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Elias Graves
03-07-2014, 10:09 AM
Tom has been my best friend since 1979 when we met in middle school. Been through hell and back together many times over and he is one of maybe four people I trust implicitly.
He became a truck driver after high school and spent 20 years running hot shot expedited delivery all over North America and made some good money at it. He hauled hazmat, nuclear, military and all manner of crap nobody else wanted to touch. Being in such a role, he constantly had DOT crawling up his butt and he hated it as much as anyone here.
His life's goal was to earn enough money to retire to Mexico and go off the grid.
In 2005, his health was failing and he feared he wouldn't be able to pass many more physicals and he came up with a plan to spend one year in Iraq hauling for KBR, so he headed for Houston in January of 06 to do just that.
He didn't pass his physical, so he decided it was time to get out. He headed south, settled down, got married and had a son.
In 2011, he took his wife's birth certificate, their marriage certificate and his son's birth certificate to a US consulate to begin getting them legal to come to the states for an extended visit.
He was arrested at the consulate, told he had warrants out for him on child molestation charges. He was dragged back to the US where he learned the granddaughter of a business partner was fingering him for lewd acts with a child under 16. With the lousiest court appointed defense I've ever seen, he was convicted and sentenced to five life terms.
While in prison, he began working his own appeals and got hold of the social worker interviews with the child and learned that she was manipulated by her grandmother into blaming him instead of her grandfather. She had originally stated in the interview that her grandfather was the perpetrator but her grandmother told her she could lose her friends, her home and her family and end up with foster parents who would beat her. This was all in the transcripts! Like a bad TV movie. The district attorney buried this information.
Well, he won his appeal in 2013 and the convictions were vacated. The da filed the charges again because the judge threw out the convictions based on negligent defense so he was still locked up.
Just this week, he went before the judge again where the charges were finally dismissed. This never would have happened had he not been smart enough to work his own legal stuff.
The judge made some interesting comments at the hearing. He said he'd never been so happy to release a man from prison and overturn a decision in his career. He also stated he had never seen such flagrant prosecutorial misconduct in his life and was turning his findings over to the state bar for a formal investigation.
While in prison, he had also filed three federal lawsuits against the county and state, which have now been taken over by a well know rabble rousing lawyer here. Looks like he may be in for a big payday.

But it I believed their lies while this was going on. Despite knowing in my heart that he wasn't capable of doing these things, they twisted the story in such a way that it was hard to refute. I had no knowledge of the evidence he had found in prison so the only story I had to go off of was what the cops told me.
Despite my long time skepticism of the government, I fell for their lies. I feel so ashamed that I doubted my friend. He told me last night he understands and he forgives me but I don't know that I can ever forgive myself.
One lesson learned for me is that the government isn't just untrustworthy sometimes but every time. I will never believe their lies again.
And to my friend: I'm sorry I doubted you. Never again, brother. Never again.

acptulsa
03-07-2014, 10:19 AM
Rough.

Your friend was victimized by that DA. The little girl was first victimized by her grandfather, then by that DA. You were victimized by that DA. You may think you have no one but yourself to blame, but you're wrong. A man does have a right to expect that people placed in a position of trust will at least try to be human, even if he's a fool to do it.

This DA still in office? If so, you have work to do.

Uriah
03-07-2014, 10:23 AM
Well damn. Glad he's out. People are out for money, power, and control. It's us few that understand freedom and liberty. Forgive yourself, you are not to blame.

klamath
03-07-2014, 10:32 AM
He was lucky to get that overturned. IMO I think both the Public defender and DA should be elected and equal offices. The DA office is way to powerful without any checks.
Unfortunate for your friend even exonerated many people will still consider him a CM.

