt’ Sanchez that we love him.

Larry Mendoza

Dog as My Copilot

Good Gnus: True Stories to Inoculate Yourself Against Mass Stupidity



“Having gotten that off my chest, let me express my amazement at how more than 1,500 people packed the Granada Theatre last Saturday afternoon to say so long to Matt Sanchez, the Montecito barber and former gang member who worked so long and so stubbornly to keep others from following the path he charted as a young, charismatic, and scary shot-caller from the Eastside. I knew Matt a little and was most struck by the raw stamina of his optimism, even when the tribulations of his own life would have given Job a run for his money. Sanchez’s gift was seeing the good in others, even and especiallywhen they couldn’t see it in themselves. Based on the testimony of several young men, Sanchez brought out the best in them. I was equally struck by the mix of people who showed up to get their ears seriously bent by some seriously talented speechifying preachers, including the likes of Father Greg Boyle, now almost a celebrity for his work with gang members in Los Angeles. Every vegetable from Santa Barbara’s salad bar was on hand: sitting judges, ex-cops, ex-gangsters, recovering addicts from every school of abuse, politicians past and present, a whole bunch of hoods he took to the woods, activists of every stripe, a sizable contingent of Harley riders, school board members who sought Sanchez’s advice before deciding whether to expel or to suspend, and plenty of patrons from the Montecito barbershop who, it became clear, gave Matt the “hundreds of dollars” it cost to take at-risk kids on field trips to the Sierras ​ ​as opposed to the “hundreds of thousands,” Sanchez said (via film clip) it costs to lock them up in a state facility instead. And in terms of Santa Barbara’s persistent Juan Crowwhite-brown cultural divide, the memorial was spectacularly ecumenical. I admit I lost the point of the parable about Elijah, and Eligia, but the moral of the story of how Sanchez brought traffic on Highway 5 to a halt so he could rescue a dog loose on what would otherwise have been a fatal stretch of freeway was unmistakable.

Thanks Nick for sharing what you saw and how you feel.!


S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Attention attorney Michael Gennaco from the Los Angeles County Office of Review, please add the use of the "Ruse Affidavit by the Santa Maria Police Department to your Currently ongoing Investigation of them.


 Did you know that currently the Santa Maria CA police department and their procedures are being investigated by the Los Angeles County Office of Review at the request of the Santa Maria City Council? I feel that this is a golden opportunity for Lawless Americas and its documentary crew as it heads to California, and this posting will explain why. Now this review came about after the questionable shooting death of one of their officers Albert Covarrubias by another officer during an attempt to arrest him. On the day prior to the shooting it had been reported that Officer Covarrubias had been sexually involved with a 17 year old female police explorer.

This of course triggered the investigation which lead to the decision on the following day to arrest him at the conclusion of his late night early a.m. shift. Here is a link to the local media’s initial coverage of the incident. Before you continue reading my story it would help to read the Medias story first so as to keep things in logical order.

Now by that media account and every other story I read they all claimed that Officer Covarrubias had fired 4 shots first while allegedly attempting to avoid arrest, and then was killed by one fatal shot to the front chest. So three months after the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs had turned over their investigation to the waiting District Attorney Joyce Dudley. She released her report, which as expected cleared the officer in question for the use of deadly force under the laws of California. Regardless the Santa Maria Community had been outraged from the very beginning and here is why.

Not even two months had passed since the last questionable police officer involved shooting in Santa Maria. In that incident two officers were hurt in a deadly shootout with an armed drug suspect. At the conclusion of the investigation it was found that the two officers were accidentally shot by their own fellow officers. So you can understand why the community immediately began challenging almost every reported action taken by those in charge on the Covarrubias situation. Please keep in mind that all the previous media reports were based on the press conferences and information released by the Santa Maria police department. Believe me you will find your effort well rewarded by the time I finish this posting. I must warn you it is a bit lengthy but in the hands of William Windsor I expect great things!
Here is a link to Santa Barbara D.A. Dudley’s report; http://magicinsantabarbara.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/da-report-on-sm-police-shooting.pdf

. After reading District Attorney Dudley’s report it is clear to me that her only agenda was to camouflaging and conceal questionable possibly illegal and at the very least unethical acts by all those whose names appear in the report from the scrutiny of the public. In the shooting report summary found on page one District Attorney Dudley states what her role is with the report; ” The District Attorneys role in reviewing this homicide was to determine whether the shooting of Officer Covarrubias was lawful and to provide a detailed explanation to the public about the facts and law in that regard. This process “requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances.” Hence, this analysis will give careful attention to both the facts and the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Officer Covarrubias”.

It just bothers me that her report failed miserably to live up to her summary and here is why. If you remember correctly originally the Santa Maria police reported to the media these facts;
1-     Four shots were fired by Officer Covarrubias as he attempted to avoid being arrested.
2-      Officer Covarrubias was killed by one fatal round to the front chest.

Now in D.A. Dudley’s report her facts state
1-     That officer Covarrubias fired only one round as he attempted to avoid being arrested.
2-      That actually three shots were fired at Officer Covarrubias, one to the upper back and two to the back of the neck. All while another officer was positioned on top of Officer Covarrubias who was being held face down to the ground.

We also learn in Dudley’s report that officer Covarrubias was actually wearing a bullet proof vest the night he was killed. A fact that was some how missed by the Santa Maria Police during the six previous months of press conferences.  This fact alone would have never allowed for one kill shot to the front chest and D.A. Dudley’s report proves this as well. You she in her report the officer who killed Covarrubias did so with three shots, one to the upper back and two to the back of the neck. The shot to the upper back was not allowed to penetrate because of the vest, so it is safe to say a shot to the front chest covered by the same vest would also prevent a mortal wound.

I just don’t understand how the facts could have been so misrepresented initially by the Santa Maria Police Department during all those press conferences, or has the District Attorney intentionally altered the truth. Also this story has gathered National attention and not one single media source has taken the time to compare the two accounts and their facts as I have.

Now if this was all I had we would still have plenty to use for our documentary but I come bearing greater gifts for William Windsor. You see I have an even more urgent concern with the Santa Maria Police Department and District Attorneys Office.

Last year it was brought to my attention from one of my blog readers that the Santa Maria police with the permission of the D.A.’s office had created a new instrument to helped them charge suspects who otherwise could have never been charged, this instrument is called a “Ruse Affidavit”. It is absolutely unbelievable to me that so many people whose sworn duty it is to up hold the Constitution have failed on so many different levels. I know none of you have a clue as to what I am talking about but please bare with me just a few more minutes.

First let’s all look at the Definition of an AFFIDAVIT: A sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer that the information before him is true and verifiable. 

Here is my attempt to define the term ‘Ruse Affidavit’ based on how it is being used by the Santa Maria Police Department with the permission of the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office Definition of RUSE AFFIDAVIT:  obtaining a judicial signature with a fabricated sworn statement included as part of the affidavit. The only purpose of this act is to induce statements from a suspect whom they lack evidence for, by presenting these known false statements and or facts as true. The fabricated Ruse Affidavit must then also be illegally removed from the court files once the suspect is charged so that there is no proof of the arresting officer’s Constitutional violation against the now charged defendant.


“Law enforcement cannot violate the law to enforce the law,” Santa Maria Superior Court Judge Kuns said in her opening statement for one case that includes a “Ruse Affidaffit.” In a different case Santa Maria Superior Court Judge Kuns Rules Police Misconduct in Robbery Case, the use of “Ruse Affidavit” is basis for Misconduct!


Even the two presiding Superior Court Judges understand this practice is illegal yet they still allow it’s use in the cases that were before them. So just as I have done earlier please read these two news press articles about the use of “Ruse Affidavits in the Santa Maria Superior Criminal Court System. http://www.santamariasun.com/cover/75... Or
http://m.santamariatimes.com/news/loc... 
Then the actual “Ruse Affidavit’ files referenced in the media articles above. @http://magicinsantabarbara.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/eliz-docs-ruse-warrant.pdf


As all of us know it is hard to be surprised any more in regards to Judicial corruption based on our own personal experiences. But as we also know it is even harder to find a federal agency willing to perform their duty to the letter of the law. Now because the Los Angeles County Office of Review already has attorney Michael Gennaco in Santa Maria heading their investigation of the fatal shooting of Officer Covarrubias. I think we the Facebook followers of Lawless America can add the “Ruse Affidavit situation to his plate and demand a finding. Over the last month I have called Mr. Gennaco's office and left two messages sharing my concern with the"Ruse Affidavits" used by the Santa Maria Police department, to date he has not returned my calls. I also emailed his office the letter below.

What I am thinking is that if one of us can create a generic phone statement asking why he has not addressed my concerns with the “Ruse Affidavit’ situation in Santa Maria. And as individuals all call in we may force his hand in the matter. Now should he not respond before the documentary team arrives in California, then it would be up to William Windsor and the film crew to visit him on camera. I really think this could be quite a victory for lawless America, and I hope you do too. The phone number for the Los Angeles County Office of Review is 1-323-890-5425, the attorney you want to speak with is Michael Gennaco!!