Cap
03-07-2014, 10:40 AM
Tom has been my best friend since 1979 when we met in middle school. Been through hell and back together many times over and he is one of maybe four people I trust implicitly.
He became a truck driver after high school and spent 20 years running hot shot expedited delivery all over North America and made some good money at it. He hauled hazmat, nuclear, military and all manner of crap nobody else wanted to touch. Being in such a role, he constantly had DOT crawling up his butt and he hated it as much as anyone here.
His life's goal was to earn enough money to retire to Mexico and go off the grid.
In 2005, his health was failing and he feared he wouldn't be able to pass many more physicals and he came up with a plan to spend one year in Iraq hauling for KBR, so he headed for Houston in January of 06 to do just that.
He didn't pass his physical, so he decided it was time to get out. He headed south, settled down, got married and had a son.
In 2011, he took his wife's birth certificate, their marriage certificate and his son's birth certificate to a US consulate to begin getting them legal to come to the states for an extended visit.
He was arrested at the consulate, told he had warrants out for him on child molestation charges. He was dragged back to the US where he learned the granddaughter of a business partner was fingering him for lewd acts with a child under 16. With the lousiest court appointed defense I've ever seen, he was convicted and sentenced to five life terms.
While in prison, he began working his own appeals and got hold of the social worker interviews with the child and learned that she was manipulated by her grandmother into blaming him instead of her grandfather. She had originally stated in the interview that her grandfather was the perpetrator but her grandmother told her she could lose her friends, her home and her family and end up with foster parents who would beat her. This was all in the transcripts! Like a bad TV movie. The district attorney buried this information.
Well, he won his appeal in 2013 and the convictions were vacated. The da filed the charges again because the judge threw out the convictions based on negligent defense so he was still locked up.
Just this week, he went before the judge again where the charges were finally dismissed. This never would have happened had he not been smart enough to work his own legal stuff.
The judge made some interesting comments at the hearing. He said he'd never been so happy to release a man from prison and overturn a decision in his career. He also stated he had never seen such flagrant prosecutorial misconduct in his life and was turning his findings over to the state bar for a formal investigation.
While in prison, he had also filed three federal lawsuits against the county and state, which have now been taken over by a well know rabble rousing lawyer here. Looks like he may be in for a big payday.

But it I believed their lies while this was going on. Despite knowing in my heart that he wasn't capable of doing these things, they twisted the story in such a way that it was hard to refute. I had no knowledge of the evidence he had found in prison so the only story I had to go off of was what the cops told me.
Despite my long time skepticism of the government, I fell for their lies. I feel so ashamed that I doubted my friend. He told me last night he understands and he forgives me but I don't know that I can ever forgive myself.
One lesson learned for me is that the government isn't just untrustworthy sometimes but every time. I will never believe their lies again.
And to my friend: I'm sorry I doubted you. Never again, brother. Never again.You are only guilty of trusting an institution that we have been programed since birth to trust. Think of it this way, like the majority of us here, you have finally taken the red pill. I am speculating, but probably everyone of us on this forum at one time were in your shoes, guilty of trusting the system.

Elias Graves
03-07-2014, 10:45 AM
He was lucky to get that overturned. IMO I think both the Public defender and DA should be elected and equal offices. The DA office is way to powerful without any checks.
Unfortunate for your friend even exonerated many people will still consider him a CM.

The one good thing in all this is he never took the plea they tried to force him to take. He fought the appeal.
His convictions were vacated, charges dismissed. He has no record of any kind now.

Thanks for for the kind words all, but I always considered myself too smart to be duped by their lies. It just goes to show that even a skeptic can be deceived with enough prodding.
Thinking
back ac know to the interviews I had with police over this matter, everything that cop told me was a lie. He sat there and knowingly blew smoke up my ass to get me to say what he wanted to hear. Scum. I hope he rots in hell for what he did. The cop, the da and the lot of em can suck it.

Anti Federalist
03-07-2014, 11:09 AM
Do not speak to cops.

Have nothing to with their corrupt system.

Heart breaking story Elias, but glad it turned out OK in the end.

Hope your friend sues the fuckers blind.

tod evans
03-07-2014, 11:12 AM
It's called the "Just-Us" system for a reason...

And I consider prosecuting attorneys to be the lowest form of life for a reason too...

Glad you learned, and I hope your friend gets plumb out of the country!

Anti Federalist
03-07-2014, 12:31 PM
One lesson learned for me is that the government isn't just untrustworthy sometimes but every time.

I will never believe their lies again.

And to my friend: I'm sorry I doubted you. Never again, brother. Never again.

Elias Graves
03-07-2014, 12:53 PM
I can't tell you all how much of a lowlife hypocrite I feel right now. I've always taken pride in my loyalty to friends.

Anti Federalist
03-07-2014, 01:11 PM
I can't tell you all how much of a lowlife hypocrite I feel right now. I've always taken pride in my loyalty to friends.

(((Bro - Hug)))

Don't let it get you down...your friend forgives you, and this system turns loyal wives and husbands against one another, let alone friends.

It is designed to crush the human spirit and its better manifestations, like loyalty.

MRK
03-07-2014, 01:28 PM
Well if he hadn't done anything wrong, he wouldn't have been in this position.

moostraks
03-07-2014, 01:53 PM
Glad your friend made it out. Some of us never get our reputations back after a run in with the system. Juvenile courts are the worst for railroading people. Most of us here I would say have learned the hard way not to trust the system and yet, although based upon first hand experiences, they would have their court appointed psychiatrists find us mentally ill and claim us paranoid. Nifty little system they have there.

Elias Graves
03-07-2014, 01:54 PM
Well if he hadn't done anything wrong, he wouldn't have been in this position.
Most days, I'd laugh at this. Most days, I'd sarcastically say the same thing.
Not feeling too much humor today.


But, I have picked up a nice bottle of Woodford Reserve and some big fat steaks. We're going to eat and drink well tonight.

limequat
03-07-2014, 02:52 PM
Yesterday: Crow
Today: Steak
Tomorrow: The blood of Tyrants

Czolgosz
03-07-2014, 03:32 PM
A black robe, 12 morons, and 2 lawyers.

Anti Federalist
03-07-2014, 10:52 PM
////

phill4paul
03-07-2014, 11:45 PM
Prostitutors and Lieyers. Glad your friendship survived Theme and hopefully lesson learned. Good man to admit faults. Even better man to learn from and go forward having learned from them.

liberty2897
03-07-2014, 11:51 PM
I fell for their lies. I feel so ashamed that I doubted my friend. He told me last night he understands and he forgives me but I don't know that I can ever forgive myself. One lesson learned for me is that the government isn't just untrustworthy sometimes but every time. I will never believe their lies again.
And to my friend: I'm sorry I doubted you. Never again, brother. Never again.

Sounds like he is a good friend. Both of you I mean. Don't fret about it. Just continue to be a good friend who can admit mistakes and lessons learned.

Paulbot99
03-08-2014, 12:49 AM
Like everyone has said above, it's not your fault. We are indoctrinated to believe the system. They have years of practice manipulating people. You weren't the first. I'm glad your friend is out. I will pray for him.

kcchiefs6465
03-08-2014, 01:06 AM
Like everyone has said above, it's not your fault. We are indoctrinated to believe the system. They have years of practice manipulating people. You weren't the first. I'm glad your friend is out. I will pray for him.
17,000 hours.

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 10:13 AM
The ACLU took his federal lawsuits over yesterday!
I spent all last night reading his lawsuits. This dude was amazing! He documented EVERYTHING while he was in. Got signed affidavits on EVERYTHING that happened to him inside.

Had he not filed his federal suits, the exculpatory evidence would never have come to light.
This dude HAND WROTE three federal lawsuits from behind bars with no outside legal help. He got law books, learned how to file and took matters into his own hands.

His is original defense attorney has been suspended and is facing disbarment.
The ADA has been removed from office and is under investigation.
He even has the ADA and his original attorney nailed on conspiracy. People will go to prison over this.
He is my new hero. He didn't wait for anyone to help him. He took matters into his own hands and turned the system against itself.

Had as I not read all his papers last night, I never would have believed the story. Absolutely mind blowing what they did to him.

And he he is one of six people in the history of this state to do what he did. He got five life sentences overturned, the charges dismissed without prejudice and walked out a free man.

Ive never been more proud of my friend in all my life. He's done some amazing shit over the years but I gotta say this tops em all.

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 10:16 AM
And, boy, did we get hammered last night! Lord, I have a headache!! What a blast.
I'm so very very happy to have
my friend back. I never thought I'd see him again. I'm overjoyed.

HOLLYWOOD
03-08-2014, 10:40 AM
the "JUST US" system

This is what happens when government employees and their huge departments are not held accountable.

Until the individual government people are personally held accountable, the abuse will always continue. Tired of reading "Only following orders and doing my job". AND the biggest discriminator in the employment sector is government. E.G... You can't join the FBI if you're over 32 years of age. You can't go to the military academy of you're over the age of 25, you can't work past the age of 55 if you're and Air Traffic Controller. Also, the CIA recruits in the colleges... the brainwashing is started early before you figure out how the system fucks the people, develop your individual critical thinking, and realize there's really no difference between Nazi Germany and USAtoday.