Attention Office of Review "Ruse Affidavit" (Santa Maria)

Date: 2012-07-25, 9:10AM PDT
Reply to this post

Good morning Mr. Gennaco,
My name is Larry Mendoza and I left you a phone message this morning. As promised I am forwarding to you a file from the Santa Maria police department that includes some discussion about the use of a "Ruse Affidavit" as part of their investigation. Best as I can tell Mr. Gennaco the term was coined by the D.A. and Santa Maria Police. Here is my attempt to define the term 'Ruse affidavit' based on how it is being used by the Santa Maria Police with the permission of the Santa Barbara District Attorney's office; Definition of RUSE AFFIDAVIT: obtaining a judicial signature with a fabricated sworn statement included as part of the affidavit. The only purpose of this act is to induce statements from a suspect whom they lack evidence for, by presenting these known false statements and or facts as true. The fabricated Ruse Affidavit must then be illegally removed from the court files once the suspect is charged so that there is no proof of the arresting officer's Constitutional violation against the now charged defendant.

Mr. Gennaco I write a blog called www.santabarbaracriminalcourtcorruptionblogspot.com I think the title says it all. I first became aware of the "Ruse Affidavit" when the defendants girlfriend contacted me and later forwarded me the same files I have just sent you. I feared that this situation could become dangerous for myself and said so in my posting. I decided that this abuse required me to at the very least make the same files available to the public and hung them on my blog. A few weeks later I was contacted by a reporter from Santa Maria who found the files on line. We talked for about an hour and a half and he published a story ten days later. I have included two links to news press story's talking about what was happening with the two cases that included "Ruse Affidavits' as part of their file.
http://m.santamariatimes.com/news/loc...
http://www.santamariasun.com/cover/75...

Mr. Gennaco I am not trying to insult you but I am wondering if you have read Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce Dudley's report on the officer involved shooting death of Mr. Covarrubias that originally brought you to Santa Maria? I hope you take the time to compare the D.A.’s account of how many rounds were fired and by whom against all the previous media reports. There is a huge discrepancy here and I wrote about it on my blog, I have included a link below to that story for your review..

In closing I hope we can have a phone conversation if you feel it could be valuable to your review. I learned a new phrase yesterday that seems to apply in far too many situations here in Santa Barbara County ' Under the Color of the law'. I am not a very well educated person but some things seem to be spelling out all by themselves.

Best Regards

Larry Mendoza

http://santabarbaracriminalcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-did-4-shots-fired-by-santa-maria.html


S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Matt Sanchez: 1959-2012 Founder of AllforOne Youth and Mentoring, Barber

http://www.independent.com/news/2012/aug/22/matt-sanchez-1959-2012/





Matt Sanchez: 1959-2012

ounder of AllforOne Youth and Mentoring, Barber

Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Matthew F. Sanchez was born August 22, 1959, in Lynwood, California. He moved to Santa Barbara with his family in 1964, and he attended Our Lady of Guadalupe School and Bishop Diego García High. In 1977, he became a proud Marine, serving his country for four years. With a foundation of strong character attributes, sharpened by proud parents and supportive family, Matt was a natural leader. He taught us, “It’s not blood but rather love that binds us together.” No matter what his connection ​— ​as dad, grandpa, son, uncle, compa, brother, friend, or “Matt, honey” ​— ​he sealed it with love and commitment, and once that connection was made, it was hard to break.
He was the epitome of the God kind of love; heart always guided him. Matt would look you in the eye, ask you your name, and never forget it. For young and old, across racial, social, and economic lines, he made you feel like he was one of your best friends. There are so many who were positively influenced by Matt, be they family member, friend, or a young person he’d just met. Matt poured himself out to people and never considered it time wasted. He believed in positive human potential and that no one was without it.
His humor permeated the atmosphere in his home away from home, Montecito Barbers, where he interacted with friends others might call customers. It was not uncommon for folks to stop by for just a glimpse of that smile to brighten up their day.
His friend Jim Lichtman recently ended his monthly ethics blog with this question: “What are the better angels of our nature, and how can each of us more ably demonstrate their spirit?” The better angels of Matt’s nature are demonstrated by the love and influence he and his partner, Dawn, have instilled in their family and by the time and help Matt readily gave to friends new and old. They are demonstrated in the effort he gave to make you laugh and smile and in the many ways he ministered to the needs of others at the expense of his own ​— ​early wakeups, a multitude of calls, emails, and texts; writing and sending letters; and face-to-face visits to motivate and encourage positive change.
Matt was met with challenges and frustration along the way, but ultimately he found peace ​— ​year by year, day by day, hour by hour, step by step. His joy was in sharing it, to his last breath, letting us all know he made it to a place of ultimate peace. Rest in peace, beloved! We will miss you tremendously, and we are stronger because of you. Thank you for teaching us the meaning of love. We love you, and we will forever love each other more because of you.
Matt leaves us with the gifts of his wife, Dawn; children Joshua (Monica), Adriana (Alex), Manuel (Priscilla), Matt (Leah), Amber, Tim (Lauren), Daniel (Sarah), and Elijah; and grandchildren Arianna, Joshua, Leilani, Brianna, Selena, AJ, Isabela, Athaliah, and Lilly. Also surviving him are his parents, Sally and Bob Sanchez, and siblings Antoinette (Richard), James (Tanya), Renee, Tim, and Karen (Luc), and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, uncles, aunts, and friends. Matt was predeceased by his brother Keith.
There will be a memorial service to celebrate his life and legacy on Saturday, August 25, at 1 p.m., at the Granada Theatre.
His legacy will live on through AllforOne Youth and Mentoring, the organization he founded. Please take some time to visit the website and register your comments of support for continuation of his vision for peace (allforonesb.org). — Richard Muñoz
Richard Muñoz is Matt Sanchez’s brother-in-law and one of his many best friends.
The compelling voice of Matt Sanchez was silenced on August 8, 2012. Yet his influence will continue for generations in the changed hearts and lives of the many young people he touched.
It is always a challenge to assess a life and legacy, especially one as varied as Matt’s. Perhaps a drawing Matt loved and prized will help some understand what motivated this extraordinary man. The drawing is a realist pencil piece by my brother, Anthony Prieto, portraying many of the original members of the Varrio Hoods. The drawing includes Matt, his brother Keith, Chato, Moose, Dreamer, Huerito, my brother, and me in front of a wall with the Varrio Hoods scroll. A few years back, Matt and I spent a day taking this drawing to classrooms in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria to share about our experiences. Matt’s past acts as a young man demonstrated his authenticity and served as a cautionary tale to the students; his acts as an adult demonstrated his dedication to their lives.
Matt explained to the students that the Varrio Hoods were from all parts of Santa Barbara and transcended Eastside or Westside. The Hoods were committed to defending Santa Barbara from outside gangs. Some may say this explanation is a revisionist justification and glorification of the gang lifestyle. The reality, sad but true, is too many of our young people and communities are suffering the effects of gang membership and affiliation. Matt committed his adult life to bring reconciliation and healing to the lives shattered by this lifestyle.
The concept of the Varrio Hoods as a protector and unifier would serve as a foundation for Matt’s Hoods in the Woods efforts. I attended the first Hoods in the Woods expedition. Young men were taken out of their neighborhoods to go camping. For some it was their first time away from home. I still remember listening to the raw and honest conversations between the young men and the counselors, many ex-gang members. Only Matt’s presence and vision could compel those young men to shed their neighborhood affiliations and begin to understand their commonalities and potential.
Matt also shared during our visits with the students how he and others protected me because they believed I had a good chance to succeed. He was proud of my career as a lawyer. I will always be grateful to Matt and the Hoods. We best emulate Matt when we serve and love those whom society fears and shuns.
I join many at-risk youth as I mourn for the loss of a dear homeboy and carnal. I grieve for the Sanchez family as they deal with the loss of a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and uncle. I pray that the people of Santa Barbara realize they have lost a prince of peace. — Jeff Prieto


S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Gang Injunction Further Moth-Balled Judge Takes Trial Date off Calendar, Do the Crime Stats Justify the need for the Injunction?



When you read numbers given out about "Gang Issues/Crime” here in 
Santa Barbara more often than not a high percentage number is used rather than factual numbers. For example in last years 14 page District Attorney's budget flyer (attached to this email) it immediately starts out on pg 3 under "highlights key trends", with the statistic that Gang crime is up by1422% over the last ten years. In order to get some type of perspective on the raise in "Gang Crime" I looked at the right hand side of Page 3 and saw that the S.B.D.A.'s office handled a total of 14,633 felony cases in 1 year. Then I went to page 5 and saw were the D.A.'s office shows only 274 cases were classified as "Gang", or in other words 0.0187 of 1% percent was "Gang related". Now lets break that down even further and ask how many of the 274 case were from the City of Santa Barbara  and what portion of those cases came from Santa Maria and Lompoc . Let’s see 1422% vs. .0187 of 1 percent, 1422% does not seem to really reflect anything does it. 

http://magicinsantabarbara.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/da-budget-and-gang-crime-data.pdf


http://www.independent.com/news/2012/aug/16/gang-injunction-further-moth-balled/#commenttoggle

Gang Injunction Further Moth-Balled

Judge Takes Trial Date off Calendar

Thursday, August 16, 2012


S.B.C.C.C. The place where COMMON SENSE never goes out of style!