It's the JUST US SYSTEM

ClydeCoulter
03-08-2014, 11:00 AM
And, boy, did we get hammered last night! Lord, I have a headache!! What a blast.
I'm so very very happy to have
my friend back. I never thought I'd see him again. I'm overjoyed.

:D

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 11:13 AM
He's my best friend. I never thought I'd see him again but he's back! He beat the bastards at their own fucking game!

God, I'm a happy man! I'm thrilled thrilled thrilled!!! It's time to dance!
In the last year, I've lost a lot of people very close to me including a brother and a niece. And I never thought I'd see my friend again but he's here. I'm just so happy today I can't quit smiling. It's the most beautiful day ever.

tod evans
03-08-2014, 12:11 PM
The ACLU took his federal lawsuits over yesterday!
I spent all last night reading his lawsuits. This dude was amazing! He documented EVERYTHING while he was in. Got signed affidavits on EVERYTHING that happened to him inside.

Had he not filed his federal suits, the exculpatory evidence would never have come to light.
This dude HAND WROTE three federal lawsuits from behind bars with no outside legal help. He got law books, learned how to file and took matters into his own hands.

His is original defense attorney has been suspended and is facing disbarment.
The ADA has been removed from office and is under investigation.
He even has the ADA and his original attorney nailed on conspiracy. People will go to prison over this.
He is my new hero. He didn't wait for anyone to help him. He took matters into his own hands and turned the system against itself.

Had as I not read all his papers last night, I never would have believed the story. Absolutely mind blowing what they did to him.

And he he is one of six people in the history of this state to do what he did. He got five life sentences overturned, the charges dismissed without prejudice and walked out a free man.

Ive never been more proud of my friend in all my life. He's done some amazing shit over the years but I gotta say this tops em all.


Kudos to your buddy!

Please let him know to be wary of the ACLU....

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 12:15 PM
Kudos to your buddy!

Please let him know to be wary of the ACLU....

No worries there.

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 12:49 PM
Check this out. Paid a visit by Stephen Jones who wanted to personally congratulate him.
If you don't know who Stephen Jones is, you can look him up.

Paulbot99
03-08-2014, 12:54 PM
Your friend is amazing.

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 12:57 PM
Your friend is amazing.

Sayin...

I've never been involved with anything so bizarre in my life. It's farcical. But real.

i think more of it will soak in later. Right now I'm just happy to see him.

Anti Federalist
03-08-2014, 12:58 PM
Out fucking standing.

And here is, yet another reason why I no longer support capital punishment.

Not to take anything away from your friend, but imagine this happening to some barely literate 19 year old kid from the ghetto (or the 'holler), charged with murder.


The ACLU took his federal lawsuits over yesterday!
I spent all last night reading his lawsuits. This dude was amazing! He documented EVERYTHING while he was in. Got signed affidavits on EVERYTHING that happened to him inside.

Had he not filed his federal suits, the exculpatory evidence would never have come to light.
This dude HAND WROTE three federal lawsuits from behind bars with no outside legal help. He got law books, learned how to file and took matters into his own hands.

His is original defense attorney has been suspended and is facing disbarment.
The ADA has been removed from office and is under investigation.
He even has the ADA and his original attorney nailed on conspiracy. People will go to prison over this.
He is my new hero. He didn't wait for anyone to help him. He took matters into his own hands and turned the system against itself.

Had as I not read all his papers last night, I never would have believed the story. Absolutely mind blowing what they did to him.

And he he is one of six people in the history of this state to do what he did. He got five life sentences overturned, the charges dismissed without prejudice and walked out a free man.

Ive never been more proud of my friend in all my life. He's done some amazing shit over the years but I gotta say this tops em all.

IBleedNavyAndOrange
03-08-2014, 01:01 PM
This is one of the best posts I've read in a long long time.

donnay
03-08-2014, 01:30 PM
This is one of the best posts I've read in a long long time.

Aye, second that!

asurfaholic
03-08-2014, 01:50 PM
Thank god people didnt lose faith in me or believe the lies when I was arrested on false charges. The amount of support i had was incredible, I never felt alone. You learn who loves you when shit like this happens.

Anti Federalist
03-08-2014, 02:07 PM
Thank god people didnt lose faith in me or believe the lies when I was arrested on false charges. The amount of support i had was incredible, I never felt alone. You learn who loves you when shit like this happens.

For whatever it is worth, that is one of the reasons for posting cop horror stories all the time, at least for me:

So that people realize right off the bat that the cops may be lying about why so and so was arrested.

pcosmar
03-08-2014, 03:23 PM
For whatever it is worth, that is one of the reasons for posting cop horror stories all the time, at least for me:

So that people realize right off the bat that the cops may be lying about why so and so was arrested.

Been there,

And that is always my first question..

osan
03-08-2014, 03:27 PM
But it I believed their lies while this was going on. Despite knowing in my heart that he wasn't capable of doing these things, they twisted the story in such a way that it was hard to refute.

And so you have learned a hard lesson, no?


I had no knowledge of the evidence he had found in prison so the only story I had to go off of was what the cops told me.

What would possess you to put any stock in what a cop says? Many are pathoogical liars - they do it for its own sake because it plays to their petty sense of power over others.



Despite my long time skepticism of the government, I fell for their lies. I feel so ashamed that I doubted my friend.

Good. Feel it and learn. That you are shamed by this says only good things about who you are. Continue to feel it awhile and never forget what it is like that you might never again repeat such an error. You will be a better man for it. We all fuck up and at times we make a grand showing of it. This is yours. Be glad your pooching didn't result in loss of life. In time you will be better and life goes on, so do not go too far with self-reproach. The object is to learn and become a better man and it sounds like you are on the way.


He told me last night he understands and he forgives me but I don't know that I can ever forgive myself.


I don't know you from the next stranger, but I will nonetheless command you cut that shit right out. By your own admission you have dishonored your friend once. Do not compound the error by rejecting his forgiveness, which is exactly what it is to not forgive yourself. You should talk to him about this and tell him how badly you feel such that you are not sure you can do the self-forgiveness thing and see what he has to say about it. If he tells you to knock it off, then you owe it to him to do just that. This does not diminish the gravity of what you did, nor does it mean we forget, but only that the issue has been settled in good honor. This is what you will do if you are serious about being the good man.


One lesson learned for me is that the government isn't just untrustworthy sometimes but every time. I will never believe their lies again.
And to my friend: I'm sorry I doubted you. Never again, brother. Never again.

Don't tell us. Tell him. :)

You're OK and you will be OK if you allow it. Get thee hence and fuck up no more. :) :) :) :)

osan
03-08-2014, 03:47 PM
He is my new hero. He didn't wait for anyone to help him. He took matters into his own hands and turned the system against itself.

This is what people need to do the most in such circumstances, yet they fail at it. It is a matter of attitude more than anything else. I have not done anything so great as this, but I did something similar in '03. My meth-cooking neighbor got his hands on my wallet and did about $5K on my cards in about 4 hours. I had no clue where the wallet had gone, but when I went to the cops in Vancouver they basically yawned at me as did those in Portland. They told me that if I could come up with some evidence they might find the time to look at it. MIGHT.

So I got the CC statements and went to every store where he hit my cards including 5 GNCs where he emptied the shelves of their ephedrine products. Some place called "Boss Wear" at the mall in the Rose District had a video cassette. I got statements from a company in Keyport NJ that sold him calling cards. They gave me the phone numbers he and his friends used to call other buddies in Seattle etc. I came to the Multnomah county DA with a fair stack of documents and tapes. Still "meh", until a few weeks or months later when I ID'd him as he stood before me as the guy on the tape. I called the DA and gave them the tags of the car he was driving away in. A couple weeks later the PDX cops broke in his door and dragged him away, I testified to the grand jury, and he copped a plea in exchange for a 2.5 year stint at Coffee Creek.

Had I not done ALL the work, that asshole would have gotten away with it because the cops are lazy dildoes. Afterward they were all gushing about the job they did, though the DA told me it was all mine, which was good to hear.

Never leave your nuts in the hands of strangers because they will never value them as do you.


Ive never been more proud of my friend in all my life. He's done some amazing shit over the years but I gotta say this tops em all.

He sounds like a keeper.

Elias Graves
03-08-2014, 03:52 PM
Learned a lesson? You bet I have.
I already told him. We had a long talk last night and he understands how we were all taken for a ride. We're cool and I'm doing what I need to to help him get back on his feet. Gave him half my wardrobe yesterday. Lol.

we have him fed, clothed and sheltered. Next week, we'll be hauling him around getting his CDL back and a new phone, etc. Several of us have cars he can use to track down work. He's industrious. It won't take him long to be making money again.